Alcoa forged aluminum fan blade to fly on P&W jet engine
July 16, 2014
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announced at the Farnborough Air Show that it has signed a ten-year, $1.1 billion agreement with Pratt & Whitney for state-of-the-art jet engine components. Alcoa will supply key parts for Pratt & Whitney's engines, including the forging for the first ever aluminum fan blade for jet engines.
Its advanced gear system allows the fan to rotate at a slower speed and the hot section to operate at higher speeds, optimizing the running conditions of both. The large, lightweight fan moves more than 90% of the air around the core, delivering a very quiet engine with very low fuel burn. The larger fan diameter also opens the door to materials beyond titanium and composites.
The forging was developed for Pratt & Whitney's PurePower engines using an advanced aluminum alloy and a proprietary manufacturing process. Also for the PurePower engines, Alcoa is developing a fan blade forging using its most advanced aluminum-lithium alloy.
Alcoa plans to use aluminum and aluminum-lithium from its facilities in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Lafayette, Ind., for the front fan blades, which will be produced via proprietary manufacturing processes at its plant in Cleveland, Ohio. Several of Alcoa's facilities, including La Porte, Indiana; Whitehall, Michigan; Dover, New Jersey; and Wichita Falls, Texas, will supply the blades, vanes, and structural components, produced using nickel-based superalloys and titanium as well as aluminum.
www.alcoa.com
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announced at the Farnborough Air Show that it has signed a ten-year, $1.1 billion agreement with Pratt & Whitney for state-of-the-art jet-engine components.
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Notre Dame and General Electric to collaborate on gas turbine R&D facility
July 9, 2014
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The University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., and General Electric Power & Water, Schenectady, N.Y., announce plans to work together to build a $36 million research and test facility with the goal of making better massive gas turbines used by aircraft, power plants, and the oil and gas industry. The facility will have five test bays that will allow researchers to simulate full-scale engine operating environments. The turbo machines run under high stress and temperatures so hot that the metal would melt if not for the proper technology.
The partnership, which also includes the city, the state of Indiana, and a private equity firm, is expected to create research opportunities for Notre Dame and other universities, technological advances for GE and other companies, and economic development for South Bend.
GE has committed $13.5 million to fund research and testing for five years, while Notre Dame plans to contribute $7.5 million and the city of South Bend is contributing $4.4 million. The state of Indiana, through the Indiana Economic Development Corp., is providing up to $600,000 in training grants and up to $2 million in infrastructure assistance. Indiana Michigan Power will invest $2 million in a new substation.
"Trying to make turbines work more efficiently and more reliably takes an incredible commitment of scientists and engineers to keep pushing the boundaries — new materials, new cooling technology, new ways to put the pieces together mechanically," said Rick Stanley, vice president and chief technology officer for GE's Power and Water business. "Part of this facility is going to be dedicated just to that, pushing into the next generation."
Construction is scheduled to begin this summer at a technology park south of downtown South Bend that once was the site of the Studebaker Corp., which closed in 1963.
Great Lakes Capital is providing about $6 million for construction of the 43,000-square-foot building. Notre Dame plans to lease about 25,000 square feet of the building. Jeff Smoke, Great Lakes Capital's director of development, said the company hopes related businesses will move in to the rest of the building.
http://www.nd.edu/turbomachinery/
The University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., and General Electric Power & Water, Schenectady, N.Y., announce plans to work together to build a $36 million research and test facility with the goal of making better massive gas turbines used by aircraft, power plants, and the oil and gas industry.
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Alcoa to acquire Firth Rixson for its aerospace forging capabilities
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Firth Rixson, a global leader in aerospace jet engine components, from Oak Hill Capital Partners, for $2.85 billion in cash and stock. Firth Rixson currently holds the number one global position in seamless rolled jet engine rings, engineered from nickel-based superalloys and titanium, and is a major supplier of jet engine forgings. Through Firth Rixson, Alcoa enters into a highly specialized segment of jet engine forgings that require isothermal forging technology.
Isothermally forged parts are increasingly required in jet engines that use elevated turbine temperatures to maximize power output, drive fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Demand for large isothermal aerospace engine disks is expected to triple in the next eight years driven by strong aerospace build rates.
