RFI Screening Ltd., England, has selected Metallisation MK61 Flamespray equipment from Metallisation Ltd., England, to metal spray a 40-metric-ton generator rotor with fine silver. It was first sprayed with a 25-micron coating of molybdenum, to optimize the adhesion of the top coat of silver. A final coating of silver was then added to achieve the specified outside diameter on the shaft. In a typical application, a coating 250 microns thick of silver would be sprayed.
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 readingDiamond powders encapsulated in metal increase life of diamond compacts
Powdermet Inc., Euclid, Ohio, offers DiaBond, a family of engineered diamond powders specially designed to improve bonding in metallic matrices, including nickel-, cobalt-, copper-, and aluminum-based binders. DiaBond powders are comprised of diamond grains encapsulated in a 1-20 micron coating of cobalt, nickel, chromium, chromium carbide, tungsten, tungsten carbide, copper, aluminum, silicon, or rhenium.
Continue readingUltra-thin threads of carbon nanotubes coated with diamond cut silicon wafers
The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials, Germany, together with colleagues from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia, have developed a saw wire that can reduce kerf loss when cutting silicon wafers. In place of diamond-impregnated steel wires, the researchers use ultra-thin and extremely stable threads made of carbon nanotubes coated with diamond.
Continue readingRubig opens first facility in the United States
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.
Continue readingIpsen to present papers and showcase new technologies at ASM Heat Treat 2013
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 readingPrecision nanoindentation platform measures properties of thin films
Researchers 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.
Continue readingSuper Systems engineers present papers at Heat Treating Expo
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.
Continue readingInstron’s Digital Image Correlation optically detects strain and displacement
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 readingThin films of germanium crystals grown at 250°C
Researchers 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 readingLaser thermal anneal to boost current in vertical polysilicon channels
Imec, 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.
Continue readingTESCAN merges with Orsay Physics to form TESCAN-ORSAY
TESCAN (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.
Continue readingNew kind of microscope uses neutrons
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 readingWooden this be some skyscraper
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.
Continue readingNew software for eddy current array and bond testing instrument
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 readingBodycote reports six-month revenues rose by 5%
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 readingNIST Measurement tool targets the MEMS industry
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 readingCooking up alloy recipes for bone implants
Armed with microscopes, computers and an innovative way to study metals, researchers at The Ohio State University, Columbus, and their partners are building a database of new titanium alloys. The goal is to reduce the stress that pins, plates, and other medical implants put on healthy bones. Project leader Ji-Cheng (J.-C.
Continue readingHydraulic press is energy efficient and accurate
Hydraulic press is energy efficient and accurate A new 3500 ton molding machine will allow EVCO Plastics, Deforest, Wis., a leading custom plastics manufacturer, to provide customers with increased efficiency to further advance its large-part production capabilities and provide greater cost savings. The new 3500 ton Engel press is up and running at EVCO’s Oshkosh, Wis., plant, with production orders in the queue.
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 readingMentor Graphics 3D-IC flow solutions validated for true 3D stacking integration
Mentor Graphics Corp., Wilsonville, Ore., announces that its 3D-IC flow solutions have been validated by TSMC with a true 3D stacking test vehicle for TSMC’s 3D-IC Reference Flow. The flow expands support from silicon interposer offerings to include TSV-based, stacked die designs.
Continue reading2013 HTS/Bodycote Best Paper in Heat Treating Award
The winner of the 2013 HTS/Bodycote Best Paper in Heat Treating Award is a paper entitled “Localized Surface Modification on 1018 Low Carbon Steel by Electrolytic Plasma Process and its Impact on Corrosion behavior,” by (primary author) Dr. Jiandong Liang, who recently received his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.
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 readingNIST awards grants to universities for additive manufacturing
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is awarding $5 million to the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) in Youngstown, Ohio, which is operated by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, for a three-phase collaborative research effort involving 27 companies, universities, and national laboratories.
Continue readingMaterion opens applications lab for sputter-coatings development and characterization
Materion Microelectronics & Services, a Materion Corporation business, Cleveland, Ohio, has opened a Materials Applications Laboratory in Westford, Mass. It will serve three functions: produce coatings for customer evaluations of PVD materials, promote customer education/collaboration, and support Materion internal R&D. The laboratory features thin film equipment, such as a sputtering system with a 150-mm diameter target, and an electron beam box coater.
Continue readingDragonflies inspire new medical rubber
The remarkable, rubber-like protein that enables dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other insects to flap their wings, jump, and chirp has major potential uses in medicine, scientists conclude in an article in the journal ACS Macro Letters. It evaluates the latest advances toward using a protein called resilin in nanosprings, biorubbers, biosensors, and other applications.
Continue readingIpsen to supply vacuum furnace for additive manufacturing
Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., has been selected by ExOne, North Huntingdon, Pa., to provide vacuum furnaces for additive manufacturing production. ExOne is a global provider of three-dimensional printing machines and printed products. Its goal is to simplify the purchasing process for 3D printers by offering a complete printer-furnace package.
Continue readingThermal Spray Society prepares Accepted Practice for bond testing
ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio, announces that the Thermal Spray Society (TSS) Accepted Practices Committee on Metallography and Mechanical Testing has prepared an Accepted Practice for Thermal Spray Coating Bond (Adhesion) Testing. This document defines and highlights critical aspects for representative and reproducible test results based on ASTM C 633 and applicable industry standards. The Accepted Practices Committee, chaired by Dr.
Continue readingOlympus OmniScan SX phased-array portable flaw detector is smaller and lighter
Olympus America Inc., Center Valley, Pa., introduces the OmniScan SX, which is 33% lighter and 50% smaller than its predecessor. Featuring an easy-to-read 8.4-in. touch screen, the single group OmniScan SX provides a cost-effective solution for linear zero-degree inspections, such as corrosion mapping and composite inspection. It also enables weld inspection using one phased array group or one TOFD channel. The OmniScan SX comes in two models: the SX PA and SX UT.
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 reading















