Bodycote opens new plants in Georgia and South Carolina
January 12, 2016
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Bodycote, U.K., announces two new heat treatment plants in the southeastern United States: Covington, Ga., and Greenville, S.C. The Covington plant will open in Spring 2016 to replace the nearby Conyers facility. Primarily serving automotive and general industrial customers, the new plant will be more than double the size of the existing Conyers facility, immediately increasing capacity to serve the Georgia and Florida marketplaces.
The Greenville plant is a new Nadcap-accredited facility that will serve the region's aerospace manufacturing supply chains. It is scheduled to be operational mid-2016 and provides further expansion opportunities to install additional key services in response to customer demand.
These new facilities are part of Bodycote's investment and expanded services strategy to serve the diverse range of industries in the Southeast United States.
Through heat treatment, metal joining, surface technology, and hot isostatic pressing, Bodycote improves the properties of metals and alloys, extending the life of vital components for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, defense, automotive, power generation, oil & gas, construction, medical and transportation.
www.bodycote.com
Bodycote, U.K., announces two new heat treatment plants in the southeastern United States: Covington, Ga., and Greenville, S.C.
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One Minute Mentor: Relation Between Tempering Temperature and Hardness
January 8, 2016
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The graphs show the relation between tempering temperature and hardness for D2 and D3 tool steels. Steels were austenitized in an air furnace; a recirculating pit-type furnace was used for tempering. The curves represent steel from three suppliers. An average of five hardness measurements were made on each specimen from each supplier. Specimens were 25 mm (1 in.) in diameter and 38 mm (1.5 in.) long.
It can be seen that certain steels exhibit higher hardness after being tempered at about 540°C (1000 °F) than after being tempered at temperatures 55 to 110°C (100 to 200°F) lower. This reversal in the usual relationship is known as secondary hardening and is caused by transformation of retained austenite and the precipitation of fine alloying carbides during tempering at the higher temperatures, near 540 °C (1000 °F).
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels -> Tool Steels -> Heat Treating of Cold-Work Tool Steels -> Medium-Alloy Air-Hardening, High-Carbon High-Chromium and High-Vanadium-Powder Metallurgy Steels -> Recommended Heat Treating Practices
The graphs show the relation between tempering temperature and hardness for D2 and D3 tool steels.
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Seco-Warwick retrofits mesh belt furnace to increase productivity by 40%
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Seco-Warwick, Meadville, Pa., announces that a major U.S.-based manufacturer is improving efficiency by retrofitting its mesh belt furnace originally commissioned by Seco-Warwick nearly 20 years ago. The goal of the project is to increase productivity 40% by fully automating the material handling system that moves small forgings from the forge press into the furnace with minimal operator intervention.
In addition to an improved loading rate, the mesh belt will be updated to reduce scrap rates. During an initial evaluation, it was also determined that the cooling efficiency could be improved by replacing the original water-cooled carbon steel chamber with a newly designed stainless steel chamber that will resist corrosion, speed cooling, and extend the useful life of the equipment.
Seco-Warwick will provide the engineering, fabrication and commissioning of a stainless steel cooling chamber, improved mesh belt design and a fully automated loading system from their Meadville, PA facility. The system is scheduled for operation by May 2016.
www.secowarwick.com
Seco-Warwick, Meadville, Pa., announces that a major U.S.-based manufacturer is improving efficiency by retrofitting its mesh belt furnace originally commissioned by Seco-Warwick nearly 20 years ago.
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Reliance acquires Tubular Steel for its specialty steel products
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Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, has acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Tubular Steel Inc. ("TSI"), St. Louis. TSI stocks over 60,000 tons and ships over two million custom-cut lengths of pipe, tubing, and bar products annually from its seven service centers across the United States. TSI will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., and current management will remain in place.
"Tubular Steel is a strong company with a respected position in the market and we are very excited for TSI to join the Reliance family of companies," commented Gregg Mollins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance. "The addition of Tubular Steel, with specialty, high margin products, fits our growth strategy of investing in higher returning businesses, while expanding our product breadth and end market diversification. Energy is an important end market for Tubular Steel. Although current activity levels are lower than normal in this area, we are confident in the long term strength of the energy market and Tubular Steel's ability to benefit during the recovery."
www.rsac.com
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, has acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Tubular Steel Inc., which stocks over 60,000 tons and ships over two million custom-cut lengths of pipe, tubing, and bar products annually.
