ASM publishes breaking industry news articles to our web site every day! Below are the top news items of the week; view the full-text articles and more headline news online.

Novel Solid-State Laser Design Based on CVD Diamond
PRNewswire
Researchers at the Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, England, have started work on a 3.5 year project to develop a novel solid-state laser incorporating CVD (chemical vapor deposition) diamond manufactured by Element Six Ltd. Diamond opens up new opportunities to design small, compact solid state lasers with greater power handling capabilities at currently unavailable wavelengths.

Lubrizol Expands Engineered Polymers Product Offerings
PRNewswire-FirstCall
The Lubrizol Corporation will expand its Estane Engineered Polymers product line with the purchase of the thermoplastic polyurethane and conductive polymer business and assets from SK Chemicals Co. Ltd.

Saint-Gobain Acquires Soundproofing Plastics Manufacturer
PRNewswire-
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has acquired the assets of the Green Glue Company of West Fargo, North Dakota, a privately owned manufacturer of visco-elastic soundproofing technology. Visco-elastic materials combine the properties of viscosity and elasticity to provide performance characteristics ideal for special acoustic insulation.

U. of Alabama Advanced Bimetallic R&D Gets Boost From Fushi Copperweld
PRNewswire-FirstCall
Fushi Copperweld Inc. manufactures copper-clad bimetallic wire for telecommunication, utility, automotive, and other electrical applications. The company has signed a one-year Research Program Agreement with the University of Alabama to cooperate with UA's Materials Metrology Research Program on advanced bimetallic research and development projects.


Back to Main Menu

How to Analyze Steel
New ways to test and characterize steel were discussed in several presentations at MS&T’08 in Pittsburgh. The following are brief summaries of papers from Materials Testing and Characterization, a session chaired by Lifeng Zhang of the Missouri University of Science and Technology. For more information about these presentations, contact Dr. Zhang.

Deformation and Fracture of TRIP 700 Steel by Digital Image Correlation, by V. Savic, L. G. Hector, and P. D. Zavattieri, General Motors; W. Tong, Southern Methodist University. Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steels exhibit enhanced ductility and high strength due to an austenite-to-martensite phase transformation that depends upon strain and temperature. The authors presented quasi-static tensile test results of TRIP 700 on a miniature tensile stage with a custom data acquisition system. A digital image correlation method enabled computing two-dimensional strain fields from a series of digital images.

Using NDT Image Processing Analysis to Study the Soundness and Cleanliness of Accelerated Cooled Continuously Cast Steel Slabs, by M.R. Allazadeh, C. Garcia, K.J. Alderson, and A J. DeArdo, University of Pittsburgh. The growing demand for high quality cast steel slabs requires faster casting and cooling speeds without sacrificing overall quality. A major objective of this work was to assess by image analysis the soundness of continuously cast slabs that were accelerated-cooled prior to completion of the gamma-to-alpha-transformation.

Instrumented Hole Expansion Testing by A. Karelova, E. Werner, and C. Krempaszky, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Germany; A. Pichler and T. Hebesberger, Voestalpine Stahl Linz GmbH, Austria. An instrumented hole-expansion testing device was constructed to optimize and unify the technology for advanced high-strength steels. Experimental results were compared and discussed with respect to the impact of varied device parameters, as well as the influence of material microstructure and mechanical properties.

Bake Hardening Steel (BH220) Characterization, by S. Ghosal, B.R. Galgali, S.P. Joshi, and M.M. Ogale, Tata Motors, India. The bake hardening effect depends on three parameters: pre-straining, temperature, and time. Tensile test were carried out for 88 samples baked at varying temperature, time, and prestrains. The goal was shop floor optimization of parameters and compatibility with various painting processes.

ASM is seeking nominations for the 2009 Class of Fellows.

The honor of Fellow of the society was established to provide recognition to members for distinguished contributions in the field of materials science and engineering, and to develop a broadly based forum for technical and professional leaders to serve as advisors to the Society.

Criteria for the Fellow award are:

• outstanding accomplishments in materials science or engineering
• broad and productive achievement in production, manufacturing, management, design, development, research or education.
• five years current, continuous membership.

Deadline for nominations for the Class of 2009 is 30 November 2008.

Complete information including the rules, interpretive comments, and user-friendly nomination form are available on the ASM website or by contacting Carole Chesla, Awards Program, ASM International, Materials Park, OH 44073-0002; tel: 440/338-5151, ext. 5330

The Complete Current Issue of AM&P is Now Available Online!
Click on the cover or table of contents to see the digital edition.

