Linde to present new atmosphere mixing technology at Heat Treat 2017
September 27, 2017
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Linde LLC, Bridgewater, N.J., will detail field results on a new atmosphere mixing technology that can boost unit productivity and improve convection in heat treatment furnaces without the use of fans at Heat Treat 2017 in Columbus, October 24-27. The presentation is scheduled as follows:
"Heat Treatment with a Turbulent Twist" on Thursday, October 26, 11:30 a.m. in room A213-215. In this presentation, Akin Malas, head of metals and glass applications technology, will present three case studies of a new high-speed gas injection technology designed to improve uniformity of furnace atmospheres, which improves product quality. Heat treatment furnaces traditionally utilize circulation fans to improve convection. However, these fans are susceptible to downtime for maintenance. Linde's technology eliminates the need for fans.
At booth #2236, Linde will showcase three gas-process technologies for responding to treatment challenges:
Carbojet gas-injection atmosphere mixing technology for most types of heat treatment furnaces.
ADDvance O2 precision atmosphere monitoring of powder bed fusion processes for high-quality additive manufacturing.
Cryoflex cryogenic treatment for case hardening and other sub-zero temperature treatments.
Visitors to the booth can also take a Virtual Reality Tour through one of Linde's Air Separation Units.
Linde LLC offers a portfolio of solutions for the ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy industries, ranging from gases and equipment to services and process consulting for additive manufacturing, powder metallurgy, combustion, heat treatment and cooling.
http://bit.ly/2xAd0o0HeatTreat2017
www.lindeus.com
Linde LLC, Bridgewater, N.J., will detail field results on a new atmosphere mixing technology that can boost unit productivity and improve convection in heat treatment furnaces without the use of fans at Heat Treat 2017 in Columbus, October 24-27.
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Wallwork Heat Treating awarded Innovate UK funding to harden titanium for implants
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Wallwork Cambridge, England, has been awarded funding from Innovate UK, the government-backed sponsor of breakthrough technologies, to research the medical applications of its aircraft titanium bearing hardening technology for human implants. The technology combines its expertise in making landing gear bearings lighter and stronger, with the Agilliant process to contain tissue-damaging ion leakage and provide active protection against post-operative infection.
The company currently applies a duplex process on titanium landing gear bearings for the Airbus 350 and 380 passenger jets.
"The duplex coating process opens the way for a new generation of light, strong, safer, and more durable titanium implants," says Dr. Jonathan Housden. "The program has promise as an enabling technology that may lead to customized implants made by additive manufacturing. These will be more comfortable for the patient with fewer complications caused by post-operative infection and mechanical wear."
Early accelerated life testing to simulate years of use suggest that the joints will, in many cases, outlive the patient. It is hoped that this will lead to a $400 million annual saving for the NHS by allowing more efficient use of orthopedic resources, because rework of failed or compromised treatments will be avoided. The first human trials may be in four years with full clinical adoption in seven to ten years.
www.Wallworkht.co.uk
Wallwork Cambridge, England, has been awarded funding from Innovate UK, the government-backed sponsor of breakthrough technologies, to research the medical applications of its aircraft titanium bearing hardening technology for human implants.
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Ipsen to present four papers at ASM Heat Treat/Gear Expo in Pittsburgh
September 26, 2017
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., is to present four papers at the ASM Heat Treat/Gear Expo 2017, Oct. 24-26, in Pittsburgh. Whether you are interested in vacuum furnace maintenance and the newest developments with augmented reality, or the key considerations for upgrading existing equipment, you do not want to miss the following educational sessions:
Key Considerations When Planning to Upgrade Existing Vacuum Furnaces
Maintenance Tips for Maximizing Your Furnace's Life Span
The Predictive Maintenance Experience: PdMetrics® with Augmented Reality
Achieving Production Flexibility with Automated Multicell Systems
In addition to presenting the sessions listed above, Ipsen experts will be available to discuss any questions you have at Booth #1801.
The heat-treating industry is advancing at an accelerated pace. Make the most of ASM Heat Treat/Gear Expo 2017 by taking the time to visit the many booths, attend technical sessions, and learn from your peers.
www.ipsenusa.com
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., is to present four papers at the ASM Heat Treat/Gear Expo 2017, Oct. 24-26, in Pittsburgh.
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Thyssenkrupp and Tata Steel to combine European steel activities in 50/50 joint venture
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Thyssenkrupp, Germany, and Tata Steel, India, have signed a memorandum of understanding to combine their European steel activities in a 50/50 joint venture. Their aim is to create a leading European flat steel producer to be positioned as quality and technology leader. The new entity is set to have pro-forma sales of about $17 billion and a workforce of about 48,000, currently at 34 locations. Shipments are envisioned to be about 21 million tons a year.
To be named Thyssenkrupp Tata Steel, the planned joint venture will be managed through a lean holding company based in the Netherlands. It is to have a two-tier management structure comprising a management board and a supervisory board. Both boards are to have equal representation from Thyssenkrupp and Tata. The codetermination structures in Germany, the Netherlands, and Great Britain will be retained.
