Voestalpine expands capabilities to additive manufacturing of steel
October 5, 2016 Source: ASM International
The Voestalpine Group, Dusseldorf, announces that it is expanding from traditional steel manufacturing to 3D printing with the opening of an additive manufacturing research and development facility.
Continue readingOne Minute Mentor: Hardening Martensitic Stainless Steels
September 30, 2016 Source:
Certain anomalies in these steels that should be considered before specifying a heat-treating procedure are exemplified in the opposing injurious effects of the high and low extremes of austenitizing temperature, depending on the subsequent tempering temperature.
Continue readingConstellium to supply aluminum for the Peugeot 3008 compact SUV
September 28, 2016 Source:
Constellium N.V., Amsterdam, announces that it will supply aluminum crash management systems and automotive body sheet for the new Peugeot 3008 compact SUV, which will be presented to the public at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. The front crash management system includes a lower beam for enhanced pedestrian safety. Constellium will also provide aluminum coils and sheet for the inner and outer hood panels, as well as for the fenders.
Aluminum is the ideal material for crash management, as it provides superior energy absorption. This crash behavior also minimizes damage to the vehicle, which helps reduce repair costs. The bumper beam and crash boxes are extruded components, allowing Constellium to design a product that is not only lightweight, but also engineered to customer specifications in terms of size, shape, package space, and strength.
For the hood outer panel and fenders, Constellium provides material with high surface quality and specific hemming and roping properties, allowing designs with sharp lines. For the hood inner, the good formability and mechanical resistance of its alloys enable efficient processing of complex shapes.
"PSA Group has been a long-standing customer of Constellium. Our commitment to innovation enables us to develop new alloys and solutions from the new model design phase to the start of production," said Dieter Höll, Sales and Marketing Director, Constellium's Packaging and Automotive Rolled Products Business unit.
Constellium N.V., Amsterdam, announces that it will supply aluminum crash management systems and automotive body sheet for the new Peugeot 3008 compact SUV, which will be presented to the public at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.
Continue readingIpsen ships heat treating systems for aerospace, tooling, other industries
September 27, 2016 Source:
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped ten heat-treating systems to process parts for the aerospace, commercial heat treating, defense, metal injection molding and tooling industries. Among the shipments were a six-bar Global Vertical vacuum furnace and a vacuum aluminum brazing furnace with a 35-inch diffusion pump.
Also shipped were four Titan H2 furnaces – two of which were shipped with Ipsen's PdMetrics software platform for predictive maintenance. This exclusive platform helps optimize equipment performance and production efficiency. Ipsen also shipped horizontal MetalMaster and TurboTreater heat-treating systems, Titan DS (debinding and sintering) vacuum furnaces, and a custom furnace upgrade that will be used in the aerospace industry. This upgrade will help enhance furnace performance and ensure continued high-quality results.
To best support such diverse industries and needs around the world, Ipsen's Global Support Team facilitates system installations, and provides expert training, startup assistance, and 360-degree support throughout the entire lifespan of the equipment.
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped ten heat-treating systems to process parts for the aerospace, commercial heat treating, defense, metal injection molding and tooling industries.
Continue readingNucor to build $230 million cold mill complex at its Arkansas sheet mill
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Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that its Nucor Steel Arkansas division is building an additional cold mill that will expand its ability to produce advanced high-strength, high-strength low-alloy, and motor lamination steel products. The mill will cost an estimated $230 million to build, and is expected to be operational in approximately two years.
"This specialty cold mill complex supports our strategy of moving up the value chain and growing sales to the automotive market," says John Ferriola, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Nucor. "It will bring value to all of Nucor's sheet mills by expanding our capability to produce advanced high-strength steels and broadening the automotive capability of our galvanized lines at Nucor Steel Decatur and Nucor Steel Berkeley."
