EOS and 3D-Micromac form corporation for micro laser sintering technology
January 3, 2014
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3D-Micromac AG, a leading provider of laser micromachining systems, and EOS GmbH, a leader in additive manufacturing, both of Germany, are joining to form a new corporation called 3D MicroPrint GmbH. Its goal is to advance the development and commercialization of micro laser sintering (MLS) technology, and to identify and establish more solutions in the field of micro technology.
MLS enables the production of parts with complex 3D structures where conventional manufacturing processes reach their limits. Even a lot size of one can be produced at reasonable cost. The technology offers a high degree of design freedom, as well as the capacity to integrate and optimize functionality. Individualization of products even in series production processes can be accomplished without difficulty.
Target applications include nozzles for the automotive industry, components for medical devices, and the individualization of jewelry. In addition, demand is growing for micro-parts in the areas of mold-making and aerospace technology.
According to Dr. Hans J. Langer, founder and CEO of EOS GmbH, "Micro Laser Sintering provides solutions for three major trends: individualization, functional integration, and miniaturization." Adds Joachim Göbner of 3D MicroPrint, "Working with layer thicknesses of ≤5 µm, focus diameters of ≤30 µm and powder particle size of ≤5 µm, the MLS technology opens up new dimensions. With MLS it is even possible to produce movable component assemblies."
Joachim Göbner, formerly project head MLS at EOS and head of the technical center at Chemnitz, and Tino Petsch, CEO of 3D-Micromac, were appointed business managers of 3D MicroPrint. The company's headquarters is located in Chemnitz.
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3D-Micromac AG, a leading provider of laser micromachining systems, and EOS GmbH, a leader in additive manufacturing, both of Germany, are joining to form a new corporation called 3D MicroPrint GmbH.
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ThyssenKrupp to sell Alabama plant to consortium of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal
December 9, 2013
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ThyssenKrupp AG, Germany, reports that it will sell its ThyssenKrupp Steel USA rolling and coating plant in Calvert, Alabama, to a consortium of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. A long-term slab supply contract will secure the value of ThyssenKrupp CSA in Brazil. Upon closing, ThyssenKrupp will receive a purchase price of $1.55 billion.
In addition, the consortium will purchase two million tons of slabs per year from ThyssenKrupp CSA up to 2019. The plant in Brazil has an annual production capacity of around five million tons of slabs. The agreement now reached will reliably secure at least 40% capacity utilization of the plant for several years. In addition, stronger penetration of the slab markets in South and North America will further increase the plant's capacity utilization. The transaction is subject to the approval of regulatory authorities in the USA and a number of other countries.
Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, Chief Executive of ThyssenKrupp AG, said: "We have found a sustainable solution for Steel Americas. The slab supply contract is a first important step in the decoupling of the two steel plants." He continued: "The supply contract reduces our risks and creates the conditions to move CSA into profit in the medium term. This is the best available solution for Steel Americas at present. All other options were not financially viable."
ThyssenKrupp will now concentrate on operating improvements at the Brazilian plant. Over the past fiscal year technical performance has been further optimized and plant efficiency improved. The combination of the sale of ThyssenKrupp Steel USA and the slab supply contract for ThyssenKrupp CSA in Brazil will help ThyssenKrupp improve its cash flow profile and key financials in the future.
www.thyssenkrupp.com
ThyssenKrupp AG, Germany, reports that it will sell its ThyssenKrupp Steel USA rolling and coating plant in Calvert, Alabama, to a consortium of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. A long-term slab supply contract will secure the value of ThyssenKrupp CSA in Brazil. Upon closing, ThyssenKrupp will receive a purchase price of $1.55 billion.
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Advanced vacuum heat treating furnace increases stainless steel’s durability and corrosion resistance
Source: ASM International
Seco-Warwick Corp., Meadville, Pa., has commissioned an advanced furnace design that provides improved durability for stainless steel heat treating. This vacuum furnace is equipped with a 15-bar gas quenching system and a full HMI data retrieval control package. Its Super Expanite process improves the hardness and corrosion resistance of stainless steel.
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Republic Steel invests $85 million to grow production by more than one million tons
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Republic Steel, Canton, Ohio, has invested $85 million in its plant in Lorain, Ohio, where it has initiated hot commissioning of its new electric arc furnace. The furnace will provide more than one million tons of steel annually for the production of semi-finished, bar and coil products. The initial heats will be cast into 6 x 6-in. billets and will be rolled on the 0.9 in. rolling mill. The EAF will supply both the bloom and billet casters, enabling the high-quality production of SBQ bar and coil from 0.295 in. to 6.5 in. diameter; and 6 in., 10.5 in., 11.625 in., 12.25 in. and 13.5 in. diameter seamless tube rounds.
