Meridian partners with U.K. university for new magnesium manufacturing methods

January 17, 2017
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Meridian Lightweight Technologies, Plymouth, Mich., announces that Birmingham City University, England, has signed an exclusive partnership with Meridian, the world's largest producer of magnesium components, to showcase magnesium as a viable alternative for luxury car makers and the aerospace industry. The two organizations will work together in the education, research, and development of magnesium automotive applications.

Meridian's Nottinghamshire plant produces around 5000 net metric tons of die-cast products annually, serving automotive clients such as Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Ford, Honda, and Volvo.

However, being able to offer custom magnesium components for low-volume manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce, can prove costly with current manufacturing methods.

As part of the new partnership with Meridian, academics from Birmingham City University's Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment, and personnel from the company will be investigating new ways to offer more sustainable goods for low-volume manufacturers, while making production financially viable for Meridian and its potential clients.

"The strategic partnership we have signed with Birmingham City University is very much a first for us," says Meridian's Randy Chalmers. "As one the world's leading suppliers of innovative, lightweight cast metal solutions for the transportation industry, it is imperative that we remain at the forefront of the machining and casting capabilities of magnesium. Our partnership with Birmingham City University will certainly catalyze this, allowing us to benefit from its leading-edge research in the field, and ensuring that the next generation of engineers continues to experiment with new ways to utilize the metal."

For more information: Matt Height   [email protected]

Iowa State wins $2.8 million DOE grant to make ductile 6.5% Si electrical steel

October 31, 2016
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Iowa State University and its Ames Laboratory report that researchers have received a three-year, $2.8 million grant to develop a ductile electrical steel containing 6.5% silicon, twice the amount in electric motor steel today. The extra silicon increases the electrical resistivity of the material by about 50%, helping to make the motors smaller, lighter, more powerful, and more cost effective. Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Jun Cui says he thinks these motors could run at  much higher frequencies – jumping from today's 60 hertz all the way to 400 hertz —  but the alloy is currently too brittle and too expensive to make.

Therefore, the U.S. Department of Energy is supporting the work with a three-year, $3.8 million grant from the DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program. Of that, $2.8 million will support research at Iowa State. The project also includes research partners from the United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Connecticut; and the University of Delaware in Newark.

The Iowa State-Ames Laboratory researchers will study and characterize different processes for making the new electrical steel to increase ductility and reduce manufacturing costs. Prof. Cui says that the researchers are also committed to developing materials and motors that do not depend on magnets made with rare-earth materials, which are rising in cost.

"The fundamental drive for this project is that we want more cost-effective and efficient electric motors," Prof. Cui says. "In about ten years, if we're lucky, we should see a real impact of this work. We should see these motors on the road." (Image courtesy Nucor)

http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2016/09/27/electricalsteel

Harper teams with Oak Ridge to improve carbon fiber production

October 28, 2016
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Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., announces that in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, it has been awarded funding for a project through the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office's HPC4Mfg Program. The program was designed to spur the use of high-performance supercomputers to advance U.S. manufacturing via public-private partnerships.

Specifically, the Harper International/ORNL project, titled "Development and Validation of Simulation Capability for the High Capacity Production of Carbon Fiber," will focus on analysis of critical processing factors, such as temperature, gas flow, and chemical reaction, in carbon fiber production equipment. The purpose is to ensure that designs provide the necessary uniformity to produce fiber of a certain quality, output, and cost ideal for automotive applications. Results will then be validated at the pilot scale equipment designed and installed by Harper at ORNL's Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, followed by testing in a commercial production facility.

"This project allows Harper to continue its work as a champion of innovative carbon fiber processing technologies to meet the needs of future markets, such as mass automotive applications, now with access to world-class supercomputers and deeper scientific expertise," commented Dr. Prasad Apte, Director of Technology at Harper International. "We are proud to be collaborating with the pioneering thought leaders at ORNL in continuation of our strong relationship."

www.harperintl.com