Production • Processing • Handling
Corrosion protection enhancement for electric actuators
O
Michael Herbstritt outlines a new coating process to protect actuators against chemicals, weather and mechanical impact.
ver the past decade, the quality demands for corrosion protection from offshore applications have considerably increased and this has required corresponding
enhancements to products supplied to the industry. Exploration engineering is a developing sector and soaring energy costs have led to a growth in oil and gas extraction. And, regardless of location – whether in the tropics or polar latitudes - this work is conducted in increasingly extreme, open sea environmental conditions. As a result, Auma has developed a new two-layer powder coating process at its Muellheim manufacturing campus in Germany, which has advanced device capability. Recognising that corrosion protection is a basic
requirement for electric actuators, AUMA has made major investment in upgrading its procedures for coating components. Te new procedure has required design modification of the company’s components and this has had a major impact on AUMA’s manufacturing process. Single housing parts are now coated prior to assembly: as a result, whenever housing is opened for installation, commissioning or other procedures, there is no increased risk of corrosion. Te new process incorporates a first layer for optimum adhesion of the finish coating and a second layer which ensures resistance to chemicals/ the weather and mechanical impact. Te initiative from AUMA protects individual elements of the housing and represents a paradigm shift for the global actuator supplier. Previously, a finish coating was applied after final device assembly. Commenting on the advancement in actuation,
AUMA joint Managing Director Henrik Newerla said: “Tis is a significant breakthrough that marks a revolutionary production change for AUMA and offers major advantages to users in challenging oil and gas installations which often face the rigours of environmental factors such as the sea and extreme weather conditions. “Corrosion protection is an integral part of the
adaption of housing design and device enhancement. Keeping risk of corrosion damage to a minimum is therefore a central focus for our designers.
54
www.engineerlive.com
“Heavy financial commitment to research ensures that new materials and procedures are continuously tested to verify their corrosion protection characteristics, and to assess their appropriateness for use with our devices. Significant outlay is made at AUMA to continuously review materials and methodologies to provide the optimum solution.”
Rigorous assessment has played a key role in the advancement to electric actuation and new processes and test equipment include salt spray chambers which subject the elements of the company’s actuators to extreme corrosive conditions for extensive periods. AUMA reports that the duration of the test exceeded all specifications and after 2,500 hours the assessment was interrupted as no significant corrosion damage could be detected. Having differentiated its range with a modular design principle, AUMA reports that enhanced corrosion protection has raised the bar for the actuation industry and is an additional USP for its products. ●
Enter 54 or ✔ at
www.engineerlive.com/iog
Michael Herbstritt is an electronic engineer and technical author with AUMA, Muellheim, Germany.
www.auma.com
Fig. 1. A new two-layer powder coating process is introduced by AUMA to support challenging installations.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86