Constellium and UACJ joint venture to open aluminum sheet plant
September 21, 2016
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Constellium N.V., Paris, and UACJ Corp., Japan, announce the official opening of their new manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to supply aluminum automotive body sheet to the North American automotive industry under their joint venture, Constellium-UACJ ABS LLC.
The strategically-located 225,000 square foot facility will house an initial capacity of 100,000 metric tons. It has secured its metal supply with both partners' rolling mills. With cutting-edge equipment and technologies, the facility expects to offer a flat rolled product portfolio for a wide range of applications including closure panels, as well as body structures. The plant is currently in qualification phase, with ramp-up planned over the next two years. As of today, the line is essentially committed with orders from leading automotive OEMs in North America.
"Today's opening represents a significant step towards securing our position as a leading player in the fast growing North American automotive body sheet market," said Simon Laddychuk, Chief Executive Officer of the joint venture. "Constellium and UACJ's combined industrial legacy and best-in-class assets, as well as our leading position in innovation with the opening of a new R&D hub in Plymouth, Mich., position the joint venture to be the partner of choice for North American automotive OEMs."
"The opening of the first North American automotive body sheet finishing line with our partner UACJ, is an important milestone in our goal to become a global leader in aluminium automotive solutions," added Jean-Marc Germain, Chief Executive Officer of Constellium. "As a one-stop shop, Constellium is well-positioned to provide automotive OEMs with innovative rolled and extruded products, which lighten vehicle weight, while offering exceptional performance characteristics."
www.constellium.com
Constellium N.V., Paris, and UACJ Corp., Japan, announce the official opening of their new manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to supply aluminum automotive body sheet to the North American automotive industry under their joint venture, Constellium-UACJ ABS LLC.
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One Minute Mentor: Martensitic Stainless Steels
September 16, 2016
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A stainless martensitic alloy should have the following characteristics:
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It must have at least 10.5% chromium to qualify as stainless, and even more for better corrosion resistance.
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It should be fully austenitic at some temperature.
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The temperature at which austenite forms on heating should be sufficiently high to permit tempering above the temper embrittlement range.
These criteria are somewhat challenging to meet. The two graphs show iron-chromium phase diagrams at two low-carbon levels.
The figure on the left shows that at low-carbon (0.05%) levels, austenite is stable up to about 12% chromium, above which some δ-ferrite tends to be stable at all temperatures below the melting point.
Increasing carbon slightly, to 0.1%, shown on the right, expands the chromium level at which the steel becomes fully austenite.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Heat Treating of Martensitic Stainless Steels ⇒ Alloying
A stainless martensitic alloy should have the following characteristics:
• It must have at least 10.5% chromium to qualify as stainless, and even more for better corrosion resistance.
• It should be fully austenitic at some temperature.
• The temperature at which austenite forms on heating should be sufficiently high to permit tempering above the temper embrittlement range.
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Collaborative robot integrated into induction heating improves uniformity
September 14, 2016
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Ambrell Corp., Scottsville, N.Y., introduces what is said to be the world's first induction heating collaborative robot or "cobot," a programmable machine that performs a variety of repetitive tasks. Called Max by Ambrell, the cobot is integrated into the induction heating process for optimized production flow, increased yields, and greater uniformity.
According to Tony Mazzullo, President and CEO, "With the Max cobot heating solution, fast set-up times, intuitive programming, space-saving footprints, and significantly lower safety requirements will reduce the amount of time and labor required to meet production targets. Additionally, customers seeking ways to improve their competitive position will recognize a fast payback period coupled with a high return on investment."
Jeff Kramer, Director of Product Management at Ambrell and the MAX project team leader, stated, "With the flexibility, portability and cost-effectiveness of cobots in the manufacturing sector, Ambrell recognized how cobot-assisted automation could be designed and engineered into the heating process, especially for high mix, low volume production."
The announcement took place at IMTS in Chicago, which is North America's largest manufacturing trade show with more than 2000 exhibitors and attendance estimated to exceed 115,000 at this year's event.
www.ambrell.com
Ambrell Corp., Scottsville, N.Y., introduced the world’s first induction heating collaborative robot or “cobot,” a programmable machine that performs a variety of repetitive tasks.
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Siemens acquires Materials Solutions for superalloy additive manufacturing
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Siemens AG, Germany, has acquired a majority stake (85%) in Materials Solutions Ltd., England, for its capabilities in additive manufacture of superalloy parts. Materials Solutions is a pioneer in the use of selective laser melting technology for the production of high-performance metal parts. A specialty of the company is making turbomachinery parts, particularly for high-temperature applications in gas turbines, where accuracy, surface finish, and the highest quality of the materials is critical to ensure operational performance.
According to Willi Meixner, CEO of Siemens Power and Gas Division, "With the acquisition of Materials Solutions, we are able to secure world-leading expertise in materials and additive manufacturing process development with focus on high-temperature superalloys. The company's strength is to turn models into high-quality components in record time. Clearly Materials Solutions fits perfectly within our vision for growth and application of advanced technologies within our Power & Gas portfolio."
