REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES 2018-2019 ocas Cover: Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) image of Nb alloyed carbon steel grade. TEXT OCAS team, Wright Communications EDITOR Katrien Meseure GRAPHIC DESIGN Filip Erkens PHOTOGRAPHY Alain Sauvan (p. 34), Ann De Vyt (p. 159), Annick Willems (p. 144, 146), Benjamin Brolet (p. vii), Dennis Van Hoecke (p. 132), Filip Erkens (p. vii, 64, 72, 96, 126), J.J. Fitzpatrick (p. 14), Jeroen Op de Beeck (p. 40, 150), Jeroen Van Wittenberghe (p. 74, 128), Johan Deheusch (p. 70), Johan Verlee (p. 76), Katrien Meseure (p. 158), Lode Duprez (p. 68), Luc Berckmoes (p. 58), Maarten Van Poucke (p. 160, 165), Marc Vanderschueren (p. 38, 66), Michiel Corryn (p. 82), Myriam Madani (p. 18), Nuria Sanchez (p. 32), Okan Yilmaz (p. 62), Özlem Esma Ayas Güngör (p. 100), Roger Hubert (p. 42, 78, 162), Rolf Berghammer (p. 86, 88), Sofie Vanrostenberghe (p. 54), Stefaan Van Landeghem (p. 112), Steven Cooreman (p. 60, 148), Ulrike Lorenz (p. 90), with the courtesy of DEME Offshore (p. 134), with the courtesy of Endures (p. 118), with the courtesy of EUROfusion (p. 50), with the courtesy of Perfect+ Events (p. 154), with the courtesy of PowerCell (p. 122) RESPONSIBLE PUBLISHER Sven Vandeputte, Managing Director OCAS, Pres. J.F. Kennedylaan 3, 9060 Zelzate - Belgium DISCLAIMER Although care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in the activity report 2018-2019 is meticulous, correct and complete, OCAS nv cannot give any guarantee, either explicitly or implied, with regard to the accuracy, precision and/or the completeness of the aforementioned information. OCAS nv as well as it directors, management, employees and appointees in the broadest sense possible, therefore assume no responsibility, and shall in no event be held liable, for any direct, indirect, special or incidental damage resulting from, arising out of or in connection with the use of this information, nor for any infringement of third party intellectual property rights which may result from its use. 1 DIGITALISATION 2 ENERGY TRANSITION Introduction . 8 Introduction . 36 Man versus machine challenge . 10 Solutions for wind power . 38 Harnessing the power of data . 12 How hydrogen research fuels the future . 42 Big data analysis identifies product issues . 16 Magnelis® protects solar structures . 44 Combinatorial metallurgy at work . 18 Green solutions for tomorrow’s mobility . 46 Improved simulation capability for electric motors . 22 Cryogenic steels as short- and long-term energy solutions . 48 Modelling welding processes . 26 Towards fusion energy . 50 Optimisation of materials, processes and structures in a virtual lab . 28 Numerically designed heavy-gauge plate rolling . 32 3 DURABILITY 4 MATERIALS & LIFETIME PREDICTION FOR THE FUTURE Introduction . 52 Introduction . 84 Testing methodology boosts new material development . 54 Ever stronger and longer-lasting, ever thinner or thicker . 86 Wear on the leg of a jack-up vessel . 58 Fully automated lab scale heavy gauge hot rolling and cooling . 90 The power to bend high strength heavy-gauge up to 25 mm thick . 60 Surfaces with impact . 92 Lighter design without compromising on in-use safety . 62 New tracks for green coatings . 94 Metallic coatings exposed . 64 Heavy-duty loses weight . 97 New saline weathering grade to reduce the maintenance costs Lab wire with tailored chemistry for accelerated research . 100 of offshore structures . 66 Failure analysis taken to sea . 70 Larger, better, faster, stronger: accelerated fatigue testing of large-scale components . 72 Assessing corrosion in various environments . 76 Combatting sour corrosion in the oil & gas sector . 78 Keeping connections tight . 80 Measuring high-temperature hardness to save lives . 82 5 NANO MATTERS 6 WORKING WITH OCAS Introduction . 102 Introduction . 116 How Atom Probe Tomography can expand your horizons . 104 OCAS and Endures embark on joint offshore and maritime journey . 118 Zoom into the problem and see the solution . 108 Value the future, upgrade the past . 120 To measure is to know . 112 Zoom on FININDUS . 122 The power of combining micro- and nano-analysis equipment . 114 Ionic liquid technology – green alternative to hexavalent chromium . 126 Teaming up to combat climate change . 128 Optimising the design of metal-to-metal seals . 132 Collaborative materials’ research to accelerate the R&D of our customers . 134 Bringing tailored solutions to our customers . 138 Facilitating companies in their R&D endeavours . 142 Front & back office model quickly meets technical support requests from neighbouring plants . 144 Bending the rules . 148 Expanding the product range in a cost-effective manner . 150 Research 4 .0 – Efficient and smart, with an eye for detail . 152 Fact sheet . 154 Knowledge building . 