WHAT IS THE METALOCK® METHOD?
METALOCK® method is used for cold repairs to cast iron/cast steel and non-weldable metals.
This method is based on limitation and locking of cast cracks, as well as reconditioning of
damaged casts. A crack in a cast iron component is locked using a key which takes up both tensile
and compressive stresses. Screws called METALACE are driven in along the crack in order to take up shear stresses. This is a cold repair process, superior to welding in the case of crack sensitive materials.
HISTORY OF METALOCK® METHOD
METALOCK® originated in the oil fields of Texas in the mid 1930's to overcome the explosive potential of welding repairs.
Therefore a system was developed which eliminated heat, and had many ancillary advantages, including the elimination of distortion,
which in turn obviated the necessity of re-machining in the great majority of cases. Subsequent development by the U.S.A. defense
forces during World War II were responsible for the spread of this technology and its acceptance in the heavy industries, especially marine.
Further development in the 1950's lead to the establishment of the Metalock International Association.
The Association has now grown into a unique organization operating in 80 countries throughout the world.
Conferences are held once a year in various parts of the world, and these enable members to update techniques and extend the services offered.
APPLICATION OF THE METALOCK® METHOD
All sectors of industry are served by the Metalock® repair method of repairing castings...
* Marine
* Press And Forging
* Metal
* Manufacturing
* Oil Refining / Petro & Chemicals
* Power Generation
* Automotive
* Railways
* Pressing and Forging
* Pulp and Paper
* Mineral Processing / Cement
* Offshore
* Process Industry
* and all other industrial ranges, where exist casts in both machinery and equipment
Thanks to the METALOCK® method in Marine Industry, lots of expenses have been saved for ship owners by reducing time lost due to breakdowns.
In many of Heavy Industries, where machines and equipment are required to work without any delay, applying of METALOCK® method helps in avoiding
huge loss of time and cost. Repairs are usually completed on-site, avoiding dismounting of the damaged equipment from its working position.
MATERIAL USED IN METALOCK® PROCESS
The material used in the METALOCK® process is a Nickel Alloy. The advantages this
material has is its ductility in the annealed condition, giving reasonable tensile strength
when work hardened, a low rate of strain hardening and a very low coefficient of thermal
expansion, similar to cast iron. Corrosion resistance is a little greater than steel or cast iron
iron and these qualities make it an ideal material for most repairs.
SOME ADVANTAGES OF THE REPAIR BY THE METALOCK® METHOD
* Work can be, and usually is, done on site, with usually a very great saving in time and dismantling.
* Maintains the original surfaces.
* Dampens and absorbs compression stresses and spreads tensile stresses in the cast iron.
* Distributes the load away from fatigue points.
* Reduces the internal stress values to minimum, where these were the cause of the fracture, or the partial cause.
* Provides a low co-efficient of linear and thermal expansion of the repaired metal.
* The repair being completely cold (under the temperatures of metal phase transformations) does not require the application of heat which could, and often does introduce new stresses.
