MBe International - project history

Training of operators in the application of TSA (Thermally Sprayed Aluminium) in Kazakhstan.

• In July 2009, MBe International supplied a training engineer to visit a facility in Kazakhstan to carry out training and certification of operators in the application of TSA.
• The subsequent coatings produced by the trainees were to be used on structures in a new refinery currently under construction in Kazakhstan on the edge of the Caspian Sea.
• The training was carried out over two days and 12 (twelve) operators were trained, tested and certificated.
• The testing criteria involved coating thickness uniformity, adhesion strength and general competence with the Combustion Wire spray equipment. As is always the case when carrying out training of this type, special emphasis was paid to Health & Safety considerations.

Consultancy service for a major UK oil company tackling the problem of CUI (Corrosion Under Insulation) on live plant.

• The problem of CUI is well documented and occurs when steel or iron structures within the petro-chemical industry are insulated for greater efficiency. This allows pockets of water and salts to collect in certain areas and create corrosive cells which attack the structures themselves.
• The most effective solution for this problem is TSA (Thermally Sprayed Aluminium) which involves the application of a pure aluminium coating on the surface of the structure. The aluminium, being galvanic (sacrificial) to the iron or steel, provides corrosion protection for up to 30 years in some cases.

NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) approval consultancy service.

• Some of the major aerospace companies such as Rolls Royce, Boeing etc. insist that any supplier of Thermal Spray coatings must be NADCAP approved. The approval process involves a NADCAP auditor visiting the supplier to assess the procedures and techniques employed for the Thermal Spray process.
• MBe International has provided a service to a coating supplier in the UK which resulted in NADCAP approval being received for the Plasma Spray process, Combustion Wire process and Combustion Powder process.

Plasma Spray evaluation service (Denmark).

• A coatings company in Denmark were involved in a high value project, providing unique coatings for the fuel-cell industry.
• During the production runs, problems were encountered in the operation of the Sulzer Metco MultiCoat® controller and the applied coatings.
• MBe International was able to immediately supply a process engineer to evaluate the spraying techniques and quickly establish the causes of the problems.

Independent TSA (Thermal Sprayed Aluminium) Inspector for Cornwall County Council.

• In February 2009, the Ross Swing Bridge in Penzance underwent extensive refurbishment.
• Part of this refurbishment was the application of a 100µm (0.1mm) coating of Thermal Sprayed Aluminium to the steelwork prior to the subsequent paint scheme.
• MBe International provided an independent inspection service for the local authority for this coating.
• Comprehensive reports were produced for Cornwall County Council which included the following criteria:
• DFT (Dry Film Thickness)
• RH (Relative Humidity)
• Surface profile of blasted steelwork prior to coating application
• Adhesion strength of applied TSA
• All work was carried out by J. Kirkaldy Ltd, Southampton, in accordance with Highways Agency Series 1900 “Protection of steelwork against corrosion” report. Further practices were employed from the NACE 12/AWS C2.23M/SSPC-CS 23.00 Specification for the “Application of Thermal Spray Coatings (Metallizing) of Aluminium, Zinc, and their alloys and composites for the corrosion protection of steel”.
• In addition to these two documents, “best practice” was employed by utilising the experience of J. Kirkaldy Ltd, Southampton and MBe International, specifically in the areas of climatic control and coating testing techniques.

Embedded Thermal Spray Consultant.

• MBe International provides a regular service to one of the UK’s major Thermal Spray coating suppliers.
• After the signing of a Non-Disclosure agreement, an MBe International Thermal Spray engineer provides an ongoing service allowing the customer to have constant access to our consultancy service.

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