Ipsen wins German Innovation Award 2024

Ipsen, Kleve, Germany, has been honored with the prestigious German Innovation Award 2024 by the German Design Council for its Ipsen ATLAS Green furnace. In a competitive field of 520 submissions from 23 countries, Ipsen’s innovative approach stood out, earning accolades from an interdisciplinary jury of experts for its user-centric design and significant added value.

The Ipsen ATLAS Green furnace represents a new standard in quality and innovation, addressing the dual challenge of high-quality heat treatments and low CO2 emissions. The furnace’s unique ability to operate using both hydrogen and green electricity ensures a 100% CO2-neutral process, offering an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution for customers.

This award highlights Ipsen’s commitment to intelligent innovations that meet the evolving needs of its customers while promoting sustainability. The recognition of the Ipsen ATLAS Green furnace underscores the company’s dedication to delivering advanced, user-focused technologies that contribute to a greener future.

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ACME spearheads eco-friendly transition in district heating across the EU

ACME, Canada, is spearheading the Eurpean Union’s transition from fossil fuel systems to advanced, high-efficiency electrode boilers. This transition not only promises a significant reduction in carbon emissions but also enhances the energy efficiency of district heating networks across the EU.

District heating, crucial for centralized heat generation and distribution in urban areas, is undergoing a transformation with the installation of cutting-edge electrode boilers. These boilers are praised for their ability to operate on electricity derived from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydro power, marking a significant step towards sustainable energy use.

Robert Presser, vice president of Acme Engineering, explains the technological superiority of electrode boilers, “Unlike traditional gas or oil-fired boilers, electrode boilers can achieve full capacity in about 90 seconds with a 100% turndown ratio, ensuring that no energy is wasted. This rapid responsiveness, coupled with the absence of combustion, makes these boilers highly efficient and environmentally friendly.”

The electrode boilers utilized in these upgrades, such as Acme’s CEJS and CEJW models, are capable of converting nearly 100% of electrical energy into heat, eliminating losses typically associated with stack or heat transfer. With capacities ranging from 6MW to 68MW, these boilers are designed to meet the rigorous demands of large-scale heating needs while occupying minimal space.

Presser also highlights the economic and operational benefits of these boilers, “Electrode boilers are not only cleaner but also more compact and easier to install compared to conventional systems. They require fewer components and minimal maintenance, reducing long-term costs and enhancing reliability.”

EU municipalities and businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of integrating these advanced technologies into their district heating frameworks. As the effects of climate change intensify, the shift towards these efficient, renewable-energy-powered systems is seen as critical in meeting both current and future energy needs while adhering to stringent decarbonization targets.

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Wisconsin Oven ships batch ovens to the manufacturing industry

Wisconsin Oven, East Troy, announced the shipment of two custom-designed Gas Fired Batch Ovens with roll-up doors. The ovens will be used to hold molded urethane wheels prior to a curing process.

The batch ovens have a maximum operating temperature of 350°F and work chamber dimensions of 9’ wide x 4’6” long x 10’6” high. The ovens are designed with electrically operated roll-up doors in the front of the oven constructed from high-temperature fabric. The door controls allow the door to open halfway or all the way by a command from a loading robot. In addition to the roll-up door on the front, a bi-parting, side-hinged, horizontal swing door is located on the rear of each oven.

These batch ovens feature a horizontal airflow arrangement, which is ideal for products arranged in multiple tiers where heated airflow cannot be directed vertically through the product. Both ovens utilize a Watlow F4T digital controller that includes a 4.3″ color touch screen, PID temperature control with adaptive tuning, and Ethernet communication capabilities for temperature control. A remote display for the flame relays is also mounted to each control panel to provide an annunciation of operation along with fault and diagnostic information.

 

https://www.wisoven.com/news/wisconsin-oven-ships-batch-ovens-manufacturing-industry

One Minute Mentor: Continuous Operating Furnaces for Tool Steel Strips

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. Steel grades with 0.4 to 1.2% C, low and high alloyed, can be processed. 

