Aichelin-USA receives order for ferritic nitrocarburizing furnace from Fiat Chrysler
March 17, 2015
Source:
Aichelin-USA, Plymouth, Mich., has received an order from the Fiat Chrysler transmission plant in Kokomo, Indiana, for a ferritic nitrocarburizing furnace. The order is for the tenth FNC furnace, which will be added to the existing furnace cell shown in the photo. The system includes the Flexiclean washer system, pre-oxidizing furnaces, cooling stations, endothermic gas generators, and one dual-directional loading cart with automated loading and unloading stations.
Ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC) has become increasingly significant, especially when the process is combined with steam oxidation. The result of this heat treatment is a wear-resistant oxidation layer that is similar to hard chrome plating with comparably good corrosion resistance. A beneficial secondary effect is the black or anthracite colored part surface.
This treatment requires furnaces with a gas-tight retort. The furnace can be heated electrically or with industrial gas burners. The batch retort furnace, especially designed for that purpose, offers all the conditions for economical heat treatment with reproducible results.
This furnace will be built in the United States, and supported by the Aichelin-USA team based in Plymouth.
www.aichelinusa.com
Aichelin-USA, Plymouth, Mich., has received an order from the Fiat Chrysler transmission plant in Kokomo, Indiana, for a ferritic nitrocarburizing furnace.
Continue reading
NanoSteel builds fully dense additively manufactured parts with hardness gradient
March 16, 2015
Source: ASM International
The NanoSteel Co., Providence, R.I., announces the expansion of the company’s additive manufacturing material capabilities to support metal 3D printing of complex high hardness parts.
Continue reading
Kay & Associates announces “Fundamentals of Brazing” seminars.
March 12, 2015
Source:
Kay & Associates, Simsbury, Conn., will hold two intensive brazing-training programs this spring, the first in the Hartford, Conn., area (April 14-16), and the second identical program in Los Angeles (May 12-14). These hands-on programs cover all the essentials of furnace, torch, induction, and dip-brazing, including all brazing fillers (nickel, silver, gold, copper, aluminum, and titanium).
Pre-braze and post-brazed components will be physically examined and discussed, as well as actual samples of brazing filler metal (BFM), fluxes, and brazing stop-off compounds. Many case-studies will be covered, including special problem-solving exercises the attendees work on in small groups.
These programs are unique in that all methods of brazing and types/forms of brazing filler metals (BFMs) are covered. Thus, the attendee will get a well-rounded, full education on the complete world of brazing, rather than just a limited exposure to one type of brazing process or one type of BFM.
Many topics are covered in the three-day program, and each topic is taught very clearly in a non-technical, easy-to-understand manner, so that both the shop person doing the brazing, and the senior engineer running the plant, will readily grasp all that it needed to understand the "why" and the "how" of brazing.
In addition, all attendees receive free life-time brazing consultations via phone, fax, e-mail, etc., so that they can effectively apply what they learned.
www.kaybrazing.com
Kay & Associates, Simsbury, Conn., will hold two intensive brazing-training programs this spring, the first in the Hartford, Conn., area (April 14-16), and the second identical program in Los Angeles (May 12-14).
Continue reading
Direct Flame Impingement for annealing aluminum cuts fuel costs by 50%
March 11, 2015
Source:
The Linde Group, Murray Hill, N.J., has developed Direct Flame Impingement oxyfuel-based technology for continuous annealing of cold-rolled aluminum strip. In DFI technology, oxyfuel flames directly heat the metal strip as it passes through the annealing furnace, enabling a capacity increase of 50%, cost reduction of 50%, and reduced scaling losses and dross formation.
The DFI oxygen burners are arranged in rows, with multiple burners to cover the entire width of the strip. The rows are mounted in modules, and each module consists of two burner rows firing from above and below the strip. The material temperature rises very quickly within a compact furnace body, resulting in heat transfer rates up to ten times higher than those in conventional fuel-fired furnaces.
If oxygen, not air, is used to combust a fuel, all the heat transfer mechanisms, convection, conduction and radiation, can be promoted at the same time. This results in a faster, more even heating process, which cuts the total heating time, thus allowing for more production capacity and flexibility. The flue gas volumes are reduced by up to 80%, with no more need for bulky flue gas systems or recuperators. Heating and cleaning can be done in the same operation.
Details about the new technology were presented at TMS 2015, March 15-19, at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In a paper titled, "Direct Flame Impingement (DFI)" Linde senior nonferrous expert Henrik Gripenberg discussed DFI technology, applications, and pilot test results.
www.lindemetallurgy.com
Linde, Murray Hill, N.J., has developed Direct Flame Impingement oxyfuel-based technology for continuous annealing of cold-rolled aluminum strip.
