Allcast LLC, Allenton, Wis., announces a $14 million, 29,000-square-foot addition to its current aluminum diecasting facility in the Town of Addison.
Continue readingAllcast to add 29,000 square feet of aluminum die-casting capability
Berkshire Hathaway to acquire Precision Castparts in cash transaction
The boards of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Omaha, Neb., and Precision Castparts Corp., Portland, Ore., have unanimously approved a definitive agreement for Berkshire Hathaway to acquire all outstanding PCC shares for $235 per share in cash.
Continue readingOutokumpu stainless steel fuel tank weighs 3 kg less than plastic
Outokumpu Oy, Finland, announces that the stainless steel fuel tank developed by its engineers and TechROi Fuel Systems received the New Applications Award presented by the International Stainless Steel Forum in the “Best New Development” category at the ISSF Annual Conference in Hong Kong.
Continue readingPaper shines spotlight on materials informatics
A paper recently published in International Materials Reviews provides an insightful look at materials informatics and how it is being employed to overcome obstacles in computational materials engineering. “Data science and cyberinfrastructure: Critical enablers for accelerated development of hierarchical materials,” by Surya R. Kalidindi of the Georgia Institute of Technology, also identifies specific areas of research that offer the most promise based on the success of earlier work.
Continue readingAcoustics and aesthetics merge with door opening system
Assa Abloy group brands Frameworks, Graham Wood Doors, and Maiman Wood Doors, New Haven, Conn., teamed up to launch Serenity, the first wood door and aluminum frame sound-rated door opening solution.
Continue readingBlimp outfitted to study the sky
The world’s largest airship, the Skyship 600, made its way through the clouds on a month long journey across the U.S.
Continue readingBlimp outfitted with microscopes studies the sky
The world’s largest airship, the Skyship 600, made its way through the clouds on a month long journey across the U.S. A team of British scientists made the air trek in a blimp as part of a BBC expedition team to study the clouds and life activity in the air.
Continue readingKennametal acquires Tungsten Materials business of Allegheny Technologies
Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Pa., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Tungsten Materials business of Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, for $605 million. With approximately $340 million in annual sales, the business is a leading producer of tungsten metallurgical powders, as well as tooling technologies and components. It consists of two market-leading divisions: ATI Firth Sterling and ATI Stellram.
Continue readingLeica Microsystems launches cameras for brightfield and fluorescence imaging
Leica Microsystems, Switzerland, has launched two cameras that are ideal instruments for routine brightfield (Leica DMC2900) or fluorescence (Leica DFC3000 G) applications. Both are equipped with sensors that allow live images of up to 30 frames per second and a USB 3.0 interface for fast data transfer. The Leica Application Suite and the fluorescence counterpart Advanced Fluorescence software platform provide for image acquisition and support users in analysis and documentation.
Continue readingCorrosion module software provides simplified operation
Olympus Corp., Japan, introduced new Corrosion Module software available with the portable EPOCH 600 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector. The module is designed for the growing population of inspectors that require both flaw detection and corrosion measurement solutions as standard application offerings. This optional software provides simplified instrument operation for basic corrosion applications, requiring less set up time and more efficient data collection.
Continue readingInduction preheating system with process feedback enables shorter heating times, faster production
Ambrell, an AmeriTherm Company, Scottsville, N.Y., has sold an Ekoheat 35 kW/30 kHz induction heating system to a fastener manufacturer to preheat blanks prior to forging. The solution includes a custom-built coil, along with an optical pyrometer and controller for quality control. The client determined that a new modern system with process feedback from Ambrell’s Application Lab would allow shorter heating times and faster production rate.
Continue readingJean Duval Educational Fund with ASM Foundation
The Duval family established an educational fund with the ASM Materials Education Foundation in honor of Mr. Jean Duval’s accomplishments during his long, productive, and innovative career as chairman and CEO of Aubert & Duval (Paris, France). The Jean Duval Educational Fund is designated for educational activities to encourage young people to enroll in materials science or other STEM professions for their lifelong career.
Continue readingMPIF sponsors Additive Manufacturing conference
The Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), Princeton, N.J., announces the inaugural conference on Additive Manufacturing with Powder Metallurgy (AMPM), May 18-20, 2014, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Orlando, Florida. This specialized conference will be co-located with the PM2014 World Congress on Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials and the Tungsten, Refractory & Hardmaterials Conference, which will all be taking place under one roof in Orlando.
Continue readingIpsen’s first Titan Temper vacuum furnace delivered to Hansen-Balk
Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., announces that Hansen-Balk Steel Treating has purchased Ipsen’s first Titan Temper vacuum furnace. It was designed as a dedicated batch furnace for tempering, aging, annealing, and stress relieving, and Hansen-Balk’s tool and die applications were factored into the furnace’s testing. The low-temperature furnace incorporates shared data from both companies.
Continue readingInstron LumeGen bioreactor provides controlled pressure and flow to 3D vessels
Instron, Norwood, Mass., is collaborating with the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ascending aortic aneurysms in patients with bicuspid aortic valve and other heritable disorders. Instron TGT will be providing the instrumentation and mechanical environment to develop a model and evaluate the diseased state in vitro.
Continue readingJournal of Thermal Spray Technology Special Issue on Nanocomposite Coatings: Call for Papers
Dr. Rehan Ahmed and Prof. Christopher C. Berndt will serve as Guest Editors for a special issue of the Journal of Thermal Spray Technology on the subject of “Development and Applications of Nanocomposite Coatings.” This issue will review and highlight the most recent advances in nanocomposite materials with special reference to thermal and cold spray processing.
