Siemens wins 3D Printing Industry Award for its printed gas turbine blades
May 30, 2017
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Siemens Inc., Germany, announces that it has won an International 3D Printing Industry Award in the category "3D Printing Application of the Year" for the first successful worldwide test of gas turbine blades produced via additive manufacturing.
The turbine blades were installed in a 13-megawatt SGT-400-type industrial gas turbine. The printed turbine blades were produced from a high-temperature-resistant, powdered polycrystalline nickel-base superalloy. They are able to withstand the high pressures, extreme temperatures, and centrifugal forces that arise during turbine operation.
Earlier this year, Siemens announced a breakthrough in 3D printing: an international project team with contributions from Siemens engineers in Finspång/Sweden, Lincoln/U.K. and Berlin/Germany together with experts from Materials Solutions in Worcester/U.K. The team successfully completed performance testing under full-load conditions of the first gas turbine blades ever to be produced by additive manufacturing.
Over the past few weeks, readers of "3Dprintingindustry.com," a leading online news source in the industry, voted this achievement to be the best 3D printing application of the year.
"We are very glad to receive this award for our printed turbine blades, and we are especially proud as the votes are from members of the Additive Manufacturing community," says Phil Hatherley, General Manager Materials Solutions - A Siemens Business. "With this award, we show that Siemens as a technology driver can play a decisive role in the future of Additive Manufacturing. And we are ready to take the next steps in this development."
Additive manufacturing has the potential to become a key technology in the production of gas turbine components. Siemens has been investing in this innovative technology right from its inception, and is now driving the industrialization and commercialization of these processes. In addition to turbine blades, Siemens is applying the technology to build burner tips and burner nozzles, and to repair burner heads. The international team of experts with the innovation centers located in Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom, are transforming the new design possibilities into specific solutions for Siemens' customers.
www.siemens.com/press/3D-printing
Siemens Inc., Germany, announces that it has won an International 3D Printing Industry Award in the category “3D Printing Application of the Year” for the first successful worldwide test of gas turbine blades produced via additive manufacturing.
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One Minute Mentor: Diffusivity of Nitrogen in Austenite
May 26, 2017
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The diffusivity of nitrogen in γN was determined from the stepwise denitriding kinetics of initially fully nitrided homogenous (stress-free) expanded austenite coupons. From the average diffusion coefficient for a series of narrow composition intervals, the composition-dependent diffusivity of nitrogen was reconstructed. The graph shows the diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in expanded austenite as a function of the nitrogen occupancy of the interstitial sites of the face-centered cubic lattice. Models based on the growth kinetics of the expanded austenite zone should take into consideration that the diffusivity of interstitials in expanded austenite is (strongly) concentration dependent and driven not only by a composition gradient but also by the presence of a (huge) compressive residual stress gradient over the thickness of the zone.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Low-Temperature Surface Hardening of Stainless Steel ⇒ Physical Metallurgy of Expanded Austenite
The diffusivity of nitrogen in ?N was determined from the stepwise denitriding kinetics of initially fully nitrided homogenous (stress-free) expanded austenite coupons.
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Nucor to build 72-inch-wide hot band galvanizing/pickling line at its Kentucky mill
May 25, 2017
Source: ASM International
Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., is investing an estimated $176 million to build a 72-inch-wide hot band galvanizing and pickling line at its sheet mill in Ghent, Kentucky.
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Wisconsin Oven ships walk-in oven to medical equipment manufacturer
May 24, 2017
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Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, Wis., has shipped an electrically heated enhanced-duty walk-in series oven to a medical equipment manufacturer for sterilizing its products. The work chamber of this sterilizing oven is 14x34x8 feet, and the maximum temperature rating is 300°F. The customer required a temperature uniformity of ±2°F at 160°F, and this was proven based on a thirty-point test.
The equipment has sufficient capacity to heat 18,000 pounds of swab boxes from 85°F to 160°F within 180 minutes when loaded into an ambient oven. The oven body is constructed with tongue and groove panel assemblies featuring patented high-efficiency panel seams (provides 25% better insulating efficiency).
