“Bronze’s (Possible) Role in Saving the World in Armageddon”

In July 1998, the world as we know it almost came to an end. Well, in the summer blockbuster Armageddon that is. The science-fiction disaster film, starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, was an international box-office success as well as the highest-grossing movie of 1998.

The film, tells the story of renowned deep-core oil driller Harry Stamper (Willis), whom NASA recruits to take on a dangerous space mission to stop an asteroid from colliding with Earth and wiping out humanity. Stamper, along with his crew, take off into space in the military shuttles, aptly named Freedom and Independence, to enact NASA’s plan, which includes drilling into the surface of the asteroid and detonating a nuclear bomb to split the asteroid in two.

If you’re familiar with the film, you’ll remember that the world was going to be saved by special drill designed by the lead character.  The drill would be affixed to the space vehicles, referred to as “Armadillos”. Featured below is the Armadillo, a mobile vehicle with the Special World Saving attached to the top.

So here is the question….would Bronze have played a part in saving the world? Would Harry Stamper have needed to call Atlas Bronze for Bronze parts to help run this drill? Theoretically, YES! 

Below, you can see the probable real-life equivalent of a Mobile Drill.  Sure it’s not futuristic shiny metallic or doesn’t have really cool looking drill heads but here on earth it gets the job done!

(Photo courtesy of Atlas Copco, www.atlascopco.com)

This Mobile Drill would indeed have required several bronze parts to operate the machine effectively.  As you can see in the below picture there are bronze parts that Atlas Bronze could have worked day & night to provide the brave crews of Freedom & Independence. Atlas Bronze could have provided bronze Finished Machine Bushings to fit a variety of anticipated material needs for the World saving mission; such as:

1. Superior Wear Resistance - This would have been very helpful up on the asteroid as Harry’s rogue team member eventually blows out the transmission on the first go around in drilling on asteroid
2. Resilience to Low Temperatures - In fact, copper alloys become stronger and more ductile as the temperature goes down, retaining excellent impact resistance to 20 K (-253 C or -424 F).  According to Google the average temperature of an asteroid is -100 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Magnetic Resistance - This should cover the Magnetic field issue that the crew encountered when landing on the asteroid. 

So at the end of the day…Atlas Bronze surely could have helped save the day, even as the world is potentially ending. #BronzeIsEverywhere

Step Up to the Plate: Why Plating is Such a Popular Trend

Plating, a manufacturing process that coats a substrate with a thin layer of metal, has become an increasingly popular trend in the metal industry due to its various benefits. The plating process changes the physical, mechanical and chemical properties of a metallic device to help strengthen the plated component. 

The primary purpose of plating is to extend a metal’s lifetime by protecting it from the elements of nature that could lead to to corrosion. Ultimately, without plating, a metal device could fail due to its affliction from natural elements.

There are multiple plating techniques, including electro-plating and electro-less plating. One can gather that electro-plating requires an electric current in its process, whereas electro-less plating does not.

During electro-plating, a current is applied to the component, resulting in a shift of the chemical composition, which provides a firm and resistant coating to the surface. Electro-plating sometimes requires multiple applications depending on desired thickness of the coat, and must be carefully conducted in clean conditions.

Electro-less plating is a simpler autocatalytic chemical process, in which the component is treated with chemicals to remove oils and other corrosive elements and is then activated with a proprietary solution.

Regardless of the technique used, the benefits of plating are abundant. They include:

• Forming a protective barrier
• Enhancing resistance to corrosion over time
• Creating appearance and decorative appeal
• Increasing magnetism and superior solderability
• Enhancing strength
• Conducting electricity
• Promoting adhesion
• Reducing friction
• Altering conductivity
• Enhancing paint adhesion
• Absorbing excess hydrogen
• Resisting heat
• Preventing tarnishing

Although many people imagine using chrome when they think of metal plating, there are additional metals that can be used, such as bronze, tin, copper, gold and silver. The plating process is ideal for industry professionals because of its incredible versatility and wealth of benefits.

You Get What You Pay For: 5 Reasons Trusts Trumps Price When Purchasing Bronze

Bronze has been both utilized for and in a variety of products throughout history, including tools, weapons and armor. As well, it has been used to cast beautiful sculptures since craftsmen first discovered the practice in ancient Greece. Today, Bronze is ideally used for bearings, bushings, wear plates, heavy duty guides and springs.

Unfortunately, the price of bronze has risen dramatically over the past decade, causing manufacturers, architects and sculptors to seek more economic alternatives. This is due to the fact that copper, a main component of bronze, has become increasingly expensive.

In 2000, copper cost just under $1 a pound. However, as the Great Recession hit in 2007, the price soared to $5 per pound. Even though the price has since simmered down, the metal’s price still hovers around $3 per pound. This 200% increase over the last decade has caused a dramatic effect on the modern use of bronze.

Sculptors, who once used bronze as the main component in their art, have converted to using cheaper alternatives like Aqua-Resin, concrete, Fiberglass, gypsum- and polyurethane-based resins, plaster and terra cotta.

