Lindberg ships full muffle mesh belt conveyor furnace to manufacturing industry

Lindberg/MPH, Mich,  a leading manufacturer of heat treat furnaces, announced the shipment of a continuous full muffle mesh belt conveyor furnace to an industrial manufacturer.

This conveyor furnace is designed for applications with a nitrogen atmosphere and a maximum temperature of 1,100°C. Additionally, the furnace has a hydrogen flow meter and combustible gas system so the customer can run a hydrogen atmosphere when needed. The combustible gas system provides a timed nitrogen gas purge of the muffle before process gas can be introduced into the furnace muffle. The conveyor furnace has overall dimensions of 128” L x 22” W 41.5” H. There are tables at both ends of the furnace for loading and unloading of the product. The unit is designed with four (4) temperature zones and a water-cooling section that parts travel through prior to exiting the chamber.

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OMM: Controlled Atmosphere Furnaces

In the past, atmospheric furnaces were used quite often for heat treatment of tool steels. Due to the improved furnace technology of vacuum furnaces and their increased distribution in the market, the percentage of tools heat treated in atmospheric furnaces has fallen significantly over the last 20 to 30 years.

Furthermore, most of the atmospheric furnaces show a maximum temperature of 1100 °C (2000 °F). Therefore, the application of atmospheric furnaces is limited, with the maximum hardening temperature of the tool steel at or below 1050 °C (1925 °F).

However, for atmospheric furnaces it is essential to select an atmosphere that will protect the surface of the tool steel against the addition or the depletion of carbon during heat treatment. Therefore, it is desirable to choose one that requires no adjustment of composition to suit various steels. Ammonia-based atmospheres meet this requirement due to the ammonia dissociation at high temperatures, leading to an excess of hydrogen with the advantage of a sufficient reduction of oxidation even of high-chromium steels.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 4.

R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014, https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005958

Quintus hot isostatic press powers new UK HIP centre

Quintus, Västerås, Sweden, has supplied a Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) to Wallwork Group’s new HIP Centre stated to open in Bury, North Manchester, England, in September 2023. The press is the model QIH 173L M URC, equipped with Quintus’ proprietary uniform rapid cooling (URC), a feature that delivers the high material uniformity required of parts designed formission-critical applications, while enabling increased productivity with optimal temperature control.

Operating at a maximum temperature of 1250°C (2282°F) and pressure of 207 MPa (30,000 psi), the technologically advanced press has a work zone measuring 800 mm (34.6 inches) in diameter and 2550 mm (100.4 inches) high, and a capacity of over 7000 kg (15,432 lbs) per cycle.

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Nitrex strengthens global presence in extrusion

Nitrex, Quebec, successfully commissioned two nitriding systems for Alumil S.A., Greece’s largest extrusion company and the leading producer of architectural systems, with an international sales network in over 60 countries worldwide. 

With this collaboration, Nitrex further strengthens its global presence in extrusion profile manufacturing, demonstrating the industry’s confidence in Nitrex’s expertise to optimize die performance, increase the throughput of extruded profiles, and reduce overall tooling costs.

Catering to various sectors, including construction, automotive, energy, and more, and serving as a key exporter to Europe, the Middle East, and the USA, Alumil has recently started up two pit-type nitriding systems installed at separate locations. The first system, an NX-1215 model with a 3-ton load capacity, is operational at Alumil’s facility in Greece. The second system, an NX-620 furnace model with a 1.2-ton load capacity, is located at the company’s operation in Serbia.

The turnkey solution provided by Nitrex includes the exclusive Nitreg® technology, ensuring consistent and superior nitriding results. In anticipation of Alumil’s plans to expand manufacturing capacities in Greece, the system installed at this location has been specially sized up to accommodate future growth.

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Constellium’s leadership development program receives Silver Award

Constellium, Paris, has received the Brandon Hall Group Silver Award in the “Best Unique or Innovative Leadership Development Program” category. 

This award recognizes the excellence of the Leadership Development Program, a  global learning and development initiative aimed at giving mid-level leaders a broader vision of the business outside of their functions and local market, and to equip them with tools to reflect on their leadership style and inspire their teams. 

The leadership program is a nine-month journey that includes a combination of in-person sessions, virtual individual coaching, team pod sessions, and a 360-degree assessment. 

Entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts, and executives based on these criteria: 

The 2023 Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards recognizes best practices for initiatives in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, Sales Performance, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and the Future of Work.

