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Persistence Pays Off
Nine years in the making, an innovative new coating benefits both the environment and customers.
(February 17, 2006) - It took nine years of John Deere research to develop an innovative new coating and find the right parts for its use. For customers and the environment, the results are worth the wait.
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| On this bushing, SC-2 coating replaces chrome plating and provides a more durable surface. |
The coating is such a breakthrough that it's one of five winners of a 2006 Innovations Award from Equipment World magazine. The award-winning material, which promises to dramatically extend the life of parts in high-abrasion applications, was developed by John Deere scientist Dr. Gopal Revankar. Dubbed SC-2, the coating is made of a metal powder suspended in a water-based slurry. When applied to parts, SC-2 creates a wear-resistant coating that's a tough, durable and environmentally friendly replacement for chrome plating.
Revankar encountered a number of challenges during the material's development. The coating process had to avoid creating or using volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are often contained in solvents, usually increase a material's flammability, and may be subject to OSHA or EPA regulations.
"To get this coating technology without VOCs was a difficult task," Revankar said. "Today commercially many of these slurries are made with VOCs because it's easier to keep the particles in suspension. We struggled with this."
The product also had to meet or beat the performance of chrome plating. That meant it had to bond well during the fusion process, and resist abrasion and corrosion without being brittle.
Amazingly, the final product accomplishes all of these goals. The VOC-free SC-2 technology produces a coating that's inseparable from the base metal and 25 percent harder than chrome plating.
In its first commercial application, the SC-2 coating is being applied to steel bushings used on the company's crawlers, or bulldozers. Tests so far have indicated the coating could at least double bushing life. That's good news for contractors who often trade a machine before many of its components reach half their useful life, rather than endure the expense, inconvenience and downtime associated with turning the bushings.
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