ATI to sell titanium investment castings business to Consolidated Precision Products
June 7, 2019 Source: ASM International
Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, announces that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its Cast Products business to Consolidated Precision Products Corp. (CPP) of Cleveland, which operates 16 global facilities manufacturing products primarily for the aerospace, defense, and industrial industries.
Continue readingComposite steel foam stops 50-caliber rounds as well as solid steel at half the weight
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North Carolina State University, Raleigh, announces its researchers have demonstrated that a steel composite metal foam can stop armor-piercing 50-caliber rounds as well as conventional steel armor, even though it weighs less than half as much.
Composite metal foam (CMF) consists of hollow metallic spheres made of materials such as stainless steel or titanium that are embedded in a metallic matrix made of steel, titanium, aluminum, or another metallic alloy. This can be made by bubbling gas through molten metal to produce a frothy mixture, which can then be cooled to form a lightweight matrix and embedded with hollow metallic spheres. The result is a material much lighter than conventional metals but with comparable strength. In this study, the researchers fabricated a composite in which both the spheres and the matrix were made of steel.
For the study, researchers manufactured a hard armor system consisting of a ceramic faceplate, a CMF core, and a thin back plate made of aluminum. The armor was tested using 50-caliber ball and armor-piercing rounds. The rounds were fired at impact velocities from 500 up to 885 meters per second.
The CMF layer of the armor was able to absorb 72 to 75% of the kinetic energy of the ball rounds, and 68 to 78% of the kinetic energy of the armor-piercing rounds. "We could stop the bullet at a total thickness of less than an inch, while the indentation on the back was less than 8 millimeters," says Afsaneh Rabiei, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State.
https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/06/metal-foam-stops-50-caliber/
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, announces that its researchers have demonstrated that a steel composite metal foam can stop armor-piercing 50-caliber rounds as well as conventional steel armor, even though it weighs less than half as much.
Continue readingWisconsin Oven’s soluble mandrel curing oven quickly heats 8000 pounds of steel to 350°F
May 30, 2019 Source:
Wisconsin Oven, East Troy, has built an electrically heated soluble mandrel curing oven in which 8000 pounds of steel and 20,000 pounds of soluble material are heated from 80° to 350°F at an average rate of 0.1°F per minute. To maximize heating rates and temperature uniformity of the product, horizontal and vertical upward airflow are featured in this oven.
Shipped to a manufacturer in the aerospace industry, the curing oven has a maximum oven operating temperature of 400°F and work chamber dimensions of 12 x 12 x 20 feet. Guaranteed temperature uniformity of ±10°F at set points 150°, 200°, 250°, 300°, 350°, and 400°F was documented with a fifteen-point temperature uniformity survey in an empty oven chamber under static operating conditions.
The oven features a Eurotherm 6100A paperless digital recorder with a 5.5-inch graphic touch screen display and Ethernet communication capabilities. It includes a 576 kW heat input with SCR power control and a digital Eurotherm 3504 temperature controller
“Our ability to customize our standard lines of equipment is part of the reason we have so many repeat customers,†says Nick Toci, Sales Engineer. “They know that we will be able to meet all of their requirements and that our quality and customer service is unbeatable.â€
Wisconsin Oven, East Troy, has built an electrically heated soluble mandrel curing oven in which 8000 pounds of steel and 20,000 pounds of soluble material are heated from 80° to 350°F at an average rate of 0.1°F per minute.
Continue readingCummins invests in GE’s Binder Jet additive manufacturing technology to reduce costs
May 6, 2019 Source:
Cummins Inc., Columbus, Indiana, is set to expand its additive manufacturing capabilities by implementing GE Additive’s high-precision Binder Jetting AM technology, initially focusing on low-volume parts as engineers investigate the best way to use AM in higher-volume manufacturing. Cummins is one of the first customers to invest in GE’s Binder Jet technology, and the company says that this investment will support its plan to advance manufacturing processes.
Binder jetting is a technology in which a print head moves across a bed of powder and selectively deposits a liquid binding agent in the shape of the section, bonding these areas together to form a solid part one layer at a time. Depending on complexity, the part can be printed 60 to 100 times faster than by laser-based printing processes.
Cummins recently sold its first metal additively manufactured part, a bracket produced on a GE Additive Concept Laser M2 system. Cummins is a strategic partner for GE Additive, which in traduced the first prototype of its Binder Jet system, then called the H1, in December 2017. The company is now quickly scaling its Binder Jet technology, first into pilot lines, then into a complete, industrialised factory solution – expected to be commercially available in early 2021.With the addition of GE’s Binder Jet technology, Cummins expects to be able to additively manufacture medium to large size complex parts at high throughput and at a comparatively lower cost.
Cummins Inc., Columbus, Indiana, is set to expand its additive manufacturing capabilities by implementing GE Additive’s high-precision Binder Jetting AM technology, initially focusing on low-volume parts as engineers investigate the best way to use AM in higher-volume manufacturing.
