SecoWarwick brazing system to produce aluminum heat exchangers for race cars
March 1, 2017
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SecoWarwick, Meadville, Pa., announces that a complete controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB) system will be installed in a C & R Racing (USA) facility for the production of high-performance aluminum heat exchangers.
"The addition of this equipment is an important step in PWR Performance Products' global strategy to expand our reach into the North American market with the new C & R Racing technology," says Kees Weel, CEO and Managing Director, PWR Performance Products. "We purchased our first SecoWarwick brazing line 15 years ago for our facility in Australia as part of our overall manufacturing strategy to keep all operations in house for optimum quality control over all of our products. The Seco Warwick brazing technology has operated with the reliable performance that we demand to produce high quality product."
SecoWarwick will provide a complete CAB manufacturing cell that will include an inline dry-off oven and a radiation braze CAB furnace system equipped with patented Accubraze process control technology. Installation is scheduled for the third quarter of 2017.
A SecoWarwick Radiation CAB System is an ideal method for brazing similar size products in a continuous flow environment. The furnace is designed to use a stainless steel muffle to contain the nitrogen atmosphere and provide uniform heating of the products. The heat input into the furnace chamber is proportionally controlled to heat the muffle, which in turn heats the products. Product results are consistently high, and fully automated material handling provides maximum efficiency with minimal operator intervention.
www.secowarwick.com
SecoWarwick, Meadville, Pa., announces that a complete controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB) system will be installed in a C & R Racing (USA) facility for the production of high-performance aluminum heat exchangers.
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SSI vacuum controller enables complete process traceability for Spectrum furnace
February 28, 2017
Source: ASM International
Spectrum Thermal Processing, Cranston, R.I., recently retrofitted a Super Systems (SSI) Series 9220 Vacuum Controller onto a CI Hayes vacuum oil quench furnace.
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Team Penske and Stratasys partner for 3D printing of tooling and parts
February 23, 2017
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Stratasys, Minneapolis, announces that it will partner with Team Penske to provide state-of-the-art 3D printing solutions to create manufacturing tooling and car parts as well as to rapidly generate engineering prototypes. Under the new technical alliance, Stratasys will also provide technical support to Team Penske for customized motorsports applications and materials engineering.
"Our strategic partnership with Stratasys should keep our manufacturing and engineering processes at the front of the pack," said Team Penske President Tim Cindric. "Stratasys is on the cutting edge of additive manufacturing technology for automotive applications. Utilizing their equipment and technical support will provide us with another means to put our ideas on the race track first."
Stratasys plans to highlight its new partnership with Team Penske by engaging with its customers through tours of the team's facility, technical talks and product demonstrations designed to showcase the company's unique solutions and offerings.
"We are proud to be a part of Team Penske and look forward to working with them over the coming years to drive their NASCAR and IndyCar teams to victory," said Rich Garrity, President Americas at Stratasys. "Stratasys additive manufacturing solutions are being increasingly adopted by the world's top motorsports teams and manufacturers. The engineering-grade quality, high throughput and wide choice of materials our 3D printing solutions provide are a perfect fit for the customized tools and innovative part designs our automotive customers demand."
www.stratasys.com
Stratasys, Minneapolis, announces that it will partner with Team Penske to provide state-of-the-art 3D printing solutions to create manufacturing tooling and car parts as well as to rapidly generate engineering prototypes.
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One Minute Mentor: Nitriding Potential
February 17, 2017
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The nitriding potential controls the amount of nitrogen in the metal. The graph shows the atomic concentration of nitrogen as a function of nitriding potential (Kn) and depth.
The nitriding potential controls the amount of nitrogen in the metal. The graph shows the atomic concentration of nitrogen as a function of nitriding potential (Kn) and depth.
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CompuCore expands controls retrofit options for vacuum heat treating systems
February 16, 2017
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., introduces CompuCore, a competitively priced option for controls retrofits available for installation on most brands of vacuum heat-treating systems. These newly enhanced controls reduce the potential for human error and maximize uptime, allowing users to achieve greater efficiencies.
The controls software package is a cost-effective option for those who want to automate their manual system with the latest technology. It helps users gain comprehensive control of all furnace functions, while also achieving repeatable throughput and results.
CompuCore features five main screens, which allow operators to monitor and control operations – including viewing and editing an entire recipe – while it monitors and controls vacuum levels and temperatures. Other key features:
Capability to meet applicable AMS 2750 requirements
Greater control over temperature uniformity with DigiTrim and DigiPID heat-zone control (five temperature ranges each)
Ability to easily create, edit, store, and execute process recipes be means of a menu-driven screen that shows the entire recipe
www.IpsenUSA.com/CompuCore
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., introduces CompuCore, a competitively priced option for controls retrofits available for installation on most brands of vacuum heat-treating systems.
