2. Corrosion Control Systems
We engineer the monitoring, protection, and process control systems that let operators manage corrosion proactively across their own assets — rather than performing corrosion remediation as a contracted service.
Our design capability covers:
- Cathodic protection system design — sacrificial anode and impressed current system engineering for buried pipelines, storage tanks, and subsea structures, including rectifier sizing and monitoring architecture
- Protective coating line design, engineering application, cure, and QC systems to NACE/AMPP and ISO 12944 durability categories
- Inhibitor dosing system design — automated chemical injection and control systems for produced water, sour gas, and CO₂/H₂S service
- Corrosion monitoring system integration — coupons, electrical resistance (ER) probes, and linear polarization resistance (LPR) instrumentation, wired into SCADA/telemetry platforms for continuous, real-time asset health visibility
- Material selection engineering support for duplex, super-duplex, and CRA specification per NACE MR0175/ISO 15156, feeding into the process equipment we design around those materials
3. Welding & Bonding System Design
We design the welding automation and procedure infrastructure that manufacturing and fabrication teams use to join carbon steel, stainless steels, nickel-based superalloys (Inconel, Hastelloy, Monel), titanium, and aluminum — including dissimilar-metal transitions — not the welds themselves.
Our engineering scope includes:
- Welding automation system design — orbital welding heads, mechanized carriages, and robotic weld cells for GTAW, GMAW/FCAW, SAW, and pipe/pressure-boundary applications
- WPS/PQR development support per ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1, built into the control logic and parameter sets of the systems we deliver
- Process parameter control systems managing pre-heat, interpass temperature, and heat input to control hydrogen-induced cracking risk and dilution in dissimilar joints
- Integrated NDE system specification — RT, UT (including phased array), MT, and PT station design for in-line or post-weld inspection
- Brazing, diffusion bonding, and adhesive bonding equipment design for applications where fusion welding is metallurgically unsuitable
4. HVOF System Design for Surface Rebuilding
We design and supply complete HVOF (High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel) thermal spray systems — the equipment operators use to rebuild worn components without the heat-affected-zone risk of welding-based methods.
Our HVOF system engineering covers:
- Combustion and gas control systems managing fuel (kerosene, propylene, or hydrogen) and oxygen delivery to achieve supersonic particle velocities (typically 500–1000+ m/s)
- Powder feed and motion control integration, including robotic or CNC-based part manipulation for consistent coating coverage and low porosity (typically under 1–2%)
- Process monitoring and control instrumentation to hold parameters within the window required for high bond strength (often exceeding 70 MPa per ASTM C633) and low oxide content
- Post-spray grinding system integration where precision finishing to final tolerance is required
- Feedstock and application engineering support for carbide-based systems (WC-Co, WC-Co-Cr, Cr₃C₂-NiCr) matched to abrasive, erosive, and corrosive service conditions
5. PWHT (Post Weld Heat Treatment) System Design
We design and build the heat treatment equipment that operators use to relieve welding residual stress and control heat-affected-zone microstructure — systems engineered to meet code requirements such as ASME B31.3 and ASME Section VIII.
Our PWHT equipment design includes:
- Electric resistance and induction heating system design, for local (band) and full-vessel PWHT, with programmable ramp rate, soak, and controlled cool-down control logic
- Thermocouple and data logging system integration, built to AWS D10.10 heating/cooling rate compliance, with automated time-temperature charting for QA documentation
- Control system programming for stress relief cycles that avoid over-tempering base metal or degrading corrosion-resistant overlays
- Hydrogen bake-out cycle programming for high-strength steel applications
- Portable/field-deployable PWHT unit design, engineered for pipeline tie-in and repair applications where the asset cannot be moved to a fixed furnace
6. Oil & Gas Pipeline Equipment & Automation
We design the automated equipment and control systems used for pipeline construction and maintenance metallurgy — the machines, not the field labor.
Our engineering scope includes:
- Automated cutting, beveling, and coupling machine design for consistent bevel geometry and joint fit-up
- Orbital and mechanized welding system design for girth welds, engineered for deposition consistency and low defect rates on critical tie-ins
- Hardfacing and surfacing equipment design for components subject to erosive/abrasive service (chokes, wear plates, valve trim)
- Coating repair equipment and holiday testing instrumentation for FBE- and 3LPE-coated pipe systems
- Inspection system integration — radiographic and ultrasonic (including phased array) equipment specified to API 1104 and ASME B31.4/B31.8 acceptance criteria
7. Powder Coating Line Design
We design complete electrostatic powder coating lines — the equipment operators use to apply durable, corrosion-resistant finishes in-house.
