Posted to News on 21st Jan 2022, 00:00
Sulzer celebrates opening of new laser metal deposition facility
Sulzer has commemorated the opening of its state-of-the-art laser metal deposition (LMD) facility at the Houston Service Center in La Porte, Texas, by holding an exclusive customer event. Attendees were treated to private tours of this advanced additive manufacturing process with Sulzer experts on hand to explain the multiple benefits for turbomachinery repair and upgrade projects.
As a market-leading independent service provider for rotating equipment with a global service center network, Sulzer is an expert in the maintenance and upgrade of turbomachinery. To further complement the complete, around-the-clock service offered by the Houston Service Center, Sulzer’s HICoat Division is now offering LMD services for a wide variety of materials. The division has delivered specialized coating solutions for rotating equipment for over 25 years.
In the past, customers requiring turbine repairs would rely on either thermal spray or submerged arc welding. LMD fills the gap between these two solutions, allowing Sulzer specialists to overcome traditional limitations regarding processing time, heat input, bond strength and material build-up. The process also greatly reduces dilution and distortion while almost eliminating any requirement for post-weld heat treatment procedures. LMD creates a metallurgical bond that ensures excellent bonding with parent materials and increased consistency of material density – ideal for challenging rotor or shaft repairs.
Darayus Pardivala, president of Sulzer Services for the Americas, said: “We were thrilled to have our customers join us for this grand opening event, and our experts were especially excited to talk with them about this new capability. By adding this LMD facility to our Houston Service Center, we can enhance quality and reduce lead times – delivering an innovative alternative to conventional coating and welding options. Ultimately, this will further support our commitment to improving the uptime and service life of our customers’ equipment.”
Darayus launched the grand opening event with a welcoming speech to attendees. This was followed by an introduction of LMD services at Sulzer from Michael Andrepont, Gas Turbine Business Development Leader, and an overview of LMD benefits and applications by Alonzo Ortiz, Superintendent for HICoat Division. Visitors then enjoyed lunch with giveaways and a raffle.
