Fred W. Gartner Jr. Part 4 of 4

"Another mechanical marvel from this engineering prodigy evolved from a challenge of sorts. Fred was told by several engineers and chemists that it would be impossible to fabricate parts from spray material, especially an alloy mix. Not being one to turn down a challenge, Fred once again immersed himself in research and development. Nash Compressor had a problem with wear sleeves that wore on both I.D. and O.D. from chemical erosion. The physical stresses on the stainless steel material were extreme and relegated the sleeves to a very short life expectancy. Fred's idea was to combine Hastalloy C (70%) and stainless steel (30%) for a new SS/Hastalloy oxide. Using a plasma gun to spray onto a carbon steel mandrel, the new oxide material was then fused into fabricated sleeves up to 1/4" thick. The sleeves were machineable with a Rockwell hardness value of 60. These sleeves not only worked, but significantly extended operational time over the original wear sleeves. 

Fred W. Gartner, Jr.'s induction into the Thermal Spray Hall of Fame is long overdue. Fred lived thermal spraying. His dedicated and unwavering support for the thermal spray industry was evident in his deeds. Fred was an original founding member of MSC (ITSA) and charter member throughout his life. He served two terms as MSC Chairman and never missed a meeting. 

The greatest compliment for such a devotee of this industry would be to place him in the Hall of Fame where he belongs. Fred W. Gartner, Jr. was a true pioneer in every sense of the word. It is a seemingly small gesture, but may be the ultimate honor for one of the industries truly great visionaries. We owe him that much. Fred would be proud."

This concludes the reprint of the speech by Scott Goodspeed at the acceptance of Fred W. Gartner, Jr. for this award in 2004. We hope that it has given you an insight into the sprit of Fred.