Timken opens gear drive manufacturing facility in Houston
April 22, 2015
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The Timken Co., North Canton, Ohio, has opened a new 27,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art gear drive manufacturing facility in Houston. An integral part of the Timken Power Systems group, the new plant will significantly improve production efficiencies in the manufacture of Philadelphia Gear brand high-speed drives. To meet growing demand, Timken Power Systems equipped the facility with two 5-axis machines that employ gear milling technology instead of the traditional hobbing process.
These machines can carry out up to six different operations for producing helical gears, shafts, and pinions from raw material, with the potential to reduce the OE production cycle by weeks.
"The gear milling process, for example, can reduce pure machine time of a standard-sized gear from 110 hours to 25 hours," said Boyd Swearingen, general manager of the new facility, as well as Timken Power Systems' business in the Gulf Coast, Latin American and Middle East regions. The milled gear teeth are finish ground on a traditional Hofler form grinder to achieve the required AGMA 14 quality level of Philadelphia Gear drives. Before shipment, each gearbox then undergoes a full-speed no-load spin test that measures sound levels, temperatures and vibration.
"This investment represents our commitment to meet the growing demands of our energy-market customers," said Carl Rapp, vice president of Timken Power Systems. "The new facility will be able to supply customers in the power generation, oil and gas, refining and pumping industries with reliable, high-speed gearboxes to keep their pumps, compressors and generators running in some of the most challenging operating environments in the world. While low oil prices represent a near-term challenge to the industry, we expect sales for our new high-speed gear drives to continue to grow over the coming years."
Mr. Swearingen noted that in addition to the state-of-the-art equipment, the Houston facility is unique for a gear shop and incorporates ergonomic safeguards in the assembly area. "It's a very clean plant, not what you typically think of as a gear shop," Swearingen said. "In addition to the machinery being totally enclosed and EPA-compliant, all the electrical and plumbing are buried within the foundation to remove hazards and enhance the aesthetics of the facility."
www.timken.com
The Timken Co., North Canton, Ohio, has opened a new 27,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art gear drive manufacturing facility in Houston.
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Lucifer Furnaces delivers heat treating system to precision tool company
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Lucifer Furnaces, Warrington, Pa., announces that it has delivered an air recirculating oven, a salt bath pot furnace, and a quench tank to Vermont Custom Gage LLC, a subsidiary of Vermont Precision Tools Inc., Swanton Vt. The new equipment will be used in the production of small steel component parts of its measuring (gage) equipment.
The oven, a 4000 series model 48-R36 with working dimensions of 24x24x36 inches, heats to 800°F and will be used for tempering. It is insulated with 6.5-in. multi-layered lightweight firebrick and block insulation, and a roof lined with ceramic fiber modules. The oven features a stainless steel liner that isolates the workload from the heating elements and directs airflow in a horizontal pattern.
A high CFM fan assembly mounted through the oven rear wall circulates air over heating elements and back through the work chamber. The horizontal swing door is mounted with heavy duty hinges, 6 inches of insulation, and two cam latches for a secure seal. After pre-heating, parts will be loaded into the salt pot furnace, model 2055-1624, and then oil quenched in a Lucifer Quench Tank, QT-2020, complete with air mixer, heater and soak timer.
Next, the tools will be loaded into the 4000 series, model 48-R36 oven to be held at a constant temperature over a period of time to stabilize the structure of the steel.
www.luciferfurnaces.com
Lucifer Furnaces, Warrington, Pa., announces that it has delivered an air recirculating oven, a salt bath pot furnace, and a quench tank to Vermont Custom Gage LLC, a subsidiary of Vermont Precision Tools Inc., Swanton Vt.
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Ipsen ships more than 15 furnaces that can run several different heat-treating processes
April 15, 2015
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped more than 15 furnaces, including horizontal and vertical MetalMaster, Titan, TurboTreater, and VFS furnaces, as well as a vacuum aluminum-brazing furnace. Customers were in the United States, England, Canada, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Singapore. The furnaces have a variety of hot zone sizes and materials, including two vertical 84 x 84-inch hot zones.