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Solar Atmospheres adds new furnace with 5×10-6 Torr vacuum and all-moly hot zone
February 15, 2017
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Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Hermitage, recently added a state-of-the-art vacuum furnace with an all-molybdenum hot zone having dimensions 24 x 24 x 36 inches. The all-stainless steel chamber rated at 2500°F is equipped with an oversized pumping system. Unlike other vacuum furnaces, this pumping system has a series of isolation valves that concentrate the critical vacuum levels within the location that matters most – the vacuum chamber.
This furnace was built exclusively for the critical materials often encountered in the aerospace, medical, and semiconductor arenas that are sensitive to vacuum levels and the potential contact of carbon particles. To enhance the unshielded processing of critical parts at vacuum levels lower than 5x10-6 Torr without any contamination, Solar Atmospheres will construct an environmentally controlled room surrounding this furnace. The room will feature tightly controlled temperature, humidity, and positive pressure, which will aid in eliminating water vapor, dust, and debris concerns. New and clean dedicated fixturing will be used exclusively for this furnace, never leaving the premises.
According to Bob Hill, President of Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, "This brand new furnace and environs will enable us to guarantee bright clean work while eliminating the safety hazard of handling razor sharp stainless steel foils. Now that this furnace is fully operational, in 2017 we look forward to adding the MedAccred medical accreditation to our ever expanding list of approvals. I would like to thank our sister company Solar Manufacturing for designing and constructing this outstanding, pristine furnace that will enable us to produce parts that will significantly add even more value to our customer's operations."
www.solarwpa.com
Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Hermitage, recently added a state-of-the-art vacuum furnace with an all-molybdenum hot zone having dimensions 24 x 24 x 36 inches.
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Heavy Carbon president awarded patent for Endocarb carburizing system
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The Heavy Carbon C., Pittsford, Mich., announces that its president, George Barbour, has been awarded a patent for "A method of carburizing which allows a carburizing process in a furnace at high temperatures in a protective atmosphere." Called Endocarb, the primary function of this method is soot control, with an atmosphere flow providing constant low methane (CH4 ) to produce a strong reaction for a high quality atmosphere regardless of carbon-potential set point
This method is said to carburize at a carbon potential well into the soot range, while maintaining a controllable carbon potential with stable CH4. This stability maintains a constant reaction, cracking an air/gas mix in a self-heated retort to a temperature of 1825°F before entry into the furnace. The high carbon potential penetrates the steel surface at a rate up to 30% faster, saving time and money while producing higher quality parts. The system can be added to existing furnaces or built into a furnace at the time of manufacture.
In addition to the speed at a higher carbon potential at high temperatures, the atmosphere will also penetrate lower-grade steels at lower temperatures without using ammonia to raise the hardness (HRC). The air/gas mix is cracked in a retort outside the furnace to form the atmosphere, and is heated at the same high temperature of 1825°F before entry into the furnace. In this manner, the low furnace temperature does not hinder the reaction that must take place in the furnace.
Soot control takes place simultaneously while the carburizing cycle is in operation; therefore, no time is lost to clean soot from the furnace, instead of taking furnace time to remove soot and clean the furnace, loads can be run instead. Time is money and soot burnout takes time. Because less time is required per load, less gas and power is wasted, resulting in more cost savings.
www.heavycarbon.com
The Heavy Carbon Company, Pittsford, Mich., announces that its president, George Barbour, has been awarded a patent for “A method of carburizing which allows a carburizing process in a furnace at high temperatures in a protective atmosphere.”
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Air Products installs nitrogen supply system for Boeing composite-wing autoclave
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Air Products, Lehigh Valley, Pa., recently installed an advanced nitrogen supply system at Boeing's new 777X Composite Wing Center in Everett, Washington. The nitrogen will be supplied to the world's largest autoclave, where it will create the inert atmosphere and rapid pressure required to form and cure large carbon fiber composite wings for Boeing's new 777X commercial jetliners.
"Boeing is a leader in their industry, and we are excited to build on our existing relationship by playing a part in the fabrication of the world's largest carbon fiber composite wings for their newest commercial jetliner,"
"Air Products has extensive experience in supplying the aerospace industry, particularly with autoclaves, says Paul Householder, vice president‒Western Region Americas for Industrial Gases at Air Products. "We appreciate Boeing's confidence in our ability to provide them with a reliable supply of high-quality nitrogen for this very critical application."
