A manufacturer of hygienic shutter valves and pigging systems turned to surface hardening to meet the safety demands of the food industry.

Liag Läufer’s products must both withstand significant abrasive wear and corrosion and meet food-industry standards. Its stainless steel cones were originally specified with hard chrome plating, which is increasingly prohibited due to health risks. So, the company tested a hardening solution that effectively reduces wear and galling and at the same time improves corrosion resistance of the parts.

Expanite’s surface hardening solution is a diffusion-based process and therefore significantly more environmentally friendly and sustainable compared to other hardening methods. According to Expanite, the process makes the surface as much as 10 times harder. It begins with treating stainless steel parts under certain atmospheric conditions, which diffuses nitrogen and carbon atoms into the surface of the part. The process passes ASTM tests, and the resulting products meet all FDA regulations and are ISO 9001:2015 compliant.