It’s hard to believe that we are already well into the summer months of 2017! It’s been a very busy and exciting year for ASM and TSS.
Continue readingPresident’s Message
August 4, 2017 Source: ASM International
Solar Atmospheres builds climate-controlled chamber for medical/aerospace heat treating
July 20, 2017 Source: ASM International
Solar Atmospheres builds climate-controlled chamber for medical/aerospace heat treating
Solar Atmospheres of Western PA, Hermitage, has constructed a climate-controlled chamber for the daily operation of its new all-metal hot-zoned vacuum furnace.
Continue readingNASA grants $10M to cut supersonic aircraft sonic booms by shape-memory-alloy morphing
July 14, 2017 Source: ASM International
NASA grants $10M to cut supersonic aircraft sonic booms by shape-memory-alloy morphing
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, announces that it has granted $10 million to a CASMART industry-academic team that will lead research into designing commercially viable civil supersonic transport aircraft that can modify shape during flight under a range of conditions to meet noise and efficiency requirements for overland flight.
Continue readingMolten aluminum poured over 3D-printed steel lattice multiplies damage tolerance
July 12, 2017 Source:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn., and Rice University, Houston, report that a new manufacturing method developed by Oak Ridge and Rice combines 3D printing with traditional casting to produce damage-tolerant components composed of multiple materials. Engineers discovered that by pouring molten aluminum over a 3D printed steel lattice, the damage tolerance of the part increases by an order of magnitude over aluminum.
The process, published in Materials and Design, was developed for potential automotive and other applications for which thermal and mechanical properties must be optimized simultaneously.
"This scalable processing strategy can be used to fulfill specific component functions, giving materials designers unprecedented control over both microstructure and material properties," says ORNL's Amit Shyam.
Molten aluminum poured over 3D-printed steel lattice multiplies damage tolerance
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn., and Rice University, Houston, report that a new manufacturing method developed by Oak Ridge and Rice combines 3D printing with traditional casting to produce damage-tolerant components composed of multiple materials.
Continue readingSpirit invests $30 million in five-axis machining center for aluminum and titanium aircraft parts
June 21, 2017 Source:
Spirit AeroSystems, Wichita, Kan., announces a new center of excellence focusing on the fabrication of complex aluminum and titanium commercial and military aircraft parts by new five-axis machines.
Spirit, already one of the world's largest fabricators of aerospace parts, has invested more than $30 million in the five-axis center of excellence in Wichita, which now includes 120 different machine tools.
"We continue to invest in fabrication capabilities, and these expansions will help us better compete globally and remain leaders in the industry," says Spirit Senior Vice President of Operations Ron Rabe. "The new center offers significant capabilities to meet our current and future customer needs with better quality and improved turn time."
The facility will utilize the latest high-speed technology to specialize in large, complex parts for fuselage, pylon, and wing structures. The center will be fully operational later this year.
"We also have capacity and capability to support chemical processing and finishing of machined parts," says Alan Young, Spirit's vice president of Fabrication. "We have developed significant capability over many decades, and now we can provide that expertise to customers around the world."
Chemical processing of component parts completes the manufacturing process and ensures proper coating on part surfaces to protect against corrosion. Chemical processes at Spirit include cleaning, penetrant inspection, anodizing, priming, and top-coat painting, with various colors available to support customer requirements. With one of the world's largest automated chemical processing lines, Spirit has already processed parts for other customers this year in Wichita.
Spirit's fabrication capability spans more than 2.6 million square feet and produces more than 38,000 parts daily.
The new capabilities and emphasis on the fabrication business is one of Spirit's growth strategies as the company focuses on new business.
Spirit invests $30 million in five-axis machining center for aluminum and titanium aircraft parts
Spirit AeroSystems, Wichita, Kan., announces a new center of excellence focusing on the fabrication of complex aluminum and titanium commercial and military aircraft parts by new five-axis machines.
Continue readingEck Industries licenses cerium-aluminum alloy that resists corrosion and high heat
June 13, 2017 Source:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn., announces that Eck Industries, Manitowoc, Wis., has signed an exclusive license for the commercialization of a cerium-aluminum (Ce-Al) alloy that is easy to work with, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and exceptionally stable at high temperatures. These properties make it ideal for automotive, aerospace, power generation, and other applications. The alloy was co-developed by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The patent-pending alloy was developed as part of DOE's Critical Materials Institute (CMI) and makes use of cerium, the most abundant rare earth element. Cerium makes up as much as half of mined rare earths, yet has less value than co-mined elements such as neodymium and dysprosium that are in high demand for advanced energy technology applications. Creating new uses for cerium supports both domestic rare earth mining operations and the U.S. manufacturing sector.
