L&L special furnace company ships large box furnace for investment castings company

L&L Special Furnace Company, Aston, PA, delivered a large floor-standing box furnace to the heat-treating department of an investment castings supplier. The furnace will be used as support in the customer’s tool and die production along with tempering of finished castings.

 

The L&L model XLE3436 box furnace has an effective work zone of 34” wide by 22” high by 32” deep. It is equipped with a direct-lift vertical door with a floor switch to activate. The cantilevered vertical door eliminates the need for the upright structure to reduce the overall height of the equipment.

 

The furnace includes a program control and overtemperature protection. A four-zone SSR control with digital biasing is provided to balance temperature gradients. The XLE3436 also features a paperless chart recorder with six thermocouple inputs, a heavy-duty Inconel sheathed thermocouple, a recirculation fan, and an atmosphere-sealed case for deployment with inert atmospheres.

 

The inert blanketing gas enables the part to be heat-treated with minimal surface de-carb. A stack light indicates the furnace status via an audible and visual indicator light mounted on top of the control.

 

Additionally, the furnace is equipped with a pyrometry package that has reference control thermocouple ports along with corner locations to record the high and low points within the unit as indicated by the latest temperature uniformity survey.

 

All L&L models can be designed with various options and be specifically tailored to meet your thermal needs. The company also offers furnaces outfitted with pyrometry packages to meet ASM2750. Options include a variety of control and recorder configurations. A three-day, all-inclusive startup service is provided with each system within the continental US and Canada. International startup and training service is available by factory quote.If precise temperature control and uniformity is key to your process, then L&L is a great choice.

 www.llfurnace.com

One Minute Mentor: High-Performance Line

The continuous heat treatment of tool steel is applied to low- or medium-alloyed carbon steel strips as well as martensitic stainless steels. The described lines produce high-quality strip with respect to uniform structure, flatness, and bright surface finish. High quenching rates are necessary, especially for plain carbon steels. Cooling gradients of up to 600 K/s are possible in a molten lead-bismuth quench. Because two-stage quenching technology provides considerable advantages over quenching in oil, this method has been adopted worldwide. It is also possible to achieve isothermal transformation to bainite and pearlite using a molten metal quench, so this type of hardening and tempering line is extremely versatile.

The configuration of a high-performance line involves an entry and exit section of the strip handling equipment. The hardening section consists of the austenitizing furnace, the molten metal quench or hydrogen quench, and a martensite cooler.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 10. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014 

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ALD develops a new powder recycling process for a sustainable circular economy

ALD Vacuum Technology, Germany, has developed an additive manufacturing solution, the EBuild 850 that can process powder with a wide distribution, enabling it to be used not only in industrial-scale part production, but also in powder recycling efforts. 

Using selective electron beam melting to create powder-filled ingots, ALD achieves an unprecedented build rate of over 1000 cm³ per hour. These ingots can be seamlessly converted into new powder, for example in ALD’s EIGA Premium systems, promoting a sustainable circular economy.

ALD’s approach not only reduces waste, but also offers versatile options for downstream processes. The powder-filled solid cased ingots are much safer to handle and process than loose powder. This flexibility increases the overall efficiency of the recycling process and enables integration into established processing routes.

By adopting ALD’s innovative approach, industries can now achieve economical production while contributing to a circular economy. ALD remains committed to driving sustainable practices within the industrial sector, paving the way for a greener future.

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Quintus cold isostatic press delivered to China’s Lingchuang Special Material Co

Qunitus, Västerås, Sweden, delivered a supersized Cold Isostatic Press (CIP) to China’s Henan Lingchuang Special Material Co. to raise the bar for domestically produced high-quality Isostatic Graphite. 

With its sights set on securing a place as market leader in both product quality and production efficiency, Lingchuang will install a Quintus press model QIC 2.4 x 4.5 – 2000 to maximize operation and output capabilities. The press itself is setting new standards, with its world’slargest vessel dimension—2400 mm x 4500 mm (7.87’ x 14.7’)—along with a new energy management system that offers energy savings of more than 30 percent compared to conventional intensifier solutions.

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Nitrex Partners with Telfer School of Management

Nitrex, Quebec,  announced a collaboration with the Telfer School of Management, with the aim of nurturing innovation and cultivating the next generation of visionaries through the new PhD scholarship in Digital Transformation and Innovation (DTI). 

Nitrex said that this partnership echoes their commitment to driving digitalization, not only within the heat treat industry but also within academia. They added that this scholarship marks a significant leap in empowering brilliant minds to spearhead groundbreaking research, shaping the future technological landscape of industrial manufacturing.

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Bodycote appointments Group Chief Executive

Bodycote, Macclesfield, U.K, announced the appointment of Jim Fairbairn as the new Group Chief Executive, succeeding Stephen Harris upon his retirement. Fairbairn is set to join the company and its Board in March 2024 and will assume the role of Group Chief Executive in May 2024, following a structured transition period. Stephen Harris will retire and step down from the Board at the Annual General Meeting on May 31, 2024.

