Heat Treat 2019 paper abstract: High Pressure Gas Quenching Evolution
June 27, 2019
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This presentation from ECM USA, Pleasant Prairie, Wis., is a report on gas quenching technology, which has been involved in heat treating for years and has been considered by many heat treaters to be limited to single-chamber furnaces. These include 2, 6, 10, and 12-bar gas quenching systems with varying methods of introducing the gas through the load.
However, over the past 20 years, HIGH pressure gas quenching has evolved tremendously. This technology produces gas quenching that provides properly hardened carbon steels for many applications, including most automotive transmission products today.
Through the years the technology in high-pressure gas quenching has improved, and the amount and method of cooling has also improved. Along with new steels with higher hardenability, we will show the evolution of high pressure gas quenching in heat treating, and the systems available today, with data on various loads at various cooling rates.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019: 10:40 AM
Mr. Dennis Beauchesne , ECM-USA, Inc., Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
www.ecm-usa.com
https://asm.confex.com/asm/ht2019/webprogram/meeting.html
This presentation from ECM USA, Pleasant Prairie, Wis., is a report on gas quenching technology, which has been involved in heat treating for years and has been considered by many heat treaters to be limited to single-chamber furnaces.
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Russian scientists dope aluminum with nickel and lanthanum to raise strength and ductility
June 7, 2019
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Scientists from the National University of Science and Technology (MISIS), Russia, report that they have found a simple and efficient way of strengthening aluminum-based composite materials. Doping aluminum melt with nickel and lanthanum, scientists managed to create a material combining benefits of both composite materials and standard alloys: flexibility, strength, and lightness.
Scientists from NUST MISIS scientific school "Phase Transitions and Development of Non-Ferrous Alloys" created a new strong Al-Ni-La composite for aircraft and automobile industry. Doping elements were added to the aluminum melt, forming special chemical compounds that further formed strong reinforcing structure.
"Our research group, led by Professor Nikolai Belov, has worked on the creation of aluminum-based composites for many years,†says Torgom Akopyan, a researcher at NUST MISIS Department of Metal Forming. “The aluminum-based composite material contains more than 15% by volume of doping elements. A feature of the new development is the high reinforcing ability of the chemical compounds with ultrafine structure: the diameter of the reinforcing elements does not exceed several tens of nanometers.â€
This development solves the problem of non-uniform reinforcement and low density of "powder" composites: if a melting technique is used, after Al-Ni-La crystallization the diameter of doping particles does not exceed 30-70 nanometers. Thanks to "natural" crystallization, particles are distributed uniformly, forming a reinforcing structure. Hence, the composite becomes stronger and more flexible than its powder analogues.
Due to the peculiarities of the structure formation, the proposed material can be used for the manufacture of complex parts via 3-D printing. In addition, new developments may be of strategic importance from an economic point of view. At the moment, the main share of profit in the aluminum industry in Russia is the export of primary aluminum. The creation of new high-tech developments with increased added value will increase profits by expanding domestic and foreign markets for aluminum consumption.
An article on the research was published in Materials Letters. T.K. Akopyan et al, “New in-situ Al matrix composites based on Al-Ni-La eutectic,†Materials Letters (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2019.02.112
https://en.misis.ru/university/news/
Scientists from the National University of Science and Technology (MISIS), Russia, report that they have found a simple and efficient way of strengthening aluminum-based composite materials.
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Composite 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.
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Nucor wins GM Supplier of the Year Award, and announces bar mill investment
May 24, 2019
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Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., was recognized as a General Motors Supplier of the Year for Non-Fabricated Steel at the automotive company's 27th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony held on May 15 in Detroit.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for our team, as we are the first electric arc furnace steelmaker to receive this recognition," says John Ferriola, Chairman, CEO, and President of Nucor Corporation. "We have made significant investments to expand our automotive product portfolio and are focused on providing exceptional customer service. As a result, we continue to gain share in this important market. We are honored to be recognized by GM, and we value the business they do with us."
Nucor also announces a capital investment that will add vacuum degassing to its engineered bar capabilities at its bar mill in Darlington, South Carolina. Adding this capability will enable the mill to produce engineered bar products meeting some of the most stringent quality specifications in the industry. The vacuum degassing system is expected to begin operations in late 2020.
"This strategic investment complements our existing bar mills that primarily produce engineered bar products in Norfolk, Nebraska, Memphis, Tennessee, and Wallingford, Connecticut. It will position us to better serve our customers in the Southeastern United States and support the growing demand in the region for higher quality automotive and other specialty steel applications," says Mr. Ferriola.
Nucor Steel South Carolina is the first steel mill Nucor built. Producing steel by means of melting recycled scrap in an electric arc furnace (EAF), the mill started a revolution in the way steel is made in the United States. Today, approximately 70 percent of the steel made in this country is produced using EAFs. Next month, the Darlington facility will hold an event to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
www.nucor.com
Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., was recognized as a General Motors Supplier of the Year for Non-Fabricated Steel at the automotive company’s 27th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony held on May 15 in Detroit.
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Can-Eng Furnaces to design heat treating system for thin-wall aluminum die castings
May 7, 2019
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Can-Eng Furnaces, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been chosen to design and commission a high-capacity heat-treatment system for a Tier 1 global automotive manufacturing company. The new system provides T-6 and T-7 processing capabilities for lightweight aluminum high-pressure die casting automotive components.