Founded in 2006, Materials Solutions has proven applications in demanding fields such as aerospace, power generation, and motor sports. "Materials Solutions is developing the applications knowhow and a supply chain for the world's most advanced engineering companies," says Carl Brancher, CEO of Materials Solutions. "We deliver processes and precision parts from 3D CAD models, using software, lasers, and metal powders." Materials Solutions will continue to focus on supporting external customers in those highly demanding environments in order to continuously drive and leverage innovations across different industries.
Siemens uses AM technology extensively for rapid prototyping, and has introduced serial production solutions for rapid manufacturing of small fuel mixers and for rapid repair of burner tips for mid-size gas turbines. Siemens in Finspång, Sweden, already started using Additive Manufacturing technology in 2009 and opened a production facility for metal 3D printed components in February 2016. This investment was the first step in the company's plans for mass manufacture and repair of metal parts with Additive Manufacturing. The first 3D printed burner component (shown in the photo) for a Siemens heavy-duty gas turbine is in successful commercial operation in a power plant in Brno, Czech Republic.
Additive manufacturing is a process that builds parts layer-by-layer from sliced CAD models to form solid objects. Recent advancements in the technology have enhanced the potential of additive manufacturing for fully manufactured production parts. Fiber lasers are now available with enough power to melt high performance metal alloys to manufacture gas turbine or jet engine parts.
www.energy.siemens.com/hq/en/services/industrial-applications/additive-manufacturing.htm
Siemens AG, Germany, has acquired a majority stake (85%) in Materials Solutions Ltd., England, for its capabilities in additive manufacture of superalloy parts.
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Solar Atmospheres forms Vacuum Pump Services Corporation
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Solar Atmospheres, Souderton, Pa., announces the formation of Vacuum Pump Services Corp., a service center in which skilled technicians will repair, rebuild, recondition, and service all brands of vacuum pumps. Prior to servicing, all pumps will be disassembled and inspected thoroughly to provide an accurate quote.
The new company will be operated by Bob Sandora, Vice President of Operations, a longtime Solar Atmospheres employee with over 40 years of mechanical vacuum pump experience; and Steve MacInnes, Manager of Operations, with 15 years of mechanical vacuum pump experience.
According to William R. Jones, CEO of the Solar Atmospheres family of companies, "We know vacuum pumps: when to have the pumps serviced, and how to service them correctly. This is the base reason for establishing our own organization. We have also serviced pumps for other organizations, even including our competitors. So we are eager to share our knowledge and expertise, and to offer our services broadly across industry."
The photo shows Steve MacInnes, Manager of Operations, final testing a Stokes mechanical pump – torn down, repaired, and tested with a helium mass spectrometer
www.vacpumpservices.com
Solar Atmospheres, Souderton, Pa., announces the formation of Vacuum Pump Services Corp., a service center in which skilled technicians will repair, rebuild, recondition, and service all brands of vacuum pumps.
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ASM Appoints New Managing Director
September 13, 2016
Source: ASM International
The ASM International Board of Trustees announces the appointment of William T. (Bill) Mahoney as Managing Director effective immediately.
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Bodycote acquires Nitrex Metal Technologies for precision gas nitriding
September 12, 2016
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Bodycote, Macclesfield, England, announces that it has acquired Nitrex Metal Technologies, which specializes in precision gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing in both batch and continuous processes.
Nitrex potential-controlled gas nitriding and potential-controlled gas nitrocarburizing heat treatment technologies are applied in industries such as precision parts, automotive, aluminum extrusion, defense, gears, tool & die, plastics, machinery, and many others. Continuous gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing are unique in the industry and are particularly suited to high-volume automotive work.
The addition of Nitrex Metal Technologies to the Bodycote Group broadens the range of thermal processing services that Bodycote offers. These services range from conventional atmosphere heat treatments such as batch IQ, vacuum, and induction, to more exotic specialty technologies such as LPC, BoroCote, and Corr-I-Dur.
According to Dan McCurdy, President of Bodycote Automotive and General Industrial Heat Treating in North America and Asia, "Nitrex Metal Technologies is a great addition to the Bodycote Group. Along with the rest of Bodycote's existing service offerings, this acquisition really cements our position as the go-to expert source for all things nitriding."
www.bodycote.com
Bodycote, Macclesfield, England, announces that it has acquired Nitrex Metal Technologies, which specializes in precision gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing in both batch and continuous processes.
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Chromium Nitride in Duplex Stainless Steels
September 9, 2016
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Because of the use of nitrogen as an alloying element in these stainless steels, chromium nitrides (CrN) may be present on α/α grain boundaries, on γ/α boundaries, and within the α grains. If formed in large quantities and under conditions in which the chromium-depleted areas do not have time to repair themselves during annealing, the presence of CrN may adversely affect corrosion resistance.