156 OCAS provides workshops to support STEM activities . 158 Seminars . 160 List of publications 2018/2019 . 166 iii In 2018 and 2019, OCAS has pursued its vision with further developments and Realising our vision innovations in all areas, even within an industrial and economic environment marked by turbulence. As we embark upon in the midst of 2020, we take pride in reviewing for you the highlights of these past two years. ENERGY TRANSITION change In the context of increasing effects of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, the primary goal of the so-called ‘Energy Transition’ is to decarbonise our energy systems. Which is an enormous challenge. “In 2025, OCAS wants to be a top-of-mind For the time being, the core of the Energy R&D centre for ArcelorMittal and metal- Transition effort is the generation of based industries worldwide, by offering its electricity using renewable energy resources, like wind, solar and hydro power. customers highly effective alloy and coating For the renewal of gas pipelines in today’s development services and related application changing environmental conditions, testing, accelerating their R&D output an area closely associated with the energy transition, we’re investigating using OCAS’s unique testing, processing the assessment of current and future infrastructure and competencies.” infrastructure for the storage and transport TWO IMPORTANT EXPANSIONS OF EXPERTISE In the summer of 2019, we acquired a controlling stake in – Endures, experts in maritime corrosion and we partnered with Finindus and ArcelorMittal Belgium in Guaranteed, a new spin-off, providing a specialised industrial welding repair activity. Both companies are long-term additions to OCAS’s know- of hydrogen. We’ve been building (sub)nanometre. This 2018-2019 Activity how, reinforcing our areas of focus and creating new competence in hydrogen as a clean Review includes some metallurgical synergies through our collaborations. energy carrier for over 15 years now – examples that show how our high-end Endures, based in Den Helder, The Netherlands, is and today that expertise is coming into microscopic techniques lead to further a contract research company specialising in applied its own. understanding of material behaviour. research on marine corrosion and antifouling. Electrical steels are more important By joining forces with OCAS’s advanced research than ever, with the rapid rise of the Another focus these last two years has activities in metallurgy, coating and steel application e-car industry. One of our key activities been the non-standard testing and development, the two companies combine expertise is the development of electrical steel modelling of materials and components in the field of corrosion and materials science. alloys and related coatings, along with to elucidate everything that triggers This synergy extends our offshore service offer and electromagnetic application testing. damage: fatigue, wear, corrosion, provides custom-made solutions, adding value, In this regard, the development of alloys hydrogen, and combinations of these reducing costs and preventing metal structure and coatings – OCAS’s core business – factors. The strengthening with the damage for our customers. remains a key strategic objective. In the expert services of Endures in the field of last few years, we have supported – and offshore and marine corrosion as well The spin-off company, Guaranteed, operating differentiated – these developments as the industrial spin-off Guaranteed in a synergic way with and within the central with advanced combinatorial, digital contributing to material repair and maintenance department of the ArcelorMittal and nano-characterisation tools. extended lifetime is fully in line with Gent plant, was created by OCAS, Finindus and As our knowledge grows deeper in this strategy. ArcelorMittal Belgium to add value for its customers developing and deploying new steel Industrial assets reliability increase, by repairing, refurbishing and producing large grades, metal alloys and associated using all this know-how, thus is a logical metal parts using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing coatings or surface technologies, we key working axis for the upcoming (WAAM). Using state-of-the-art advanced simulation must now control the microstructure years. tools to guarantee ‘right first time’ production, and surface conditions down to the Guaranteed works to reduce downtime and lengthen the lifetime of industrial equipment. v Finindus, being a sister company of OCAS, operating mobile units capable of producing of our customers and led to a 20 times is the investment firm of the Finocas group. tall wind turbine towers on site, thereby faster result compared to classical hydraulic The Finindus portfolio is showing a strong