In the severest of industrial environments, such as autoclave and specific heavy oil applications, MOGAS’ balls and seats with patented nanostructured titanium dioxide (n-TiO2) coating, known as M7, are proven to significantly improve plant efficiency, reduce operating cost and provide longer life for critical equipment. After M7 is applied and the ball and seat are mate lapped, the next step is the sealing process. This sealing process—previously sent out to coating specialists—is now performed at MOGAS.
Component magnified 100x before (left) and after (right) sealing.
With the sealing process in-house, MOGAS can better control the overall quality and manufacturing schedules of balls and seats that have received M7. It will also allow MOGAS to continue improvements to the process and potentially develop new sealing technologies for M7 and other HVOF coatings. The new sealing capabilities at MOGAS represent an equipment and development investment of $100K.
The Process
The MOGAS post treatment is a multi-cycle process. It typically takes four cycles to complete the process, and additional cycles can be run as needed. Each cycle takes fourteen hours. The first cycle includes: prebaking in a high temperature industrial curing oven to remove impurities. After a pre-programmed time, the parts are removed and cleaned. A proprietary solution is applied to the coated surface and allowed to soak for a period of time. The solution penetrates and fills porosity and micro-cracks. The parts are then wiped clean to remove any residual material, and placed back into the oven for curing. At temperature, a reaction occurs forming a spinel (a form of oxide), densifying the coating and increasing the hardness. The parts are removed from the oven, allowed to cool and lightly sanded to remove any residue. The cycle is repeated at least three more times.
After curing, parts are cleaned and prepared for MOGAS’ proprietary solution to be applied.
Safety first
As with the use of any hazardous chemicals, proper equipment and protocol are mandatory. Equipment is rated to handle toxic and carcinogenic emissions, and operators are fully trained to OSHA requirements for the safe handling of chemicals. Personal protection equipment (PPE) include a full face mask respirator, chemical sleeves, acid gloves and a chemical apron. A job hazardous analysis identified areas for risk reduction, such as proximity of chemical cabinet to work station, rubber flooring and an emergency wash station.
“Our customers demand durable products and a faster delivery. And for MOGAS to continue to be the dominant critical valve provider in the autoclave industry, MOGAS has to make these kind of continuous manufacturing investments to meet those demands,” says Matt Mogas, CEO and President.