Norsk to open 70,000 sq. ft. titanium additive manufacturing facility in New York

September 27, 2016
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Norsk Titanium U.S. Inc., Plattsburgh, N.Y., a subsidiary of Norsk Titanium AS, Norway,  announces that in Q4 2016 it will open a nearly 70,000-sq.-ft. additive manufacturing  production and training facility that will complement its new headquarters and manufacturing plant, which is currently in the design and planning phase with a targeted completion date in 2017.

The new plant features Norsk Titanium's ‘ultra lean cell' (ULC), which demonstrates a production line that turns CAD files into finished aerospace parts in a space of approximately 120 feet. The ULC showcases the 3D printing, heat treatment, nondestructive testing, and final machining of aerospace-grade titanium parts in a process time of less than 40 hours.

The facility has space for up to ten Merke IV  rapid plasma deposition machines, the first of which has arrived from Norway and is in the process of being installed. Each Merke IV production machine weighs 11 metric tons, and requires  several weeks to assemble.  Each machine can produce approximately 20 metric tons of aerospace-grade structural titanium components per year by the rapid plasma deposition of titanium wire. The first titanium aerospace components to be produced by Norsk in Plattsburgh are planned for November 2016.

According to  Norsk Titanium President & Chief Executive Officer Warren M. Boley Jr., "As the industrial scale RPD factory next door comes online during the next year or so, we will move the bulk of production there, while retaining this PDQC building as a qualification and training center as well as a showcase for our latest innovations and technology."

www.norsktitanium.com

Weldaloy adds aluminum aging oven to Warren facility

September 21, 2016
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Weldaloy, Warren, Mich., has added a new low-temperature aluminum aging oven to its facility in order to increase aluminum heat-treating capacity. Ovens designed specifically for aluminum can reduce cycle times and increase productivity by optimizing temperature uniformity through adequate airflow. This translates to a better product that can be made in a repeatable recipe.

"We're receiving more and more requests for large aluminum work, so we needed to add this low-temperature aluminum aging oven to be able to increase our capacity and meet production needs," says Kurt Ruppenthal, Weldaloy's vice president & general manager. "This addition will allow us to produce more parts in the same amount of time for our customers while maintaining quality."

Many of the new opportunities for aluminum work have come from the oil and gas industry and the aerospace industry, as well as from the private space sector. Weldaloy recently achieved the AS9100C certification for its Quality Management System, which has opened the door for work with more aerospace companies that require certification of their suppliers.

"We look forward to continuing to grow our aluminum capabilities to meet the increase in demand," said Mr. Ruppenthal.

www.weldaloy.com

Siemens acquires Materials Solutions for superalloy additive manufacturing

September 14, 2016
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Siemens AG, Germany, has acquired a majority stake (85%) in Materials Solutions Ltd., England, for its capabilities in additive manufacture of superalloy parts. Materials Solutions is a pioneer in the use of selective laser melting technology for the production of high-performance metal parts. A specialty of the company is making turbomachinery parts, particularly for high-temperature applications in gas turbines, where accuracy, surface finish, and the highest quality of the materials is critical to ensure operational performance.

According to Willi Meixner, CEO of Siemens Power and Gas Division, "With the acquisition of Materials Solutions, we are able to secure world-leading expertise in materials and additive manufacturing process development with focus on high-temperature superalloys. The company's strength is to turn models into high-quality components in record time. Clearly Materials Solutions fits perfectly within our vision for growth and application of advanced technologies within our Power & Gas portfolio."

Founded in 2006, Materials Solutions has proven applications in demanding fields such as aerospace, power generation, and motor sports. "Materials Solutions is developing the applications knowhow and a supply chain for the world's most advanced engineering companies," says Carl Brancher, CEO of Materials Solutions. "We deliver processes and precision parts from 3D CAD models, using software, lasers, and metal powders." Materials Solutions will continue to focus on supporting external customers in those highly demanding environments in order to continuously drive and leverage innovations across different industries.