Thyssenkrupp intends to contribute its Steel Europe business to the planned joint venture. There are also plans for the joint venture to include Thyssenkrupp MillServices & Systems GmbH, a steel mill services provider that is part of the Materials Services business. Tata would add all of its flat steel activities in Europe.
Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, CEO of thyssenkrupp AG, says, "Under the planned joint venture, we are giving the European steel activities of Thyssenkrupp and Tata a lasting future. We are tackling the structural challenges of the European steel industry and creating a strong No. 2. In Tata, we have found a partner with a very good strategic and cultural fit. Not only do we share a clear performance orientation, but also we have the same understanding of entrepreneurial responsibility toward workforce and society."
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Steel says, "The Tata Group and Thyssenkrupp have a strong heritage in the global steel industry and share similar culture and values. This partnership is a momentous occasion for both partners, who will focus on building a strong European steel enterprise. The strategic logic of the proposed joint venture in Europe is based on very strong fundamentals and I am confident that Thyssenkrupp Tata Steel will have a great future."
www.thyssenkrupp.com
Thyssenkrupp, Germany, and Tata Steel, India, have signed a memorandum of understanding to combine their European steel activities in a 50/50 joint venture.
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Seco Vacuum Technologies receives orders for eight furnaces in North America
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Seco Vacuum Technologies, Meadville, Pa., the newest company in the Seco Warwick Group of companies, reports a strong initial entry into the North American vacuum heat treating market. To-date, the new company, which officially launched in early 2017, has received orders for eight new vacuum furnace systems in its first two months of existence.
According to Bill Warwick, VP of Sales for the company, orders for new, high technology vacuum furnaces "have come from the aviation industry, the U.S. military, and the commercial heat treating industry."
Mr. Warwick also announced that the company will host an open house in the second quarter of 2018. The open house will mark the opening of the company's Vacuum Technology Showroom, which will house production-scale demonstration equipment with the capability of running sample loads from customers.
www.secovacusa.com
Seco Vacuum Technologies, Meadville, Pa., the newest company in the Seco Warwick Group of companies, reports a strong initial entry into the North American vacuum heat treating market.
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Northrop Grumman to acquire Orbital ATK to expand capabilities and accelerate innovation
September 19, 2017
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Northrop Grumman Corp., Falls Church, Va., a leading global security company; and Orbital ATK Inc., Dulles, Va., a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Northrop Grumman will acquire Orbital ATK for approximately $7.8 billion in cash, plus the assumption of $1.4 billion in net debt. Orbital ATK shareholders will receive all-cash consideration of $134.50 per share. The agreement has been approved unanimously by the Boards of Directors of both companies. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2018 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and Orbital ATK shareholder approval.
According to Wes Bush, Northrop Grumman chairman, CEO, and president, "Our complementary portfolios and technology-focused cultures will yield significant value creation through revenue synergies associated with new opportunities, cost savings, operational synergies, and enhanced growth."
Orbital ATK president and CEO David Thompson says, "The unique alignment in culture and mission offered by this transaction will allow us to maintain strong operational performance on existing programs while we pursue new opportunities that require the enhanced technical and financial resources of a larger organization"
Upon completion of the acquisition, Northrop Grumman plans to establish Orbital ATK as a new, fourth business sector to ensure a strong focus on operating performance and a smooth transition into Northrop Grumman. On a pro forma 2017 basis, Northrop Grumman expects to have sales in the range of $29.5 to $30 billion based on current guidance. Northrop Grumman expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings per share and free cash flow per share in the first full year after the transaction closes, and to generate estimated annual pre-tax cost savings of $150 million by 2020.
northropgrumman.com
www.orbitalatk.com
Northrop Grumman Corp., Falls Church, Va., a leading global security company; and Orbital ATK Inc., Dulles, Va., a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Northrop Grumman will acquire Orbital ATK for approximately $7.8 billion in cash, plus the assumption of $1.4 billion in net debt.
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One Minute Mentor: Hardness Depth Profiles of Stainless Steel after Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing
September 18, 2017
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X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the hardened case consists of a mixture of expanded austenite and expanded martensite. Dissolving nitrogen into cubic martensite causes a tetragonal expansion leading to nitrogen-expanded martensite. In addition, E-carbonitride is present close to the surface. By comparing the hardness profiles in the graph, it can be concluded that nitrocarburizing generally leads to a thicker case than nitriding, and that a slightly higher maximum hardness is obtained after nitrocarburizing.
Martensitic stainless steels have been successfully nitrided and nitrocarburized. An example is given for molybdenum-stabilized AISI 420-type austenitic stainless steel 7C27Mo2.
