IMPROVED WEAR RESISTANT COATINGS APPLIED INTERNALLY ON COMPLEX SHAPES

The UK steel industries have been hit hard since 2008, with profitability down by 80% in 2012 from the pre-crisis peak reached in 2008. Production costs in 2014 and 2015 are still at one of the highest levels ever and UK mills find themselves squeezed competing in persistently tight global markets. Monitor Coatings has a patented technology licensed to TATA steel, marketed under the trade mark CASTCOAT which is able to increase the in-service life of continuous casting flat mould plates by up to 6 times in companies such as Port Talbot and Teesside steel plants. Based on this technology, a new coating system will be developed using a compact HVOF process which is capable of coating internal diameters of billet moulds. Three coating systems will be developed (replacing hard chrome plating) capable of withstanding the aggressive high temperature wear environment during continuous casting. It is estimated that the down selected coating will provide an extended service life of at least 2 times. The production costs for Billet Continuous Casting steel will drop substantially, measured as “a £ per tonne saving” against current production costs.