Ametek Inc., Berwyn, Pa., has acquired Creaform Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative portable 3D measurement technologies and a provider of 3D engineering services. Creaform is the industry leader in stand-alone portable 3D scanners. These optical devices are used in a growing number of applications to create accurate 3D models and measurements of a wide range of objects.
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Md., announced a competition to create an Advanced Materials Center of Excellence to foster interdisciplinary collaborations between NIST researchers and scientists and engineers from academia and industry. The center will focus on accelerating the discovery and development of advanced materials through innovations in measurement science and in new modeling, simulation, data, and informatics tools.
Continue readingSarah Byrnes, Claire A. Campbell, and Timothy De Hennis of the Boeing Company, Chicago, presented “An Investigation of Case-Core Separation in Carburized Steels” at Heat Treat 2013 in Indianapolis in September. They presented an in-depth description of the mechanism that drives the occurrence of case-core separations in carburized steels. They reported on case studies of known case-core separations, and identified and discussed contributing factors for crack initiation.
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Rubig Group, Austria, announces that it opened its first facility in the United States on July 19, in Rockford, Ill. The facility is a service center for furnace maintenance and troubleshooting, and provides support for application engineering in the field of heat treatment. It will also include plasma surface treatment equipment, and will offer sales, service, and spare parts focused on the aviation industry.
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Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., will present two papers at the 27th ASM Heat Treating Society Conference and Exposition, “Redefining Quenching Technology” and “Bright Tempering: Achieving High-Quality Appearance during Tempering.” The Ipsen booth (#1529) will feature several technologies covering the range of Ipsen’s premium vacuum and atmosphere product lines. Additionally, furnaces well-suited for low-pressure carburizing, such as the Turbo2Treater, will also be represented.
Continue readingResearchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, have demonstrated a new design for an instrumented nanoscale indenter that makes sensitive measurements of the mechanical properties of thin films. The NIST solution is a touchless surface detector in which the frequency of a pair of tiny quartz tuning forks changes as they get close to the test surface.
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Super Systems Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, announces that Steve Thompson will present “A Practical Approach to Controlling Gas Nitriding and Ferritic Nitrocarburizing Processes,” on Tuesday, 9/17/2013, 8 – 10 a.m., Room 140. Yesterday Damian Bratcher presented “Protective Atmospheres, Measurement Technologies, and Troubleshooting Tools,” and Jim Oakes presented “Understanding Atmosphere in Carburizing Applications Using Simulation and Real-Time Carbon Diffusion.
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GE Global Research, Niskayuna, N.Y., is developing cold spray technology to build large parts and repair existing parts. The cold spray technique has the potential to scale up to build larger parts, with the only limitation being the size of the area over which metal powders can be applied. Since cold spray does not require heat, it allows a repaired part to be restored close to its original condition.
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Instron, Norwood, Mass., introduces its Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system. This combination of hardware and software is designed to optically detect strain and displacement within a defined area on the surface of specimens or components exposed to loads. It enables users to visualize these characteristics in real-time on a computer screen, so that they can be traced over the entire duration of the test. Image and calibration data is supplied by an Instron advanced video extensometer.
Continue readingResearchers at Kyushu University, Japan, report that they have developed a new technique to produce thin films of germanium crystals at a temperature of 250°C. Using gold as a catalyst, Prof. Taizoh Sadoh and his colleagues were able to grow germanium crystals in such a way that their crystal structure has the proper orientation and electrical properties. The new method can be used to produce germanium films with a very large area, allowing for more potential applications.
Continue readingResearchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif., report that they have compressed iron up to 5.6 million atmospheres, a record pressure for solid iron. The Lab’s Yuan Ping used the Omega laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester, N.Y., to achieve the record pressure by multi-shock compression.
Continue readingImec, Leuven, Belgium, and Excico, Hasselt, Belgium, have successfully demonstrated the application of laser thermal anneal (LTA) to boost the current in vertical polysilicon channel devices for 3D memory. Due to the larger grain size of the laser recrystallized polycrystalline channel material, up to ten times higher read current and 2.5 times steeper sub-threshold slope could be obtained as compared to a conventional polysilicon channel.
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Hitachi High-Technologies Corp., Tokyo, launched the tabletop microscope TM3030, which enables observation of even higher resolution images than previous models. It features a short start-up time of around 3 min. while low-vacuum microscopy functionality allows sample observations to be performed quickly without prior processing. Its compact size allows it to be conveniently installed and operated on tables in offices and other locations.
Continue readingTESCAN (Brno, Czech Republic) a leading global supplier of scanning electron microscopes and focused ion beam workstations, and ORSAY PHYSICS, a world leader in customized focused ion beam and electron beam technology, have merged to form TESCAN-ORSAY HOLDING. Cooperating since 2007, Orsay Physics has been the sole supplier of ion beam technology to TESCAN.
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FEI, Hillsboro, Ore., introduced three new systems that tailor the power of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to specific application and industry needs. The new systems launched today provide efficient and effective application-specific workflows for semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research.
