Expanite, Denmark, announces that it has established a subsidiary in the United States known as Expanite Inc., and has opened a new heat treatment center in Twinsburg, Ohio, for surface hardening of stainless steel. According to the company, the Expanite process makes it possible to increase the material’s surface hardness tenfold, while at the same time maintaining and even increasing corrosion properties.
Expanite can now offer its North American customers the same superior gaseous surface hardening treatment options as in Europe. Customers can choose to have their material processed in its facilities in Ohio on a day-to-day basis, or opt for a fully automatic solution installed directly in their production line.
The Expanite treatment is said to remove the oxide film, which allows controlled incorporation of carbon and nitrogen atoms into the underlying metal. The hardened layer is characterized by an interstitial hardened zone known as expanded austenite, expanded martensite, or simply Expanite. Unlike other technologies, this method not only coats the surface, but also enables carbon and nitrogen to go into and beneath the surface to create a hardness profile with an optimal concentration of carbon and nitrogen. This is said to significantly improve resistance to corrosion, galling, fatigue, and wear.
Expanite also welcomes its new North American Sales Manager, Dr. Christian Dalton, who has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