Continue reading
North American aluminum producers and fabricators ship 25.5 billion pounds in 2014
March 3, 2015
Source:
The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va., reports that the aluminum industry in the United States and Canada saw year-over-year demand growth of 5% through the end of 2014. The estimated 25.5 billion pounds of aluminum shipped by North American producers and fabricators is the largest shipment total for the industry since 2006. Total mill product shipments grew 4.5% in 2014, led by growth in the extrusion, foil and sheet, and plate markets.
"We're seeing steady demand growth across many of our key markets," said Ryan Olsen, Vice President of Business Information & Statistics for the Aluminum Association. "Orders of aluminum mill products are also on the rise, a leading indicator of continued growth for the industry into 2015."
"The growth in North American demand for aluminum in 2014 was all the more impressive given the harsh winter weather the region experienced at the start of the year, and the significant impact it had on operations," Mr. Olsen said. "Demand grew just eight-tenths of one percent year-over-year during the first four months (January – April), compared to a year-over-year increase of 7.1% over the final eight months."
According to this latest data, demand for aluminum has grown by 38.3% since the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, and the industry continues to expand. Over the past two years, Aluminum Association member companies have announced domestic plant expansions and planned investment totaling more than $2.3 billion. These investments are intended to capture and meet anticipated demand growth for aluminum in the automotive sector as automakers strive to make lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The investments announced to date could increase industry auto sheet capacity by more than 2 billion pounds over the next decade.
http://www.aluminum.org
The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va., reports that the aluminum industry in the United States and Canada saw year-over-year demand growth of 5% through the end of 2014.
Continue reading
SRI working to produce titanium powder in a single step by reacting TiCl4 with hydrogen
Source:
SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., is reportedly developing an advanced process in which titanium tetrachloride and other metal chlorides are reacted with hydrogen to produce titanium or titanium alloy granules in a single step. The process is based on a multi-arc fluidized bed reactor (MAFBR) developed by SRI. If successful, the process will reduce the cost, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions associated with Ti alloy production.
In the process, plasma arcs facilitate reactions between molecules of hydrogen and titanium tetrachloride, a chemical produced from titanium ore. "Arcs, like lightning bolts, crack the hydrogen, producing atomic hydrogen that can readily react," says Barbara Heydorn, senior director of the Energy Center at SRI. The reactions produce titanium vapor that quickly solidifies and forms titanium powder.
With funding from ARPA-E's Modern Electro/Thermochemical Advances in Light-Metal Systems (METALS) Program, SRI built and tested a proof-of-concept system and conducted a techno-economic analysis.
The process could enable the production of alloys that cannot be produced with conventional technology, providing engineers with a larger portfolio of materials. The technology can be used to manufacture alloys other than Ti alloys, as well as composites based on a metal alloy matrix with dispersion of a ceramic phase.
SRI has so far demonstrated a small-scale version of the process for producing pure titanium. It's currently working on a two-stage process to improve yields and lower costs before attempting to scale it up.
www.sri.com
SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., is reportedly developing an advanced process in which titanium tetrachloride and other metal chlorides are reacted with hydrogen to produce titanium or titanium alloy granules in a single step.
Continue reading
Tinius Olsen universal testing machines feature dual pressure and digital control
Source:
Tinius Olsen, Horsham, Pa., introduces its all-new SL series of hydraulic universal testing machines that feature a patented dual-pressure hydraulic loading system and four-column construction for high loadframe rigidity. With advanced digital control, load accuracy has been enhanced and should be better than 0.1% of the displayed reading within the operating range of 0.2% to 100% of the frame capacity.
SL machines are controlled by a range of user interface options, including Bluetooth wireless, tethered interface, or a virtual interface running on a connected PC. Tinius Olsen's Horizon software can be added to any system for accessing a library of standardized test routines, for generating complete graphical results of a test, and for performing sophisticated powerful analyses on the test data to produce test reports. Horizon is networkable and scalable, so operators can manage equipment and review test results from multiple sources and locations.
A variety of standard capacities ensure accommodation of a range of testing needs. For rapid sequence production testing within the range of 150 to 1000 kN (30,000 to 200,000 lbf), Tinius Olsen offers SL versions with open-front crossheads and/or fixed position crossheads.
The SL series is also highly customizable for many other applications. For instance, columns and screws can be lengthened and crossheads can be made adjustable to meet specific requirements. The extensive range of grip designs ensures careful matching to application. Other options include hydraulically actuated lever grips, accordion-type, non-metallic screw covers, tooling for tension, compression, and other tests, a broad range of instrumentation, and furnaces.
www.TiniusOlsen.com
Tinius Olsen, Horsham, Pa., introduces its all-new SL series of hydraulic universal testing machines that feature a patented dual-pressure hydraulic loading system and four-column construction for high loadframe rigidity.
