Thermi®-SP: a technology for processing stainless steels
Thermi®-SP technology, developed by the Thermi-Lyon group, is a specialized process that applies a low-temperature thermochemical treatment to stainless steel mechanical parts to harden their surface, while preserving their corrosion resistance. This environmentally-friendly vacuum treatment is FDA (food and drugs administration) approved, attesting to its quality and compliance with the most stringent industrial requirements. It is mainly used in demanding sectors such as theautomotive,aeronautics, mechanical components andfood industries.
The production site, located rue de Gerland in Lyon, is equipped with the most advanced technologies to ensure optimum mechanical performance of treated metals. Thermi-Lyon, recognized as a specialist in surface engineering, offers a range of services from hardening to carburizing, using plasma and controlled atmosphere processes to meet the specific needs of its customers.
Thermi®-SP technology contributes to strengthening the company's position in the French and international markets, particularly in the automotive industry, thanks to its innovative solutions aimed at improving the strength and service life of austenitic stainless steel mechanical components.
Mechanical parts covered by Thermi®-SP
Stainless steel can be found practically everywhere, so it seems essential to treat it to enhance its resistance to the inevitable phenomena of wear, seizure and low hardness. Among the components that can benefit most from this treatment are fasteners, screws, valves, fittings, many automotive parts and medical devices such as dental prostheses and implants.
INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED FOR STUDY OR ORDER
Information to be communicated :
- Drawing of part, weight, number of parts per shipment and per month.
- Nature of metal. AFNOR (or commercial) designation preferred.
- Diffusion depth
- Deformation tolerance
business sectors concerned
Insofar as this solution strengthens stainless steel parts overall, many industrial sectors can derive significant benefit from it. First of all, as mentioned above, the food industry is one of the main sectors concerned. For example, in yoghurt production and packaging plants, components filling individual containers are in constant contact with the product as it will be consumed. It therefore seems essential to prevent these components from flaking off, leaving metal particles inside the yoghurt ingested by consumers.
The automotive sector also benefits from this technology, particularly when it comes to treating fuel injectors. As this liquid is highly corrosive, it is essential to treat these parts so that they last as long as possible. Similarly, certain components in the turbos found on some engines remain prone to seizure, as they perform mechanical actions at high temperatures. Thermi®-SP treatment ensures that these parts last even longer.
As a result, all industries using or manufacturing stainless steel mechanical parts seem to be concerned by this treatment. On the tooling side, stainless steel screws, nuts and lockwashers are often prone to seizing and wear out quickly, which Thermi-SP can help to slow down, as the structural changes it brings about in the parts help to maintain torque for longer.
Our various documentations
Non-destructive testing of parts treated with Thermi®-SP
Our FAQs
Vacuum deposition is a surface treatment used to deposit a material or alloy on a mechanical part.
The use of vacuum technology ensures a perfectly clean, non-polluting process.
It is not subject to REACH legislation.
This process significantly increases resistance to wear, abrasion, and friction. As a result, the service life of the components is greatly extended.
Standard thicknesses are of the order of 3µm and deposition is carried out on finished parts.
PVD is physical vapor deposition. The element to be deposited is obtained by evaporation or sputtering via a physical process. PACVD is plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The element to be deposited is obtained from chemical reactions. Plasma enables this chemical reaction to take place at lower temperatures.
Vacuum deposits are classified into several categories: anti-wear, friction, decorative and biocompatibility. The applications are therefore very varied: automotive components, aerospace, tooling, cutting tools, medical devices, decorative parts...
The deposition method depends above all on the nature of the coating to be deposited and the substrate.
If the substrate cannot be heated to high temperature, the deposition must be carried out using low-temperature technology.
If the coating to be deposited consists of a solid element (metal or graphite target), a physical process such as PVD is used. If the coating consists of a gas or liquid, a chemical process such as CVD or PACVD is used.
Incorporate carbon below the surface of the steel part to improve fatigue and wear resistance on the surface, while maintaining good core mechanical properties.
Our latest news
Learn more about heat treatment and vacuum deposition in our latest articles.