Strip dimensions range between 10 to 750 mm (0.4 to 29.5 in.) wide and 0.05 to 4 mm (0.002 to 0.16 in.) thick. 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.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 9. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005958

Wisconsin Oven ships two horizontal quench systems to the semiconductor industry

Wisconsin Oven, East Troy, WI, announced the shipment of two Electrically Heated Horizontal Quench Systems to the semiconductor industry. These systems are designed for the annealing and rapid cooling of various high purity alloy parts.

The operation of each horizontal quench system begins with loading the product onto a work grid located on the loading platform. After the load is lifted into position, a pusher/extractor mechanism at the front of the quench tank moves the load onto the quench lift platform. Then, the furnace pusher/extractor mechanism transfers the load into the furnace for annealing. Once the heating cycle is complete, the vertical lift door opens, and the furnace pusher/extractor moves the load back onto the quench lift platform, lowering it into the water quench tank for cooling. After adequate cooling, the quench lift raises the load, and the front-mounted pusher/extractor mechanism returns it to the scissor lift, where a blow-off system removes most of the water from the load. A video demonstrating this system’s operation is available through a provided link.

Each horizontal quench furnace can reach a maximum temperature of 1,250°F and has the capacity to heat and support a 4,500-pound gross load. These furnaces are designed to achieve a temperature uniformity of +/-10°F. The customer requested a uniformity tolerance of ±20°F at 500°F, 900°F, and 1200°F, which was documented for each system through a nine-point profile test conducted in an empty oven chamber under static conditions.

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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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One Minute Mentor: Controlled Atmosphere Furnace Equipment

Heat treatment of tool steels usually requires high flexibility combined with small lots of parts. Seal quench furnaces, executed with a single heating chamber, meet this demand. Figure 5 shows a typical schematic of a single-chamber furnace, executed with a pre-chamber, which is used both for loading and unloading and also for oil quenching or gas cooling. Another execution is shown in Fig. 6, where the load is fed directly into the heating chamber (left side in the drawing). In this case the load is transported through the furnace and received after oil quenching on the right-hand side.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 5.

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

Processing of nano-reinforced aluminum hybrid metal matrix composites and the effect of post-heat treatment: a review

A review from the School of Engineering and Technology, India, describes the increasing demand for cutting-edge materials with a high strength-to-weight ratio and economic considerations. Lightweight materials such as aluminum (Al) and its alloys are attractive, but some properties such as low thermal stability and high wear rate limit the application of aluminum alloys (AA) to some extent. Many researchers have developed various composites to get around these restrictions and increase the performance of aluminum and its alloy. Metal matrix composites (MMCs) with nanoparticles have revealed greater mechanical and tribological properties compared with micron-sized reinforcements. This review summarizes the latest developments in this field.

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Wisconsin oven completes spray quench aluminum solution furnace for the defense industry

Wisconsin Oven, East Troy, Wis. announced the completion of a Horizontal Spray Quench Furnace for C/A Design located in Dover, NH. This furnace will be used for the solution treatment of aluminum. The system is designed to soak the product load at temperature in the furnace and then a pusher mechanism rapidly moves the load into the spray quench. The spray quench offers reduced distortion in comparison to submersion quenching.

The maximum temperature for this system is 1,150°F and it has sufficient capacity to heat a 200 pound aluminum load plus the work grid and product fixture. A temperature uniformity survey was documented for +/-10°F at 985°F to verify the furnace has the capability to meet AMS 2750G, Class 2 furnace and Instrumentation Type D requirements.

The spray quench is located in front of the oven and has vertical-lift, pneumatically operated doors on each end. The spray quench system utilizes fifty (50) fine mist nozzles located above, below, and on each side of the quench chamber to rapidly cool the product from all sides. Each nozzle is independently selectable from the touchscreen HMI and a variable frequency drive allows the pump speed to be adjusted to maintain a constant pressure to each spray nozzle. 

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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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