Abstract: A method of producing a locator pin with wear-resistant, corrosion resistant, and electrically insulating coating on selected areas of the surface off a metallic core include depositing a coating on the selected areas. The locator pin may have a single layer of a ceramic coating deposited using plasma electrolytic oxidation or may have a composite coating that includes a layer of vanadium carbide on selected areas of a surface of a locator pin and a layer diamond-like carbon on top of and in contact with the vanadium carbide layer. The vanadium carbide coating may be deposited using a thermal diffusion process and the diamond-like carbon coating may be deposited using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. The coating prevents weld splatter from adhering to the coated areas, and prevents the locator pin from acting as a shorting path during welding of parts located by the locator pin.

Abstract: A condensing boiler includes a heat exchanger with a burner adjacent to the top of the heat exchanger. There is an exhaust for condensate adjacent to the bottom of the heat exchanger. There is a intake system including an air conduit, a fuel inlet and a fan which supplies a fuel/air mixture to the burner during a heating mode and which supplies air to the heat exchanger during an idle mode. There are controls which modulate the fan so that the air flow to the heat exchanger during the idle mode is sufficient to inhibit upward migration of condensate through the heat exchanger, but insufficient to cause significant outflow of air to the exhaust.