Continue readingMentor Graphics Corp., Wilsonville, Ore., has expanded the Kronos Cell Characterization and Analysis platform to include embedded memories. The platform quickly produces accurate performance models for standard cells, I/Os, complex cells, and embedded memories within an advanced, integrated environment. The Kronos Platform’s advanced algorithms and efficient job distribution reduces characterization time from weeks to days.
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Avure Technologies, Franklin, Tenn., introduces hot isostatic presses equipped with new HIP quenching furnaces. Variable cooling and heating rates and pressure levels make it possible to precisely control the quality and mechanical properties of treated parts. They achieve a “super-plastic” behavior, where only compressive stresses exist, voids and cracks are eliminated, and post-treatment residual stresses are very low.
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Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, working with partners at NASA, developed a new concept for a microscope that would use neutrons-subatomic particles with no electrical charge-instead of beams of light or electrons to create high-resolution images. Among other features, neutron-based instruments have the ability to probe inside metal objects-such as fuel cells, batteries, and engines, even when in use-to learn details of their internal structure.
Continue readingMr. John D. Hubbard, CEO (retired), Bodycote plc, headquartered in Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK, is the recipient of the 2013 George H. Bodeen Heat Treating Achievement Award. Established in 1996, this award recognizes distinguished and significant contributions to the field of heat treating through leadership, management, or engineering development of substantial commercial impact.
Continue readingSAES Getters Group, Italy, offers SmartFlex Nitinol actuator elements that deliver state-of-the-art performance for reliable shape-memory-alloy actuators. Wires, springs, and components are designed for the specific requirements of any industrial actuator application. SMA wires ensure mechanical action if stimulated with electrical current, enabling the development of simple, compact, and reliable actuators.
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For HSB Stockholm’s architectural competition 2023, three teams of architects produced innovative proposals for private residences of the future at three different locations in the center of Stockholm. Berg | C.F. Møller Architects are working in partnership with architects Dinell Johansson and consultants Tyréns on their entry. The team chose to build upwards, and has designed a 34-story residential building, which will be seen for miles.
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Inductoheat Inc., Madison Heights, Mich., recently shipped a fully automated single-shot induction hardening and tempering system to a major supplier of critical automotive steering components. At the heart of this heat treating system is InductoScan, a heavy-duty, modular induction heat treating machine. This machine is equipped with a built-in power supply, quench containment, and integral heat treating station, drastically reducing its footprint.
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Olympus Corp., Tokyo, added new software and solutions for the eddy current array and bond testing modules used with the field-proven OmniScan MX flaw detector. To meet the requirements of a broader range of applications, conventional eddy current testing (ECT), eddy current array (ECA), and the new bond testing (BT) C-scan technology are available with the two module versions.
Continue readingTescan, Cranberry Township, Pa., will introduce the newest generation FESEM platform MAIA at the M&M show in Indianapolis in August. The instrument delivers high-resolution performance, ease-of-use by design, and throughput for the most challenging materials. It provides analytical and scanning mode flexibility without compromises. Various chamber designs allow full customization for specific application requirements.
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Bodycote plc, Macclesfield, UK, announces that the company’s facility in Empalme, Northwest Mexico, has achieved Nadcap accreditation as well as prime approvals for Rolls-Royce Aero Engines, MTU Aero Engines, and Pratt & Whitney Canada. The Empalme plant was established to support aerospace OEMs and the local supply chains in Mexico’s rapidly expanding aerospace industry.
Continue readingSpintech Ventures LLC, Xenia, Ohio, a subsidiary of Cornerstone Research Group Inc., Dayton, Ohio, is collaborating with Spirit AeroSystems to develop reconfigurable shape-memory polymer tooling for manufacturing complex composite aircraft structures. Re-formable, reusable mandrels enable production of complex, highly integrated composite structures.
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Bodycote plc, UK, reports that revenues in the six months to June 30 rose 5% from $464 million to $488 million. However, revenues would have fallen had it not been for the contribution of businesses it bought, which added 7% to sales. One such business was the mid-October deal for Carolina Commercial Heat Treating, bought for $64 million. Pre-tax profits grew 10.5%, and the interim dividend was increased by 10%.
Continue readingESAB Welding & Cutting Products, Florence, S.C., introduced Swift Arc ML (Mobile Learning) System, a new fully-contained robotic welding system for education and training. It is part of ESAB’s Swift Arc series of pre-engineered robotic welding cells offered as complete ready-to-weld units. The robotic education cell is designed to demonstrate, develop, and teach proper welding techniques, robot programming and welding skills.
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Md., created a new measurement tool to help device designers, manufacturers, and customers see eye-to-eye on eight dimensional and material property measurements that are key to device performance.
Continue readingSolar Atmospheres Inc., Souderton, Pa., announces that its CEO William R. Jones received the Heritage Award at the Metal Treating Institute Fall Meeting in Las Vegas on October 12th. This most prestigious award is given in recognition of the individual’s lifetime commitment to the betterment of the commercial heat treating industry with one or more notable accomplishments. Only nine people in the 78-year history of MTI have ever received this award.
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