Features of the state-of-the art EAF include a 150 ton heat size, eccentric bottom tapping, an exchangeable upper/lower shell, a 120/135 MVA furnace transformer, current-conducting arms, oxy-fuel burners, carbon and lime injection systems, a temperature/sampling system, and level 1 and level 2 automation. Major contracts for the project were awarded to SMS Concast (for EAF process equipment), Siemens (for the yard substation and related equipment), and TES (for the furnace transformer).
Production on the billet caster is expected to ramp up over the next several months, with bloom cast production beginning in February 2014. The project ultimately will create nearly 450 full-time jobs over the next several years, bringing more than $1 billion dollars in annual economic activity to Ohio. The existing 489 jobs in Lorain will be retained.
"This latest investment in Republic Steel demonstrates our commitment to exceeding our customer's expectations, and satisfying both their current and future volume requirements," said Jaime Vigil, Republic Steel president and CEO. "It is an exciting day for our Lorain plant, which discontinued steel production in December 2008 and is now back in the steelmaking business."
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Republic Steel, Canton, Ohio, has invested $85 million at its plant in Lorain, Ohio, where it has initiated hot commissioning of its new electric arc furnace. The furnace will provide more than one million tons of steel annually for the production of semi-finished, bar, and coil products. The initial heats will be cast into 6 x 6 in. billets and will be rolled on the 0.9 in. rolling mill.
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The largest jet engine gets bigger
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The GE90 is already the largest and most powerful jet engine ever built. But that does not mean that GE engineers have stopped trying to make it bigger, better, and leaner.
Its new version, called GE9X, will power Boeing's next-generation 777X aircraft. GE plans to take new high-strength carbon fiber composite blades developed for the GE9X for a spin at Boeing's testing rig in Seattle. The new blades and other parts from breakthrough materials will reduce the GE9X's fuel use and environmental impact. Bill Millhaem, general manager of GE Aviation's GE90 program, says that the new engine will deliver more than 10% fuel efficiency improvement compared to the GE90-115B engine, which belongs to GE's ecomagination portfolio.
At 132 inches in diameter, the GE9X front fan will be even larger than the one used by its older sibling. Fourth-generation composites allowed the blades to be fewer and thinner, with the same strength and durability. The GE9X has only 16 fan blades, down from 22 on the GE90-115B engine, and 18 on the GEnx. These improvements will drive up fuel efficiency and shed hundreds of pounds of weight from the blades and the structures needed to support them.
The new blades will also enable engineers to increase fan tip speed, improve efficiency of the low pressure turbine and contribute to the engine's fuel-burn improvement.
The GE9X's durable, lightweight fan case similar to that used on the GEnx will be also made from composites. Compared to a metal fan case, the composite unit will lower the engine's weight by 350 lb.
Other high-tech materials inside the GE9X engine include ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) that can perform at temperatures as high as 2400°F—hotter conditions than any alloy can handle. Engineers say the engine will burn less fuel than the GE90-115B, in part due to CMC parts in the combustor and turbine.
GE Aviation developed the first composite fan blade for its GE90-94B engine in 1995. Such blades are also featured in the GE90-115B and GEnx engines.
GE Aviation has been conducting tests on new materials and technologies for the engine over the last few years. Along with fan-blade tests at the ITP engine-testing facility in the United Kingdom, GE Aviation will assess a high-pressure compressor rig at a GE Oil & Gas facility in Massa, Italy, this month.
The first engine will be tested in 2016, with trials on GE's flying test bed anticipated in 2017. Engine certification is scheduled for 2018.
More than 1500 GE90-115B engines were ordered by customers for their Boeing 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs, and 777 Freighters.
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GE90 Engine Family
The GE90 is already the largest and most powerful jet engine ever built. But that does not mean that GE engineers have stopped trying to make it bigger, better, and leaner.
Its new version, called GE9X, will power Boeing’s next-generation 777X aircraft. GE plans to take new high-strength carbon fiber composite blades developed for the GE9X for a spin at Boeing’s testing rig in Seattle.
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Blimp outfitted with microscopes studies the sky
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The world's largest airship, the Skyship 600, made its way through the clouds on a month long journey across the U.S. A team of British scientists made the air trek in a blimp as part of a BBC expedition team to study the clouds and life activity in the air. Microscopes from Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC, Oberkochen, Germany, were used to assist in the research being conducted by the traveling team for the BBC Two series Cloud Lab. The team included an entomologist, meteorologist, and professional explorer who hoped to shed light on the creation of clouds and the relationship between diverse ecosystems and weather.