Firth Rixson has a strong portfolio of world-class assets that complements and deepens Alcoa's penetration of the growing aerospace market. Firth Rixson has gained share in each successive generation of engine platforms through its strong market position in rings and significant investment in isothermal forging. It is also one of the world's leading suppliers of vacuum melted superalloys used to make aerospace, industrial gas turbine, oil and gas products, and structural components for landing gear applications.
Firth Rixson recently entered this segment with the development of the state-of-the art Savannah, Georgia facility, which includes a 19.5k ton isothermal press and a 33k ton conventional forge press for other large aerospace components.
Approximately 75 percent of Firth Rixson's revenues in 2013 were from the aerospace industry, with the balance split between other markets such as industrial gas turbine, commercial transportation and oil and gas, complementing Alcoa's growth markets.
www.alcoa.com
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Firth Rixson, a global leader in aerospace jet engine components, from Oak Hill Capital Partners, for $2.85 billion in cash and stock.
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AFC-Holcroft batch furnace customized for Specialty Steel Treating
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AFC-Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that Specialty Steel Treating is adding a new Universal Batch Quench integral quench furnace to its facility in Fraser, Mich. The UBQ batch furnace, size 36 by 48 by 36 inches, is equipped with a top cool chamber, which offers additional cooling capacity for a variety of processes. The new furnace will be serviced by a new, double-ended Universal Batch Transfer Car, which will be delivered in the same timeframe. Both pieces will be integrated with furnace equipment already in production.
As a supplier of both standard and custom equipment, AFC-Holcroft customized their standard equipment designs to meet several specific requests from Specialty Steel Treating. The new UBQ furnace will meet all of the requirements established in AMS2750E for a Class 2, Instrument Type C furnace system. Both nitrogen and endothermic gas will be delivered to the top cool system on the UBQ. The rail spacing was also adjusted on both the UBQ and the UBTC to accommodate the customer's existing tray designs.
www.afc-holcroft.com
AFC-Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that Specialty Steel Treating is adding a new Universal Batch Quench integral quench furnace to its facility in Fraser, Mich.
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CMI Industry to provide furnace to develop new heat treatments for aerospace alloys
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CMI Industry Groupe, Belgium, parent company of CMI Industry Americas, Salem, Ohio, announces that it will provide a heat treatment furnace at the Advanced Forming Research Center in Glasgow, Scotland, to carry out a range of combustion tests to develop new metal processing techniques for aerospace alloys. A single furnace can be equipped with multiple atmospheres to allow processing of many products in a single furnace. The furnace can be heated by various means: direct gas fired, gas-fired radiant tubes, or electric elements. It can be equipped with jet cooling to allow for varied control of cooling rates required for different processes.
The Advanced Forming Research Center was founded by global aerospace companies such as Boeing, Rolls Royce, and Timet. The objectives are to develop methods of fabrication and processing that will improve the performance of aerospace structures.
CMI Industry has also been chosen by Areva for the modernizing of the heat treatment line of CEZUS Rugles (Eure, France), dedicated to zirconium metallurgy. CMI intervention will increase the performance of the line, especially at the cooling chamber. CMI Industry is supporting the design and implementation of this modernization and relies on teams from CMI Services for dismantling and reassembly of equipment. The upgraded line will begin in August 2014.
http://www.cmigroupe.com/en/contact ; [email protected]
CMI Industry Groupe, Belgium, parent company of CMI Industry Americas, Salem, Ohio, announces that it will provide a heat treatment furnace at the Advanced Forming Research Center in Glasgow, Scotland, to carry out a range of combustion tests to develop new metal processing techniques for aerospace alloys.
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25th AeroMat Conference Features Tuskegee Airman
June 27, 2014
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The 25th AeroMat Conference and Exposition, held June 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., featured a theme of "the latest word in aerospace materials." The well attended conference offered forward looking plenary sessions, multiple presentations about additive manufacturing, and more than 200 papers on topics ranging from aluminum, magnesium, and titanium to high-strength steels, high-temperature alloys, and thermomechanical processing.
As part of the festivities, ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio, and Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI), Pittsburgh, partnered to put on an outstanding VIP reception featuring Lieutenant Colonel Leo Gray, one of 27 remaining Tuskegee Airmen from World War II. Gray shared some very interesting, funny, and personal stories from his time flying P-51 Mustangs over Germany, during nearly four years of active duty. Several tales involved combat missions, downing of German aircraft, and the oppressive racial prejudice so prevalent during the 1940s. Many audience members asked questions and encouraged Gray to keep telling stories, which he gladly did. As a parting gift, ASM and ATI gave away custom prints of a P-51 aircraft drawing made by aviation artist Ernie Boyette and signed by Lt. Col. Gray.