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Nucor Steel Louisiana DRI Plant to resume operations
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Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that its direct reduced iron (DRI) plant in Louisiana will resume operations by the end of January. The plant temporarily suspended production at the end of last year for planned maintenance, and the company decided not to resume production at that time based on market conditions. Nucor's raw materials strategy is built on flexibility, with the company constantly evaluating the market for the lowest cost raw material inputs at the quality levels customers need. Changes in the raw materials market led to the decision to restart plant operations.
Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Products include carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; 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. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, 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.
www.nucor.com
Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that its direct reduced iron (DRI) plant in Louisiana will resume operations by the end of January.
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Lindberg/MPH ships gas-fired aluminum stack melting furnace to marine supplier
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Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped a gas-fired aluminum stack melting furnace to a leading supplier in the marine industry. The industrial furnace was modified to hook directly to the customer's existing melting furnace to provide additional melting capacity and efficiency.
The customer requested a system that would increase melt rate, enhance safety, and improve efficiency with state of the art process control. Lindberg/MPH took the customer's request and designed a stack melting system to attach to the customer's existing melting furnace via a short and enclosed launder connection trough. The two manually operated doors on adjacent sides allow for easy access to the melting chamber for cleaning. The laser charge stack level control monitors material level in the stack for maximum efficiency. A service technician provided by Lindberg/MPH will perform supervision during the installation period and perform onsite start-up and training.
The stack melt zone of the industrial furnace consists of a sloped charging stack that helps to minimize impact damage from ingot or large heavy scrap. Instead of falling directly onto the impact zone, it slides and tumbles to the bottom of the charging stack. At the intersection of the stack and hearth, the metal begins to melt. Additional material that is charged in the stack is preheated until the metal below it becomes molten and runs off the hearth through the flanged connector into the separate customer-supplied melting and holding furnace.
"At Lindberg/MPH we work with our customers to provide the most efficient solutions to their production needs," said Lindberg's Andrew Paul." For this customer, hooking into their existing equipment was the most effective solution to increase their melting capacity. This furnace provided the flexibility to increase their melting capacity by adding to their existing equipment instead of installing an entirely new furnace."
www.lindbergmph.com
Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped a gas-fired aluminum stack melting furnace to a leading supplier in the marine industry.
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One Minute Mentor: Tool Steel Tempering Practices
January 4, 2016
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Multiple tempering is effective in decreasing the amount of austenite retained in A and D steels and is a common practice in heat-treating them. The general precautions and tempering practices outlined for O steels are also followed for the A and D steels.
However, because most of the steels in groups A and D (except A4, A5, and A6) soften less rapidly than the group O steels with an increase in tempering temperature, as shown in the graph, higher tempering temperatures can be used for the A and D steels. A minimum tempering temperature of 205°C (400°F) is a common requirement for A2, A7, and D steels. Tempering temperatures as high as 550°C (1025°F) are frequently used, and even higher temperatures are used for special requirements.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels -> Tool Steels -> Heat Treating of Cold-Work Tool Steels -> Medium-Alloy Air-Hardening, High-Carbon High-Chromium and High-Vanadium-Powder Metallurgy Steels -> Recommended Heat Treating Practices
Multiple tempering is effective in decreasing the amount of austenite retained in A and D steels and is a common practice in heat-treating them.
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Ipsen AvaC two-chamber gas/oil furnace doubles carbon availability
January 1, 2016
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped an AvaC (acetylene vacuum carburizing) two-chamber gas/oil quench vacuum furnace to a facility in Connecticut, where it will be used to process sports equipment. This horizontal-loading furnace utilizes oil or 2-bar gas quenching, as well as low-pressure carburizing. It features a graphite hot zone dimensions of 24 x 36 x 24 inches, with a 1000-pound load capacity.
