Hi-TINAL: Advanced High-Tin Aluminium Plain Bearing Alloys Produced by Intensive Melt Shearing Technology

罗尔斯·罗伊斯·古德里奇发动机控制系统有限公司(航空发动机控制)正在领导一个包括KC工程有限公司(KC)和布鲁内尔大学先进凝固技术中心(BCAST)在内的项目组，开发和示范测试一种创新的高锡铝滑动轴承合金，该合金将取代危险的铅锡青铜和白色金属，降低产品制造成本并延长服务周期。选定的项目团队成员有能力和技能优化合金成分和摩擦学性能，以便在航空航天和石油天然气等高附加值产品市场早期应用，并在汽车等大批量市场长期应用。该团队将在BCAST利用其创新的强化熔体剪切技术(MCAST)进行的成功基础研究的基础上，在实验室规模生成分散良好的高锡铝微结构。此功能将显著降低未来的项目风险。该项目将展示这种材料对一系列全尺寸零件的适用性，并优化工艺以实现可靠的制造。开发最初针对航空航天燃料系统和石油和天然气行业相关部件，以确保市场地位并刺激最终用户合作伙伴市场份额的增长。“溢出”经济效益将在财团之外获得：(I)其他行业的轴承制造商；(Ii)AEC和KC的客户以及轴承和含有轴承的系统的其他最终用户；(Iii)通过更深入地渗透到轴承市场，获得铝和主合金原材料供应商。

Rolls Royce Goodrich Engine Control Systems Ltd. (Aero Engine Controls) is leading a project team which includes KC Engineering Ltd (KC) and the Brunel University Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), to develop and demonstration test an innovative high-Sn Al plain bearing alloy that will lead to replacement of hazardous lead-tin bronzes and whitemetals, reduce product manufacturing cost and extend service intervals. The selected project team members have the capability and skills to optimise the alloy composition and tribological properties for early application in high value product markets such as aerospace and oil & gas and longer term application in high volume markets such as automotive. The team will build on successful fundamental research carried out by BCAST using their innovative intensive melt shearing technology (MCAST) to generate well dispersed high-Sn Al microstructures at the laboratory scale. This capability will significantly reduce project risk going forwards. The project will demonstrate the applicability of this material to a range of full scale parts and optimise the process for reliable manufacture. Exploitation is aimed initially at aerospace fuel system and oil & gas industry related components to secure the market position and stimulate growth in market share of the end user partners. “Spill over” economic benefits will be available outside the consortium: (i) bearing manufacturers in other sectors; (ii) AEC and KC’s customers and other end users of bearings and sytems containing bearings; (iii) Al and master alloy raw materials suppliers through greater penetration into the bearings market.