Passion for Golf leads to New Invention...

June 23, 2010 - PRLog -- Recognizing the need for low-cost, high strength structural tubing, KVA Stainless founder, Ed McCrink, and his development staff have implemented patented welding and thermal processing technologies to create seam-welded martensitic tubing, which took 4 years to develop and perfect.

Coming out of the Navy with no experience in heat treating, Mr. McCrink started his career as a salesman for a thermal processing company in Chicago, IL. Within a couple of years, McCrink left his employer to start his own heat treating company in 1953 and grew the company to become one of  the largest thermal processor in the United States, which specialized in bright annealing and bright hardening. Since successfully selling the Hi-Temp, Inc. plants in the 1970’s, he has continuously pursued his vision of utilizing commonly available martensitic stainless steels to reduce weight and increase strength in structures.

Being an avid golfer, one particular product of high interest was a golf shaft made out of seam welded martensitic tubing. Years on the golf course continued to motivate McCrink to pursue his vision of making a golf shaft.

Until recently, welding of Martensitic Stainless steel into tubing has been impossible because it will cold-crack in the heat-affected zone under mechanical straining and forming.  For this reason, Martensitic Stainless has long been considered the most difficult of the five types of Stainless to weld.

KVA Stainless has invented and developed a cost-effective, patented weld processing technology that eliminates the difficulties associated with welding Martensitic Stainless steel and results in a product that is up to 17% stronger, 50% lighter, and less expensive than its alternatives.

Key advantages of KVA STAINLESS weld processing technology:

•   Improved ductility
•   Enhanced toughness
•   Elimination of cracking
•   In-line processing
•   Enabling of high-speed welding of high-carbon alloys
•   Compatible with all welding methods (GTAW, GMAW, plasma, laser, HF, resistance…)

KVA STAINLESS technology can benefit any market segment where component weight, strength and corrosion resistance are critical issues, providing a superior alternative to conventional materials.  Ideal applications include:

•   Automotive components and structures
•   Aviation components and structures
•   Gas and oil production pipelines
•   Petrochemical and process piping
•   Agricultural equipment
•   Earth-moving equipment
•   Train/rail cars and equipment
•   Heat-exchangers
•   Medical devices and wheelchairs
•   Action sporting goods – golf, baseball, bicycles

“KVA Stainless has taken its patented seam welded stainless steel tubes and manufactured several automotive parts for a few of the major automotive manufacturers.  We have also produced bicycle and wheelchair frames,” according to KVA’s vice-president of sales, Douglas Gore.  

“With this technology, high strength structural items can now be created using Martensitic Stainless steel and used in a variety of applications, with significant performance and cost benefits.  Several of our other patents and trade secret technologies allow us to produce stamped automotive parts with weight savings up to 50% while increasing overall strength by 17% of the given part,” says Gore.

Those parts include suspension components, from control arms to sub-frames, chassis frame rails, and vehicle accessories such as tow hooks, running boards, and fuel rails.

For more information, please contact:
Douglas Gore
KVA Stainless
124 S. Market Place, Suite 200
Escondido, CA 92029
760-489-5821
www.kvastainless.com
dgore@kvastainless.com

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KVA Stainless is an engineering and research company that also manufactures seam welded tubing. KVA has spent years developing and patenting it’s technologies around air hardenable martensitic stainless steels and other hardenable ferrous alloys.