Three Lego aluminum astronauts travel to Jupiter on Juno
July 6, 2016
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The Lego Group, Sweden, provided three 1.5-inch figurines milled out of a single block of aluminum to ride to Jupiter on the Juno spacecraft: the astronomer Galileo, and the Greek gods Juno and Jupiter. The Juno figure holds a magnifying glass to signify her search for the truth, while Jupiter holds a lightning bolt. Galileo holds both a model of the planet and his telescope.
The figurines were milled out of a single block of aluminum rather than plastic, in order to allow the figures to withstand the extreme temperatures encountered during the journey.
The Lego figurines have set records for the fastest-traveling Legos on record. The spacecraft blasted away from Earth in 2011, and reached Jupiter five years later, on July 4.
The Lego pieces are part of a joint agreement between the Lego company and NASA that is aimed at engaging the public in science education. The space agency is encouraging the public to use Lego pieces to construct models of the future of space exploration, and submit these to NASA as part of a competition.
You can read the 2011 Lego news release here: http://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2011/august/lego-minifigures-on-a-mission-to-promote-space-research
Many other sites report on the Lego figures. Here are two.
http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/6/12105878/nasa-juno-mission-aluminum-lego-figures-jupiter
www.sciencealert.com
The Lego Group, Sweden, provided three 1.5-inch figurines milled out of a single block of aluminum to ride to Jupiter on the Juno spacecraft: the astronomer Galileo, and the Greek gods Juno and Jupiter.
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Atmosphere control system enables oxide-free annealing of steel, copper, brass
June 27, 2016
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Linde LLC, Murray Hill, N.J., introduces the Hydroflex atmosphere control system, a universal solution for clean and bright oxide-free annealing of steel, stainless steel, copper, bronze, and brass with high reliability and repeatability. Applications include automotive; aerospace and military components; construction and industrial equipment; and electrical systems.
"The Hydroflex atmosphere control system (ACS) can use one or more carrier gases – nitrogen or argon – to maintain the furnace pressure while a controlled ratio of hydrogen helps prevent oxidation," explains Akin Malas, Head of Application Technology, Metals & Glass Market.
With this technology, many annealing tasks can be completed with non-flammable gas mixtures containing less than 5% H2. This contributes to fire safety while optimizing the use of H2 in the process.
"Uses go beyond annealing," says Grzegorz Moroz, Program Manager, Heat Treatment and Atmospheres. "This control system can help optimize your process efficiency and enhance productivity of your process regardless of whether you are annealing, sintering, or brazing copper, steel, stainless steel, bronze, or brass."
Hydroflex ACS features and benefits include a precisely controlled atmosphere; improved heat transfer; uniform heat distribution with faster cooling rate; automatic safety purging with nitrogen; and storage of process data history.
For flammable atmospheres, system installation may include a furnace safety solution developed by Linde to satisfy National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 86) "Standard for Ovens and Furnaces." The furnace safety/protective atmosphere solution includes a nitrogen supply system with integral alarm panel, used to purge flammable atmosphere furnaces in emergencies.
Linde offers a variety of advanced gas control technologies and engineering services for heat treatment furnaces, including the Carbojet gas-injection technology for improving production by up to 20%. In addition, engineers at Linde Application Technology Centers can develop new gas supply systems for heat treatment processes and improve the control systems of existing processes. Metallography laboratory services include material analyses, scanning electron micrography (SEM), and a variety of hardness tests.
www.lindeus.com
Linde LLC, Murray Hill, N.J., introduces the Hydroflex atmosphere control system, a universal solution for clean and bright oxide-free annealing of steel, stainless steel, copper, bronze, and brass with high reliability and repeatability.
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New GE Aviation facilities to produce SiC fibers and ceramic matrix composites
June 22, 2016
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GE Aviation, Cincinnati, has broken ground for two materials factories near Huntsville: One facility will produce SiC ceramic fiber, while the other will use SiC ceramic fiber to make tape for ceramic matrix composite components in jet engines and land-based gas turbines. GE Aviation's total north Alabama investment will be nearly $200 million. When the plants open, the company will sell fiber to the Department of Defense, GE businesses, Herakles (Safran), and other customers subject to U.S. regulations.
The use of lightweight, heat-resistant CMCs in the hot section of GE jet engines is a breakthrough for the jet propulsion industry. With one-third the density of metal alloys, these ultra-lightweight CMCs reduce the overall engine weight. Further, their high-temperature properties greatly enhance engine performance, durability, and fuel economy. CMCs are far more heat-resistant than metal alloys, hence requiring less cooling air in the engine's hot section. By using this air instead in the engine flow path, an engine runs more efficiently.