The advanced nitrogen supply system includes three 15,000-gallon liquid tanks and a steam sparged water bath vaporization system. Boeing's assembled wings are placed into the autoclave, which is closed, sealed, and flooded with nitrogen at specific flow rates, pressures and temperatures to purge out oxygen and create the atmosphere required for the curing process. This project represents the third major autoclave project Air Products has completed with Boeing in the last three years.
www.airproducts.com/aerospace.
http://www.airproducts.com
Air Products, Lehigh Valley, Pa., recently installed an advanced nitrogen supply system at Boeing’s new 777X Composite Wing Center in Everett, Washington.
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QuesTek receives Tibbetts Award for Integrated Computational Materials Engineering
February 10, 2017
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QuesTek Innovations, Evanston, Ill., announces that it was invited to the White House in early January to accept the U.S. Small Business Administration 2016 Tibbetts Award. This prestigious award is presented to small businesses, organizations, and individuals who have demonstrated excellence in leveraging Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to generate measurable impact through technological innovation, technology transfer, business impact, and product commercialization.
The 2016 Tibbetts Award was presented to 37 small businesses, and QuesTek was specifically recognized for its unique contributions to the field of Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) and President Obama's Materials Genome Initiative.
QuesTek received its first SBIR-funded project in 2001, and has since been awarded over $30 million across a total of 93 projects, all of which have focused on the modeling and design of novel materials.
QuesTek's reported commercialization value ranks it in the 95th percentile of all SBIR recipient companies. SBIR funding (from DOD, DOE, DARPA and NASA) has enabled QuesTek to create more than 30 jobs; transition its ICME technology and a team of engineers to a leading Silicon Valley consumer electronics corporation; form a joint venture with Thermo-Calc Software in Sweden to expand its ICME offerings into the European market; and enter into a strategic partnership with a major U.S.-based company to design and commercialize game-changing alloys.
Under SBIR-funded projects, QuesTek designed and commercialized two ultra-high performance steels: Ferrium M54 steel and Ferrium C64 steel. Ferrium M54 steel was successfully qualified and transitioned into the U.S. Navy T-45 fleet for the safety-critical hook shank component application, and is bringing an estimated $3 million in savings to the Navy based on an order of 60 components. Ferrium C64 steel is being qualified by Bell Helicopter and Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin for next generation helicopter transmissions, replacing lower-performing steels and allowing for significant increases in power density.
Both of these steels have received U.S. patents and are commercially available through a license agreement from leading specialty steel producer, Carpenter Technology.
www.questek.com
QuesTek Innovations, Evanston, Ill., announces that it was invited to the White House in early January to accept the U.S. Small Business Administration 2016 Tibbetts Award.
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Carpenter buys Puris for its titanium powder capabilities
February 6, 2017
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Carpenter Technology Corp., Philadelphia, announces that it has agreed to purchase substantially all of the assets and business of Puris LLC, a producer of titanium powder for additive manufacturing and advanced technology applications. The assets and business to be acquired include Puris' titanium powder operations and business, additive manufacturing assets, patents, and related intellectual property.
"This acquisition will provide Carpenter with immediate entry into the rapidly expanding titanium powder market, and is consistent with our strategic focus on strengthening our leadership position in important growth areas," said Tony Thene, Carpenter's President & CEO. "Puris brings industry leading technology and processes for the production of titanium powder, additive manufacturing part production capabilities, a talented team, attractive intellectual property, and established customer relationships. The strengths of Puris, coupled with Carpenter's reputation as an industry leading producer of premium alloys and our global commercial reach, will allow us to further deliver on the growing needs of our customers."
As a result of the transaction, which cost $35 million, Carpenter will enter the titanium powder market significantly earlier than previously planned, and will reduce its planned fiscal year 2017 capital expenditures by approximately $20 million.
Operations will continue at the existing site, which is well positioned for future expansion and will operate as a functional unit of Carpenter Powder Products, complementing Carpenter's existing broad portfolio of well-established powder metallurgy portfolio.
According to Stephen Peskosky, Vice President of Corporate Development at Carpenter, "The addition of titanium powder to Carpenter's existing capabilities is significant due to the current and anticipated demand increases from the additive manufacturing industry, which produces mission-critical parts supplied to Aerospace and Medical markets, as well as other markets."
www.cartech.com
Carpenter Technology Corp., Philadelphia, announces that it has agreed to purchase substantially all of the assets and business of Puris LLC, a producer of titanium powder for additive manufacturing and advanced technology applications.
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