The catered event was enjoyed by all attendees and serves as a stark reminder of why aerospace innovation remains such an important endeavor. For more information, visit asminternational.org and atimetals.com.
Image caption - Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Leo Gray (left) with Phil Morton of ATI.
The 25th AeroMat Conference and Exposition, held June 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., featured a theme of “the latest word in aerospace materials.”
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MGI strategic plan released for public comment
June 25, 2014
Source: ASM International
The National Science and Technology Council’s subcommittee on the MGI released for public comment a draft of its first strategic plan, to serve as a roadmap for Federal agencies as they execute on the initiative vision going forward.
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Alcoa to expand investment casting of superalloy jet engine blades
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that it is investing $25 million at its Alcoa Power and Propulsion facility in Hampton, Virginia, to scale up its enhanced equiax investment casting technology. Alcoa will add equipment for a new production line and modify existing machinery at the Hampton facility to produce nickel-base superalloy jet-engine blades that weigh 20% less and significantly improve aerodynamic performance.
Alcoa developed this enhanced equiax investment casting following five years of research and development. The technology involves preheating the ceramic molds to a temperature below the metal solidification temperature, so that when the mold is filled the solidification rate can be controlled. Made primarily of nickel-based superalloys, the lighter and more aerodynamically efficient blades can be used to retrofit existing or build next-generation aircraft engines. The casting facility in Hampton is the leading producer of complex investment cast turbine airfoils for the industrial gas turbine industry, as well as large nickel and titanium structural castings for aerospace engines.
The Company will use the latest in advanced manufacturing technology such as robotics and digital x-ray for enhanced product inspection. The expansion will begin this month and is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2015. The Company expects to add at least 75 new, full-time employees over three years.
http://www.alcoa.com/hampton
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that it is investing $25 million at its Alcoa Power and Propulsion facility in Hampton, Virginia, to scale up its enhanced equiax investment casting technology.
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Vac Aero vacuum furnace with six-bar argon-nitrogen quench system shipped to aerospace manufacturer
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Vac Aero International Inc., Burlington, Ontario, announces that it has shipped a VAV 7260 HV-6 vertical bottom loading vacuum furnace with a work chamber 72 in. diameter by 60 in. high to an aerospace manufacturer. The furnace includes a high-vacuum pumping system and a six-bar argon and nitrogen quench system designed to incorporate unique performance features. The cooling nozzle configuration and location have been engineered to improve gas penetration into the workload, gas velocity, and cooling speed.
The energy-efficient graphite hot zone is capable of processing temperatures up to 2400°F. The heavy duty hearth is constructed with quickly removable rails of pure molybdenum capable of handling distributed loads up to 4000 lb. The furnace operating system is based on VAC AERO's versatile HC900 interactive hybrid control package with SCADA and complete network integration capabilities and remote monitoring and control.
www.vacaero.com
Vac Aero International Inc., Burlington, Ontario, announces that it has shipped a VAV 7260 HV-6 vertical bottom loading vacuum furnace with a work chamber 72 in. diameter by 60 in. high to an aerospace manufacturer.
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Seco-Warwick presents “Low-Pressure Carburizing of Pyrowear Alloy 53” at AeroMat 25
June 24, 2014
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Engineers from Seco-Warwick, Poland, discussed a low-pressure-carburizing simulator dedicated to Pyrowear Alloy 53 at AeroMat 25. The simulator is said to provide an accurate carbon-concentration profile in the layer, or it can determine the process parameters required to produce the required profile. Pyrowear Alloy 53 is characterized by high surface hardness and abrasion resistance, while maintaining a ductile core able to transmit high-impact loads. Pyrowear Alloy 53 components can function at elevated temperatures and with limited lubrication.
The foundation for heat treatment of such parts is case hardening, based on surface carburizing. The presentation described the low pressure carburizing technology developed for Pyrowear products. It discussed themethods ofr forming various carbon concentration profilesin the layer, and its effect on the hardness profile. It also considered the impact of sub-zero treatment and tempering processes on the properties of the case.
www.secowarwick.com
Engineers from Seco-Warwick, Poland, discussed a low-pressure-carburizing simulator dedicated to Pyrowear Alloy 53 at AeroMat 25.
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