For more than 20 years, scientists at GE's Global Research Centers and GE's industrial businesses have worked to develop CMCs for commercial applications. The best-selling LEAP engine, being developed by CFM International, the 50/50 joint company of GE and Safran Aircraft Engines of France, is the first commercial jet engine to use CMCs in the high-pressure turbine section. The LEAP engine, with more than 10,500 orders and commitments, is currently completing certification testing. It is scheduled to enter airline service next year powering the Airbus A320neo and in 2017 powering the Boeing 737 MAX.
GE Aviation is investing more than $200 million to construct two factories on 100 acres in Huntsville, Alabama. When the factories are fully operational later this decade, they are expected to employ up to 300 people. The plants are expected to be completed by the first half of 2018. Production begins in 2018. GE expects to begin hiring the hourly workforce later this year.
"GE Aviation is creating a fully integrated supply chain for producing CMC components in large volume, which is unique to the United States," said Sanjay Correa, vice president who leads the industrialization of advanced technologies at GE Aviation. "The new factories in Alabama are vital to this strategy. We are deeply gratified by the tremendous local, state, and national support for this effort."
While meeting critical U.S. needs for CMC materials for commercial and government-funded programs, the new plants will support GE and its international partners in selling and supporting jet engines and gas turbines worldwide. For example, approximately 61% of GE Aviation's 2015 revenues of $25 billion were derived from customers based outside the United States. GE and its partner companies sell most 70% of its commercial jet engines to non-U.S. companies.
www.geaviation.com
GE Aviation, Cincinnati, has broken ground for two materials factories near Huntsville: One facility will produce SiC ceramic fiber, while the other will use SiC ceramic fiber to make tape for ceramic matrix composite components in jet engines and land-based gas turbines.
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NioCorp and IBC to collaborate on scandium-containing aluminum alloys
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NioCorp Developments Ltd., Centennial, Colo., and IBC Advanced Alloys, Vancouver, announce that they have entered into a joint development agreement to investigate and develop applications for scandium-containing alloys of aluminum and other metals for multiple downstream markets. The joint development agreement signals their intent to collaborate to ensure a reliable and secure U.S. supply of scandium and to catalyze greater scandium use across a variety of industries. Scandium is a transition metal (element #21) that can benefit industries such as commercial aviation, automotive, precision manufacturing, defense, electronics, and others.
When alloyed with aluminum, for example, scandium can increase strength and weldability of structures in commercial airliners, which in turn can reduce weight, fuel consumption, and emissions. ONG Commodities LLC has estimated that $1.0 to $1.5 million of scandium oxide in a Boeing 737NG single-aisle airliner can offer $10 to $15 million of net present value in fuel savings alone.
Scandium is seldom used today because global production is severely constrained and unreliable. The U.S. Geological Survey recently estimated that only 10 to 15 metric tons per year of scandium are now produced. However, independent experts such as ONG estimate that latent demand in the aerospace and solid oxide fuel cell sectors alone is several hundred metric tons per year.
NioCorp expects to come online as one of the world's leading producers of scandium from its Superalloy Materials Project in Elk Creek, Nebraska, potentially producing as much as 97 metric tons/year. IBC produces high-performance alloys in a range of product forms for multiple industries and platforms, including cast components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The President of IBC Engineered Materials, Chris Huskamp, will be leading the joint development effort for IBC. Mr. Huskamp is a former Boeing Associate Technical Fellow in advanced metallic processes who is credited as a named co-inventor of two pending patents regarding scandium-bearing aluminum alloys.
Scott Honan, Vice President of Business Development of NioCorp and President of Elk Creek Resources Corp., will manage the initiative for NioCorp. Mr. Honan is leading the effort to develop and build NioCorp's niobium/scandium/titanium mine and processing facility in Nebraska, and has more than a decade of experience in producing advanced materials for high-performance alloys.
www.niocorp.com
www.ibcadvancedalloys.com
NioCorp Developments Ltd., Centennial, Colo., and IBC Advanced Alloys, Vancouver, announce that they have entered into a joint development agreement to investigate and develop applications for scandium-containing alloys of aluminum and other metals for multiple downstream markets.
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Bodycote sponsors Periodic Table of Fictional Metals
June 8, 2016
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Bodycote, Macclesfield, England, has produced the Periodic Table of Fictional Metals, elements that have appeared in classical myths, books, films, comic books, and computer games for many years, as creative people invented metals with mythical or magical qualities.
Bodycote has a long history of working with real metals to increase their performance and meet customer requirements. Sometimes, though, in the myriad worlds of fiction, real metals just don't do what the author needs.