The team traveled from Florida to California in the air and landed at 13 different air fields along their route. A small ground crew followed the blimp's path to monitor the progress and transport equipment to each stop. Carl Zeiss Microscopy loaned an inverted, compound microscope (Axio Vert.A1) and a stereo microscope (Stemi 2000), which were used by the scientists at the temporary "labs" to be set up on the air fields.
Bugs captured and air cultures grown in the airship were examined and dissected. With the use of the microscopes, scientists were able to look at the cultures grown on filters from different locations for fungi and bacteria. They also examined insects and anything else they came across. After being examined in the field, the bacteria were sent out to be imaged with a scanning electron microscope, as well as possible DNA testing.
The main goal of the exploratory expedition was to explain the changes in weather and its effects. Also, data was correlated to current weather, migratory, and wildlife patterns. The idea started with the question, "What would it be like to live on a cloud?" To be able to be among clouds and accurately measure them, a gentle machine was needed so as not to disrupt or change the cloud patterns. The U.S. was chosen due to the availability of renting an air ship for a month and no country borders needed to be crossed along the way, which makes travel easier. The Cloud Lab will be seen on BBC Two television next year.
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Carl Zeiss Microscopy
Skyship 600
The world’s largest airship, the Skyship 600, made its way through the clouds on a month long journey across the U.S. A team of British scientists made the air trek in a blimp as part of a BBC expedition team to study the clouds and life activity in the air.
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Testing system for wind power applications
December 6, 2013
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SAKOR Technologies Inc., Okemos, Mich., announces the availability of its complete AccuDyne AC Dynamometer system for wind power testing applications. The system can be used by multiple engineering groups to test and verify designs, as well as for quality control testing after manufacturing.
Ideal for testing both active and passive wind power driveline components, the dynamometer system can be used to test turbines and their associated blade pitch control motors, generators and wind-sensing devices and motors, and transmissions. The system can also be used for testing water coolant pumps and other ancillary components.
In addition to independent component testing, the system can also be used to test groups of components simultaneously to see how they work together. For those conducting research and development, AccuDyne can be used to simulate the generator itself during early design stages, before a physical generator or gear box unit exists.
With the system, wind power test centers need only one dynamometer to test a wide range of model sizes and verify design specifications for multiple product categories and driveline mechanisms. The system is also perfect for research and development groups working on new turbine and generator designs.
AccuDyne comes packaged with the DynoLab EM test cell control system, making it a complete turnkey system to measure all mechanical and electrical wind power system components and simulate real world conditions in a fully automated test system.
Available in sizes ranging from 3kW to 10 MW, the dynamometers are appropriate for all wind power rotational testing needs. Modern vector drive technology allows the system to provide true 4-quadrant capability, with completely seamless crossover between motoring and loading modes. It also offers the most precise speed and torque control available, especially in low speed applications where full torque can be applied all the way to stall (zero speed).
DynoLAB EM system offers many advanced features, including the ability to simulate inertia to test a wide range of large and small loads, torque pulse simulation for simulating components that exhibit cogging (such as PM generators), and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) testing.
More information: SAKOR Technologies Inc.
SAKOR Technologies Inc., Okemos, Mich., announces the availability of its complete AccuDyne AC Dynamometer system for wind power testing applications. The system can be used by multiple engineering groups to test and verify designs, as well as for quality control testing after manufacturing.
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New center for materials research to advance manufacturing and innovation
December 5, 2013
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Md., selected a consortium led by Northwestern University, Ill., to establish a new NIST-sponsored center of excellence for advanced materials research. The new Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD) will be funded in part by a $25 million award from NIST over five years.
Other members of the CHiMaD consortium include the University of Chicago, the Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering (a partnership between Northwestern and the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory), and the Computation Institute (a partnership between the University of Chicago and Argonne.) The consortium also plans to work closely with QuesTek Innovations, a small business spin-off of Northwestern; ASM International, a well-known professional society of materials scientists; and Fayetteville State University.
"I'm particularly excited to announce this new alliance between NIST and two prominent research universities to drive innovation in the development of advanced materials," said Patrick Gallagher, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director. "This new Center for Hierarchical Materials Design is a natural fit for NIST, which has a long tradition of serving as a nexus with academia and industry to advance research and innovation for the nation's benefit."
"The launch of this new center represents a major milestone in support of the President's Materials Genome Initiative and our national goal of doubling the pace of discovery and development of novel materials," said Cyrus Wadia, assistant director for Clean Energy and Materials R&D at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "By integrating the complementary strengths of computation, instrumentation, and creative modeling, this center promises to help keep America at the forefront of the materials revolution and a leader in the economically important domain of advanced manufacturing."
