To be held on 10 July 2002 at "The Beaumanor Hall Conference Centre", Woodhouse, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Over the past 30 years or more, developments in most engineering technologies has been directed at improving efficiency and quality whilst the markets for these processes have naturally increased keeping pace with industrial growth.

However the history of development in surface engineering is not only about the improvements in the equipment used to provide surface coatings but also the consequential growth in the functions which these coatings are to perform. Thus the increase in market potential for surface coatings has grown phenominally and continues to do so.

As an example in the early fifties thermally sprayed coatings (metal spraying using combustion gases) were used by adventurous maintenance engineers to replace lost metal for interference fits or other such applications where there was no intended motion between the coating and the mating component. Improvement in coating adhesion levels by the use of special bonding materials, such as Molybdenum, provided the first leap forward and running surfaces, such as plain bearings, were then included. This led to salvage of mis-machined parts where for the first time engineering components were sprayed in batches as opposed to the one off repair applications.

Designers began to recognise the potential for increase in performance by applying coatings of materials which could not be used economically for component manufacture. e.g. stainless steel coatings on to mild steel in areas where corrosion resistance was combined with wear problems.

The subsequent introduction of Plasma spraying in the early sixties saw the introduction of coatings on gas turbine engines making more use of the increasing variety of materials for thermal barrier applications and resistance to erosion by fast moving aggressive gases.

To day the automotive industry is using coatings in mass production to provide resistance to wear in lightwight engine cylinder bores, piston rings and gear box components.

The move to produce coatings applied under controlled conditions ( Vacuum or low pressure chambers) resulted in even higher quality coatings using only inert gases increasing the application to include such critical parts as bio medical implants.

Other surfacing technologies such as vapour deposition, weld surfacing and electroplating have seen similar advances resulting in expansion in their markets as the latest technologies and materials make possible the use of surface coatings operating in the most hostile environments. Presentations at this conference will highlight this continuous development in - "Taking coatings to the limit" .

Details of titles and timing of presentations will be available shortly and will be handed out on the day.

Speakers will include:-

Professor W-D Munz	Chair, Surface Engineering Materials Research Institute Sheffield Hallam University
Mr Ken Lawson	Cranfield University Cranfield Bedford.
Dr Terry Lester	Metallisation Limited Dudley West Midlands.
Dr Adrian Weatherill	Sermatech UK Whisby Road, Lincoln
Mr Gareth Davies	Praxair TAFA, Southam Warwickshire
Mr Keith Harrison	Sulzer Metco Limited
Mr Dennis Teer	Teer Coatings Limited Kidderminster
Mr Rod Wing	CUK Limited, Somercotes Derbyshire

Morning Session Chairman Mr Ken Lawson

Afternoon Session Chairman Mr Keith Harrison

Final programme and presentation titles/ times will be included in the documents given out on the day. However for further information required before then, please contact the secretary on 01789 842822 or thermal.sprayers @btinternet.com

For more information, please contact the secretary .

For previous conference details, venues, agendas and reports click here or on the meetings icon on the left hand side.

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