HVX® Stainless was Selected as a New Technology Showcase Winner for the LAGCOE 2019 conference.
U.S. Patent #10,344,758 granted to Finkl Steel for HVX® in 2019
2,700
Over 2,700 HVX® blocks sold and adopted by several major pump end manufacturers
HVX® Stainless was Selected as a New Technology Showcase Winner for the LAGCOE 2019 conference.
U.S. Patent #10,344,758 granted to Finkl Steel for HVX® in 2019
2,700
Over 2,700 HVX® blocks sold and adopted by several major pump end manufacturers
“The one that works best all the way around so far for us is the HVX®, based on machinability and life that we get out of it... and price.”
Current HVX® Customer
Well service company
“HVX®, given its base chemistry, doesn't have a lot of nickel in it. It is relatively inexpensive but it has enough chromium in it to where it can compare and compete with industry standard stainless steel.”
Current HVX® Customer
Fluid end manufacturer
“There is a Finkl-driven quality that is a selling point for my end user. If they request an MTR, that shows where I purchased the material from. If I say 'Finkl', they stop asking questions.”
Current HVX® Customer
Fluid end manufacturer
“I'd say Finkl is the number one supplier because they're flexible. The speed at which they're able to respond to our needs is very good.”
Current HVX® Customer
Fluid end manufacturer
01
Match and exceed precipitation hardness (PH) stainless runtime in fracking applications.
02
Significantly reduce the cost of materials, manufacture, and operation so it won’t be as exposed to volatile pricing and supply chain challenges.
Finkl Steel, Chicago, IL
2,700
HVX® blocks in service
1,250-1,500hrs
Average HVX® runtime
With over 2,700 blocks in service, field results are showing that HVX® Stainless is typically lasting 1,250 to 1,500 hours in a wide range of fracking environments, proving it has similar longevity to top dollar PH stainless grades.
Because HVX® Stainless is less expensive, this makes it the best value stainless for pump ends.
In order to develop HVX® Stainless, our metallurgists researched the different stainless alloy families and tested many variations in chemistry. They found the ideal mix and concentration of elements that bring out the best properties of both martensitic and precipitation strengthened stainless steels. The result is a stainless formula that contains a fraction of the quantities of some of the most expensive elements while still matching, and often exceeding, the more expensive grades in fracking performance.
For example, nickel makes up around 5% of a 7,500 pound block of 17-4 or 15-5 stainless. What we found is that nickel at 1% concentration together with an optimized amount of other elements and processed correctly gives HVX® Stainless the right combination of properties for superior performance.
The difference means that companies won’t need to pay for 300 pounds of nickel that don’t create additional service life. As prices of nickel are taking off and projected to skyrocket, HVX® Stainless becomes the ultimate hedge against PH stainless price increases.
While the improved service life of 17-4 and 15-5 blocks can be credited to the corrosion resistance of stainless steels versus alloy steels, their strengthening mechanisms still leave them vulnerable to premature wear from abrasion and erosion even at high hardness levels. Many of today’s shale formations require greater pressures and highly abrasive proppants such as bauxite. These conditions reduce pump block life and make washout one of the most common failure modes of stainless blocks.
PH stainless grades achieve their strength through small copper and intermetallic precipitates forming in the steel matrix during heat treatment. While these are great at providing strength in tension, they do little to protect the steel against abrasive wear. When the steel can easily wear away, the protective oxide layer that prevents corrosion and makes the steel “stainless” can easily wash away and corrosion can attack.
HVX® is a carbide forming martensitic stainless. Carbide strengthening provides excellent resistance to wear. This gives HVX® increased washout resistance compared to 17-4 and 15-5. HVX® also uses precipitation strengthening to achieve excellent through-hardenability. This means great properties from surface to center.
HVX® brings out the best qualities of both stainless and alloy blocks. It’s tough all the way through.
Increased washout resistance is possible because we use both carbides and precipitation hardening.
HVX® Stainless is designed with the preferred chemistry to resist corrosion in harsh environments. It doesn’t compromise.
