The high speed minds behind VRC Metal Systems aren't just pushing the limits of technology, they are disrupting the concept of responsiveness. As necessary, impressive, and revolutionary as their work on cold spray technology is, they've also taken the lead in defining what it means to be an industry-shaping partner with a focus on customer satisfaction that's unparalleled in the industry.
Co-founded in 2013 by cold spray innovator Rob Hrabe and Dr. Christian Widener, the global leader in the technology is also the only company providing full cradle-to-grave services. In addition to R&D they provide engineering, design, advanced additive manufacturing, robotics, integration and service repair, production manufacturing, and process development. "That gives our customers many options to implement the technology without a lot of the pain," Hrabe recently told BOSS.
Simply stated, cold spray is a high energy solid-state coating and powder consolidation process used to fuse metals, metal alloys, and metal blends. Metal particulates speed through a supersonic nozzle, propelled by gas, usually nitrogen or helium, which causes the particles to accelerate to Mach 2-3 speed, which translates to approximately 1,534 to 2,301 miles an hour.
"That's basically the speed of a rifle bullet. If you shoot a rifle bullet into a really thick metal plate, it'll embed in the surface and weld itself in there," Hrabe explained. "We're doing the same thing with small, fine powder. It's like spray-on welding; it forces the metal together with kinetic energy instead of melting it."
This story is from the April 2023 edition of The BOSS Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2023 edition of The BOSS Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Travel Well in 2025
The best places to see & best things to do in the new year
Getting Back to giving
How to revive charitable donations, with Charitybuzz CEO Ben Erwin
Breathtaking BUILDINGS
THE WORLD'S MOST AWE-INSPIRING EDIFICES
ALong for the Ride
Clean energy projects go up in areas once dominated by fossil fuels
HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS: FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT
Advanced analytics are transforming healthcare operations and patient care. Nevada's Renown Health is leading the way, creating a roadmap for swift and effective change.
THE RIGHT ACCELERANT
THE POSSIBILITIES - AND LIMITATIONS OF AI IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
IN GLOBAL LOGISTICS
How thinking global and acting local is enlarging the global footprint of the Staci Group
THE RIGHT STUFF
Why veterans thrive in logistics
LIVING MACHINES
BIOHYBRIDS BRING THE POWER OF NATURE TO ROBOTICS
MANUFACTURING'S NEW LOOK
The industry’s reputation doesn’t match reality, but the future is bright