High-strength magnesium sheet with high formability features low-cost alloying metals

July 27, 2017
Source:

Japan's National Institute for Materials Science and Nagaoka University of Technology announce development of a high-strength magnesium sheet alloy that has excellent formability comparable to that of the aluminum sheet currently used in body panels of some automobiles. The alloy is composed of only common metals, and is expected to be a low-cost lightweight sheet metal for automotive applications.

Magnesium alloys are roughly 75% lighter than steels and 33% lighter than aluminum alloys. However, virtually no magnesium alloys are used in automotive bodies because of their high processing cost originating from the poor formability and low strength of magnesium sheet alloys.

The research team recently developed a new age-hardenable magnesium alloy: Mg-1.1Al-0.3Ca-0.2Mn-0.3Zn, named AXMZ1000. The newly developed alloy has excellent room-temperature formability comparable to that of medium-strength aluminum alloys. In addition, the new alloy is 1.5 to 2.0 times stronger than the aluminum alloy.

The excellent formability was achieved by adding very small amounts of zinc and manganese, which led to the formation of fine grain structures. The high strength was achieved by adding aluminum and calcium, which induced the strengthening of the alloy by the formation of atomic clusters.

The newly developed alloy is composed of only common metals, so the material cost is not expensive. Also, it can be rolled into sheets by simple processes and heat treatments typical for aluminum alloys. The alloy overcomes the long-standing issues for magnesium namely, low strength and poor room temperature formability. As the processing cost of the new material is expected to be low, there is good potential for practical applications in automotive bodies or casing of notebook computers and cell phones.

This study was published in Scripta Materialia on June 16, 2017.  M.Z. Bian et al. A heat-treatable Mg–Al–Ca–Mn–Zn sheet alloy with good room temperature formability, Scripta Materialia (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2017.05.034

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United Process Controls upgrades heat treating systems controls for axle manufacturer

July 20, 2017
Source:

United Process Controls Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., is nearing the completion of a large, multi-year control systems upgrade project for a manufacturer of automotive axles. Planning and executing the phased migration started in 2014 and encompassed four Ipsen pusher furnaces, four Ipsen batch IQ furnaces, four parts washers, three temper furnaces, one preheat oven, four endo generators, and a SCADA system.

Given the number of furnaces, as well as secondary and auxiliary equipment, a key parameter of the upgrade project was the seamless switchover and deployment of new control systems without interruption or shutdown of production. Another requisite was to get more flexibility from the new controls to improve operational efficiency, traceability, preventive maintenance, and production throughput. 

The solution from UPC included Protherm 700 controllers with new PLCs and Waukee Valve-Tronic Plus flow controllers on the furnaces, Protherm 470 controllers on the parts washers, and an AccuBlendor Plus endothermic generator control system supporting all furnaces. Furnaces were similarly outfitted with a number of sensors capable of generating volumes of data that are processed through the Protherm diagnostic tools, giving managers, operators, and maintenance techs the power to troubleshoot equipment as well as predict anomalies in the process. The use of redundant probes along with resident SAT thermocouples has dramatically increased equipment reliability and virtually eliminated scrap and/or rework. 

The customer also implemented the Protherm 9800 platform to enable total data management, as well as remote control and diagnostics of the furnaces. In addition to its data management capabilities, the Protherm 9800 provides real-time data logging and storage functions that conform to CQI-9 requirements. In a future implementation, an add-on module will allow the company's personnel to preplan and route batches for processing within the production cell. 

www.group-upc.com

Nitrex awarded contract for turnkey nitriding system by European auto components supplier

July 5, 2017
Source:

Nitrex Metal Inc., St. Laurent, Quebec, announces that a European automotive components supplier has awarded it a contract for the supply of a turnkey nitriding system with potential-controlled Nitreg technology. The project involves the replacement of an old gas nitriding furnace with a modern system that will improve operational efficiency, offer superior gas and energy consumption, meet environmental objectives, and ensure an employee-friendly work environment.

The new system will nitride a variety of H11 and H13 aluminum extrusion dies for manufacturing automotive structural components supplied to most major vehicle manufacturers. Entirely custom and tested recipes based on Nitreg technology were developed for the application, enabling consistent uniformity and repeatability of results. Other priorities for the customer were conservation of resources, as well as environmental compliance and noise reduction. In contrast to the previous nitrider, the Nitrex system is programmed to work with a low consumption of gasses and electricity. Auxiliary hardware such as the effluent neutralizer helps comply with environmental regulations, while a silencer fitted on the cooling blower controls noise exposure for better working conditions.

