S u r f a c e e n g i n e e r i n g

Our Business : Surface

engineering

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SHEF’s GlobalPresence

For 20 years the HEF group hasrecognized that local presence isthe key to quality service and cus-tomer relations. As a result, morethan 43 facilities have been esta-blished on every continent, withplans for many more. For the futu-re, the HEF group remains com-mitted to immersing itself into glo-bal cultures and blending intolocal industries, providing world-class support for its world-widecustomers, wherever they may be.

urface engineeringis the HEF group’s core businessand internationally recognizedarea of expertise. This disciplinebuilds on the know-how of metal-lurgists who improve material andmechanical properties, and physi-cists and physical chemists whooptimize their application.Research, quality and creativity arecombined to provide state-of-the-art solutions to wear, friction andcorrosion. The HEF Group’s morethan 1100 employees are opera-ting in seven divisions around theglobe, in 16 countries and gro-wing.

EngineeredSolutions

HEF group research, with morethan 80 engineers and technicians,can provide innovative, turnkeytechnology services, products orequipment. From research & deve-lopment through technologytransfer, H.E.F.’s engineering capa-bilities are driven by customerneed,resulting in solutions that arespecific, yet, flexible to meet theever changing business environ-ment.Those capabilities are:•Research and development•Technical Consultation•Technical Service•Equipment design and manu-facture•Design and manufacture ofmechanical components•Technology transfer

Our core

strengths

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H

yet economical, solutions to pro-blems with friction, wear, and cor-rosion on ferrous components.Parts treated in these specializedprocesses can be found in virtuallyevery industry; from automotive toagriculture, and power generationto space exploration. Almost allmotor vehicles manufacturedtoday have at least one componenttreated thermochemically in aliquid ionic process developed bythe HEF Group.

PVD and PACVD technologies

State-of-the-art servicesand equipmentWhen super-hard, nano-structured,or temperature-resistant coatings areneeded, physical vapor depositionand plasma-assisted chemical vapordeposition technologies (PVD andPACVD) are used. Reliable, environ-mentally-friendly, and extremely ver-satile, these state-of-the-art technolo-gies represent a major breakthroughin surface treatments for the 21stcentury. PVD and PACVD coatingscan be applied to almost any mate-rial, for aerospace, infrared optics,plastics manufacturing, and evenFormula 1 racing components.HEF’s range of products and servicesis one of the most complete on themarket today,offering everything from the manufacture of equip-

EF has forged its technical expe-rience and expertise in four areas:

Tribology

InvestigationImaginationThe HEF Group is expert in thestudy of tribology - the science andtechnology of interacting surfacesin relative motion. Such expertiseproduces critical informationregarding failure mechanisms ofmechanical components; resultingin solutions that increase perfor-mance and/or reduce costs.Further, the HEF Group has:•Over 50 years experience in thefield of tribology:

•State-of-the-art testing facilitiesthat include more than 50 simula-tors and test benches capable ofreproducing an infinite number ofconditions (kinematic, functional,etc.)•A full range of surface analyticaltechniques, including SEM, EDAX,and Fluorescence X. This technno-logy provides detailed informationon the mechanical behaviour ofmaterials and components in theirworking environment, establishingthe HEF Group as a leader in crea-ting ideas and innovative solu-tions.

ment, to technology transfer andtechnical support.

Bushings and Joints

Special designs for extreme conditionsMechanical devices that operate inharsh environments are subject tocomplex problems of wear, corro-sion, and lubrication.

In response to a growing need theHEF Group has developed aninnovative technology to addressthese problems, and now suppliesa range of custom-engineered bus-hings, rings, and joints for heavyequipment used in constructionand other industries.

Treatment technolo-gies in ionic liquidmedium

Developing unique processesThe HEF Group is the recognizedworld leader in thermochemicaltreatments in ionic liquid medium(nitrocarburizing and oxynitrocar-burizing).With a unique combina-tion of engineering properties,these treatments provide superior,

Seven keys to a

total solution

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A

Research and Development

HEF R&D develops and deploys itssurface engineering expertisethrough:•Three research centres; one eachin France, Germany, and India,•About 10% of sales revenue forResearch and Development pro-jects,•Numerous joint work programsin cooperation with government,industry, and academia.•More than 100 patents.

Technology Transfer

HEF’s EXPROHEF division offerstechnology transfer, technicalassistance, licensing, and joint-ven-ture companies as options to pro-mote the processes, products, andknow-how of the HEF Group.Currently, there are more than 500licensees throughout the worldthat provide HEF processes com-mercially. Furthermore, collabora-tions are frequently organised asdirect partnerships between theGroup and its customers.