When people first look at HVX® Stainless on paper and compare the Charpy values to 17-4 and 15-5 they may think it is not tough enough. What they miss is that in real-world conditions a lab-tested impact strength value is just one of many key variables. If abrasion and erosion break down the protective stainless surface and corrosion sets in, then cracking will occur regardless of the impact strength.
Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number (PREN) is the measure for predicting a steel’s resistance to pitting corrosion. PREN is calculated based on the chromium, molybdenum and nitrogen content of the steel. These elements contribute to form a passivating layer on the surface of the steel that protects it from corrosion.
Alloying with molybdenum to increase the PREN with 17-4 and 15-5 is less than ideal because it promotes the formation of a brittle and crack prone microstructural phase called delta ferrite. With HVX®, we’ve optimized the chemistry and process so we can alloy with moly without this risk and boost the PREN.
But it's important to understand that PREN alone can’t do anything against abrasion. High PREN combined with low abrasion resistance can result in the same life as low PREN and high abrasion resistance. With HVX® you get the benefits of the passivating moly oxide film and the wear resistance of moly carbides. You get all the PREN you need and better protection against the abrasive wear that reduces corrosion resistance.
So why pay extra for the increased nickel content of PH stainless grades when there is no additional benefit? HVX® Stainless is more than tough enough.
Corrosive Environment
Passive Film
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Non-abrasive environment
PH Stainless Steel
Abrasive environment
HVX® Stainless
Abrasive environment
Just the right amount of what you need, without paying extra for what you don’t.
HVX® Stainless is more affordable because it contains less nickel, copper, and other expensive alloys. Nickel prices are predicted to explode as demand for electric vehicles and other battery applications gain momentum. Export bans in some countries may also constrain supply, driving these prices of stainless materials even higher.
HVX® Stainless has the optimal amount of these materials for high performance fracking. As nickel and alloy prices turn higher, you will want to have tried HVX® Stainless and be ready to use more of it.
Tough enough to minimize downtime. Easier to machine faster.
Besides the actual cost for a block, fluid end manufacturers spend a great deal of time and money on machining. HVX® Stainless is already proven to be hard enough for the field, but it is also designed for faster machinability.
HVX® Stainless is saving some fluid end manufacturers over 25% on the amount of time it takes to make a fluid pump in comparison to 17-4 and 15-5. This makes it easy for them to try HVX® Stainless and then add it to their catalog of offerings. Another key benefit is that it reduces their lead time to make a pump end so they can serve well service companies even better.
Take the global risks out of buying stainless pump blocks.
HVX® Stainless is made by Finkl Steel, located in Chicago, Illinois. We have supplied the finest quality forgings for over 140 years. In 2013, Finkl installed an all-new 90 metric ton arc furnace that has the capacity to melt 350,000 tons of steel a year.
This means when you buy HVX® blocks you never have to deal with the complex and changing nature of global purchasing. There are no risks or worries about fluctuating currencies, political upheaval, new tariffs, quality, supply chain reliability, or transportation speed.
The volatility of oil and gas is difficult to forecast. Rely on the supply of HVX® Stainless with complete confidence.
HVX® Stainless eliminates the need for holding safety stock and having to forecast far into the future the number of fluid ends you will really need. This is possible because Finkl has a dedicated “lean line” in Chicago just for HVX® Stainless.
We created this so the lead time for a new HVX® Stainless block will always be just 7-8 weeks. This is much faster compared to most forging suppliers. On top of this, the HVX® lean line capacity can be flexed to produce up to 6,000 HVX® blocks per year—meaning we could supply over 50% of the current fluid end market today.
Finkl will always keep up with demand and keep prices low—and never alter our lead time or quality.
Finkl has invested heavily in adding capacity to keep up with your demand for pump block forgings. Our goal is to be the most competitive forging supplier worldwide. Challenge us to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.
Call our HVX® specialist today
Finkl Steel® is the world’s leading supplier of forging die steels, plastic mold steels, die casting tool steels and custom open-die forgings, processing over 200,000 tons of steel each year. Our products are manufactured at four production facilities in Chicago, Detroit, Houston and Quebec. With more than 100 patents, Finkl Steel® sets worldwide standards including being the first steel manufacturer in America to receive ISO 9000 certification.
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