TripleHard® coating solution by Savroc
Safety, environmental matters and sustainability should be in the core of all business operations. Making sure our personnel and our environment are safe, and by making sustainable decisions, we are able to ensure the continuity of operations in the years and decades to come. Right now discontinuation of the usage of harmful hexavalent chromium is one of the main tasks of manufacturing industry.
When we are talking about Cr6 in this blog post, we are referring to hexavalent chromium. Until recently, it has basically been the key to all materials having a hard chromium layer. The usage of Cr6 is has been license-based since 2017 and in the years to come it will be very strongly regulated and, in the end, completely banned. This is due to Cr6 plating process which contains toxic chromic acids that are harmful to the environment and also for people that are working with the process.
At Hydroline, we pay special attention to environmental issues in our manufacturing process. We have always been engaged in environmentally-friendly operations, maintaining the existing level of occupational health and safety. We comply with all applicable laws, decrees and regulations in everything we do. TripleHard® by Savroc meets these values and enables us and our customers’ safe and efficient workplace. From our timelapse video in the end of this blog post, you can see the difference between TripleHard® and Cr6. But first, let’s take a closer look.
Why TripleHard®?
The crystal structure of TripleHard® makes it superior compared to Cr6. TripleHard® Corrosion coating contains chromium oxide as well as chromium carbide and thus provides an excellent corrosion resistance. This superb resistance gives components more durability compared to traditional coating. Compared to Cr6, TripleHard® lasts for over 10 times longer, even in the most challenging mining conditions.
This excellent corrosion resistance and durability improves the user experience and increases the trust on the machine. As the coating lasts up to 10 times longer than Cr6, this decreases the need for expensive warranty repairs. This won’t only be an advantage for the end user but also for the OEMs offering annual maintenance contracts. As TripleHard® coating decreases the need for repair and maintenance, it benefits the OEM: the need for repairs decreases. How? Let’s do a simple calculation.
An example – TripleHard® versus Cr6
In one of our example cases, Savroc compared the TripleHard® coating and Cr6 in mining conditions in Australia. Base materials for Cr6 Base were AISI 329 and 20MnV6 (normal steel) and for TripleHard® the base material was 20MnV6 (normal steel).
| Cr6 coated cylinders | After only two months in these conditions, the cylinder with 20MvV6 base material had experienced so much corrosion and become so rusty, the rod had to be replaced. In a three-year period, replacing cylinder rod every two months makes a total of 12 150€! This calculation is done without any losses in the production.
After only four months, the same could be seen from cylinder with AISI 329 as base material. As AISI 329 is a slightly more expensive base material, the total cost of a new rod every four months makes a total of as much as 18 900€. |
| TripleHard® | Whereas, after almost three years (34 months) in the same conditions, there is no rust or any kind of corrosion in the cylinder rod with TripleHard® coating. After three years, the costs for a new cylinder rod are 0€. |
So what does this have to do with the maintenance contract between the end user and the OEM? Let’s say an OEM was to calculate an annual maintenance contract according to the available data for Cr6. The annual maintenance contract would then include a cylinder rod replacement every three months – if needed. However, if the cylinder rods had a TripleHard® coating; according to tests, this would completely eliminate the need for new rods for at least three years. This way, the end user has the option and possibility for a new cylinder rod every three months and feels safe with their work. However, with TripleHard® coating the OEM has no need to replace the cylinder rods at all; but by promising this option in a contract, is able to increase the customer satisfaction.
By choosing more durable coating, an OEM can also provide the end user more efficient and uninterrupted working hours. As the machine and its components last longer, giving the end user a better user experience, they are more likely to choose to the same manufacturer in the future. At Hydroline, our willingness is to be able to help our customers to make their customers happy. Like our mission states, we want to bring true added value for all our partners’ products and services. With Savroc, we can do just that.
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How about safety?
As briefly mentioned in the beginning of this post, the Cr6 plating process contains toxic chromic acids that are harmful not only to the environment, but also for people that are working with the process. It has been researched that workers who are exposed to Cr6 have an increased risk of developing severe illnesses, such as asthma or lung cancer, or damage to their nasal epithelia and skin. There are countless examples of the toxicity of Cr6. If you wish to know more about this issue, you can visit e.g. the website of National Institute of Health Sciences.
When it comes to safety, TripleHard® also increases the safety of machine’s end users. As the coating lasts up to 10 times longer and better than traditional Cr6, it also ensures the safe usage of safety critical components on the field longer. To put it shortly, TripleHard® coating enables the safe operation of the machine. The ability to rely on your equipment on the field is the most important thing. Every OEM wants to know, that the hard working people using their machines, feel safe and trust their equipment.
What about the environment?
Also, choosing TripleHard® is not only good for the OEM and the end user but for our environment. How much larger is the carbon footprint of a cylinder rod that is replaced every few months than the one that needs to be changed once every four years? This one choice saves our environment greatly. Protecting the environment, making the right and more sustainable choices for the future is not only a possibility but our duty. Today, making the right choices, choosing the environmentally friendly way is not only expected by the end users but also decision makers. Investors and other financiers have already started to favor those companies that are committed to make the decisions that protect our environment.
Wish to know more? Stay tuned for our next blog post about TripleHard® and in the meantime, check out the timelapse video from below! In the video, you can see a 72h test that was executed for two different cylinder rods. You can also contact us or Savroc’s personnel for any additional information!