Easy multi-color tool-bit reconditioning with the cascade e-ion family of machines.

Less machine chatter reduces galling, enhances life, and creates a smoother cut, which is always a good outcome.

Users report over a 40% reduction in the coefficient of friction.

MHI offers a GoldenBlue^® thermal plasma reconditioning and nitride coating service whereby GoldenBlue^® coating is applied to tooling, parts and surfaces. This application will provide greater hardness,  increase wear resistance and extend surface life for a variety of materials and alloys.  The GoldenBlue^® service is available through MHI as well as from approved vendors.

Is there a simple way to tell if the Cascade e-Ion Plume treated part is smoother?   Less noise indicates smoothness for a ball bearing, roller bearing, or other part.

How do you know that the surface is harder (or has a higher modulus)? Bounce the ball bearing and watch if it bounces higher than the non-coated.

What is GoldenBlue^®?

The in situ-growth coating that forms on exposure to the cascade e-Ion beam very often has low lubricity and high surface hardness. Saves the energy of machining. It saves tool resources and offers many more benefits. Please have your prototype tested free at MHI, and if convinced, please consider purchasing the cascade e-ion or sending it to MHI for paid service. Improved coatings on high-speed machine tools, cutting knives, blades, and even recoating thin razor blades when appropriately coated. Transform and reuse (recoat) at will, re-sharpening when possible. First, to prolong tool life, identify the signs of wear like abrasion, fracture, chipping, etc.. Both thermal and mechanical stresses cause tool wear, with heat and abrasion being the primary culprits. Reducing heat generation by lowering the friction adds considerably to life.

GoldenBlue^® is the trade name for service and multi-color high-value coatings. The composition depends on the substrate. It is sometimes a Fe-Ti-Al-N-W-C type coating for HSS. One which is ultra-hard and ultra-smooth. Low coefficient of friction ~0.1 ( number depends on surface). The hardness and lubricity depend on the substrate and coating thickness. A hardness of about 13GPa is equivalent to a Rockwell C of about 75 Rc; however, the Rockwell C scale is not meant for such high hardness or coatings. The Cascade e-Ion machines offer easy nitriding/oxynitride of tungsten cobalt, stainless, and titanium alloys (almost all transition metal alloys). High hardness, good lubricity, and multi-element stable coatings are made in situ by the cascade e-Ion plume impingement.

An extensive surface area treatment, when required, does not present a problem. For example, if rails were GoldenBlue^® treated, it does not present a problem for size. Consider for automobile parts, from engine parts to shafts and gears. When you purchase a machine, you are freely enrolled in the expanding cascade e-ion group knowledge base. The coatings may be beneficial for bolts and nuts that seize during operations, i.e., for making non-seizing surfaces for automobiles, aircraft, and other high-temperature engine parts like bolts, even for corrosive outboards. Each situation may be different. However, MHI will happily do limited free parts for your verification while this offer lasts. Please contact MHI for details. It is a new type of heat treatment with vast possibilities. MHI has introductory prices that are well below lasers, very large vacuum and gas furnaces, or vacuum ion nitriders