Continue readingSolar Atmospheres facility to install 12-foot vacuum furnace to process titanium
May 1, 2019 Source:
Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, S.C., announces that it has ordered a new 12-foot car-bottom vacuum furnace with advanced pumping system and rapid cooling capability manufactured by sister company Solar Manufacturing, Hermitage, Pa. Installation is scheduled for early 2020.
This state-of-the-art horizontal vacuum furnace is 144 inches deep, 54 inches wide, and 54 inches high, and is capable of processing loads weighing up to 50,000 pounds. Its design features a vacuum pumping system capable of achieving an ultimate vacuum in the 1×10-6 Torr range, crucial to the processing of titanium and other high-grade alloys. Additionally, the furnace includes newly developed designs for the uniform and rapid cooling of large workloads, allowing the Greenville facility to continue bringing unique processing capabilities to the Southeastern United States.
“We see the acquisition of this new furnace as key to meeting the growing needs of Solar’s customers,†says Regional Sales Manager Michael Paponetti. “This provides yet another tool to lower the cost of heat treatment through economies of scale only experienced through the use of large vacuum furnaces.â€
Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, S.C., announces that it has ordered a new 12-foot car-bottom vacuum furnace with advanced pumping system and rapid cooling capability manufactured by sister company Solar Manufacturing, Hermitage, Pa.
Continue readingHRL Labs commercializes 3D-printable high-strength aluminum alloy
April 22, 2019 Source:
HRL Laboratories LLC, Malibu, Calif., is commercializing its additively manufactured (3D-printed) high-strength aluminum, which has obtained the first ever registration of an additive alloy from the Aluminum Association. HRL will be granted registration number 7A77.50 for the aluminum powder used to additively manufacture the alloy, and number 7A77.60L for the printed alloy.
The association's new additive alloy registration system was launched in February 2019 in response to a growing number of additively manufactured alloys. The first to be registered was HRL Laboratories' high-strength aluminum, the first alloy of its kind to be printable. (This breakthrough discovery was published in the journal Nature in September 2017.)
"Essentially, this will connect us to this particular alloy composition forever," says Hunter Martin, the lead scientist on the HRL team that developed the alloy. "These alloy numbers will always be trackable back to HRL, like a DNA signature. When I first contacted the Aluminum Association about registering our alloy, they did not have a way to register alloys printed from powders, so they decided to create a new system for registration of additively manufactured materials - a first in the materials space."
Zak Eckel, another HRL team member says, "We're in the process of commercializing this material, which is already in high demand. As we scale up to commercial levels, AA registration validates our product. Companies who want the powder for their 3D printers can ask for its specific number, and it becomes a true commercial alloy."
The Aluminum Association provides global standards, statistics, and expert knowledge to manufacturers and policy makers. Alloy and temper designations, chemical composition limits, and registered properties in North America adhere to those standards. The association also provides business intelligence, sustainability research, and industry expertise and is committed to environmental considerations while advancing aluminum as the sustainable material of choice around the world.
HRL Laboratories is a corporate research-and-development laboratory owned by the Boeing Company and General Motors specializing in research into sensors and electronics, information, and systems sciences, materials and microsystems, and microfabrication technology. HRL provides custom research and development and performs additional R&D contract services for its LLC member companies, the U.S. government, and other commercial companies.
www.hrl.com
HRL Laboratories LLC, Malibu, Calif., is commercializing its additively manufactured (3D-printed) high-strength aluminum, which has obtained the first ever registration of an additive alloy from the Aluminum Association.
Continue readingAFC Holcroft provides UBQ and UBT heat treating furnaces to Specialty Steel Treating
April 16, 2019 Source:
AFC Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that it has supplied a UBQ (universal batch quench) furnace and a UBT (universal batch temper) annealing furnace to Specialty Steel Treating as part of a larger multi-year equipment standardization program intended to replace older equipment provided by another supplier. The UBQ and UBT are near duplicates to equipment recently provided by AFC-Holcroft as part of the same multi-year program.
Specialty Steel Treating has had a long relationship with AFC-Holcroft, and uses several different types of AFC-Holcroft furnaces in its production facilities in Michigan and Connecticut, including multi-row pusher furnaces designed for high capacity output, as well as some large capacity UBQ batch equipment and accessories.
According to Tracy Dougherty, Vice President of Sales at AFC-Holcroft, “The customization of these furnaces combined with state of the art controls and IoT features (remote diagnostics), enable both AFC-Holcroft and Specialty Steel Treating the ability to offer superior quality, performance, and continuous improvement to customers.â€
Founded in 1956, Specialty Steel Treating has been performing precision heat treating for more than 60 years. SST is the only approved commercial heat treat company in the country to heat treat certain flight critical and flight safety configurations for prime aerospace and helicopter companies.
AFC Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that it has supplied a UBQ (universal batch quench) furnace and a UBT (universal batch temper) annealing furnace to Specialty Steel Treating as part of a larger multi-year equipment standardization program intended to replace older equipment provided by another supplier.