Scientists at ORNL, working with Eck Industries and researchers at DOE's Ames and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories, developed the Ce-Al alloy. Testing has shown the Ce-Al alloy is stable at 500°C (932°F). Withstanding higher temperatures means, for instance, that engines made of the alloy can run hotter with more complete fuel combustion while being lighter in weight, which advances fuel efficiency.
Ce-Al does not require additional thermal processing during the casting process, and takes advantage of abundant, low-cost cerium, says ORNL scientist Orlando Rios. Parts can be cast by standard aluminum foundry practices and without a protective atmosphere.
"The alloy is thermodynamically stable," Dr. Rios says. The cost of heat treatment and the additional machining required due to thermal distortion can make up some 50 to 60% of the cost of casting traditional alloys. Energy costs could potentially be reduced by 30 to 60% compared with traditional casting processes, he noted. The Ce-Al alloy's potential marks a significant departure from post-casting heat treatment and age-hardening approaches developed over some 100 years, and can significantly advance manufacturing competitiveness as result.
"There has been tremendous interest from industry due to the unique material properties and low cost of this alloy," says ASM member David Weiss, vice president of Engineering/R&D at Eck. "This project is a template for rapid development and commercialization. Not only did we bridge the research ‘valley of death,' but also we developed a highway for communication from our customers to us to help guide the project."
The involvement of multiple national laboratories and industry via CMI's interest in leveraging scientific knowledge to help solve critical materials issues was essential to fast development of the alloy. ORNL researchers led the development team while focusing on casting and microstructure property stability. Ames ran experiments on thermo-mechanical processing and examined the thermo-physical properties of the Ce-Al alloy. Lawrence Livermore performed characterization work using advanced microscopy and other methods. Eck was involved in pilot-scale experiments and provided manufacturing insight and expertise.
CMI's strategy is to bring together industrial, academic, and national lab expertise to address US reliance on critical materials like rare earth elements that are essential to energy, defense, and other manufacturing sectors.
"It's tough for a mine to survive if half of its output has no market. This alloy creates a use for the cerium that accompanies scarce and critical rare earths like neodymium and dysprosium," says CMI Director Alex King.
Eck Industries licenses cerium-aluminum alloy that resists corrosion and high heat
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn., announces that Eck Industries, Manitowoc, Wis., has signed an exclusive license for the commercialization of a cerium-aluminum (Ce-Al) alloy that is easy to work with, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and exceptionally stable at high temperatures.
Continue readingSiemens wins 3D Printing Industry Award for its printed gas turbine blades
May 30, 2017 Source:
Siemens Inc., Germany, announces that it has won an International 3D Printing Industry Award in the category "3D Printing Application of the Year" for the first successful worldwide test of gas turbine blades produced via additive manufacturing.
The turbine blades were installed in a 13-megawatt SGT-400-type industrial gas turbine. The printed turbine blades were produced from a high-temperature-resistant, powdered polycrystalline nickel-base superalloy. They are able to withstand the high pressures, extreme temperatures, and centrifugal forces that arise during turbine operation.
Earlier this year, Siemens announced a breakthrough in 3D printing: an international project team with contributions from Siemens engineers in Finspång/Sweden, Lincoln/U.K. and Berlin/Germany together with experts from Materials Solutions in Worcester/U.K. The team successfully completed performance testing under full-load conditions of the first gas turbine blades ever to be produced by additive manufacturing.
Over the past few weeks, readers of "3Dprintingindustry.com," a leading online news source in the industry, voted this achievement to be the best 3D printing application of the year.
"We are very glad to receive this award for our printed turbine blades, and we are especially proud as the votes are from members of the Additive Manufacturing community," says Phil Hatherley, General Manager Materials Solutions - A Siemens Business. "With this award, we show that Siemens as a technology driver can play a decisive role in the future of Additive Manufacturing. And we are ready to take the next steps in this development."
Additive manufacturing has the potential to become a key technology in the production of gas turbine components. Siemens has been investing in this innovative technology right from its inception, and is now driving the industrialization and commercialization of these processes. In addition to turbine blades, Siemens is applying the technology to build burner tips and burner nozzles, and to repair burner heads. The international team of experts with the innovation centers located in Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom, are transforming the new design possibilities into specific solutions for Siemens' customers.
www.siemens.com/press/3D-printing
Siemens wins 3D Printing Industry Award for its printed gas turbine blades
Siemens Inc., Germany, announces that it has won an International 3D Printing Industry Award in the category “3D Printing Application of the Year” for the first successful worldwide test of gas turbine blades produced via additive manufacturing.