The new center will focus on developing the next generation of computational tools, databases and experimental techniques to enable "Materials by Design*," one of the primary goals of the administration's Materials Genome Initiative (MGI). "Materials by design" employs physical theory, advanced computer models, vast materials properties databases and complex computations to accelerate the design of a new material with specific properties for a particular application—perhaps an extremely tough, lightweight composite for auto bodies or a biocompatible cell scaffold for medicine. It stands in contrast to the traditional trial-and-error method of materials discovery (think of Thomas Edison and his dogged quest for the best lightbulb filament.)
Materials-by-design techniques have the potential to revolutionize the development of new advanced materials, which in turn have created whole industries. It's estimated that the average time from laboratory discovery of a new material to its first commercial use can take up to 20 years. The MGI aims to halve that.
The new center's work is expected to encompass both "hard" (inorganic) and "soft" (organic) advanced materials in fields as diverse as self-assembled biomaterials, smart materials for self-assembled circuit designs, organic photovoltaic materials, advanced ceramics and metal alloys.
CHiMaD will focus these techniques on a particularly difficult challenge, the discovery of novel "hierarchical materials." Hierarchical materials exploit distinct structural details at various scales from the atomic on up to achieve special, enhanced properties. An example in nature of a hierarchical material is bone, a composite of mineral and protein at the molecular level assembled into microscopic fibrils that in turn are assembled into hollow fibers and on up to the highly complex material that is "bone."
The award to the Northwestern consortium for the Center for Hierarchical Materials Design is for $5 million per year for 5 years, subject to available funds. NIST may, at its discretion, extend the award for an additional 5 years after a performance review. The Northwestern-led consortium is contributing another approximately $4.65 million to the center.
Image caption — Computer model of crack growth in a part from a helicopter rotor. Colors indicate stresses surrounding the crack (red is high and blue is low). Such computations will be a key part of CHiMaD's research. Courtesy Northwesten University.
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*"Materials by Design" is a registered trademark of QuesTek Innovations LLC.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Md., selected a consortium led by Northwestern University, Ill., to establish a new NIST-sponsored center of excellence for advanced materials research.
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Aerospace materials testing laboratory to expand capacity by 70%
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Element Materials Technology, Huntington Beach, Calif., reports that it plans to substantially increase its aerospace testing capacity by expanding laboratory facilities by 70% and adding a third shift. The new facility will enable the laboratory to further grow its stress rupture and creep testing departments, and will house over 300 test frames, more than double its current number. The new building is to have its own dedicated machine shop to improve efficiency.
With demand from the Aerospace Primes and their supply chain partners continuing to increase, Element Huntington Beach has leased a 20,000 sq ft property adjacent to its existing 30,000 sq ft site. It has also launched a third shift on weekdays and now offers services 24 hours a day, five days a week, with an additional shift on both Saturday and Sunday.
According to Colin Speedie, VP U.S. Operations, "The aerospace market is extremely buoyant at the moment, and we are anticipating it will strengthen yet further in 2014. In response to this, we have moved quickly to offer a 24-hour laboratory service. We are already seeking to double the size of the third shift in 2014."
Read the complete release.
Element Materials Technology, Huntington Beach, Calif., reports that it plans to substantially increase its aerospace testing capacity by expanding laboratory facilities by 70% and adding a third shift. The new facility will enable the laboratory to further grow its stress rupture and creep testing departments, and will house over 300 test frames, more than double its current number. The new building is to have its own dedicated machine shop to improve efficiency.
With demand from the Aerospace Primes and their supply chain partners continuing to increase, Element Huntington Beach has leased a 20,000 sq ft property adjacent to its existing 30,000 sq ft site. It has also launched a third shift on weekdays and now offers services 24 hours a day, five days a week, with an additional shift on both Saturday and Sunday.
According to Colin Speedie, VP U.S. Operations, “The aerospace market is extremely buoyant at the moment, and we are anticipating it will strengthen yet further in 2014. In response to this, we have moved quickly to offer a 24-hour laboratory service. We are already seeking to double the size of the third shift in 2014.”
Read the complete release.
Spirit AeroSystems and Norsk Titanium build aerospace titanium parts via direct metal deposition
December 4, 2013
Source: ASM International
Spirit AeroSystems Inc., Wichita, Kan., and Norsk Titanium Components AS, Norway, have reached a significant milestone in a multi-year collaboration for direct metal deposition technology. They developed an additive manufacturing technology that enables titanium components to be built up close to the final shape using titanium feedstock instead of a large titanium block. The process reduces waste, uses less energy, and is significantly faster.
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