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HTC: Experts in advanced solutions for the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries

HTC stands out for its ability to address the specific needs of three key sectors: industrial, aerospace, and energy.

In the industrial sector, we perform electron beam welding (EBW) on gears and transmission components.

In the aerospace sector, we carry out electron beam welding (EBW) and heat treatments on hot sections of combustion chambers. Additionally, we apply HVOF coatings to shafts and mechanical actuators to enhance performance in terms of wear, corrosion, and oxidation resistance.

In the energy sector, we perform electron beam welding (EBW), heat treatments, brazing, Plasma and HVOF coatings to optimize the durability and resistance of gas turbines and other critical components, meeting performance challenges in extreme conditions.

Aerospace industry

In the aerospace sector, we provide a range of specialized services to ensure optimal performance and durability of components.

Electron Beam Welding (EBW) is the ideal solution for joining high-strength materials, such as nickel-based superalloys, high-temperature steels, titanium alloys, and aluminum alloys. These materials, commonly used in the aerospace industry, require precise welding techniques to prevent defects like distortion or loss of mechanical properties. Electron beam welding is applied to gas turbine components, such as blades and combustion chambers made of nickel alloys, as well as storage tanks and distribution plates made of aluminum alloy.

Surface coatings applied through Plasma and HVOF technologies enhance component performance against wear, corrosion, heat, and abrasion. This leads to improved component lifespan, system reliability and reduced maintenance costs. Aerospace applications include tungsten carbide or other powder coatings deposited via the HVOF process on shafts and stabilizers to enhance wear and fatigue resistance. Additionally, HVOF technology is becoming a viable alternative to chrome plating in the aerospace sector due to its superior wear resistance, hardness, corrosion resistance, and environmental benefits.

Heat treatments are critical for optimizing material performance, ensuring they can withstand the most severe environmental and operational conditions. These treatments enhance durability, strength, and thermal stability while reducing the risk of premature failures. Metal alloys used in turbine blades and jet engines undergo vacuum heat treatments to improve high-temperature and wear resistance. Titanium alloys, widely used in aerospace, are vacuum-treated to prevent oxidation and improve mechanical strength.

Brazing offers significant advantages by creating high-performance joints without contamination, oxidation, or porosity: essential conditions for ensuring safety and reliability in the aerospace sector. Brazing is widely used to join jet engine and gas turbine parts, such as turbine blades and other components that require resistance to high temperatures and thermal stresses.

Applications

• Jet engine components
• Combustion chambers
• Fluid distribution plates
• Storage tanks
• Actuation components and systems

Automotive industry

HTC offers specialized services for the automotive sector, with a strong emphasis on precision and reliability.

Electron Beam Welding (EBW) is particularly advantageous for engine components that require high strength and precision, such as gears and other transmission parts.

The extremely small Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) helps reduce defects and improve the overall quality of the weld.

The concentrated energy of the welding process minimizes thermal distortion, an important factor for precision automotive components that typically do not undergo post-welding operations.

The high vacuum in the welding chamber ensures the absence of material contamination from oxides or impurities. Rigorous process parameter control allows for serial welds with high repeatability and reduced errors, making it especially useful for automotive production lines.

Applications

• Gears
• Transmission components

Energy industry

In the energy sector, HTC provides advanced solutions to enhance the performance and operational longevity of industrial gas turbines, which are internal combustion engines operating with a continuous combustion process.

Electron Beam Welding (EBW) is a widely used technology due to its ability to weld difficult alloys while maintaining tight tolerances and reducing thermal distortion: ideal conditions to ensure high-quality components that are resistant to high temperatures and mechanical stresses. EBW is used to weld turbine components that require strong joints, such as rotors and compressor discs, as well as high-temperature components like burners and turbine blades.

Surface coatings applied using Plasma and HVOF technologies improve the durability, high-temperature resistance, corrosion protection, and wear resistance of gas turbine components, ensuring more efficient, safe, and long-lasting operation even in extreme environments. Examples of applications in the energy sector include TBC (Thermal Barrier Coating) coatings, which are widely used in the hot sections of gas turbines to protect materials from high temperatures.

Vacuum brazing allows for high-quality joints with excellent thermal, mechanical, and fatigue resistance, free from contamination or defects. This process is particularly used for critical components, such as turbine blades, which operate in high-temperature and high-stress environments.

Heat treatments are crucial for gas turbines to ensure that materials retain their mechanical, thermal, and corrosion resistance properties, thereby enhancing the lifespan, reliability, and efficiency of the components.