|
|
Return
to News Releases
January 26, 2009
PRIMA Business Specialists LLC Partners with Product Assurance Services Inc. for Roller Contact Fatigue Testing
Reduced costs for manufacturers in automotive, recreational vehicles, lawn and garden power implements, and construction equipment industries.
STATE COLLEGE/PITTSBURGH, PA – JANUARY 26, 2009 – PRIMA Business Specialists, LLC (PRIMA), a business specialist/mergers and acquisitions firm with offices in Monroeville and State College, PA will collaborate with Product Assurance & Services (PASI) of Ridgway, PA in a joint effort to provide Hoffman Roller Contact Fatigue (RCF) tests and analysis to prospective users around the world.
"The global manufacturing sector, particularly the automotive area, is seeking new and cost effective ways to reduce cost without compromising performance," notes Rocco Petrilli, PRIMA President and CEO and a twenty-five year veteran of the automotive industry. "The Hoffman RCF test provides a reliable and valuable tool that will greatly improve new or replacement material, system cost and timing."
"PASI is excited about our role in this advanced effort and its further extension of its establishment of our company as an industry leading materials testing firm, stated Bart Nelson, PASI President. "We have worked with Dr. Hoffman to completely understand testing methodology and microstructure analysis capability, and stand ready to offer it to the global market."
Dr. William Jandeska will oversee technical sales and marketing of the activity and work with PASI on test data interpretation and report preparation. He is an operational specialist for PRIMA and owner of Midwest Metallurgical Services. He is a former longtime materials specialist with General Motors, has worked with Dr. Hoffmann in testing RCF, and has authored a number of professional articles about the process.
About the Hoffmann RCF process
The Hoffmann RCF test allows for early detection and remedial action of potentially damaging cracks during the manufacturing process. The Hoffmann RCF test rig uses cylindrical test specimen and cylindrical load rolls, which result in line contact, an essential condition for simulating shaft and gear applications. Unlike traditional RCF testing, Hoffmann RCF incorporates eddy current crack detection technology which allows for test stoppage at the occurrence of cracks in the very early stage of growth. Understanding the crack propagation path enables optimization of material composition, formation of micro-constituents, and process and heat treatment parameters in regard to rolling contact fatigue strength. This information is unique to the Hoffmann RCF Test.
Material system sorting, qualification and specification using the Hoffman test enables manufacturers and end users to achieve significant cost savings early in the development and product launch process. With the test, users can quickly and cost effectively assess the level of key mechanical properties of various materials and use these results to rapidly drive material and process conversion and new specification efforts.
The RCF test rig, originally developed in Germany by ZF Friedrichshafen, allows for the study of metal fatigue in manufacturing equipment by simulating live gear type rolling contacts. The rig has been used in extensive research programs in Germany in connection with the Gear Research Institute of the Technical University in Munich for wrought gear materials. This basic rig design and test philosophy was modified by Gottfried Hoffmann, and complemented with eddy current technology. The test improves cost-effectiveness by minimizing the number of test samples and time required to determine fatigue strength and is quickly becoming the accepted industry standard for advanced fatigue work.
# # #
Product Assurance Services, Inc.(PASI)(www.productassurance.net) serves the needs for non-destructive testing and metallurgical laboratory services in the heat treat and powder metal industries. Incorporated in 1997, PASI is located in Ridgway, PA where it employs over 40 people.
PRIMA Business Specialists, LLC (http://www.ppspi.com) helps a wide variety of businesses solve problems with such services as temporary executive assignments, business brokerage, merger and acquisition, and strategic and business planning and execution. Its Operational Specialists Group brings expertise for improved productivity in the manufacturing and other business sectors.
CONTACT:
Patience Wilkerson
412-607-4574
pwilkerson@ppspi.com
Jerry Caribardi
814-772-5554
pasi_hrpr@alltel.net
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