Service:Producingand providing theknow-how

Commercial Processing

HEF’s TECHNIQUES SURFACESdivision ensures the industrialapplication of the treatments andcoatings that come from HEFR&D, with:•More than 43 facilities operatingworldwide•Nearly one hundred treatmentsand coatings to solve a variety ofsurface engineering problems,including friction, wear, and corro-sion•More than a billion mechanicalparts treated every year

Expertise and Support

HEF M & S, in its capacity as atechnical expertise company, pro-vides support to all the Group’scustomers and companies.Through its technical, legal andfinancial skills, it also ensures themanagement of all the Group’svarious companies.

HEF R&D3 R&D centres :

FranceGermany

India

EXPROHEFTechnology Transfer

HEF M&SExpertise and management

TECHNIQUES SURFACES 25 coating centres

ll technologies offered by the HEFGroup are exploited through a net-work of seven business entities;four are dedicated to service andthree to manufacturing:

Manufacturing: Combining proficiency with

product

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Chemicals

DURFERRIT is the chemical manu-facturing arm of the HEF Group,providing more than 450 qualityproducts for all HEF thermochemi-cal processes, from three strategiclocations: Germany, Brazil, andIndia.

Mechanical Engineeringand manufacturing : bushings and joints

TECHNIQUES SURFACES MECA-NIQUE, CLERC & CARDONE,EMEPL constitute the MechanicalEngineering side of the HEFGroup, producing a complete sup-ply of finished mechanical compo-nents such as joints, bushings,

rings, and pins for use in harshenvironments. Whether custom-engineered or “off-the-shelf”, theseitems are designed for, or adapta-ble to, specific customer needs.

Equipment design andmanufacture

HEF TECHNIQUES SURFACESDEVELOPPEMENT is responsiblefor the design and manufacture ofthe specialized equipment requi-red for individual surface treat-ments and coating technologiesdeveloped by the HEF Group. Forexample:•PVD vacuum equipment, inclu-ding unique designs with chambercapacities up to 30 m3

•Complete rubber vulcanizinginstallations up to 100 m long•Complete, fully automated linesfor HEF thermochemical surfacetreatments.

3 Manufacturing entities

Chemical arm

DURFERRIT3 units :Germany

Brazi lIndia

Mechanical arm

TECHNIQUES SURFACESMÉCANIQUE

France

CLERC & CARDONEFrance

EMEPLIndia

Equipment arm

TECHNIQUES SURFACESDÉVELOPPEMENT

Focus on the

future

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D Cooperation, a recipe for success

HEF intends to intensify coopera-tion with major public researchbodies by:•Creating framework agreements•Establishing joint laboratories,•Forming technology platforms

Initial results from these coopera-tive efforts are expected in 2005,including:•An electronic chip with integra-ted micro-generators •Innovative gas-in-plasma treat-ments•A new nano-structured materialwith advanced tribological proper-ties

Proximity, the key to international development

The HEF Group has defined a planto extend it’s international scope -in industrialized countries likeGermany, Japan and the US, and incountries with strong develop-ment potential, like China, Brazil,India, and Central and EasternEurope. Everywhere, the HEF poli-cy will be one of cooperation andcustomer service.

Innovation and performance at the heart of industrial development

The HEF Group is keenly awarethat the creation of new ideas andtechnologies are vital for growth.Here are examples of R&D pro-jects under development for thecoming years:•Replacement of hard chrome-pla-ting processes using hexavalentchromium, by thermochemicalprocesses that are completelyenvironmentally friendly,•Bearings that can run dry forseveral thousand hours, savingthousands of dollars in the cost oflabor and replacement parts, and,perhaps more importantly, contri-buting significantly to environ-mental conservation by savingthousands of tons of lubricantevery year.•PVD equipment for continuoustreatment,enabling both increasedproductivity and reduced costs,•Thin-layer microbatteries, formicro-system power supplies.

uring the next decade the HEFGroup plans to strengthen its posi-tion as a leader in the field of sur-face engineering by expanding thescientific, technical, and technolo-gical skill that has characterizedHEF; and by continuing to pursuethe goal of international growth.

Headquarter and plant :

Rue Benoit - Fourneyron / Z.I. SUD - 42166 Andrézieux-Bouthéon Cedex - France

Phone : 33 (0) 4 77 55 52 22 - Fax : 33 (0) 4 77 55 52 00

e-mail : hef@hef.fr - Web site : www.hef.fr