Quality

RAW MATERIALS MATTER

It’s a universal truth—what you get out is directly related to what you put in. Our state-of-the-art continuous casters ingest only the highest quality raw materials, and the result is hardfacing rod that’s superior to all others. Our Nickel, produced in the carbonyl process, has the lowest metallic impurity content available commercially. We use only premium electrolytic Cobalt and high purity Chromium. All materials are checked to certify individual purity. And using only the best materials means perfect, homogenous rod, all the time.

QUALITY CONTROL MATTERS

HERO’s experienced metallurgical staff oversees a strict QC process that ensures each HERO hardfacing rod is of premium quality, and identical to those that came before it. Our process includes an Applied Research Laboratories (ARL) 3460 Metallurgical Analyzer, delivering highly accurate measurements of all components. All alloys are quality verified on a multi-channel Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES). Carbon, being an extremely critical element in the hardfacing industry is analyzed using our state of the art Leco, CS230 Carbon Determinator. These critical steps ensure batch-to-batch consistency.

Next, all batches are test welded. In an oxy-acetylene hardfacing test, the technician verifies smooth spreading of the material and looks for any spalling or pitting in the deposit. In the TIG (gas tungsten arc) hardfacing test, we look for a smooth weld bead, sparking, bonding with the base metal, and cracking. We consider these steps to be critical front-end tests, but our final exam is in the field. Quality control begins in our facility, but isn’t over until we know HERO product is working perfectly, in your application.