Siemens uses AM technology extensively for rapid prototyping, and has introduced serial production solutions for rapid manufacturing of small fuel mixers and for rapid repair of burner tips for mid-size gas turbines. Siemens in Finspång, Sweden, already started using Additive Manufacturing technology in 2009 and opened a production facility for metal 3D printed components in February 2016. This investment was the first step in the company's plans for mass manufacture and repair of metal parts with Additive Manufacturing. The first 3D printed burner component (shown in the photo) for a Siemens heavy-duty gas turbine is in successful commercial operation in a power plant in Brno, Czech Republic.

Additive manufacturing is a process that builds parts layer-by-layer from sliced CAD models to form solid objects. Recent advancements in the technology have enhanced the potential of additive manufacturing for fully manufactured production parts. Fiber lasers are now available with enough power to melt high performance metal alloys to manufacture gas turbine or jet engine parts. 

www.energy.siemens.com/hq/en/services/industrial-applications/additive-manufacturing.htm

Materion receives Nadcap Merit Status for Heat Treatment

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Materion Corp.,  Mayfield Heights, Ohio, has earned Nadcap Merit Status from the Performance Review Institute for heat treatment and tensile/hardness testing at its plant in Lorain, Ohio. Nadcap accreditation is important, and in many cases it is required, for companies producing materials or providing services to the aerospace and defense industries.

"This achievement required the focused effort of our technical and quality staff, as well as the commitment of our shift leaders and operators. They had to understand the demands of a Nadcap-accredited system and to work closely together to prepare for the audit and maintain their contribution to the quality management system year round," said W. Glenn Maxwell, President of Materion Performance Alloys and Composites.

Materion has held Nadcap accreditation since 2009. Having demonstrated ongoing commitment to quality by satisfying customer requirements and industry specifications, the Nadcap Heat Treat Task Group determined that Materion earned special recognition with Merit Status. This means that, instead of having their next Nadcap audit in twelve months, Materion has been granted an accreditation that lasts eighteen months.

"Achieving Nadcap accreditation is not easy: it is one of the ways in which the aerospace industry identifies those who excel at manufacturing quality product through superior special processes. Companies such as Materion go above and beyond achieving Nadcap accreditation to obtain Merit Status, and they should be justifiably proud of it," said Joe Pinto, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Performance Review Institute. "Benefitting from a less frequent audit schedule reduces audit costs and associated pressures and demonstrates the trust that the aerospace industry has in Materion, based on their past performance in Nadcap audits. PRI is proud to support continual improvement in the aerospace industry by helping companies such as Materion be successful and we look forward to continuing to assist the industry moving forward."

www.Materion.com

Nitride coatings based on titanium and other metals protect jet engine components

August 30, 2016
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Wallwork Heat Treating, England, reports that its Nitron Flight PVD-applied nitride coatings based on titanium, chromium, chromium-aluminum, and carbon/metal carbides improve the performance of key jet engine components. The graded coatings are precision engineered for thickness and composition, from 3 to 30 microns thick and hardness up to 3000HV. They are applied to critical flying parts such as turbine blades and other high-stress components.

Advantages include longer service life, extended service intervals, resistance to erosion and encrustation, and increased scope for material substitution to save weight.

Comparative wear tests carried out by Wallwork Cambridge on Ti-64 samples revealed that Nitron Flight coatings reduced abrasive wear by more than 75%. They can be applied to titanium, steel, and advanced alloy surfaces such as engine blades/vanes for operation at temperatures up to 1000°C. The coatings are applied in a duplex process using PVD in a variety of basic formulations of metal nitrides, and in a variety of single and multiple-layer coatings to suit specific applications.

Applications are many and include landing gear, engine bearings, high-temperature engine seals, engine compressor sections, valve components, and many others.  The company offers both  standard and customized coatings to meet special situations. Coating processes are Nadcap certified with complete documentation and traceability.

www.wallworkht.co.uk