Features of the system include Can-Eng’s proven lean manufacturing robotically integrated part handling system with individual part processing features that deliver predictable metallurgical and part dimensional properties; precision air quenching technology; Level 2 automation for the managing of individual component parameter traceability; system diagnostics; and CQI-9 reporting. The system is scheduled for commissioning in the first quarter of 2020, and will support a next-model-generation luxury SUV being released in 2021.
Can-Eng Furnaces International is a global provider of state-of-the-art thermal processing systems for ferrous and nonferrous metals, and is a significant supplier to the automotive community through direct and tier supply.
www.can-eng.com
Can-Eng Furnaces, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been chosen to design and commission a high-capacity heat-treatment system for a Tier 1 global automotive manufacturing company.
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United States Steel to invest a billion dollars in new plant
Source: ASM International
United States Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, announces that it will invest more than $1 billion to construct a new sustainable endless casting and rolling facility at its Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa., and a cogeneration facility at its Clairton Plant in Clairton, Pa., both part of the company’s Mon Valley Works.
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Toyota selects Novelis as supplier for 2019 RAV4 aluminum body sheet
April 23, 2019
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Novelis Aluminum, Atlanta, announces that it has been selected by Toyota Motor Corp. to supply premium aluminum automotive body sheet for the all-new 2019 Toyota RAV4, Toyota's number-one-selling vehicle and the best-selling non-pickup truck in the country. With a new-and-improved design that includes Novelis aluminum in the hood, fenders, and lift gate, the fifth-generation model of the RAV4 is four percent lighter than previous models.
The new RAV4 offers consumers a robust design, additional safety technology, and off-road capabilities, resulting in an overall enhanced driving experience. By lightweighting the vehicle with aluminum, Toyota had even more flexibility to add new features, while also increasing the width and wheelbase. For example, lightweight aluminum helped offset 45 pounds of additional vehicle weight for a suite of safety features including a Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and Lane Tracing Assist.
To meet Toyota's stringent requirements for joining and performance, Novelis supplied Advanz 6HS – s600 and Advanz 6HS – e600. These are heat-treatable aluminum alloys specifically designed and optimized for high-strength requirements, offering a balance of formability and strength. In addition, a team of Novelis engineers and metallurgists developed a new thermomechanical manufacturing process at the company's facility in Oswego, N.Y., where Novelis produces the alloy for Toyota.
www.novelis.com
Novelis Aluminum, Atlanta, announces that it has been selected by Toyota Motor Corp. to supply premium aluminum automotive body sheet for the all-new 2019 Toyota RAV4, Toyota’s number-one-selling vehicle and the best-selling non-pickup truck in the country.
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HRL Labs commercializes 3D-printable high-strength aluminum alloy
April 22, 2019
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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.
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Seco Warwick CAB furnace enables auto parts maker to cut costs, control brazing quality
March 29, 2019
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Seco Warwick, Meadville, Pa., has delivered and commissioned the first-ever vacuum purging semi-continuous Active Only CAB furnace for a North American automotive aftermarket manufacturer. It is the company’s first furnace of any type, and simultaneously its largest capital equipment investment to date.
The new semi-continuous Active Only CAB furnace, equipped with vacuum purging in the loading and unloading chamber, is one of its kind in the industry. It allows for the reduction of nitrogen consumption and cost, and it provides extraordinary control of brazing atmosphere quality. This applies in particular to heat exchangers with joints brazed in a closed space. Vacuum purging allows for the perfect removal of oxygen from these spaces before brazing, which cannot be achieved by traditional purging.
Many business owners are starting to figure out that not all services should be outsourced. One such industry group is automotive aftermarket manufacturers, who, with Seco Warwick technology, gain an opportunity to rein in their costs by saving money on outsourcing, as well as reduction of nitrogen expenses. The new furnace allows customers to braze their own heat exchangers, control their own quality, and manage their production schedules more reliably to improve deliveries to their customers.
www.secowarwick.com
Seco Warwick, Meadville, Pa., has delivered and commissioned the first-ever vacuum purging semi-continuous Active Only CAB furnace for a North American automotive aftermarket manufacturer.
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Dual-chamber heat treating furnace hardens and tempers tool steels for transportation
March 20, 2019
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L&L Special Furnace Co., Aston, Pa., announces that it has shipped a dual-chamber heat treating furnace that will harden tool steels in its upper chamber while its bottom chamber is used for tempering, stress relief, and pre-heating. The furnace was purchased by a manufacturer in the southeastern United States who processes various components used in the production of heavy machinery and transportation equipment.
The L&L model QD836 furnace’s hardening chamber has an effective work zone 16 inches wide by 16 inches high by 32 inches deep. The tempering chamber has an effective work zone 14 inches wide by 14 inches high by 32 inches deep. The top chamber has a uniformity of ±20° above 1200°F, and the bottom chamber has a uniformity of ±10°F from 300°F to 1250°F.
The furnace is controlled by Eurotherm temperature controls with overtemperature protection. Solid-state relays drive the electric heating elements and include heavy-duty, long-lasting 11 gauge thermocouples. All of L&L’s furnaces can be configured with various options and can be specifically tailored to meet thermal needs. L&L also offers furnaces equipped with pyrometry packages to meet ASM2750E and soon-to-be-certified MedAccred guidelines.
Options include a variety of control and recorder configurations. A three-day, all-inclusive startup service is available with each system within the continental United States and Canada. International startup and training service is available by factory quote.
www.llfurnace.com
L&L Special Furnace Co., Aston, Pa., announces that it has shipped a dual-chamber heat treating furnace that will harden tool steels in its upper chamber while its bottom chamber is used for tempering, stress relief, and pre-heating.
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