Back to Main Menu

It Runs on Gasoline-Ethanol-Hydrogen

This Ronn Motor Co. Black Scorpion hybrid has a carbon fiber composite body over a chrome-moly chassis. It is powered by the company’s hydrogen-on-demand system, which provides 130-octane hydrogen in real time, blended with gasoline in ratios of 30 to 50%. For more details about how this works and information about how to buy your very own Scorpion, click here.

Presidential Initiatives: Local Chapters
Roger Fabian, FASM, President of ASM International

Being President of ASM has real advantages. When you’re the President, you represent the entire membership of ASM, and you have the ability to improve the way we serve our members. As a leader, you must have a vision.

You’re also responsible for providing continuity for the key action items of the Society, so great ideas are energized and innovative thinking is encouraged. These are the things that provide the “flavor of the Presidency.”

Let me share certain initiatives that I believe are critical for the next 12 months and beyond. They are my Presidential Initiatives. These and the actions directed by the Strategic Plan will be worked on with the same focus and with the same determination.

First, it’s all about the Chapters. For many of our members, the local Chapters are ASM.

During the next year, I look forward to working with the Chapter Council, which is off to a fast start under the leadership of Peg Jones, who represents the chapters and acts as advocate for the needs of chapters to the ASM Board. I have asked Peg to bring the BOT ideas for what the chapters need to become more successful -- and I will support those ideas.

As President, my vision is for the Chapters and Chapter Council to push our Action Plans to the local communities. The Chapters work through the Chapter Council to ask for help. On the other hand, the BOT and I need the help of the Chapters to make sure that the Strategic Plan means something at the Chapter level, not just at the national level.

Over the next few weeks, I will discuss the other initiatives that have the goal of helping all ASM members to advance in technical knowledge and leadership, so that our entire society, from Chapters to National, can move forward together.

Back to Main Menu

Reliability and Consistency in Thermal Spray:
Vital for Industry Production
December 2-3, 2008
Montreal, Quebec

Building on a very successful Sensors and Controls conference offered in 2004, The Thermal Spray Society will host a symposium on “Improving Reliability and Consistency in Thermal Spray” on December 2-3, 2008. This conference will explore emerging technologies, practices, training and certification processes and discuss ways that these factors will impact the thermal spray industry by providing improved reliability and consistency of thermal spray coatings.
Learn more.

2009 IBSC Conference
April 26-29, 2009
Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort®
Orlando, Florida
Recognized by industry professionals as the world’s premier event for the brazing and soldering community.

When you attend IBSC 2009, you’ll join hundreds of other professionals, scientists and engineers from around the globe involved in the research, development and application of brazing and soldering. The three-day conference will provide one of the most comprehensive technical programs available to the brazing and soldering community, as well as valuable networking, pre-conference educational programs and exhibits where attendees can find out more about the latest trends, products, processes and techniques available in the brazing and soldering industry.
Learn more.

ASM-Indian Institute of Metals Seeks 2009 Visiting Lecturers

Qualified lecturers:
• Are ASM members who visit India
• Have experience with delivering technical presentations of interest to government, industrial or academic organizations
• Can lecture on current technological conditions in India
• Will be available between April 1 and December 31, 2009
• Have definite travel plans to and from India using own funds

Award carries with it an $800 honorarium to be used for travel expenses within India during their visit and a certificate of recognition to be presented at the ASM Leadership Awards Luncheon scheduled for October 2009 in Pittsburgh, PA during MS&T’09.

Deadline for application is February 1, 2009. For more information, contact Carole Chesla at 440/338-5151 ext. 5330

Back to Main Menu

Materials for Medical Devices Database update has just been released!

The update includes:

• Information on Specific Forms and Conditions, including Stress-Strain Curves

• Orthopaedic Module update, with over 400 specific device records with links to full-text FDA documents

• Cardiovascular Module: A completely new device category of Intra-Aortic Balloons has been added to the database, and populated with new general device information and schematics for all 145 specific devices listed by the FDA, including direct links to full-text FDA documents for every record.

This latest version of the database features all the new PMA and 510(k) approvals up to August 2008, in both the Orthopaedic and Cardiovascular modules, fully integrated for ease of searching, and linked to materials and supplier data.

See all the new changes.

Visit the ASM store.

Back to Main Menu

Materials Engineer
McSwain Engineering, Pensacola, Florida

McSwain Engineering, Inc. is seeking a Materials Engineer with failure analysis experience to assist with engineering investigations. Position requires independent research, case management and report preparation.
Learn more.

Visit the ASM Career Center.

Back to Main Menu