Kennametal, Latrobe, Pa., has developed Ultraflex, a new portfolio of brazed claddings for components with complex geometries in power generation, oil and gas, and many other industries. Combining tungsten carbide-based materials with super alloy-based technologies from Kennametal Stellite, UltraFlex provides metallurgical-bonded, void-free cladding that provides longer and more predictable service life for critical components in the most demanding environments.
The UltraFlex portfolio provides a wide range of material solutions to protect against abrasive, erosive, corrosive, and galling wear needs for base materials including carbon and alloy steels, stainless steels, and cobalt and nickel alloys. With the ability to customize thickness and treat complex geometries, proprietary UltraFlex technology results in dramatically extended component life, more predictable wear and maintenance, higher productivity, and reduced operating costs.
Parts with complex geometries, inner diameters, and other non-line-of-sight features may encounter consistency problems with traditional thermal spray or weld overlay. By comparison, UltraFlex easily conforms to intricate shapes and small internal diameters, and reaches the remote locations that other hardfacing technologies cannot.
The UltraFlex surface treatment can be applied in a range of thicknesses, from approximately 0.254 mm to 2.03 mm. Depending on the application, the smooth UltraFlex surface can be used “as applied” or machined to the desired finish. The proprietary process metallurgically bonds the wear system directly to the substrate, providing a surface with consistent thickness and minimal dilution. For components such as severe service valves, the Stellite alloy-based grade of UltraFlex ensures that there is no cracking or de-lamination of the surface to protect the substrate.
