Driving Innovation
In our labs, imagination and craftsmanship go hand-in-hand. Here, our team is focuses on delivering the best solution at the best price for customers, applying lean principles to minimize waste while maximizing wear of critical components. This requires deep expertise in alloys and processes, including the application of lasers, powder formulations, and understanding field applications.
Our Metallurgical Lab Capabilities include:
MECHANICAL TESTING
Tensile/Compression Testing – We routinely perform tensile or compression testing to directly evaluate material strength and ductility. Primarily used for tension testing, Apollo’s universal testing machine (UTM) has the ability to apply 60,000 lbf (~267,000 N) loads to evaluate cylindrical or rectangular cross section samples with a typical 0.5-inch diameter reduced section. We also use tensile testing to demonstrate the high quality, full metallurgical bonding of our coatings.
Charpy Impact Testing – We own and operate a Charpy Impact (or Charpy V-Notch) testing machine to evaluate the impact performance of a material through the high-impact strain rate loading conditions of a Charpy test. The machine can generate 300 ft•lbs (407J) of force, and with a sample cooling bath, tests can be performed at temperatures down to liquid nitrogen temperatures (-196°C/321F).
FATIGUE TESTING
Fatigue Testing – To provide full scale testing of the fatigue performance of our products, Apollo designed, built and commissioned the world’s first large scale rotating bending fatigue tester.
Residual Stress Testing – We have the ability to measure near surface residual stresses using the Hole-Drilling Strain Gauge Method.
METALLURGICAL EVALUATION
Sample Imaging
Stereomicroscopy – Stereomicroscopy is a variation of optical microscopy specific for low level magnification in the range of 5X. At Apollo, stereomicroscopy is routinely used to evaluate the quality of the surfaces of our coatings.
Optical Microscopy – For high magnification imaging, Apollo is equipped with an optical microscope capable of 1000X magnification.
Hardness Testing
We offer two types of hardness testing: macro indentation with Rockwell hardness testing and Vickers microhardness testing. Rockwell hardness testing is the industry standard for measuring representative bulk hardness. Microhardness testing is an essential tool for measuring hardness of individual, microscopic aspects of a material microstructure such as individual grains or reinforcing particles.
Delivering Value
As our customer, you can be confident knowing that as a company long known for taking on the more difficult projects, we will apply deep metallurgical and process expertise to your project. Whether it’s repairing worn parts or fabricating brand new ones, Apollo Labs can explain your best options based on leading metallurgical and process science. As a result, you benefit from maximum and efficient use of fabricated or repaired parts.
Doug J. Hamre, Ph.D., P. Eng.
Research and Development Manager
PH 780-980-5231
Doug attended the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. He received a B.Sc. in 2001 and a Ph.D. in 2005 both in the field of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Doug returned to the Edmonton area in 2011 to join Apollo-Clad after working in the investment casting industry making Titanium and Superalloy investment castings for the aerospace and power generation industries. Doug is a Professional Engineer in the province of Alberta and currently the Research and Development Manager at Apollo-Clad Laser Cladding.
Gentry Wood, Ph.D. P.Eng.
Senior Research and Development Engineer
PH 780-980-5231
Gentry Wood is a graduate from the Canadian Centre for Welding and Joining (CCWJ) at University of Alberta (2017) where he completed his PhD in modelling of the laser cladding process under Dr. Patricio Mendez: a project sponsored by Apollo-Clad. He has been associated with Apollo since the summer of 2011 where he worked as a metallurgical intern. He has 3 first author peer reviewed publications, 3 co-authored publications, 1 patent, and 15 conference presentations including international speaking engagements. Gentry has received the prestigious honor of Fellow of the Canadian Welding Bureau Association and was recognized by the University of Alberta with the Alumni Horizon Award for his early career achievements and community contributions.
Gentry is actively involved in the welding community and technical societies. He is an expert delegate of the Canadian Commission of the International Institute of Welding (CCIIW) in Commission IV on Power Beam Processes, a member of the American Welding Society (AWS) Technical Papers Committee, Chair for the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) National Advisory Council, and Past Chair for the local Edmonton CWA Chapter.