Continue reading
Ipsen provides range of atmosphere furnaces for North American market
February 25, 2015
Source:
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., reports that since 2010, the company has successfully installed more than 50 atmosphere furnaces, as well as temper and auxiliary equipment throughout North America. Atmosphere furnaces provide the flexibility to carburize, nitride, and harden a wide range of parts with different materials, case depths, hardenability, and geometries.
These installations include single- and double-chamber sealed quench, vertical retort, pusher, and box furnaces. For example, Ipsen pusher furnaces drive parts through the full carburizing and nitriding processes, including preheating, washing, tempering and cooling, all in a fully-automated, "lights-out" system with customized layouts.
Ipsen has one of the largest installed bases of atmosphere furnaces in the United States – several thousand since its founding in 1948. – Ipsen continues to deliver atmosphere solutions that meet a range of customer needs. These installations were designed for a range of applications and industries – automotive, aerospace, commercial, and energy.
For Ipsen, a key part of innovating is listening to the specific needs and challenges of their customers and then providing ideal solutions that meet those needs. As companies are faced with constantly evolving requirements and processes, nothing is more essential than finding heat-treating equipment that provides the necessary solutions.
www.IpsenUSA.com/Atmosphere.
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., reports that since 2010, the company has successfully installed more than 50 atmosphere furnaces, as well as temper and auxiliary equipment throughout North America.
Continue reading
Seco-Warwick commissions Vector single-chamber vacuum hardening furnace in India
Source:
Seco-Warwick Allied Pvt. Ltd., India, reports that it has installed a single-chamber vacuum hardening furnace with high-pressure gas quenching capability for Jyoti Heat Treat Industries, at its fourth commercial heat-treatment unit in Pune, India. The Vector furnace with high-pressure gas quench is ideally suited for vacuum hardening under an oxygen-free environment.
Parts can be heated in vacuum as well as under convection with partial pressure. Quench pressure can be adjusted from 1.5 bar to a maximum of 10 bar. The Vector line furnace installed at Jyoti can also be used for additional processes such as vacuum annealing, normalizing, and tempering. The furnace has effective uniform hot zone size of 24x24x36 in., and load capacity of 1320 lb. The furnace complies with NADCA requirements and is equipped with an advanced PLC/HMI control system.
www.secowarwick.com
Seco-Warwick Allied Pvt. Ltd., India, reports that it has installed a single-chamber vacuum hardening furnace with high-pressure gas quenching capability for Jyoti Heat Treat Industries, at their fourth commercial heat treatment unit in Pune, India.
Continue reading
AK Steel to invest $36 million in Research and Innovation Center
Source:
AK Steel, West Chester, Ohio, announces that it will invest $36 million build a new world-class Research and Innovation Center in Middletown, Ohio. The 120,000 square foot facility will be constructed on a 15-acre site located in the Cincinnati–Dayton growth corridor along Interstate 75. It will replace the company's existing research facility that is located at another site in Middletown.
The new facility will be home to the company's approximately 75 researchers, scientists, and engineers who will carry out cutting-edge research, applications engineering, advanced engineering, product development, and customer technical services. The facility will also house pilot lines that simulate the company's steel manufacturing operations, ranging from melting and casting, to hot- and cold-rolling, to final finishing. The pilot lines are used for research, enhancing existing products, problem-solving in production, and experimentation for new and improved products.
"Our talented researchers, scientists and engineers are already working to develop such innovative products as next-generation advanced high-strength steels," says James L. Wainscott, Chairman, President, and CEO. "They also are developing high-efficiency electrical steels that will help the nation's electricity grid become more energy-efficient, and new stainless steels that offer superior corrosion resistance for a wide variety of applications. The new research and innovation center will enhance our capabilities to bring these products to the marketplace."
AK Steel said groundbreaking for its new research and innovation center is planned for the late spring or early summer of 2015. The project is subject to final state and local government approvals.
The company also announced two changes in executive leadership, effective immediately:
Eric S. Petersen, 46, has been named Vice President, Research and Innovation. Mr. Petersen was previously Vice President, Sales and Customer Service.
Scott M. Lauschke, 45, has been named Vice President, Sales and Customer Service. Mr. Lauschke joins AK Steel from his previous position as Vice President and General Manager of AFGlobal Corporation and spent 15 years at The Timken Company in a variety of leadership roles.
www.aksteel.com.
AK Steel, West Chester, Ohio, announces that it will invest $36 million build a new world-class Research and Innovation Center in Middletown, Ohio.
Continue reading 