Commercially, the cheaper alternative to using bronze is brass, due to its composition of copper and zinc. However and most importantly, some copper-based alloy such as Aluminum Bronzes offer a combination of mechanical & chemical properties unmatched by any other alloy series.  This feature often makes copper-based alloys the first choice for demanding applications. 

Additionally, industry professionals know that you must trust the metal you are working with. Thus, I’ve come up with five reasons to consider purchasing bronze despite its cost.

1. It contains excellent corrosion resistance – especially in seawater and similar environments, where the alloys often outperform many stainless steels
2. Exhibits good weldability – making fabrication economical
3. Good resistance to fatigue- ensuring a long service life thus saving time & money down the road
4. Some aluminum bronzes exhibit strengths comparable to low alloy steels and many are stronger than most stainless steels. For instance in Bridge Applications – some bronzes thrive on heavy loads, shocks and harsh working environments thus making it a perfect fit for bridge bearings. When lubrication of sliding surfaces is less than ideal, aluminum bronzes are superior to ferrous materials.
5. Non-Sparking Characteristics – Excellent non-sparking characteristics make aluminum bronzes suitable for manufacture of tools and equipment used in the handling of explosives, in mines, petroleum and chemical plants, gas-handling equipment and similar applications.

A Sacrificial Metal: Why Bronze is So Selfless

Consider the following definition of sacrifice from the American Heritage Dictionary: “to sell or give away at a loss.” In accordance with this definition, bronze can be considered a sacrificial metal, in which it offers itself up to serve a piece of equipment that would otherwise be unable to withstand climatic or severe operating conditions.

Last year, I posted a blog titled, “The Bronze Fish,” detailing how aluminum bronzes are naturally suitable for water applications due to their great resistance to water corrosion. When metallurgically bonded to metals such as steel, which is not ideally suitable for water, aluminum bronzes add strength and durability to the part.

Aluminum bronzes are most commonly used in water applications because of their great resistance to corrosion in a variety of water environments. However, bronze does not only work well in various water environments, but it can also be used in rural and industrial atmospheres.

As a sacrificial material, bronze can be utilized anywhere metal is rubbing on metal. Upon being placed between two pieces of metal, usually steel, the bronze acts as a buffer. When the pieces of steel rub together or move, the bronze bearing absorbs the friction. By doing so, bronze accepts the loss of its own metal as time goes on in order for the steel, or the other metal, to continue fulfilling its operational purpose.

The following attributes are just some of the traits that make bronze a successful bearing material:

• Low coefficient of friction versus hard shaft materials
• Corrosion resistance
• Easy and economic manufacturability
• Cost effectiveness and availability
• Ability to absorb friction
• Ductility

But what makes bronze so selfless?

Although there are various compositions for bronze, being an alloy of copper and tin allows the material to withstand many corrosive factors that other metals cannot endure, such as climatic conditions; weather and exposure to rain, wind and sun; pollutants in the atmosphere; heavy loads and increased speeds; and patination.

Overall, bronze takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

HOW TO :: Selecting your Bushing Material

In a perfect world selecting your bushing material could be so easy.  Just imagine....the journal surfaces are smooth and always separated by a full film lubricant.   The materials never experience elastic or thermal distortions and the lubricants have no abrasive particles.  In this perfect scenario, you would only need to consider selecting a suitable material by it's strength qualities and take no other factors into consideration.

Sounds great, except, that scenario does not exist.  The reality is - a bushing can distort, journal & bushing surfaces can not be made perfectly smooth, and the bushing may be occasionally "starved" of lubricant. With the real factors in mind, the choice of good bushing materials in conjunction with bushing design & an appropriate lubricant are essential in how to select your bushing material. 

Where do you start - what are the desired material qualities?
After years of testing and trials, experience has shown us that good bushing material has certain general desired qualities:

• Score Resistance - contains antiweld / antiseizure characteristics
• High Compressive Strength - can carry a load without disintegration
• High Fatigue Strength - can provide a decent service life under stress
• Deformable - the material will permit to yield without causing failure
• Corrosion Resistant - reduces or eliminates wearing away caused by various acids
• Low Shear Strength - resists movement of one layer of the material in respect to the other
• Structurally uniform - a sound, non-porous surface that maintains full-film lubrication
• Low Cost & Availability - this one is self explanatory!

Since no single material comprises all of these desired qualities, you will most likely have to compromise on one or more of the above qualities. For example, one material might exhibit great fatigue strength but have poor deformability. 

How about Cast Bronze?
In general Bronze offers a great compromise with respect to the desired qualities for a good bushing material.   Take a look:

Cast Bronzes (example: C93200, C83600, C90300, C93700, etc)

Bronze bushings are suitable for a wide range of applications.  They have a great number of benefits that a great number of alloys don't offer.  They have great strength and can be economically produced in a variety of shapes and sizes.  There are extremely reliable in the sense that they can made as a single, solid unit with no bond or liner to fail.  The high thermal conductivity of cast bronzes is an advantage in taking heat from the bushing surface, which tends to prevent "hot spots.  However, despite the benefits of cast bronzes as a whole, it is extremely important to select the right alloy for the job.