Continue readingTimken to spin off engineered steels business
The Timken Co., Canton, Ohio, announces that its board of directors has approved a plan to pursue a separation of the company’s steel business from its bearings and power transmission business through a spinoff, creating two publicly traded companies. A leading global manufacturer of carbon and alloy bar, producing ingot-cast and continuous-cast steel bars for the automotive, bearing, energy and industrial market segments, the separation is designed to improve performance in both companies.
Continue readingProtection solution for airplane cables
Commercial airplane manufacturers and aerospace engineers, who need protection against mid-air malfunctions, depend on Device Technologies’ (Southborough, Mass.) FAA-approved grommet and FAR-compliant cable wrap to protect the wiring of critical jetliner components. Spring-Fast Wire Protection Grommet Edging and Protect-Fast Braided Wrap secure and optimize performance of critical electrical systems.
Continue readingContact Resonance Viscoelastic Mapping enables imaging of elastic and viscoelastic moduli
Asylum Research, an Oxford Instruments company, Santa Barbara, Calif., announces Contact Resonance Viscoelastic Mapping Mode, an option available exclusively for Asylum’s Cypher and MFP-3D Atomic Force Microscopes. Contact Resonance (CR) enables high resolution, quantitative imaging of both elastic storage modulus and viscoelastic loss modulus.
Continue readingZeiss to acquire Xradia to complement its microscopy business
On June 13, Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany, announced the planned acquisition of the U.S.-based Xradia, Inc., Pleasanton, Calif. Xradia is a medium-size company providing innovative 3D x-ray microscopes for industrial and academic research applications. The closing of the transaction is subject to the fulfillment of customary closing conditions including a required filing with the U.S. competition authorities. After closing, Xradia, Inc.
Continue readingComposite element test models help design laser repair of nickel-base superalloys
University of Birmingham, School of Metallurgy and Materials, UK, announces that researchers have developed analytical models for the repair of commercial single crystal nickel-base superalloys. Composite element test (CET) modeling was used by researchers to define processing parameters and the correlation between solidification conditions and microstructure. Models are designed to predict the relationship of laser treatment and powder injection and their effects on the substrate.
Continue readingIMS Members Named ASM Fellow
In 1969, ASM established the honor of Fellow of the Society to provide recognition to members for their distinguished contributions to materials science and engineering and to develop a broad based forum of technical and professional leaders to serve as advisors to the Society. We are pleased to announce the following IMS members will be among the 2013 inductees. Dr. Richard W.
Continue readingAFM system features automated defect review and sub-angstrom surface roughness measurement
Park Systems, Santa Clara, Calif., introduces Park NX-HDM, a fully automated automatic defect review and sub-angstrom surface roughness atomic force microscopy (AFM) system for device substrates and disk media. The NX-HDM system increases throughput by up to 1000% with a 30% higher success rate than the prior system. It can analyze, identify, and scan media for all wafer sizes up to 150mm.
Continue readingWebb Telescope closer to completion
Assembly of the backbone of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the primary mirror backplane support structure, is a step closer to completion with the recent addition of the backplane support frame, a fixture that will be used to connect all the pieces of the telescope together. The backplane support frame brings together Webb’s center section and wings, secondary mirror support structure, aft optics system, and integrated science instrument module.
Continue readingSeco/Warwick to deliver vacuum carburizing furnace line to ThyssenKrupp
Seco/Warwick Corp., Meadville, Pa., has received an order for a CaseMaster Evolution vacuum carburizing furnace line that includes a washer/tempering unit, loaders, and line control system with single load tracking. The system is dedicated to the treatment of automotive steering system components. The contract was signed in August 2013 with ThyssenKrupp Presta de Mexico S.A. de CV, and the turnkey production cell will be delivered in the second quarter of 2014.
Continue readingAFM/SEM/FIB system receives Innovation Award
Nanonics Imaging Ltd. (Jerusalem, Israel) announced that its triple beam integrated AFM/SEM/FIB system, the Nanonics 3TB4000, was judged one of the ten best microscopy innovations in 2013 and is the recipient of the prestigious 2013 Microscopy Today Innovation Award.
Continue readingResearchers explore the microworld using haptic optical tweezers
What if you could reach through a microscope to touch and feel the microscopic structures under the lens? In a breakthrough that may usher in a new era in the exploration of the worlds that are a million times smaller than human beings, researchers at Université Pierre et Marie Curie in France have unveiled a new technique that allows microscope users to manipulate samples using a technology known as “haptic optical tweezers.
Continue readingNew medical alloy features higher x-ray visibility
Scientists and engineers from the Materials and Surface Science Institute (MSSI) at the University of Limerick, Ireland, invented a new metal that will make medical devices inside the body more visible under x-ray. Many medical devices, such as stents and valves, are placed in the body through minimally invasive surgical procedures that are usually performed with the help of medical imaging such as x-ray fluoroscopy. Current materials used to make these devices do not show up well under x-ray.
Continue readingTSS Members Named ASM Fellow
In 1969, ASM established the honor of Fellow of the Society to provide recognition to members for their distinguished contributions to materials science and engineering and to develop a broad based forum of technical and professional leaders to serve as advisors to the Society. We are pleased to announce the following TSS members will be among the 2013 inductees. Mr. Timothy McKechnie, President, Plasma Processes, Inc.
Continue readingEAG launches electronics system failure analysis service
Evans Analytical Group (EAG), Santa Clara, Calif., has launched a comprehensive electronics system failure analysis service. It is now one of the only companies to focus on the entire system, from electronics to materials, all the way down to failure mechanisms at the IC transistor level. The service includes both electrical testing and materials characterization, using the latest high-resolution imaging and electrical localization tools.
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