Popular culture has given us an extensive list of metals and alloys with fantastical qualities. In addition to Marvel Comics, whose ‘vibranium' and ‘adamantium' are probably some of the best known due to recent cinematic releases, fictional metals have appeared in popular science fiction movies such Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who; TV shows such as Game of Thrones and the X Files; literature such as The Lord of The Rings; and video games such as the popular Minecraft franchise.
For example, the Bodycote table reveals that Greek mythology introduced adamantine (Adt), a strong hard metal that made a "sickle or sword used by the hero Perseus to decapitate the Gorgon Medusa while she slept."
Rearden Metal (Rem) was invented by Hank Rearden, the protagonist in Atlas Shrugged. "This greenish-blue metal is lighter and stronger than steel. The first product made from the metal was a bracelet, then railway tracks for the Rio Norte Line."
Explore all these fascinating materials and many more in the interactive Periodic Table of Fictional Metals.
http://www.bodycote.com/fictional-metals
Bodycote, Macclesfield, England, has produced the Periodic Table of Fictional Metals, elements that have appeared in classical myths, books, films, comic books, and computer games for many years, as creative people invented metals with mythical or magical qualities.
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ASB Industries celebrates 70 years with Cold Spray reference book
June 6, 2016
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ASB Industries Inc., Barberton, Ohio, is celebrating 70 years in business by producing High Pressure Cold Spray: Principles and Applications, a practical and useful, comprehensive and technically advanced in-depth look at the high-pressure cold spray process. ASB Industries Vice President of Marketing and Sales Charles Kay and Metallurgist and Director of R&D Dr. Jegan Karthikeyan co-edited the book, which will be published by ASM International.
The book is written for a wide audience across the whole spectrum of cold spray technology users, from scientists and engineers to those who utilize cold-spray-coated parts, components, and equipment in their daily operations. It was authored by a group of cold spray experts from around the world, including Mr. Kay and Dr. Karthikeyan.
High Pressure Cold Spray addresses the growing need for an authoritative source of information on this relatively new and rapidly-advancing technology, which is a growing subject of interest and study at universities, research centers, and in many high tech industries across the globe. The tome offers information on the foundational elements of the cold spray process and the technology involved, as well as an in-depth look at the many applications for cold spray coatings in various industries, with illustrative case studies by those actively involved in the cold spray field.
For seven decades, ASB Industries has been dedicated to the advancement of surfacing technology. The company has developed a number of proprietary coating materials and unique coating processes that are customizable to the challenge at hand, be it improving the wear or corrosion resistance of metal parts, returning damaged or worn components to their original dimensions, or reducing friction between parts for better overall equipment performance.
www.asbindustries.com
ASB Industries Inc., Barberton, Ohio, is celebrating 70 years in business by producing High Pressure Cold Spray: Principles and Applications, a practical and useful, comprehensive and technically advanced in-depth look at the high-pressure cold spray process.
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Nanolaminated MoAlB coating resists corrosion at high temperatures
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Drexel University, Philadelphia, announces that a research team from Drexel, Linkoping University in Sweden, and Imperial College London, has produced a nanolaminated molybdenum-aluminum-boride coating that resists corrosion at high temperatures. To make the MoAlB coating, Prof. Michel Barsoum and his team combined a molybdenum-boron lattice with a double layer of aluminum to produce a material that is durable enough to resist oxidation at extremely high temperatures. The key to this performance is the material's nanolaminated structure, which consists of alternating layers of molybdenum boride and aluminum.
Using techniques gleaned from MAX Phase and MXene fabrication techniques developed by Prof. Barsoum, the research group developed a method for making corrosion-resistant layered boride. Upon testing, the group also found that the material retains its high conductivity to elevated temperatures. Its melting point has yet to be determined, but preliminary results have shown it to be greater than 2550°F. Prof. Barsoum speculates that because of these promising results, his team's work has now laid the foundation for the development of ultrahigh melting point borides that are also oxidation resistant.
According to Prof. Barsoum, "Resistance to oxidation is possible because of the presence of aluminum in layers between molybdenum and boron layers. When heated to high temperatures in air, the aluminum atoms selectively diffuse to the surface and react with oxygen — forming a surface aluminum oxide protective layer that slows down further oxidation considerably."
www.drexel.edu
Drexel University, Philadelphia, announces that a research team from Drexel, Linkoping University in Sweden, and Imperial College London, has produced a nanolaminated molybdenum-aluminum-boride coating that resists corrosion at high temperatures.
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Solar builds 48-foot heat-treating vacuum furnace
June 1, 2016
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Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Hermitage, and Solar Manufacturing Inc., Souderton, Pa., are building the world's largest commercial heat treating vacuum furnace. The working hot zone of this high-vacuum furnace (which has three 35-inch Varian diffusion pumps) is 80 inches in diameter by 48 feet long, with a maximum operating temperature of 2400°F.