Continue readingWisconsin Oven designs solution heat treat/chiller system for aerospace company
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Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, announces that it has shipped an electrically heated horizontal solution treat system with a chiller system to a manufacturer in the aerospace industry.
The system has an operating temperature of 1100°F and work zone dimensions of 12.25 feet wide x 3.9 feet long x 4.5 feet high. It was designed to heat a 2840-pound gross load, consisting of a mixture of aluminum and steel, to 1000°F operating temperature, then to provide a soak at temperature, and finally to quickly move the load into a quench tank. A hydraulically operated load/unload system lowers and raises the load for quenching. Time from when the oven door starts to open until the load is fully submerged is seven seconds.
The glycol chiller system is located outdoors and is rated to remove 580,000 BTU per hour from the quench tank water. The system also includes an indoor heat exchanger located between the chiller and quench tank. Sequence control is provided by an Allen-Bradley Compact Logix processor with a Panel View Plus 7 standard 10.4-inch color touch screen
“Wisconsin Oven has supplied thousands of standard and custom ovens to the aerospace industry,†says Doug Christiansen, Application Engineer. “With the aerospace industry being such a diverse field, a majority of the equipment we provide is unique. This particular system achieved a quench time of seven seconds due to the custom- requested hydraulic mechanisms.â€
Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, announces that it has shipped an electrically heated horizontal solution treat system with a chiller system to a manufacturer in the aerospace industry.
Continue readingATI extends purchase agreement with Rolls-Royce for rotating-disc-quality nickel alloys
April 11, 2019 Source:
Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, announces that it has extended its Long-Term Purchase Agreement (LTPA) with Rolls-Royce to supply rotating-disc-quality nickel-base and other specialty alloys for its Trent engine family. The ten-year LTPA extends through 2029.
“This agreement covers the production of a wide range of critical products used to make Rolls-Royce’s next-generation jet engines as well as spare parts for in-service engines,†says John Sims, Executive Vice President, High Performance Materials and Components Segment. “It supports ATI’s market-leading alloy development and broad production capabilities, including our iso-thermal forging operations.â€
ATI also announces that it anticipates maintaining its current production and shipping schedules for all materials and components supplied to the Boeing 737 MAX and CFM LEAP 1-B programs during the recently announced temporary aircraft production slowdown.
“We are in daily contact with our key customers and we will continue to reliably meet our supply commitments that support their production schedules for the 737 MAX, LEAP 1-B and other major aerospace programs,†says Robert S. Wetherbee, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We continue to prioritize operational and delivery reliability to allow our partners to focus on mitigating the impact of this production adjustment without concern. We have full confidence in Boeing and its global engine supply chain to continue building on momentum gained over the last year to meet the historic ramp up for this important aircraft.â€
Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, announces that it has extended its Long-Term Purchase Agreement (LTPA) with Rolls-Royce to supply rotating-disc-quality nickel-base and other specialty alloys for its Trent engine family.
Continue readingGE Aviation’s Catalyst turboprop engine wins award for 3D-printed design
March 24, 2019 Source:
GE Aviation, Auburn, Alabama, announces that it has been recognized by Aviation Week with a Laureate Award in the Business Aviation category for the GE Catalyst program’s innovative work with additive manufacturing design and implementation.
GE’s Catalyst is the first clean-sheet turboprop engine for the Business and General Aviation market in more than 30 years. It includes more printed components than any production engine in aviation history. More than 800 conventionally manufactured parts have been reduced to 12 additive parts on the engine.
The GE Catalyst engine was chosen by Textron to power the new Cessna Denali and is currently going through certification testing. GE’s work on its newest turboprop has been a worldwide collaboration. It includes 22 GE Aviation facilities in Europe with teams located in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, and Italy, as well as 1800 engineers.
“For more than six decades, Aviation Week editors have annually awarded Laureates to great achievers in aerospace and aviation,†said Aviation Week Network Editorial Director Joe Anselmo. “GE Aviation and this year’s winners exemplify the spirit and innovations that are transforming our industry to meet the challenges of tomorrow.â€
Additive components reduce the Catalyst’s weight by five percent while contributing a one percent improvement in specific fuel consumption. Thanks to additive manufacturing, the Catalyst program has benefited with a reduction of cycle time, as well as fewer first article inspections, less inventory, fewer defect opportunities, and a reduction in tooling costs.
In addition, GE Aviation is said to be planning a $50 million expansion to its Auburn additive manufacturing capabilities. Increased capacity will allow the high-volume production of a new jet engine component, the 3D-printed bracket for the GEnx-2B engine program. GE has already invested more than $100 million in its Auburn operation, which began producing the additively manufactured fuel nozzle tip for the LEAP jet engine in 2015. As of October 2018, some 30,000 of these parts had been produced.
GE Aviation, Auburn, Alabama, announces that it has been recognized by Aviation Week with a Laureate Award in the Business Aviation category for the GE Catalyst program’s innovative work with additive manufacturing design and implementation.
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