Constellium signs multi-year aluminum extrusions agreement with Airbus

Constellium, Issoire, France, announced a multi-year agreement with Airbus for the supply of aluminum alloy extrusions, reinforcing the company’s role as a long-term supplier of advanced aluminum solutions to the European airframer’s commercial and defense programs. Under the agreement, Constellium will provide Airbus with bars and a range of small and large extrusions manufactured in advanced aluminum alloys, including the company’s proprietary aluminum-lithium solution Airware®, all engineered to meet stringent quality requirements and optimized for the strength-to-weight performance demanded by aircraft structural applications. The extrusions will be produced at Constellium’s Issoire and Montreuil-Juigné facilities in France. “This agreement reflects Airbus’ trust in our advanced aluminum products and solutions, and in our quality performance, industrial reliability, and consistent supply continuity to support long-term aerospace programs,” said Philippe Hoffmann, president of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit. “We are committed to continuing to grow our outstanding relationship with Airbus, leveraging our comprehensive product portfolio, proprietary solutions, unique manufacturing capabilities, and recycling expertise.” Constellium is a leading supplier of advanced aluminum products and solutions to the global aircraft, defense, and space markets, with proven industrial and recycling capabilities and an extensive portfolio of high-performance alloys, including the heat-treatable Airware® family used in next-generation airframe structures.

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Harper International promotes new CEO and COO

Harper International, Buffalo, New York, announced the promotion of Janelle Camesano to Chief Executive Officer and John Schenk to Chief Operating Officer. Camesano, who holds an MBA and PHR certification, has been with Harper for 13 years, rising through human resources and administration roles before assuming the top leadership position. Schenk has been part of the Harper team for over 14 years, most recently serving as Vice President of Operations. The leadership transition reflects an internal succession at the global thermal processing equipment manufacturer, which provides customized furnace, kiln, and oven systems for production of advanced materials including carbon fiber, battery materials, and technical ceramics.

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One Minute Mentor: Improving the Homogeneity of the Distortion Behavior

Controlling out-of-roundness is important for certain precision applications, such as class C and D cutting hobs made of high-speed steels. Class C and D hobs must be held close to size limits because they are not ground to size after heat treatment, but rather are used in the unground condition.

Normal size distortion in hardening and tempering can be accommodated by making the tool slightly oversize or slightly undersize, as required, before heat treating. High-speed steel bars, however, have been observed to go out-of-round as much as 0.05 mm (0.002 in.) during heat treatment. The pattern of size distortion shown in Fig. 8 can occur. It appears to be related to the initial shape of the cast ingot and to the specific primary-mill processing used to reduce the ingot into bars.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 8. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980

Medical implant hardening in a SECO/WARWICK furnace

SECO/WARWICK, Meadville, PA, announced that they will supply a Vector vacuum furnace to the Marle Group, a global manufacturer of orthopedic prostheses. The furnace on order will be used for the heat treatment of cobalt implants. Cobalt alloy hardening requires very high temperatures, and the heating process for these materials require a high puriity environment, temperature uniformity and very fast and effective cooling.

In order for cobalt alloys to be used in implantology, they must be deprived of their ferromagnetic properties. This shiny, hard metal loses this property only when it reaches a temperature higher than 1131°C. Such a high temperature makes it necessary to use a vacuum furnace in the implant production process. The furnace can not only provide such a temperature, but also guarantees its maintenance over a longer period of time. As a comparison, the temperature, above which a ferSECO/WARWICK, Meadville, PA, announced that they will supply a Vector vacuum furnace to the Marle Group, a global manufacturer of orthopedic prostheses. The furnace on order will be used for the heat treatment of cobalt implants. Cobalt alloy hardening requires very high temperatures, and the heating process for these materials require a high puriity environment, temperature uniformity and very fast and effective cooling.


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Evolution on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a new multicomponent near-Alpha Titanium Alloy after rolling and heat treatments

Beijing University of Technology, China, presented the microstructure and mechanical properties of a new type of multi-component near-α titanium alloy sheet after rolling, 700°C aging, and 800°C aging in a new paper.

 The results show that the strength of the alloy after aging at 700°C increases from 1156 MPa to 1304 MPa, respectively, but decreases to 1246 MPa with the aging temperature increasing. The ductility of the alloy aged at 700°C is lower than that of the rolled state, but the ductility increases slightly with the aging temperature increasing. The effect of aging heat treatment on the microstructure and precipitation behavior of alloy plates has been studied and compared with alloys before aging. 

After heat treatment, the content of primary α decreases from 25% to 5%, respectively. Two kinds of silicide precipitate at different positions, with the large-size spherical silicide being (Ti, Zr, Nb)5Si3, and the small-size fusiform silicide being (Ti, Zr, Nb)6Si3, respectively. Ti3Al was precipitated in the primary α phase, during the aging process. The silicides exhibit the strengthening effect on the alloy, but the effect weakens when the silicides grow up. The loss in ductility is mainly attributed to the precipitation of the α2 phase after aging treatment. However, ductility is improved after applying higher aging temperatures as the size of the α2 phase becomes smaller, and the distribution of them tends to become dispersed.