"At Wisconsin Oven, we strive to find heat treat solutions for our customer's toughest problems," says David Burke, Sales Representative. "For this oven, we focused on the heating rates for the large loads of products which will help increase production rates and efficiency."
This walk-in oven was fully factory tested and adjusted prior to shipment. All safety interlocks were checked for proper operation and the equipment was operated at the normal and maximum operating temperatures. An extensive quality assurance check list was completed to ensure the equipment met all Wisconsin Oven quality standards. This equipment is backed by Wisconsin Oven's five-Year WOW warranty.
www.wisoven.com
Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, Wis., has shipped an electrically heated enhanced-duty walk-in series oven to a medical equipment manufacturer for sterilizing its products.
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Electrically heated aluminum melting furnace has melt rate of 50 pounds per hour
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Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped an electrically heated hand-tilting aluminum melting furnace to a manufacturer in the aluminum sand casting industry. The furnace will be used as a central breakdown for transfer via bull ladle.
The resistance melting furnace has a melt rate of 50 poiunds per hour and can accommodate a crucible with a holding capacity of approximately 150 pounds of molten aluminum. The furnace utilizes low voltage heating elements that provide a long service life.
The furnace shell is ruggedly reinforced with steel and is lined with insulating firebrick and backup board, resulting in a low exterior shell temperature. An easy-to-use hydraulic tilting mechanism is also included.
"At Lindberg/MPH we work to provide our customers with efficient solutions," says Andrew Paul, Sales Engineer. "The hydraulic tilting mechanism supplied with this aluminum melting furnace provides ease of use and efficiency for operators."
This equipment is backed by Lindberg/MPH's exclusive three-year warranty that covers all materials for all components (less wear items).
www.lindbergmph.com
Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped an electrically heated hand-tilting aluminum melting furnace to a manufacturer in the aluminum sand casting industry.
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MTS installs Echo remote lab monitoring technology in Brazilian research institute
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MTS Systems Corp., Eden Prairie, Minn., has completed the installation of the MTS Echo remote lab monitoring technology in the Civil Engineering Structural and Materials Laboratory at Rio de Janeiro's Pontificia Universidade Católica (PUC-Rio).
The University deployed MTS Echo Intelligent Lab to help improve lab efficiency. Under the supervision of Dr. Flavio de Andrade Silva, PUC-Rio contracts with many of Brazil's foremost engineering companies to design and conduct a wide array of mechanical tests to better understand the performance and durability characteristics of construction materials, techniques, and structures.
Now with the latest technology from MTS incorporated into the laboratory, the staff and students have far greater visibility to ongoing test system performance and overall system health. Authorized personnel can remotely access detailed information about their test systems from an Android or iOS-compatible device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.). The university is consequently able to maximize testing efficiency, and can preemptively identify equipment problems that could delay testing results.
Facing more demanding schedules, many modern test facilities are often expected to run around the clock, and unscheduled disruptions can affect multiple projects. Through Echo Equipment Monitoring, MTS addresses the growing need to improve productivity by providing real-time remote access to test status and equipment performance data. In addition, the Echo Health Monitoring functionality helps extend test system service life, enabling early detection and remedy of potential issues before they damage equipment or interrupt tests.
"There is a longstanding and deep-rooted cooperative relationship between PUC-Rio and MTS," says Dr. Flavio de Andrade Silva of PUC-Rio's Civil Engineering Department. "With the implementation of the Echo solution, we're able to know what is happening in the lab even when we are not there, giving us the assurance that we are operating efficiently."
www.mts.com
www.lem.civ.puc-rio.br
http://www.puc-rio.br
MTS Systems Corp., Eden Prairie, Minn., has completed the installation of the MTS Echo remote lab monitoring technology in the Civil Engineering Structural and Materials Laboratory at Rio de Janeiro’s Pontificia Universidade Católica (PUC-Rio).
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Can-Eng to build 36-foot rotary hearth furnace for titanium aerospace forgings
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Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been contracted to commission a turnkey 36 ft. diameter "pancake" style rotary hearth furnace for a leading North American aerospace supplier. The furnace will be used in the production of titanium and nickel-based alloy closed-die forgings for large fixed-wing aircraft structures. The open hearth configuration allows for flexible loading and uniform heating.
