Crankshafts, camshafts, and Powertrain components: Material treatments to reduce failure

When components and machinery are running smoothly you may not consider additional treatment to the material. But consider what happens should one of these parts fail. Lengthy downtime, potentially hefty shipping costs and loss of income could be just a few of problems you may face. To prolong the life of important components and equipment we recommend reducing failure by considering different material treatments. What are the biggest factors in component failure? There are many different factors which can be involved when it comes to component failure. There are common issues such as oxidation and rust. Other reasons for component failure can also include tensile stress or fatigue. At CWST, we diagnose the problem and find a solution with our extensive range of life extending material treatments. Discover some of the most common issues that we help to prevent or fix: • Fatigue • Fretting fatigue • Cavitation corrosion • Forming or correcting the shape of distorted components • Stress corrosion cracking • Corrosion generally • Exfoliation corrosion • Filiform corrosion What are material treatments and how do they prevent failure? There are several types of material treatments to help prolong the life of critical components within powertrain and drivetrain industry. The general purpose of a material treatment is to protect and strengthen the material to avoid failure mechanisms such as stress corrosion cracking and surface wear. By applying a treatment to the surface, you can strengthen and protect the component meaning that it will be able to withstand higher hertzian and contact pressure, heat and tensile stresses along with exposure to harsh operating environments. You can also help to reduce the risk of oxidation, wear, micro pitting, and premature failure which can easily affect certain materials. One material treatment which will help your crankshafts, camshafts, axels and other components withstand higher loads, operating temperatures and protect against wear for a prolonged period of time is thermal spray coating. But whichever option you choose, all these material treatments will help prolong the life of your components and avoid problems that can be detrimental to your business. How do I know which surface treatments will provide the most cost-effective and beneficial results for my critical powertrain and drivetrain components? Here at CWST, we understand the importance of extending the life and durability of components and structures. CWST can call upon many years’ experience, data and case studies to assist in not only solving post machining and processing problems but also by helping at the design stage. We can assist in areas such as weight saving and strength enhancements, providing wear and fatigue resistant treatments allowing for the use of lower cost base materials. These specialised services and processes can be carried out within our worldwide network of facilities and we can even provide some services onsite in customer locations or out in the field. If you are interested in finding out more about our material treatments, or other services such as shot peening and thermal spray coatings contact us today. Let us show you how we can make your business run more smoothly with fewer component failures.

For more information on Crankshafts, camshafts, and Powertrain components: Material treatments to reduce failure talk to Curtiss Wright Surface Technologies