Integral equipment & process solutions for gas turbine parts MRO

Heat & Surface Treatment

Precise and consistent results

As an MRO provider within the different gas turbine industry sectors, you are focused on gas turbine component cleaning, inspection, repair and coating. You know that each step of this complex process requires optimum precision to prevent problems in the next phase. Inferior execution of a previous step can result in a non-conforming part which may lead to unplanned TAT delays and with increased financial & reputational losses.

But how to prevent this? How can you rapidly and routinely repair gas turbine blades and other hot path components without inconsistencies?

Turnkey solutions

What you would need is an integrated technology approach with superalloy material & surface treatment procedures. A plan that includes all necessary equipment as well as process technology know-how.

Electron helps manufacturing and MRO providers with swift, consistent and reliable processing of hot section gas turbine parts by providing high-quality surface treatment systems, process development and integrated tech transfers.

Our integrated turnkey equipment and specialized technology solutions for cleaning and coating of gas turbine components will lead to maximized investment returns.

Electron’s full process technology transfer program for fast, consistent and reliable hot section gas turbine parts overhaul:

Benefits of our integral process for maintenance, repair and overhaul of gas turbine parts

Electron is the dedicated partner for manufacturing and MRO providers, as our equipment and services focus on all sectors of gas turbine global supply chains. We are a one-stop-shop for high-quality superalloy material preparations and coatings equipment. Along with process technology tech transfers and combined with bespoke consulting services. A selection of the benefits when partnering with Electron for specialist processing include:

Turnkey superalloy surface treatment solutions for maximized ROI

We combine comprehensive understanding of essential project requirements with practical, safe and production-friendly techniques, with a clear focus on maximizing investment returns.

Manufacturing & MRO process expertise and experience

Established expertise and hands-on experience in manufacturing and repair process technologies for hot section gas turbine components.

According to OEM specifications

Valuable industry experience and insights through past working technology programs with major OEMs such as GE, SAFRAN, PWA, Rolls Royce and AEN result in extensive knowledge of process technology disciplines and product specifications conforming with OEM requirements.

Process technology & equipment integration

Within this niche equipment sector, we offer a unique value-adding platform for the timely and cost-effective integration of new process technologies and equipment. Our services can reduce and potentially remove unpredictable R&D costs, while accelerating new product introduction programs and revenue stream generation.

Licensed technology transfers

Thanks to several decades of processing & manufacturing experience within the specialist field of gas turbine hot section technologies, Electron can offer new process technology transfers, extended process implementation and product induction along with training and consultancy programs.

In-house manufacturing

As a specialist furnace supplier, Electron is a distinctive vendor. We are unique in fabricating our furnace equipment, including high-temperature furnace bells, retorts & coating boxes, at our facility in the Netherlands. We manufacture according to European, American and customer-specific standards.

Advanced, high-quality furnaces for all gas turbine sectors

Electrons furnaces are dedicated to all sectors of gas turbine markets, ranging from Helicopter & APU engines, Civil Aerospace & advancing up and equally catering to the Heavy Industrial Gas Turbine sectors. We offer many furnace dimension sizes with retort diameters up to 1250 mm (≈50”). Available internal working heights of up to 2000 mm (≈78”). Suitable for processing some of the largest gas turbine components. (Download our furnaces spec sheet here)

MRO for the aerospace and industrial gas turbine industry.

Electron - Experts in surface treatment technologies

Chemical stripping of protective coatings

Successful removal of protective coatings is the first step of the gas turbine overhaul & repair process. The predominant industrial method is complete part immersion in an acid bath solution utilizing concentrated acids such as Hydrochloric, Nitric and Phosphoric.

Electron supplies integrated turnkey chemical coating stripping systems for the efficient removal of diffusion & plasma-applied protective coatings and specifically focused on the gas turbine MRO sector.

In addition, we provide supplementary processing tasks such as acid barrier masking and heat tinting furnaces for successful coating removal inspection and evaluations.

TO CHEMICAL STRIPPING

HFIC superalloy cleaning

Once the component has been stripped of its protective coatings, the next step is a crack defects identification. An HFIC (Hydrogen Fluoride Ion cleaning) furnace will clean and process deep fissure cracks within superalloys.

Electron offers safe and effective methods for cleaning hot-section gas turbine superalloy components. With our customized and customer-specific HF Ion cleaning furnaces, parts can be prepared compliant with OEM process specifications and in advance of vacuum diffusion brazing.

TO HFIC FURNACES

Vacuum diffusion brazing

After HFIC processing, the cleaned & prepared parts are ready for the next thermal treatment process: diffusion brazing with a high vacuum furnace.

Electron provides various horizontal and vertical vacuum furnace designs and with all units supplied as a perfectly matched production combination for maximum operational flexibility.

All vacuum furnace units meet OEM diffusion brazing specification requirements such as:
GE’s ADH process, P&W’s TURBOFIX process, SAFRAN’s BD/RBD process and other OEM or customer-specific braze processing specs.

Tailored to each individual application, we equip a vacuum furnace with high-capacity dry screw/roots vacuum pumping systems, process sized diffusion pumps, rectangular or round hot zone geometry’s, and with Graphite based and/or Molybdenum hot zone chambers available. Our wide range of standard sizes offers a suitable furnace combination with a matching HFIC unit for each particular component.

TO VACUUM FURNACES

Platinum electroplating

To increase the service life of hot section superalloy gas turbine components, we offer conventional Platinum electroplating systems & technologies for various processing methods.

Our innovative Platomation system addresses the challenges of maintaining correct plating bath chemistry’s and demanding daily maintenance activities. Platomation processing technology brings genuine productivity gains and is a cost-effective and reliable method for the processing of Platinum electroplating.

TO PLATINUM ELECTROPLATING

Diffusion coating

After stripping, cleaning, brazing and optionally Platinum electroplating, the next stage of processing is to apply protective coatings.

Electron offers high-end diffusion coating furnaces for additional oxidation and corrosion protection of critical hot section components. Thanks to the availability of large process chamber dimensions, our coating furnaces offer high-capacity coating batches.

We are qualified to supply coating furnaces and all supplementary equipment, including slurry type applied coatings, Powder Pack Cementation coatings, VPA coatings and our unique hybrid CVD coating system for component Aluminising. All our coating systems are designed based on many years of practical experience in processing within this highly-specialized and demanding process discipline.

TO DIFFUSION COATING

Thermal spraying

Thermal spray overlay coating is an additional protective coating application technology. Especially relevant within the new part manufacturing and MRO repair industries.

Electron offers versatile and flexible thermal spraying systems, including Vacuum Plasma Spraying (VPS), Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS) and High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Spraying (HVOF). These systems meet the majority of OEM/customer-applicable processing specifications.

All of these premium, high-quality thermal spray deposition units ensure the highest levels of performance. They are suitable for thermal spraying upon a wide range of superalloy materials and offer ease of use and long operational life cycles.

TO THERMAL SPRAYING SYSTEMS