Our line design scope includes:
- Pretreatment system design — degreasing, abrasive blast, and chemical conversion coating stages engineered for maximum adhesion
- Electrostatic application booth and gun system design, engineered for controlled, consistent film build (typically 60–120 microns) on complex geometries
- Cure oven design and control, engineered to hit peak metal temperature and dwell time targets against powder manufacturer cure schedules
- QC station integration for adhesion, impact, and salt-spray testing (ASTM D3359, ASTM B117) as part of the production line
8. Heat Treatment Precision Laboratory & Furnace Design
This is core to who we are: we design the furnaces, kilns, and full heat treatment laboratories that give operators precise, repeatable control over microstructure — for R&D, quality control, and full production environments.
Our furnace and lab design capability includes:
- Furnace and kiln engineering — box, pit, vacuum, salt bath, and fluidized bed furnace design, matched to process (annealing, normalizing, quenching, tempering, austempering, solution treatment, aging)
- Atmosphere control system design (endothermic, nitrogen-methanol, vacuum, controlled inert atmospheres) to prevent decarburization and oxidation
- Quench system engineering — oil, polymer, water, and gas quench system design, engineered for target cooling rates while minimizing distortion and quench cracking
- Full instrumentation and control system architecture — multi-zone temperature control, PLC/SCADA integration, and data logging built to support AMS2750 (pyrometry) and Nadcap-aligned traceability requirements
- Complete laboratory layout and safety system design, integrating hardness testing, metallography, and mechanical testing stations alongside the furnace systems we build
9. In-Field Hardness Testing System Design
We design and supply the portable and fixed hardness testing systems that quality teams use to verify material condition directly on plant, pipeline, and structural assets.
Our system design covers:
- Portable Rockwell, Brinell, and UCI (Ultrasonic Contact Impedance) equipment specification and integration
- Data logging and reporting system design for weld/HAZ hardness surveys verified against NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 limits (typically capping HAZ hardness at 22 HRC for sour service)
- PWHT verification workflow integration, linking hardness testing systems into our furnace control platforms for closed-loop process verification
- Calibration and traceability system design to support QA/QC documentation and regulatory submission
10. Plasma Metal Cladding System Design
We design Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA) cladding systems — the equipment that produces metallurgically bonded, low-dilution overlays for extreme wear and corrosion service.
Our cladding system engineering includes:
- Plasma arc power supply and torch system design, engineered for constricted-arc, low-dilution deposition control (typically under 5–10% dilution)
- Powder feed and motion control system integration for cobalt-based (Stellite-type), nickel-based, iron-based, and tungsten carbide metal matrix composite feedstocks
- Precision deposit geometry control, reducing downstream machining requirements
- Process parameter control architecture enabling operators to run repeatable CRA-equivalent overlay processes on carbon steel substrates — delivering CRA surface performance without solid CRA construction costs
11. Galvanizing Plant Design & Installation
We design complete hot-dip galvanizing plants — the process line, control systems, and supporting infrastructure — from concept through commissioning.
Our galvanizing plant engineering includes:
- Process line design — surface preparation (degreasing, pickling, fluxing), molten zinc bath system engineering (operated around 450°C), and post-galvanizing quench/passivation stage design
- Kettle and furnace design, including heating system engineering (gas-fired or electrically heated) sized to client throughput requirements
- Zinc bath process control system design to manage alloy layer formation per ASTM A123/A153
- Effluent and fume handling system design for acid pickling lines and zinc ash/dross management, addressing environmental compliance
- Coating thickness verification system integration, using magnetic gauge testing against ASTM A123 minimum thickness requirements
- Modernization engineering for existing galvanizing lines — control system upgrades, throughput improvements, and environmental compliance retrofits
12. Metallurgical Testing & Tooling System Design
We design and supply the specialized testing systems and industrial tooling that operators use to qualify materials and processes in-house.
Our design and supply scope includes:
- Friction, wear life, and porosity testing system design for coating and material qualification
- Bonding and stress analysis equipment design, including pull-off adhesion testers and residual stress measurement systems
- Weld stress-relieving oven design for controlled PWHT of large fabricated assemblies
- Vibratory Stress Relief (VSR) system design — engineered as a faster, lower-cost alternative to thermal PWHT, using controlled sub-resonant or resonant vibration
- High-pressure stress test laboratory design, rated up to 60,000 PSI, for qualification testing of high-pressure oilfield equipment, valves, and fittings
- Cutting, bending, punching, and notching tooling design, engineered for production-line metal forming with tooling life and tolerance matched to the application
Why SIACO Metallurgy
We’re not a subcontracted service line — we’re the engineering partner that designs the automation and process control systems your own metallurgy operations run on. Every furnace, kiln, thermal spray cell, and control architecture we deliver is built around one principle: material failure is predictable, and therefore preventable, when the correct metallurgical science is engineered into the equipment from day one.
As a leading industrial automation company, SMARTECH brings together process metallurgy expertise, controls engineering, and mechanical design under one roof — so the systems we hand over aren’t just equipment, they’re complete, code-compliant, repeatable processes your team can run with confidence.
Contact us today to discuss designing your metallurgical process systems.
