Selective Plating for Turbomachinery

Reduce downtime and extend maintenance intervals by selectively plating worn and corroded compressor housings, shafts and stages using the SIFCO Process® of selective plating.

SIFCO ASC plays an essential role in the turbomachinery industry by restoring critical dimensions and providing corrosion protection on a variety of turbine components. The SIFCO Process® includes a full range of electroplated deposits that meet the demanding engineering requirements for turbine applications.

Deposits frequently used in the turbomachinery industry are:

  • Nickel for pre-braze operations, wear resistance, dimensional restoration and corrosion protection
  • AeroNikl® sulfamate nickel provides defect-free, adherent, high quality nickel deposits in three hardness levels (250, 400, and 575 Hv)
  • Copper for defect repair and conductivity
  • Silver for conductivity

Common applications include:

Corrosion Protection
Steam compressor housings and stages often experience corrosion due to the buildup of condensation. When the turbine is down for maintenance, the SIFCO Process® can be used in-situ to selectively plate nickel and nickel alloys on localized areas. With minimal masking, selective plating with the SIFCO Process® helps reduce downtime and production delays.

Dimensional Restoration
When a turbocompressor operates at full load, ensuring the correct dimensions of turbine shafts and housing covers is essential to optimal output. While it’s impossible to resist wear on these components, by using the SIFCO Process® a technician can plate nickel or a nickel alloy to size, without the need for post machining.

Defect Repair
The pinion gear is an essential part in a gear train assembly. If not maintained regularly, lubricant in the pinion gear can leak out of the seal, ultimately causing the bearing to seize and gall to the shaft. When the seized bearing is removed it can also remove excess material from the journal resulting in a gouge to the surface. Technicians using the SIFCO Process® are able to fill the defect with copper and cap it with a nickel alloy for superior wettability.

Other uses for the SIFCO Process® include:

  • Lowering Electrical Contact Resistance: Enhance surfaces of electrical contacts to improve electrical properties of switches, bus bars and other components by selectively plating the contact area.
  • Pre-braze: Turbine components and other parts are plated to provide proper wetting of surfaces to be brazed. Selective plating is fast, consistent and cost-effective.

Turbomachinery

Benefits of the SIFCO Process®

  • Process can be performed on-site
  • Simple to operate
  • Components can be plated in-situ
  • Reduces the amount of masking required
  • Parts too large to tank plate can be processed
  • Reduces plant downtime
  • Plate to the required thickness
  • Reduced environmental impact
  • Time and cost saving

Related Resources

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts is your vital resource for enhancing, repairing or refurbishing critical components through selective electroplating. The SIFCO Process® is the leading method of selective electroplating localized areas on components without the use of an immersion tank. We provide contract services, chemical solutions and equipment for surface enhancement to improve component performance, minimize downtime and reduce manufacturing costs. To learn more, choose from any of these related resources.