Thirty five points of temperature will be surveyed to within +/- 10°F per the stringent AMS 2750E specification. The robust U.S.-patented dual load car design will have the capacity to transfer up to 150,000 pounds of material in and out of the furnace. For dimensionally critical, near-net-shape jobs, the dual load car design will also have the capability to maintain the critical support needed at elevated temperatures to keep parts flat to within 0.030 inches.
All of the major components have been delivered and installed. The gas and water systems are in place. The remaining installation of all the electrical components and wiring will occur over the next several weeks. This multi-million dollar project is expected to be completed in June with the commissioning of the furnace into production in July of 2016. This unique piece of equipment will not only open up new production opportunities within the North American vacuum heat treating markets, but also internationally.
www.solarmfg.com
Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Hermitage, and Solar Manufacturing Inc., Souderton, Pa., are building the largest commercial heat treating vacuum furnace in the world.
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Titan H8 vacuum furnace heat treating system improves speed, reliability, and versatility
May 21, 2016
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped a Titan vacuum furnace system with two-bar gas quenching and PdMetrics predictive maintenance software platform to a company on the West Coast, where it will be used to manufacture components and systems for the aerospace industry. The Titan H8 system provides a much-needed solution in the form of speed, reliability, and versatility of process capabilities, and it is also capable of meeting applicable AMS 2750E and Nadcap requirements.
This horizontal furnace features a 48 x 80 x 48-inch all-metal work zone, with a 6000-pound load capacity, and is capable of operating at temperatures up to 2500°F with ±10°F temperature uniformity.
A key feature of the system is its center elements option, which helps optimize the brazing process and ensures that high-quality parts emerge bright and clean. This heat-treating system is also equipped with a dual 20-inch diffusion pumping system for high pumping performance.
In addition, the system is integrated with Ipsen's PdMetrics software platform for predictive maintenance. Offering sophisticated monitoring of critical systems and key parameters, the PdMetrics platform gathers data, analyzes it, and provides real-time diagnostics that help improve the health and integrity of the equipment. Overall, this allows users to anticipate future furnace problems, refine operations, reduce unplanned downtime, and increase production.
Ipsen's line of Titan vacuum heat-treating systems can be found at facilities around the world, thanks to their ability to operate in most languages and offer various sizes and configurations, all within a small footprint. In addition, Ipsen's 360-degree support offers integrated heat treatment solutions for diverse needs through all stages of the system's life cycle, no matter the location – whether it is facilitating on-site installation, providing expert training and start-up assistance, or delivering responsive field support and spare parts.
www.IpsenUSA.com/TITAN
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped a Titan vacuum furnace system with two-bar gas quenching and PdMetrics predictive maintenance software platform to a company on the West Coast, where it will be used to manufacture components and systems for the aerospace industry.
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Advanced Heat Treat completes Phase I of plasma nitriding evaluation
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Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), Waterloo, Iowa, announces that it has completed Phase I of a grant to evaluate plasma nitriding for improved life of forging dies by generating a hard case on tribological surfaces. AHT, along with Ohio State University's Manufacturing Research Group, received a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration SBIR Program and the Defense Technical Information Center. The grant was issued in August 2015 to research "Plasma Enhanced Nanostructures for Improved Life of Forging Dies," and Phase I was completed on April 30th, 2016.
Forging die failure affects the entire economy of forging companies, including the cost of tooling, repair, press downtimes, and production lead times, to name a few. According to a recent survey, as the batch sizes increase, machine setup costs go down (economy of scale); however, tooling costs rise.
This technological challenge is the prime driver for this proposed research, where plasma-enhanced nanostructured surface treatments will be explored to increase die life by up to five times its current life. Plasma nitriding is widely used to generate a hard case on engineering surfaces for enhanced performance of many tribological components.
Recently, this process has found wider applications in advanced surfaces in aerospace, electronics, and power systems for corrosion protection. In addition, plasma nitrided surfaces are being investigated for the emerging areas of alternate power generation such as fuel cells, and in human implants. The potential impact of this research is not only in the current fields of application, but also in the emerging areas vital to the energy and industrial future of our country.
A summary of the Phase I findings was issued to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for their review. Those interested in a full copy of the summary should contact Advanced Heat Treat Corp. at 319-232-5221 or submit requests online at www.ahtweb.com using a "quick contact" form.
www.ahtweb.com
Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), Waterloo, Iowa, announces that it has completed Phase I of a grant to evaluate plasma nitriding for improved life of forging dies by generating a hard case on tribological surfaces.
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