Lenny Mann
Metallurgical Lab Technician
PH 780-980-5231
EMAIL info@apollomachine.com
Lenny joined the Apollo team in 2016. Formerly a pressman by trade, Lenny has become extremely skilled in the art of preparing metallurgical samples from sectioning to final polish. He runs the day-to-day lab operations for microscopy and mechanical testing under the supervision of Doug Hamre. Lenny’s attention to detail, great work ethic, and ability to master a wide variety of tasks makes him a valued member of the Apollo Lab team.
Mitchell Grams, Ph.D., P.ENG.
Research and Development Engineer
PH 780-980-5231
Mitchell has been a member of the research & development team at Apollo-Clad Laser Cladding since 2021. Mitchell obtained a PhD in Materials Engineering (2021) from Canadian Centre for Welding and Joining (CCWJ) at the University of Alberta, following the completion of a BSc in Mechanical Engineering (2015). In 2022, his graduate thesis was awarded the prestigious International Institute of Welding (IIW) Henry Granjon Prize - Category C (Design & Structural Integrity). His areas of expertise includes procedure qualification, process optimization, residual stress analysis, CNC toolpath optimization, thermographic imaging, control systems integration, and mechanical design.
Mitchell has published 5 peer-reviewed papers and numerous conference presentations on the topics of thermal-mechanical process modelling, welding residual stress and distortion, and laser-cladding procedure optimization. Mitchell has served as a young professional representative on the board of directors for both the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and American Welding Society (AWS). He is also actively involved in the welding community as a member of the AWS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, as well as the Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Welding Bureau Association (CWBA).
Ata Kamyabi-Gol, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Research and Development Engineer
PH 780-980-5231
Ata received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in metallurgical and materials engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM) in Iran in 2006 and 2008, respectively. He continued his studies as a PhD student at the University of Alberta and graduated from the Canadian Centre for Welding and Joining (CCWJ) in 2015. Ata briefly re-visited Edmonton in 2018 as a visiting professor and decided to permanently move back to Edmonton and join the Apollo-Clad R&D team in 2019. Ata has 17 published peer reviewed papers, 5 Iranian patents and several conference papers on topics such as optimization of heat treatment parameters using design of experiment (DOE), optimization of parameters for the synthesis of nano-composites used in filtration systems, separation of simultaneous phase transformations using calorimetry and dilatometry, development of new anode material for high performance lithium ion batteries, and transient liquid phase (TLP) joining of nickel based superalloys. Ata is also an active member of several technical societies. He is currently the vice chair of the local Edmonton Canadian Welding Bureau Association (CWBA) Chapter.
Anju Varghese, M.Eng., E.I.T.
Research and Development
PH 780-980-5231
Anju received her Bachelor of Technology and Master of Technology in Civil and Computer-Aided Structural Design Engineering with a focus on Welding Design from Mahatma Gandhi University, India in 2012 and 2014, respectively. She continued her studies in project management at the University of Waterloo in 2017. Anju moved to Edmonton and joined the Apollo Research Team in 2019.
Anju is involved in pre-production material approvals, ABSA welding qualification, new product development, laser systems verification, and process optimization for Apollo’s laser cladding operation. She is also focused on customer qualification and quality assurance at Apollo’s heat-treating services with significant experience in the areas of induction hardening, gas nitriding, and carburizing. She also serves as one of the technical leads in our Premium Threading facility helping to maintain the stress relieving, copper plating, and phosphating operations.
Anju volunteers her time as an active member of the Edmonton Chapter of the Canadian Welding Bureau Association (CWBA).
Murid Salim
Research and Development Technologist
PH 780-980-5231
Murid has been a member of the Research and Development Team at Apollo-Clad Laser Cladding since 2022. He is a graduate of the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Murid is involved in improving cladding processes through parameter optimization. His background includes work in mechanical design, 3D modelling, and engineering drawings. Murid is also a level 1 ultrasonic inspector who helps maintain the high standards of Apollo’s laser clad coatings.
