IRMCO Announces Studies Confirm New High Strength Steel Forming Film Increases Tool Coating Life 25%

EVANSTON, Ill.--April 18, 2006--Evanston IL based IRMCO(R) (www.irmco.com) has developed IRMCO FLUIDS(R) HIGH STRENGTH STEEL FORMULA, a high performance forming fluid film engineered to protect tooling during advanced high strength steel (AHSS) forming. AHSS forming tools are subject to twice the forming energy as mild steel.

Because of the increased frictional forces of AHSS automotive metal forming, both coated and uncoated tool surfaces require a unique protective film barrier to guard against premature wear. Most conventional stamping fluids (chlorinated oils and synthetics) are designed to protect a cold or warm tool surface. Because oils break down during the high heat of AHSS forming, their viscosity is reduced over 200 percent, as a result, premature galling occurs, and in some cases, the tool coating is removed completely.

New Study Results

Studies involving metal forming tooling coated with chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD) and Thermal Diffusion (TD) have shown that the IRMCO film helps significantly increase coating life. A recent study at a Tier 2 automotive structural components supplier to Ford records that tool coating life has increased 25% on production volumes of 465,000 parts. This allowed for an additional 42,000 parts to be produced before tools required recoating. In addition, technology has allowed for the elimination of pre-assembly parts washings.

IRMCO is a privately held advanced technology firm specializing in high performance metal forming films, environmental improvement technologies and material & process optimization services.