Jim Fairbairn, 54, brings a wealth of experience in managing engineering businesses. His career, spanning over thirty years, includes significant roles at John Wood Group, PE-owned Clyde Bergemann, Howden Group, and Megger Group, culminating in substantial experience as both a Divisional and Group CEO.

Fairbairn’s most recent position was Group CEO at Megger Group, a test and measurement specialist based in Dover, which he joined in 2017. Under his leadership, the company saw significant revenue growth to £325m and a notable increase in operating margins. He also played a pivotal role in evolving Megger’s strategy and culture. Before Megger, he held executive roles at Howden Group in Glasgow from 2009 to 2017, ending his tenure there as President of the Howden Power, Environment and Process business, overseeing global product and service revenues exceeding $1 billion across 19 sites worldwide.

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Ipsen completes ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for pyrometry services

Ipsen, Cherry Valley, IL, has successfully achieved ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for calibrations, enhancing its pyrometry services. This accreditation is particularly significant for customers operating under the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) and Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS) 2750G.

A key update in AMS2750G, revised in 2022, mandates that calibration service providers must hold ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation. This requirement encompasses temperature controller calibration, system accuracy testing (SAT), and temperature uniformity surveys (TUS).

Cavan Cardenas, Ipsen’s calibration and pyrometry coordinator, emphasized the importance of this certification: “Obtaining this lab certification reassures our customers of our capability to accurately conduct these tests. It’s crucial for us to verify the precision of our calibration equipment to provide superior support to our clients.”

Ipsen has appointed a dedicated technician for its Calibrations Lab, located at the Vacuum Technology Excellence Center in Cherry Valley, IL. This addition strengthens the company’s commitment to providing advanced calibration solutions.

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One Minute Mentor: Indirectly heated fluidized-bed furnace

Most fluidized-bed furnaces are used at temperatures below 1095 °C (2000 °F), although some manufacturers have furnaces capable of treating components to temperatures through 1205 °C (2200 °F). Initially, the gas flows upward through the permeable base to agitate the particles as the pressure is gradually increased. (b) Eventually, the gas flow is sufficient to lift the small particles of refractory materials and to transform the particle movement into a violent turbulent motion.

In the early 1980s, this furnace technology seemed to be on the right track as an alternative to salt bath technology, showing similar advantages and applications but without the environmental hazard of salt compounds, waste disposal, recycling of salts, and so on. Nowadays it can be concluded that salt bath technology was partially substituted by vacuum technology, but especially for bainitic hardening (austempering processes), salt baths are still commonly used and show a slightly growing tendency, whereas fluidized beds are hardly used any more.

This temperature limitation is related to the wear and tear on the retort materials at high temperatures, which was one of the reasons for the reduced interest in this furnace type after the initial hype.

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.a0005958

Lindberg/MPH completes roller hearth furnace system for the energy industry

Lindberg/MPH, Mich., announced the installation of a roller hearth furnace system for a manufacturer of products used in the energy industry. The heat treat system is comprised of two box furnaces with quench tanks, a dual directional load transfer car, four companion draw batch ovens, and two stationary load/unload tables.

The maximum operating temperature of the box furnaces is 1850°F and they are designed for nitrogen-based atmosphere applications. The load space dimensions of the box furnaces are 48” W x 96” D x 36” H, and the internal chambers are larger to provide clearance for baskets or fixtures. A snake chain pusher assembly is used by each furnace to transfer the loads from the chamber to the quench elevator deck.

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Three from Aalberts Surface Technologies included in this years 40 under 40

Aalberts Technologies, Livonia, announced today that Angella Sell, Connor Montgomery, and Chris Pietszak are members of Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2023. The Heat Treat Today 40 Under 40 award recognizes rising leaders in the heat treat community who are giving their time, talent, and education to make the industry a great place to work.

Angella Sell, Research & Development Engineer, is a proven leader, having chaired the ASM Detroit Chapter from June 2020 to June 2021. In 2022 Angella received the ASM Detroit Chapter President’s Award for her leadership role during the challenging pandemic years. Angella is the vice-chair of the AFS Cast Iron Research Committee and will assume the role of chair in May 2024. 

Connor Montgomery, Oshkosh Plant Manager, is focused on hiring and retention practices as well on effective communications. Connor is leading major efforts to improve flow, efficiency, and throughput in the Oshkosh plant. He has introduced the use of modern lean tools such as 5S, FIFO, and Supermarkets to reduce unproductive manhours. He is actively involved in the reduction of additional waste within plant processing. 

Chris Pietszak, Quality Manager, is focsed on the implementation of and support of ISO, IATF, and Nadcap as well as CQI-9 compliance. He is a trained ISO and IATF auditor and an MTI YES Program graduate. Chris played an important role implementing the quality systems during the start-up of the Fort Smith facility. 

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