(i) The development of a metallurgical bond during the spray forming of clad products has offered the possibility of manufacturing large rolls, including those used in hot and cold strip mills. Small rolls are already being produced in Japan. (ii) Technical developments, including the use-of-multi-atomizers have resulted in the elimination of porosity from the internal bore of a sprayed tube. Bimetallic tubing can also be manufactured and the installation of a 4.5 ton tube plant in the USA should provide low operation costs. (iii) Spray forming offers a potentially low cost manufacturing route for superalloy ring/casing components in high strength superalloys. (iv) A large pilot plant has been built for the spray forming of ultra-clean superalloys for turbine disc applications. (v) Using twin-atomizing technology, special steel billets have been spray formed up to 400mm diameter with deposition yields in excess of 90%. (vi) Al/Si alloy extrusion billets with excellent dimensional tolerances are being manufactured for large scale automotive applications. Several new aluminum alloys have also been developed, including high strength, low density and low cocfficient of expansion materials. (vii) New copper alloys have been developed and pilot plants are in operation to produce these alloys once markets have become established.

• Leatham Alan