Continue readingCan-Eng to build 36-foot rotary hearth furnace for titanium aerospace forgings
May 24, 2017 Source:
Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been contracted to commission a turnkey 36 ft. diameter "pancake" style rotary hearth furnace for a leading North American aerospace supplier. The furnace will be used in the production of titanium and nickel-based alloy closed-die forgings for large fixed-wing aircraft structures. The open hearth configuration allows for flexible loading and uniform heating.
The furnace system features an advanced low NOx combustion system designed to meet the most stringent environmental and temperature uniformity requirements. A special dual-door design provides the customer with significant flexibility for forging-to-press manipulation within the existing plant layout. The system is capable of processing up to 250,000 pounds in a 24/7 production environment.
The furnace system complies with thermal performance requirements laid out in AMS2750E. It integrates a low-shrinkage ceramic fiber lining, a unique rotating hearth drive, and a sealing system. The system is scheduled to be commissioned to the United States in the third quarter of 2017.
Can-Eng to build 36-foot rotary hearth furnace for titanium aerospace forgings
Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been contracted to commission a turnkey 36 ft. diameter “pancake” style rotary hearth furnace for a leading North American aerospace supplier.
Continue readingRetech Systems develops hybrid plasma arc melting system for titanium aluminides
May 10, 2017 Source:
Retech Systems LLC, Ukiah, Calif., reports that, after years of research and development between Retech and partner Ti-Solutions GmbH of Germany, Retech has been granted patents for a hybrid plasma-arc melting plus cold-wall induction system for titanium aluminides. The single-operation process converts raw materials into ingots that exhibit excellent homogeneity and a fine crystalline structure. This system solves a number of the typical issues associated with conventional melting and, ultimately, the atomization of titanium aluminide powders.
On May 18 at the ITA Europe 2017 conference in Amsterdam, Retech engineers will present "Advances in the Systems and Processes for the Production of Gamma Titanium Aluminide Bars and Powder." The paper will focus on the successful system and process development for ingots with lengths up to 1000 mm and diameters 53, 80, 100, and 200 mm. Additionally, the company's experience with powder production equipment and associated processes for selected gamma titanium aluminide alloys will be presented.
All developments have focused on cost-effective production for both product forms and, as such, an economic analysis will also be discussed.
"This is another example of Retech's commitment to developing real, viable solutions to the problems of today while being focused on tomorrow," says Rob Haun, Director of Product Development. "These systems and the process knowledge further support our efforts to facilitate the continued implementation of titanium aluminides in markets from jet engines to automotive turbochargers."
Retech, a Seco Warwick Group company, actively works with partners and customers to develop equipment and process solutions to meet and exceed expectations; this includes upstream elements as well as downstream components.
Retech Systems develops hybrid plasma arc melting system for titanium aluminides
Retech Systems LLC, Ukiah, Calif., reports that, after years of research and development between Retech and partner Ti-Solutions GmbH of Germany, Retech has been granted patents for a hybrid plasma-arc melting plus cold wall induction system for titanium aluminides.
Continue readingBraidy Industries to invest $1.3 billion to build aluminum rolling mill in Kentucky
May 1, 2017 Source:
Braidy Industries Inc., Ashland, Kentucky, announces that it will spend $1.3 billion to build an auto body sheet and aerospace plate aluminum rolling mill, the nation's first greenfield aluminum rolling mill in over three decades. The goal of the mill is to become the nation's low-cost producer of high quality auto body sheet aluminum, plate, and ultra-high strength alloys for the aerospace industry.
The mill will open with capacity of 370,000 tons per annum, producing series 5000, 6000, and 7000 aluminum sheet and plate products. Braidy is also exploring new scientific nano-crystalline technical advances capable of improving molten metal-based manufacturing.
"By combining an advanced production capability with advanced metallurgical science, there is a great opportunity to reinvigorate metals manufacturing in United States," said ASM member Christopher Schuh, MIT metallurgist and member of the Braidy board of directors.
Ground will be broken at the 370-acre South Shore site in the first quarter of 2018. Over $1.3 billion will be spent on the mill, which is located in Greenup County Kentucky, close to the city of Ashland. The mill will be 2.5 million square feet under roof, with an ideal location on the great Ohio River, and already-permitted barge capacity. The CSX railroad runs through the property, and highway I-64 connects the mill site to some of the nation's largest auto-making and aerospace customers. The State of Kentucky exports more than $10 billion per year in aerospace products, ranking it second among all states in the United States.
Braidy Industries to invest $1.3 billion to build aluminum rolling mill in Kentucky
Braidy Industries Inc., Ashland, Kentucky, announces that it will spend $1.3 billion to build an auto body sheet and aerospace plate aluminum rolling mill, the nation’s first greenfield aluminum rolling mill in over three decades.
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