Ducker Worldwide estimates that four million tons of advanced high-strength and ultra-advanced high-strength steels will be used for the automotive market by 2025. The specialty cold mill complex will give Nucor the capability to produce products the company currently does not make, adding to Nucor's comprehensive product portfolio and further differentiating Nucor from its competitors. Locating the cold mill at Nucor's sheet mill in Arkansas will give the company a transportation advantage over competitors outside the region currently supplying the local market and the growing Mexican market.
Nucor Steel Arkansas employs 650 teammates. The addition of the specialty cold mill complex is expected to add approximately 100 jobs at an estimated average annual salary of $80,000.
Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that its Nucor Steel Arkansas division is building an additional cold mill that will expand its ability to produce advanced high-strength, high-strength low-alloy, and motor lamination steel products.
Continue readingNorsk to open 70,000 sq. ft. titanium additive manufacturing facility in New York
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Norsk Titanium U.S. Inc., Plattsburgh, N.Y., a subsidiary of Norsk Titanium AS, Norway, announces that in Q4 2016 it will open a nearly 70,000-sq.-ft. additive manufacturing production and training facility that will complement its new headquarters and manufacturing plant, which is currently in the design and planning phase with a targeted completion date in 2017.
The new plant features Norsk Titanium's ‘ultra lean cell' (ULC), which demonstrates a production line that turns CAD files into finished aerospace parts in a space of approximately 120 feet. The ULC showcases the 3D printing, heat treatment, nondestructive testing, and final machining of aerospace-grade titanium parts in a process time of less than 40 hours.
The facility has space for up to ten Merke IV rapid plasma deposition machines, the first of which has arrived from Norway and is in the process of being installed. Each Merke IV production machine weighs 11 metric tons, and requires several weeks to assemble. Each machine can produce approximately 20 metric tons of aerospace-grade structural titanium components per year by the rapid plasma deposition of titanium wire. The first titanium aerospace components to be produced by Norsk in Plattsburgh are planned for November 2016.
According to Norsk Titanium President & Chief Executive Officer Warren M. Boley Jr., "As the industrial scale RPD factory next door comes online during the next year or so, we will move the bulk of production there, while retaining this PDQC building as a qualification and training center as well as a showcase for our latest innovations and technology."
Norsk Titanium U.S. Inc., Plattsburgh, N.Y., a subsidiary of Norsk Titanium AS, Norway, announces that in Q4 2016 it will open a nearly 70,000-sq.-ft. additive manufacturing production and training facility that will complement its new headquarters and manufacturing plant, which is currently in the design and planning phase with a targeted completion date in 2017.
Continue readingChromium in Martensitic Stainless Steels
September 26, 2016 Source:
The interplay between chromium and carbon is further explained in the two graphs of the iron-chromium phase diagram. The iron-chromium phase diagram at (a) shows 12% chromium and (b) shows 17% chromium. Higher chromium alloys, the range over which full austenitization can occur is further restricted.
The variety of martensitic stainless steels would be very limited if only chromium and carbon were available as alloying elements, but fortunately nickel can make an important contribution. Nickel greatly expands the chromium levels and temperatures at which austenite is stable,
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Heat Treating of Martensitic Stainless Steels ⇒ Alloying
Higher chromium alloys, the range over which full austenitization can occur is further restricted. The variety of martensitic stainless steels would be very limited if only chromium and carbon were available as alloying elements, but fortunately nickel can make an important contribution.
Continue readingBodycote relocates to new Haltom City heat treatment facility
September 22, 2016 Source:
Bodycote, England, announces its plan to open a new Texas heat treatment facility near Dallas/Fort Worth, in Haltom City. The existing Fort Worth business, on Montgomery Street, will be relocated due to redevelopment of the area. A groundbreaking ceremony took place at the new location on August 26, attended by Mayor David Averitt and other Haltom City Council members.
Bodycote is in a strong position to continue supporting its supply chain partners in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, with ample capacity and a diverse set of capabilities to meet their specific needs. The new facility will hold international quality standards including Nadcap, AS9100, and ISO9001, as well as OEM approvals.