However, because higher nitrogen promotes more γ- phase, which has a high solubility for nitrogen, most modern DSS steels seldom contain significant amounts of CrN. Furthermore, duplex stainless steels are made with very low carbon content, so that carbide formation to a detrimental extent is not usually a concern. The only exceptions to this are the very lean grades, such as S32101, S32022, and S82011, which can lose corrosion resistance and toughness due to carbide and nitride formation. This is most likely to occur in the 1130 to 1475°F range.
With these very lean grades, the rate of formation of intermetallic compounds is sufficiently slow that the phases most likely to cause a loss of properties are the carbides and nitrides. The kinetics of carbide and nitride formation is similar to that of σ/χ precipitation in the 2205 grade.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Heat Treating of Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steels ⇒ Duplex Stainless Steels
Because of the use of nitrogen as an alloying element in these stainless steels, chromium nitrides (CrN) may be present on ?/? grain boundaries, on ?/? boundaries, and within the ? grains. If formed in large quantities and under conditions in which the chromium-depleted areas do not have time to repair themselves during annealing, the presence of CrN may adversely affect corrosion resistance.
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Strong scandium-aluminum-magnesium powder-metal alloy designed for 3D printing
September 7, 2016
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Airbus Group APWorks GmbH, Germany, in cooperation with Airbus Group R&D, has developed Scalmalloy, a high-performance scandium-aluminum magnesium powder metal alloy designed for additive manufacturing of high-strength aerospace structures. In addition to its high strength, Scalmalloy is also very tough, and has exceptional high-fatigue properties.
Scalmalloy is corrosion-resistant, and combines the low weight of aluminum with specific strength approaching that of titanium. In comparison, the AlSi10Mg aluminum silicon powder, widely used for additive manufacture, is only half as strong.
Airbus Group's continued work in AlMgSc alloy technologies has resulted in development of the second-generation Scalmalloy. The maximum profile cross-sections for parts depend on the billet size, with possible diameters up to 15-18 inches. Scalmalloy provides robust solutions when high specific strength and exceptionally high corrosion resistance are needed – while also offering the additional advantages of robust manufacturing chains and low-cost production schemes. Additionally, it has the highest microstructure material stability for "low carbon footprint" applications.
This unique combination makes the alloy especially interesting for high-performance applications in the robotics, automotive, and aerospace industries. Together with the design freedom provided by metallic 3D printing, products can also have levels of functionality that were previously unattainable.
http://www.apworks.de/en/scalmalloy/
Airbus Group APWorks GmbH, Germany, in cooperation with Airbus Group R&D, has developed Scalmalloy, a high-performance scandium-aluminum magnesium powder metal alloy designed for additive manufacturing of high-strength aerospace structures.
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Sandvik super-duplex stainless steel selected for prototype boat
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Sandvik Materials Technology, Sweden, announces that its Sandvik SAF 2507 high-strength super-duplex stainless steel has been selected for Project P16 Prototype, an innovative 56-foot prototype boat being built by Swedish Steel Yacht AB. The aim of the project is to evaluate an entirely new technology for constructing more efficient, stronger, and maintenance-free vessels. On completion, the new boat can potentially open up a whole new market for vessels of this type. The prototype boat is aimed to be used by the Coast Guard and sea-rescue services, or as a civilian transport boat.
The new boat will be built of high-strength, maintenance-free stainless steel under a partnership agreement signed by Swedish Steel Yachts AB (SSY), Sandvik Materials Technology, AGA Gas, Saab, and Scania CV.
Sandvik SAF 2507 (UNS S32750) is a super-duplex stainless steel; a high-alloy duplex steel with a PRE (pitting resistance equivalent) value of min. 42. The grade is characterized by very good resistance to chloride corrosion, combined with very high mechanical strength. Sandvik SAF 2507 is particularly suited for service in aggressive environments such as warm chlorinated seawater and acidic, chloride-containing media.
"This is a very exciting development and evaluation project between four major Swedish companies," says Pasi Kangas, Head of Research and Development at Sandvik Materials Technology. "it could solve several key challenges in the boatbuilding industry, by providing more efficient, safer, and greener boats in the future."
The shipping industry currently accounts for a substantial portion of air and sea environmental impact around the world. This is a key factor in the design of the new boat, which requires less material, thereby lightening the vessel and reducing fuel consumption. In addition, the shipbuilding material, Sandvik's advanced steel Sandvik SAF 2507, is 100% recyclable stainless steel and will not need to be painted with poisonous antifouling paint, as is the case with traditional shipbuilding materials.
The vessel will be delivered in the first quarter of 2017 and is being built in Gävle, Sweden, by SSY. On completion, the vessel will be used mainly by Saab and based in Karlskrona.
www.smt.sandvik.com
Sandvik Materials Technology, Sweden, announces that its Sandvik SAF 2507 high-strength super-duplex stainless steel has been selected for Project P16 Prototype, an innovative 56-foot prototype boat being built by Swedish Steel Yacht AB.
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