Major Collaboration in Surface Coating and Hardening

Sakarya Uygulamalı Bilimler Üniversitesi - Malzeme ve Üretim Teknolojileri Araştırma Uygulama Merkezi (SUMAR) and UniqueTech Mühendislik signed a Cooperation Protocol on 8 May 2020 within the scope of University-Industry Collaboration.

Osman Kırlı, General Manager of UniqueTech Mühendislik, emphasized the importance of this collaboration and noted that the company has invested in this area after identifying a significant gap in the sector in surface coating and hardening. Kırlı stated that since the company's establishment, they have consistently carried out collaborative work with Dr. Ekrem Altuncu and received his support. Kırlı stressed that an important step has been taken for university-industry cooperation under this protocol. He pointed out that R&D activities will also accelerate under this collaboration between SUMAR and UniqueTech. Dr. Ekrem Altuncu, Director of SUMAR, stated that especially in recent years, work on obtaining high-performance coatings on material surfaces through both thermal spray technologies and laser technology has been met with interest. Altuncu noted that this collaboration will provide multifaceted benefits to both institutions and emphasized that mutual training, application, seminar, publication and project activities will continue. Altuncu noted that the sector has gained an important surface technology infrastructure and that while these applications play a significant role in the European market, they are relatively new in our country. Altuncu added that under this collaboration, joint action will be taken in surface work, coating and component life-extension studies required by industry, as well as in testing and analysis. Altuncu stated: "Osman Kırlı is a mechanical engineer with long-standing experience in both the automotive sector and mold manufacturing. We believe that by bringing together sectoral experience with academic knowledge and increasing applications, important technology and surface engineering solutions will be brought to the sector."

R&D activities and topics to be carried out within the scope of the collaboration are as follows:

• Laser hardening processes for different mold steels in the mold sector,
• Enhancing laser surface hardening capabilities as an alternative to induction hardening on stainless steel shafts,
• Improving the service life of metallic parts working in hot metal baths using the laser cladding method,
• Applications on brake discs using the laser cladding method,
• Applications of in-cylinder laser cladding method,
• Repair of turbine components using the laser cladding method,
• Repair, filling and improvement of surface wear resistance of large-sized parts using laser cladding,
• Laser cladding applications as an alternative to hard chrome plating,
• Laser cladding applications against thermal fatigue and corrosion in heat exchangers,
• Microscopic characterization of coatings and surfaces within the scope of surface improvement work using the laser cladding method on hydraulic cylinders, sleeves and pistons. Wear, corrosion, fatigue and fracture toughness testing and analysis will be conducted. Optimization of coating process parameters, process modeling and development of new coating methods will be pursued.