Bodycote has long served the aerospace, oil & gas, and general industrial supply chains in the Dallas / Fort Worth marketplace. The Fort Worth facility will continue to operate from its Montgomery Street location until further notice. In addition, Bodycote is expanding service offerings at its facility in Arlington, Texas. The company looks forward to continuing its investment in this market to ensure that customers experience local service with superior quality and turnaround time.
Bodycote, England, announces its plan to open a new Texas heat treatment facility near Dallas/Fort Worth, in Haltom City.
Continue readingNucor to acquire Independence Tube for its hollow structural sections
September 21, 2016 Source:
Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., has agreed to acquire Independence Tube Corp., a leading independent manufacturer of hollow structural section steel tubing, for $435 million, or approximately 6x average EBITDA over the 2013-2015 period.
"Independence Tube is a natural fit with Nucor. Their business model is similar to ours with extremely efficient manufacturing facilities and a highly variable cost structure. Our companies' cultures are also similar, sharing a belief in continuous improvement, operating efficiency, and the value of our employees," said John Ferriola, Chairman, CEO and President of Nucor. "This acquisition is another important step in our long-term strategy to increase the number of value-added products we can offer our customers.
HSS is used in a broad array of structural and mechanical applications including nonresidential construction, infrastructure, and agricultural and construction equipment. ITC has the second highest market share in HSS, selling its products primarily through service centers, which are also an important channel to market for Nucor. ITC is primarily a producer of HSS and does not focus on products for energy or other pipe and tube segments. The addition of ITC to Nucor's portfolio will allow Nucor to offer a wider selection of products to its fabricator and service center customers, and it strengthens the company's presence in the key nonresidential construction market.
ITC and Nucor are highly complementary. Nucor is installing a large-diameter tube mill at an existing facility in Iuka, Mississippi. Adding large size HSS to ITC's already comprehensive product line will create the widest product offering in North America for HSS solutions. Nucor is North America's most comprehensive provider of steel solutions to the construction and infrastructure markets, with leadership positions in plate, bar, and structural steels, as well as joist, decking, metal buildings, and rebar fabrication.
ITC operates four strategically located state-of-the-art facilities in Illinois and Alabama that annually produce roughly 600,000 tons and employ approximately 335 teammates. ITC purchases hot-rolled coil from suppliers to produce its HSS steel tubing. The company's manufacturing plants are located in close proximity to Nucor's sheet mills in Decatur, Alabama; Crawfordsville, Indiana; and Ghent, Kentucky.
www.nucor.com
Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., has agreed to acquire Independence Tube Corp., a leading independent manufacturer of hollow structural section steel tubing, for $435 million, or approximately six times the average EBITDA over the 2013-2015 period.
Continue readingWeldaloy adds aluminum aging oven to Warren facility
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Weldaloy, Warren, Mich., has added a new low-temperature aluminum aging oven to its facility in order to increase aluminum heat-treating capacity. Ovens designed specifically for aluminum can reduce cycle times and increase productivity by optimizing temperature uniformity through adequate airflow. This translates to a better product that can be made in a repeatable recipe.
"We're receiving more and more requests for large aluminum work, so we needed to add this low-temperature aluminum aging oven to be able to increase our capacity and meet production needs," says Kurt Ruppenthal, Weldaloy's vice president & general manager. "This addition will allow us to produce more parts in the same amount of time for our customers while maintaining quality."
Many of the new opportunities for aluminum work have come from the oil and gas industry and the aerospace industry, as well as from the private space sector. Weldaloy recently achieved the AS9100C certification for its Quality Management System, which has opened the door for work with more aerospace companies that require certification of their suppliers.
"We look forward to continuing to grow our aluminum capabilities to meet the increase in demand," said Mr. Ruppenthal.
Weldaloy, Warren, Mich., has added a new low-temperature aluminum aging oven to its facility in order to increase aluminum heat-treating capacity.
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