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Solar Atmospheres of California adds Airbus approval

Solar Atmospheres, Fontana, Calif., has announced that they are now Airbus approved for heat treating.

Frank Trujillo, director of Sales for Solar Atmospheres of California, stated that, “Many Airbus suppliers were in need of a heat treater in the West that could process parts, plates and bars in support of increased Airbus production rates. SCA is proud to be a partner on the Airbus Team!”

With our wide range of furnaces, we are capable of processing very small pieces or loads of 50,000 pounds and up to 24 feet in length. This approval will translate into improved lead-times and greater efficiencies for all Airbus suppliers that require heat treat services in the Western Region.

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Nitrex installs nitriding system at Akademi Metalurji

Nitrex Vacuum, Quebec, has installed a turnkey nitriding system at Akademi Metalurji, a full-service commercial heat-treating solutions provider located in Turkey. The project includes a mid-sized pit-type furnace, advanced controls, three process technologies along with accelerated cooling. 

The decision to invest in a new nitriding system was driven by the company’s objective to overcome efficiency and quality challenges faced with their previous furnace at the Gebze facility. The prior system consumed excessive amounts of process gases and yielded inconsistent nitriding results. With the addition of a Nitrex NX-1015 pit furnace, Akademi Metalurji can now save on process gases and production time, while also expanding their heat treatment capabilities to accommodate wider-dimensioned parts. The nitriding furnace offers an effective work zone of 39” diameter by 59” high (1000 x 1500 mm) and can handle a load of up to 4400 lbs. (2000 kg). The supplied library of Nitreg-based recipes is tailored to meet different application requirements, resulting in a hardened surface that is highly wear-resistant. For applications like machinery components, tooling, dies, and molds, where Akademi Metalurji specializes, Nitreg delivers improved tooling performance, ensuring longer service life and higher throughput. Ultimately, this leads to tool cost savings for their customers.

The system was successfully installed at the Gebze facility, located southeast of Istanbul, and commenced operations in April 2023. Since then, it has been running smoothly, delivering excellent results.

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Wisconsin Oven ships electrically heated horizontal quench system

Wisconsin Oven, East Troy, announced the shipment of an Electrically Heated Horizontal Quench System to a manufacturer of products for the automotive industry. This system will be used for the solution treatment of aluminum.

The maximum temperature for this horizontal quench furnace is 1200°F and interior chamber dimensions of 2′ wide x 2′ high x 2′ long. The system has the capacity to heat 450 pounds of aluminum parts and the steel basket within 60 minutes. Temperature uniformity of +/- 10°F at set points 850°F and 1050° F was verified with a nine point profile test prior to shipment.

This horizontal quench system provides a 15 second quench delay from when the door begins to open until the load is fully submerged in the tank. The quench is manual, where the operator pulls the load out of the oven and onto the quench elevator using a hook. The quench delay time is recorded and enforced using sensors to detect the start and end of the quench operation, and to stop the process if the quench delay time expires.

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Seco/Warwick to supply a vacuum furnace specifically designed for the MRO industry

Seco/Warwick, Meadville, Pa., will supply a vacuum furnace specifically for the maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) industry. The solution will be utilized for repair solutions for both complex aircraft engines and gas turbines for the energy industry in Hungary.

The furnace on order is a unique solution due to the effective size of the heating chamber. It has been adapted to the AeroSpace Power requirements and has a working area of 1300 x 1000 x 1500 mm. Thanks to this, the furnace can accommodate large components – mainly aircraft parts, as well as gas turbines for the energy sector.

The featured technology on order, in addition to non-standard dimensions, is designed to process work in the presence of two gases: argon (used for partial pressure) and nitrogen, which is used mainly in the cooling process.

Additionally, the furnace will be equipped with a dew point sensor for each of the gases. It is a system which solves one of heat treatment’s very critical operational requirements, which is to control the quality/purity of gas used during the process. Vector also features a partial pressure control system based on three gases (hydrogen, argon, and nitrogen) to help prevent evaporation and sublimation of alloying elements from the load surface during the vacuum heat treatment or vacuum brazing process.

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Dr. Kathy Hayrynen awarded the 2023 Fred Linebarger teaching award

Dr. Kathy Hayrynen, FASM, vice president of research and development, Aalberts Surface Technologies, Cleveland, has been awarded the 2023 Fred Linebarger Teaching Award by the Cast Iron Division of the American Foundry Society Technical Council.

The award was established in 2015 and honors the late Dr. Fred Linebarger (Director of Technology for Miller & CO) who devoted his career to the development of treatment alloys and processes for the production of both ductile and compacted graphite iron.

Dr. Fred was known for his teaching skills, namely an ability to take complex concepts and break them down into simple bites that anyone could understand. He served as a mentor to many technical employees in the metalcasting industry.

The award honors Dr. Kathy’s efforts mentoring and sharing her knowledge. It emphasizes her role in and the importance of education in the metalcasting industry. It also recognizes her willingness to share knowledge with others by teaching fundamentals of metalcasting to students, customers and industry peers. She serves as a mentor to the next generation of metalcasting professionals, especially women in the industry.

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