The AvaC process produces twice the carbon availability as traditional carburizing agents, resulting in excellent carbon transfer into the parts. It also has the advantage of producing an oxidation-free surface microstructure while allowing complex-geometry components to be evenly carburized.
This was one of more than 25 furnaces recently shipped around the globe for a variety of applications and industries. The remaining shipments were comprised of Titan furnaces, including Titan DS and Titan LT (low-temperature) furnaces, as well as horizontal and vertical MetalMaster, TurboTreater, VFS, Global Vertical, Horizontal External Quench, Liquid/Gas Oil Quench and vacuum aluminum brazing vacuum furnaces.
The equipment was sent to international customers in Canada, China, England, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, as well as sites within the U.S., covering a range of 15 different states.
www.ipsenusa.com
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped an AvaC (acetylene vacuum carburizing) two-chamber gas/oil quench vacuum furnace to a facility in Connecticut where it will be used to process sports equipment.
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Leco hardness testing system includes advanced image recognition
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Leco Corp., St. Joseph, Mich., introduces the AMH55 hardness testing system with advanced image-recognition technology, which allows analysis of information not available with limited threshold-based methods. The system measures impressions in specimens having various surface conditions, including scratched/etched/unevenly illuminated surfaces.
Leco's unique Cornerstone brand software enables complete control over analysis parameters, method settings, calibrations, reporting, and more. A touch-screen interface with automatic software capabilities, such as simultaneous auto alignment and auto parfocal adjustment, delivers increased speed, ease of use, and repeatability.
Highlights of the AMH55 include automated instrument operation, which combines the tasks of sample testing, measuring, converting, and documenting into one automated instrument. Advanced image recognition technology broadens the measuring capabilities on various types of sample surfaces. An optional advanced analysis module further details the analysis with a color hardness and contour map feature, as well as auto indent placement.
www.leco.com
Leco Corp., St. Joseph, Mich., introduces the AMH55 hardness testing system with advanced image-recognition technology, which allows analysis of information not available with limited threshold-based methods.
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High-strength magnesium-lithium alloy weighs half as much as aluminum
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The University of New South Wales and Monash University, Australia, announce that a team of researchers has developed a high-strength magnesium-lithium alloy with density of 1.4 g/cm3, 50% less than aluminum and 30% less than magnesium. The researchers have shown that the alloy forms a protective layer of carbonate-rich film upon exposure to air, making it immune to corrosion. The finding is published online in the 19 October edition of Nature Materials.
Prof. Michael Ferry, of UNSW's School of Materials Science and Engineering, says that the excellent corrosion resistance of the alloy was observed by chance, when the team noticed that a heat-treated sample in a beaker of salt water showed no corrosion after several hours. Normally magnesium would have been extensively corroded.
The researchers then designed a magnesium-lithium alloy of specific composition together with a processing sequence consisting of hot extrusion, heating and water quenching, low-temperature aging, and cold rolling.
"This is the first magnesium-lithium alloy to stop corrosion from irreversibly eating into the alloy, as the balance of elements interacts with ambient air to form a surface layer which, even if scraped off repeatedly, rapidly reforms to create reliable and durable protection," says Prof. Ferry.
The UNSW team partnered with scientists on the Powder Diffraction beamline at the Australian Synchrotron, to confirm that the alloy contains a unique nanostructure that enables the formation of a protective surface film.
Prof. Nick Birbilis (shown in the photo), School of Materials Science and Engineering at Monash University, says viewing unprecedented structural detail of the alloy through the Australian Synchrotron will enable the team to work toward commercializing the new metal.
‘We're aiming to take the knowledge gleaned at the Australian Synchrotron to incorporate new techniques into the mass-production of this unique alloy in sheets of varying thickness, in a standard processing plant," Prof. Birbilis said.
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/discovery-%E2%80%98stainless-magnesium%E2%80%99-could-herald-transport-revolution
http://monash.edu/news/show/monash-university-researchers-co-discover-revolutionary-new-ultra-light-magnesium-alloy
The University of New South Wales and Monash University, Australia, announce that a team of researchers has developed a high-strength magnesium-lithium alloy with density of 1.4?g/cm3, half as much as aluminum and 30% less than magnesium.
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