The furnace system features an advanced low NOx combustion system designed to meet the most stringent environmental and temperature uniformity requirements. A special dual-door design provides the customer with significant flexibility for forging-to-press manipulation within the existing plant layout. The system is capable of processing up to 250,000 pounds in a 24/7 production environment.
The furnace system complies with thermal performance requirements laid out in AMS2750E. It integrates a low-shrinkage ceramic fiber lining, a unique rotating hearth drive, and a sealing system. The system is scheduled to be commissioned to the United States in the third quarter of 2017.
www.can-eng.com
Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been contracted to commission a turnkey 36 ft. diameter “pancake” style rotary hearth furnace for a leading North American aerospace supplier.
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Super Systems automated system enables tight nitriding process control for Callies
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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
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.
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Ultratech dual-beam laser spike anneal systems to treat FinFET for 10-nm nodes
May 21, 2017
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Ultratech Inc., San Jose, Calif., announces that it has received a multiple system follow-on order for its LSA101 dual-beam laser spike anneal (LSA) systems. Ultratech's millisecond anneal systems will be used by its customer for expansion of 10-nm FinFET production.
The key differentiators over competing tools, and the basis for choosing Ultratech's LSA101 dual-beam systems, are its annealing capability with a low overall thermal budget, and the flexibility and extendability for use with existing and future nodes. Ultratech plans to ship the first LSA101 system in 2Q17 and the second system in 3Q17 to the customer's facility in Asia.
As the industry scales to smaller dimensions, millisecond anneal technology has continued to enable critical applications around transistor fabrication for multiple annealing steps for the front-end-of-line (FEOL) as well as those in middle-of-line (MOL). Ultratech's global customers have benefitted from the extendability of the LSA systems across multiple production nodes including both planar and FinFET technologies.
This existing customer selected Ultratech's LSA101 dual-beam system for expansion because of its low thermal budget capability, which is a key differentiator from other millisecond anneal tools, and is an enabler for advanced processing steps beyond the FEOL.
LSA101 with the dual-beam option expands the process space by adding a second low-power laser beam that adds process flexibility and enables millisecond annealing with a low thermal budget process and is built on the customizable Unity Platformâ„¢. Inserting a millisecond anneal step post-junction formation, such as gate stack formation, silicide or post-silicide anneal, has been shown to improve leakage and device reliability, while reducing contact resistance and improving both performance and yield. Compared to competÂing millisecond annealing technologies, LSA with dual-beam offers the lowest thermal budget millisecond anneal process, along with superior within-die uniformity for different layouts. The LSA101 delivers high flexibility and extendability for advanced annealing applications, and is currently in high-volume production for planar and FinFET logic devices.
www.ultratech.com
Ultratech Inc., San Jose, Calif., announces that it has received a multiple system follow-on order for its LSA101 dual-beam laser spike anneal systems for expansion of 10-nm FinFET production.
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Oxford Instruments to sell Industrial Analysis business to Hitachi High-Technologies
May 14, 2017
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Oxford Instruments plc, England, announces that it has agreed to sell its Industrial Analysis business to Hitachi High-Technologies Corp. for a consideration of $100 million on a cash and debt-free basis. Hitachi will acquire the companies, assets, and liabilities that comprise the Industrial Analysis business.
The Industrial Analysis business is a leading global provider of handheld and benchtop instruments based on X-ray fluorescence (XRF), laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) technologies for analyzing materials in a broad range of industrial applications. Headquartered in Oxford, England, the Industrial Analysis business has research and development and assembly operations in Finland, Germany, and China, and sales and support operations in a number of countries around the world.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in Austria, confirmation of receipt by the relevant regulator of the share transfer filing in China, and completion of a pre-sale reorganization to carve out the relevant businesses. Assuming satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of the 2017/18 fiscal year. Proceeds will be used to reduce existing borrowings. The current Industrial Analysis management team will transfer with the business.
www.oxfordinstruments.co.uk
Oxford Instruments plc, England, announces that it has agreed to sell its Industrial Analysis business to Hitachi High-Technologies Corp. for a consideration of $100 million on a cash and debt-free basis.
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