Technological Areas

CDAL has experience in key technological areas for the production of high-tech components, especially in aeronautics, automotive, railway and processing industries.

Metallic materials

Metallic materials

• Analysis of the microstructure to explain and enhance the materials’ properties.
• Light alloys selection along with its optimum processing in every case (Smelting, forge, thermic treatments…)
• Research and development of semisolid state processes (SSM) for light alloys.
• Optimizing of thermic treatments’ parameters for any metal family.
• Development of new manufacturing processes for additive 3D printing processes, including the selection and optimization of the metallic alloys to employ.

Surface engineering

Surface engineering

• Surface analysis and its advance characterization to answer a wide range of industrial requirements.
• Development of new coatings with improved wear and corrosion resistance. Treatments with an onsite High Velocity Thermic Projection plant (HVOF process).
• Failure analysis in coated components and search for solutions.
• Optimization and improvement of current coating processes and surface treatments, introducing state of the art techniques.
• Decorative coatings.
• Anodization.

Manufacturing processes

Manufacturing processes

• Optimisation of smelting processes and forge parameters.
• Mould design and optimization for die casting processes and the like.

Material characterization

Material characterization

• Analysis and characterization trough optic and electronic microscopy of metallic alloys, compound materials and coatings
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis by Dispersive Spectrography (EDS) and X-Ray techniques.
• Microstructure quantitative analysis with automatic image analysis tools.
• Climatic tensile tests of materials at high and low temperatures.
• Hardness, microhardness and ultramicrohardness tests facilities.
• Corrosion potentiodynamic tests and in a salt fog chamber.
• Tribology characterization of materials: determination of friction and wear resistance rates.