The furnace has working dimensions of 47.25 inches diameter by 59 inches high (1200 x 1500 mm) and a load capacity of 6600 pounds  (3000 kg). Delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2017.

www.nitrex.com

Lindberg box furnace built for batch testing aluminum automotive castings

Source:

Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped a large-chamber utility box furnace to an automotive supplier for batch testing aluminum castings on a daily basis at a temperature of 932°F. The work chamber dimensions of this heat treat furnace are 24x24x 24 inches, and its maximum temperature rating is 2000°F. The furnace is available in nine chamber sizes to meet demanding applications.

Electrically heated, the furnace utilizes vacuum-formed ceramic fiber insulation with low heat loss for operating economy and minimum heat storage, which results in rapid heat up and control response. To ensure even less heat loss, double steel shell construction creates a low-temperature outer surface. The insulation and heating elements maintain uniform heat distribution for an energy-efficient design.

The furnace incorporates a prewired, side mounted, forced-air cooled control console, which features a Honeywell DC2500 Series primary temperature controller and a separate Honeywell DC2500 Series excess temperature controller.

"For this project, we designed a custom heating system to minimize heat loss and provide energy efficiency," says  Andrew Paul, Sales Engineer.

www.lindbergmph.com

Can-Eng awarded contract for aluminum furnace system integrated into forging cell

June 7, 2017
Source:

Can-Eng Furnaces Intl. Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario, was recently awarded a contract for an aluminum furnace system from a leading North American manufacturer of forged aluminum suspension components. This project reflects a long list of recent projects involving automotive light weighting initiatives in which Can-Eng delivered the lowest cost of ownership per unit of production.  

The furnace system will be integrated into a completely automated forging cell expansion for heating aluminum billets prior to forging. The automated cell includes a sophisticated controls and  part tracking system. Can-Eng's patented rotary hearth furnace technology was utilized in this application because it provided optimal part handling and temperature profile parameter flexibility within the smallest manufacturing floor space. Can-Eng's rotary furnace systems continue to replace conventional in-line continuous belt style heating systems because they offer superior footprint, energy consumption, and maintenance benefits.

www.can-eng.com

Lindberg/MPH heavy-duty box furnace for processing glass reaches maximum 1500°C

June 5, 2017
Source:

Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., announces the shipment of a heavy-duty box furnace that reaches a maximum temperature of 1500°C for processing glass. The furnace design was customized to the customer's specifications by moving the heating elements (which are typically designed to be mounted on the roof and floor of the furnace) to the sidewalls. This design change was necessary to prevent any melted glass from spilling onto the elements during processing.

The maximum temperature rating of this box furnace is 1500°C, and it has work chamber dimensions of 12x14x12 inches. This heavy-duty box furnace has insulating vestibules and is equipped with directly hinged, insulated plug doors. The insulating door plug serves as a convenient loading platform in the open position.

An internal vent located in the top center of the vestibule aids in dissipating the initial heat surge that occurs when the door is opened. Heating elements are horizontally positioned on either side of the heating chamber. The heating chamber is constructed of high-temperature graded insulation, providing excellent thermal efficiency.

"At Lindberg/MPH, we know our customer's applications require tight temperature uniformity," says Kelley Shreve, Applications Engineer. "This heat-treat box furnace provides precise temperature uniformity, rapid response rate, dense load capability, and process repeatability, which were all essential to our customer's process."

www.lindbergmph.com

Nucor to build 72-inch-wide hot band galvanizing/pickling line at its Kentucky mill

May 25, 2017
Source: ASM International

Super Systems automated system enables tight nitriding process control for Callies

May 24, 2017
Source:

Super Systems Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, reports that Callies Precision Engine Components has installed an SSI automated system with the ability to achieve tight nitriding process control using an easy-to-use recipe system that maintains tight tolerances on temperature, gas flow, and nitriding potential.

The relatively shallow nitride case delivers significant improvement to the fatigue life of every Callies crankshaft. The extremely hard nitrided surface also gives the crankshaft excellent wear resistance. The SSI control system provides the latest in sensor and flow technology for measuring the nitriding atmosphere, and an operator-friendly interface to provide complete traceability to the process and load data.

The SSi control panel was retrofitted on an existing a Lindberg pit furnace previously used for nitriding.  Delivering proper surface and case properties requires in-situ control of the nitriding potential (Kn) and control of the ammonia, dissociated ammonia, and nitrogen gases.  The system delivered by SSi also included the control of the dissociated ammonia (DA) generator.  The controls for the DA generator provide gas-flow monitoring and temperature control to ensure the ammonia is fully cracked prior to being used as process gas in the furnace.

http://www.supersystems.com

http://www.callies.com