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One Minute Mentor: Salt Bath Furnaces

The salt bath method of hardening is predominant with high-speed steel tools. With correct operating conditions, tools can be heat treated without carburization, decarburization, and scaling. The surface will be fully hard with a minimum of distortion. The four types of salt baths generally used are preheating baths, high-temperature baths, quenching baths, and tempering baths.

Molten salts of various compositions are well adapted to all operations in the heat treatment of tool steels. For tools that cannot be ground after hardening or for tools that require an excellent surface condition and the maintenance of sharp edges, salt bath heating provides excellent results. These salt baths contain different compositions of BaCl2, NaCl2, and KCl as well as additional additives to avoid decarburization. The higher the working temperature, the higher the content of BaCl2 usually is. Higher additions of CaCl2 are typically used in salt baths for the quenching step.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 2.

R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014, https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005958

Rolled Alloys celebrates 70 years in the thermal processing industry

Rolled Alloys, Windsor, Conn., is celebrating 70 years in the thermal processing industry. 

The company was founded in 1953 by introducing RA330 as a wrought replacement to cast HT.

Due to RA330’s versatility and availability, it remains the most widely used wrought alloy by commercial heat treaters. Although RA330 exhibits excellent features, there may be better choices for an application. With this being the case, we offer a wide range of heat-resistant alloys to best suit the needs of your application.

Besides this, RA 602 CA is an alloy developed specifically for the highest temperature process, requiring strength and resistance to atmospheres. 

One last alloy worth discussing is RA253MA. RA253MA is a lean, heat-resistant stainless steel with high strength and oxidation resistance. With excellent high-temperature properties and low nickel content, RA253MA is a cost-effective material that thermal processors frequently utilize for open-air applications.

https://www.rolledalloys.com/70-years-in-the-thermal-processing-industry/

Steel Dynamics named one of America’s best employers for women by Forbes

Steel Dynamics, Fort Wayne, Ind., has been named one of America’s Best Employers for Women for 2023 by Forbes. Steel Dynamics was the only steel producer receiving this designation.

“We are appreciative and honored by this recognition,” said Mark D. Millett, chairman and chief executive officer. “Our people are the foundation of our success and our most important resource. We strive to create a welcoming, open, and inclusive environment. We value our team members, creating meaningful opportunities for growth, leadership development, and career advancement. We believe empowering our people and providing them with the necessary tools for success creates significant value for everyone and will drive our continued success.”

Forbes partnered with Statista to compile the list of America’s Best Employers for Women. Statista surveyed over 60,000 U.S. employees working for companies with a minimum of 1,000 employees. More than 40,000 women were asked to rate their company in areas such as working environment, salary and employee diversity, and then whether they would recommend their company to a friend or family member.

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Special fasteners to be processed in a Seco/Warwick vacuum furnace

Seco/Warwick, Meadville, Pa., will deliver a  Vector vacuum furnace to a plant producing highly advanced fasteners for the largest manufacturers in the aerospace industry. 

The machine will process self-locking nuts, nut plates, barrel nuts, stud nuts, spline nuts, clamp nuts, as well as a wide range of washers and flanges. The Italian Partner is an innovator in the field of comprehensive fastening solutions. The Vector furnace will become part of a modern production plant, increasing not only its efficiency, but also guaranteeing thermally treated fasteners of the highest quality.

The furnace on order is a standard solution perfectly suited to aviation industry needs. Thanks to a very refined design without any additional modifications, the furnace will perform at high operating temperatures, up to 1300°C.

The furnace on order is equipped with a dew point sensor for each of the gases. It is a system solving one of heat treatment’s very critical requirements, which is to control the quality/purity of the gas used during the process. Vector also features a partial pressure control system which helps prevent evaporation and sublimation of alloying elements from the load surface during the vacuum heat treatment.

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Wisconsin Oven ships curing conveyor oven to aerospace industry

Wisconsin Oven Corporation, East Troy, Wis., has announced the shipment of one belt conveyor oven that will be used for curing polystyrene on aluminum parts for the aerospace industry.

This industrial conveyor oven has a maximum temperature rating of 300° F and interior chamber dimensions of 5’4” W x 8’4” L x 6” H. The recirculation system is designed with a top-down airflow configuration and utilizes a 10,000 CFM @ 10 HP blower. Guaranteed temperature uniformity of ±10° F at 210° F was documented with a temperature uniformity test.

The conveyor system is a continuous belt style and utilizes an Allen-Bradley variable frequency drive that allows for speed adjustments. A digital screen on the control panel door displays the conveyor speed during operation. The oven temperature and conveyor speed are controlled by a Watlow F4T digital controller located on the control panel door with PID control and adaptive turning.

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