The graph shows hardness-depth profiles after nitriding (solid lines) and nitrocarburizing (dash-dot lines) for 16 hours of 100 μm strip 7C27Mo2 (molybdenum-modified AISI 420) at the temperatures indicated. Hardness profiles were fitted assuming a sigmoidal function.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Low-Temperature Surface Hardening of Stainless Steel ⇒ Low-Temperature Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing of Other Stainless Steels
X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the hardened case consists of a mixture of expanded austenite and expanded martensite.
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Nucor to build new steel bar micro mill in Midwest or Southeast
September 17, 2017
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Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that its board of directors has approved a steel bar micro mill project, and also announces that the company is considering five states in the Midwest and Southeast as a location for the project. The states being considered include Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, South Carolina, and Florida. Nucor's board of directors also approved the expansion of its existing merchant bar operations in either Illinois or Ohio.
Nucor's bar mills are a cornerstone of the company; they have generated significant value in the past, and they are expected to generate significant value in the future. Both the micro mill project and the expansion of its merchant bar operations are part of Nucor's planned strategy for long-term profitable growth. By leveraging Nucor's existing operating abilities, these projects will maintain our position as a low-cost producer and will allow us to better serve our customers.
Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the United Sstates and Canada. Products include carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh.
Through the David J. Joseph Company, Nucor also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.
http://www.nucor.com
Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that its board of directors has approved a new steel bar micro mill project, and also announces that the company is considering five states in the Midwest and Southeast as a location for the project.
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Outokumpu Supra 316plus stainless steel reduces weight of LNG tank container by 30%
September 13, 2017
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Outokumpu Oy, Finland, announces that Finnish liquefied natural gas tank manufacturer LNGTainer has launched a new tank that brings together two innovations – LNGTainer's game-changing tank container, and Outokumpu's unique austenitic stainless steel grade, Supra 316plus (EN 1.4420, UNS S31655).
"The most revolutionary aspect of LNGTainer's new tank container is that the structure includes a lightweight, flexible inside tank, and an outside pressure vessel," says LGTainer CEO Tom Sommardal. "For the lightweight inside tank, we chose Outokumpu's Supra 316plus steel grade. With the new patented structure, we could decrease the weight of the tank by 30% and increase its capacity by 15%. Because the weight of the inside tank is significantly less than in competing tanks, the time for cooling off the inside tank is considerably shorter. The lightweight inside tank cools off faster for transport."
LNGTainer first considered aluminum for the inside tank, while Outokumpu offered Supra 316plus because of its properties. Supra 316plus has relatively better low-temperature properties compared to other similar materials. In fact, its strength and ductility only improve as the temperature drops down to the lowest measured cryogenic temperature of −196°Celsius. LNG is transported at a temperature of −164°C, and then is warmed back to gas when delivered.
"By having excellent low temperature properties, Supra 316plus enables thinner gauges, which translates as savings in weight, fuel, and energy costs, as well as a lower carbon footprint. LNGTainer's new tank container is a real breakthrough, and it demonstrates the best use of stainless steel properties in extreme conditions," says Product Manager Juha Kela at Outokumpu.
Supra 316plus has a higher chromium and nitrogen content, and less nickel and molybdenum. Thanks to the optimized composition, the grade has good corrosion resistance and its performance is superior to conventional steel grades when the temperature drops down to cryogenic temperatures. In addition, the price of the grade is competitive and stable.
www.outokumpu.com/stainless-news
Outokumpu Oy, Finland, announces that Finnish liquefied natural gas tank manufacturer LNGTainer has launched a new tank that brings together two innovations – LNGTainer’s game-changing tank container, and Outokumpu’s unique austenitic stainless steel grade, Supra 316plus (EN 1.4420, UNS S31655).
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Aspects of Precise Heat Input Control for High Frequency Welding
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High-frequency welding is a thermo-mechanical process that relies on precise heat input as well as mechanical control as strip edges are heated and forged together to produce a seam weld. Heat input can be defined as a way of characterizing the temperature distribution at the strip edges prior to forging them together. Heat input is affected by several process variables, ranging from raw material properties to welder settings and weld area setup.
These are summarized in this paper, with special attention to the effects of welder frequency, welder power, line speed, and steel alloy composition on heat input and the resulting weld quality. Frequencies in the range of 100 - 800 kHz are considered. Data from tube mills (including general data and controlled on-the-mill experiments), laboratory evaluation, and gleeble simulations are included in this paper.
Dr. Lesley D. Frame , Thermatool Corp., East Haven, CT
Mr. Kevin Davis , Thermatool Corp., East Haven, CT
Ms. Olexandra Tupalo , Thermatool Corp., East Haven, CT
Mr. Tom Ignatowski , Thermatool Corp., East Haven, CT
Mr. Mick Nallen , Thermatool Corp., East Haven, CT
Tuesday, October 24, 2017: 11:20 AM
A223-225 (Greater Columbus Convention Center)
https://asm.confex.com/asm/ht2017/webprogram/Paper43683.html
High-frequency welding is a thermo-mechanical process that relies on precise heat input as well as mechanical control as strip edges are heated and forged together to produce a seam weld.
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