There are many Cast Bronzes - which one do I choose?
This is the #1 question our sales group will typically receive from our customers.  But the choice always boils down to one question -- What is the bushing being used for?   When you take four popular bushing alloys and line the characteristics up against one another you see how one alloy might work better than the other.  Take a look below at the characteristic box:

Now the above box is by no means comprehensive and does not include other material features such as wear resistance or machinability rating, etc.  However, it is helpful to see the popular bronze alloys side by side showing how one alloy might be preferable to your application over another alloy. 

Oil Prices Dropped - Now What? 

 

Recently, over food and coffee I had the pleasure of sitting down with some businessmen from overseas.  As you can guess the big topic of discussion was the sharp decline in the price of oil.  For those of you who may not be following the topic closely – oil prices have drastically declined over the past 3 months causing much speculation and concern.  So much so, that there are some who are scared that the US will again enter into a recession.   Of course, I can understand that, as the price of oil has plunged by more than half since June 2014, reaching levels last seen during the depths of the 2009 recession.  

With everyone seemingly on the edge of panic mode, I had to ask myself, will this really lead to a recession?  What does this mean for manufacturing?  Is it possible that the lower oil prices can actually increase business?

Well to answer that question, I did a little research and took a look back to see who suffered as a result of rising oil prices.  It turns out, there were three major areas domestically affected when the prices rose up around the $100 barrel mark.  

The first area was Consumer spending.  I know - this one is obvious.  Consumers as a whole backed off from unleashing the full potential of their annual budgets.  They were generally conservative due to the rising costs of transportation, food, and energy costs they incurred to run their businesses and households. The consumer would back off on driving.  Car production suffered.  The consumer backed off on shopping.  Stores backed off on expansion and building.  Consumers back off on travel.  The airline industry backed off on fleet expansion and operated conservatively. Essentially, It was one big fat domino effect.  Everyone was raising rates and costs, thus it all affected the general consumer. 

The second area was the Unemployment rate. I was surprised to learn that just a $20 increase in the cost of a barrel of oil cuts 0.4 percentage points off growth in gross domestic product and increases unemployment by 0.1 percent, according to a study, by the Energy Information Administration, part of the federal Energy Department.  You see, when a business has to adjust their budgets for higher energy costs and lower consumer demand the result is they lay people off.  Businesses just have less money to give to employees in wages.

And the third area was the Manufacturing sector.  In just about every area of the Manufacturing sector the cost to do business increased as transportation and energy costs rose.   The businesses absorbed the cost increases, which in some cases led them to make the choice of higher end-item prices to offset the increase, which subsequently led to decreased demand for their products. Essentially, they had to rob Peter to pay Paul.  

Now that we have briefly looked at what happened when the oil prices skyrocketed, let’s look at what should happen to these three areas now that the oil prices have tanked.  

In June of 2014, when oil cost $107 a barrel, U.S. employers added a healthy number of jobs – 267,000. Now, with oil below $50, hopes are rising that hiring in the United States is poised to intensify.  Goldman Sachs forecasts that if oil stays near its current price, the economy will add 300,000 more jobs this year than if the price had remained at its June level.  From gas-station prices to utility bills, consumers and businesses are now enjoying savings on basic energy costs. It means more people can splurge on purchases from clothing and appliances to vacations and dinners out. That stronger demand will likely require some businesses to step up hiring, which would circulate more money through the economy and perhaps fuel further job growth.

Due to lower oil prices, it is predicted that the Consumer will have a net gain increase by $920 per year for each household. The average propensity to consume is around 90 percent, so the average US household could spend around an additional $825 per year.  According to Bloomberg Businessweek, “Several districts “expect somewhat faster growth over the coming months,” the Fed report showed. “Payrolls in a variety of sectors expanded moderately” while “significant wage pressures were largely limited to workers with specialized technical skills.”

So if it’s true that Consumer spending and employment is looking strong than can't we expect the Manufacturing sector to fair well during the decline in oil prices.  I would even dare to say, the manufacturing sector might actually thrive.  If Consumer’s spend, businesses hire.  If Consumer’s travel, auto manufacturing increases and so does the airline industry.  In fact, Bloomberg Businessweek just reported that the production facilities of Boeing Co. (BA:US), the largest U.S. exporter, cited “strong” commercial aircraft production and “sizable” order backlogs.  If Consumer’s spend, then theoretically shouldn't the aerospace, automotive, marine & naval and the welding industry follow suit?   

Personally, I think the manufacturing sector is at a pivotal moment.  The "powers that be" can operate conservatively OR better yet...they can be forerunners, leading the way for growth and opportunity in the US.  It seems that all the signs point to growth and stability.  But nonetheless, I'd love to hear from my readers as each of you have a unique perspective on how it will or will not affect you.  It will be interesting to see how 2015 pans out and I'm sure this won't be my only post about the topic.  

PS:  It's great to be back at Atlas Bronze & in the bronze business again!