These furnaces offered a range of different features, from being capable of meeting AMS 2750E requirements, to providing improved temperature uniformity using individual, PID-controlled heating zones and ensuring ease of system maintenance with a hinged rear service door.
This selection of furnaces was designated for use in a range of applications and industries, including Aerospace, Commercial Heat Treating, Energy, Medical and Tool and Die.
Combined with the ability to run a number of different processes, including annealing, brazing, hardening, stress relief and tempering, these shipments represent Ipsen's ability to provide sophisticated and intuitive heat-treating solutions through all-inclusive product lines. In addition, every furnace shipped by Ipsen is fully tested at vacuum and at temperature to ensure fast commissioning once it arrives at the customer's site.
With the help of Ipsen's Global Support Team – which facilitates furnace installations, as well as provides expert training and startup assistance throughout the entire lifespan of the equipment – customers can rely on Ipsen to provide 360-degree support for all of their heat-treating needs.
www.IpsenUSA.com/Products
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped more than 15 furnaces, including horizontal and vertical MetalMaster, Titan, TurboTreater, and VFS furnaces, as well as a vacuum aluminum-brazing furnace.
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Aichelin installs multi-chamber integral-quench furnace in U.S. Southwest
April 14, 2015
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Aichelin USA, Plymouth, Mich., announces that it has installed a new multi-chamber integral-quench hardening furnace cell. The recently commissioned system includes pre/post-washer, pre-oxidizing furnace, endothermic gas generator and a four-chamber gas fired I/Q furnace. The I/Q furnace has several chambers, including one loading, two high-heat neutral hardening, and one oil quench chamber.
After exiting the furnace, components are washed and tempered. The furnace system is fitted with a movable cart for loading and unloading trays for each unit.
Aichelin is a world leader in providing multi-chamber I/Q furnaces that incorporate pre-oxidizing and pre heating chambers for faster cycle times, better use of floor space, and flexibility in treating a wide range of components.
The installed cell was built in the United States and is fully automated with a SCADA system. Aichelin also provided the hoods, stacks, guarding, and turnkey installation.The customer is based in the Southwest United States, and has plans for an additional system in the future.
www.aichelinusa.com
Aichelin USA, Plymouth, Mich., announces that it has installed a new multi-chamber integral-quench hardening furnace cell.
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EFD Induction furnace chosen for heat treatment of balance shafts
April 13, 2015
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EFD Induction Inc., Madison Heights, Mich., announces that a global supplier of engine, steering, and chassis components has selected a HardLine VM 500EFD furnace for hardening balance shafts. The vertical hardening system, which will be installed at a plant in Pune, India, is powered by a Sinac 60/80 generator. The machine also features a CNC-based control system and a closed-loop cooling system.
HardLine is our range of stationary heat treatment systems for surface- and through-hardening. The HardLine family includes vertical, horizontal centerless and customized machines—and serial and/or parallel compensated induction power sources with a wide range of output power and frequencies
"Balance shafts are subjected to extreme conditions," says Kiran Deyannavar of EFD Induction India. "The hardening process for this critical component must satisfy stringent quality standards."
The company has to date installed thousands of heating solutions for a vast range of industrial applications—bringing the benefits of induction technology to many of the world's leading manufacturing and service companies. EFD Induction has manufacturing plants, workshops, and service centers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
www.efd-induction.com
EFD Induction Inc., Madison Heights, Mich., announces that a global supplier of engine, steering, and chassis components has selected a HardLine VM 500EFD furnace for hardening balance shafts.
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Constellium invests $40 million to expand automotive structures plant in Michigan
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Constellium N.V., New York, has invested $40 million to expand its plant in Van Buren, Mich., which produces customized automotive structures and which features advanced prototyping and development capabilities. The 210,000 ft.2 expansion project has doubled plant manufacturing capacity for a total investment.
"Through the newly expanded Van Buren plant, we are now well-positioned to take full advantage of the growing automotive demand for aluminum structures in North America," said Pierre Vareille, Chief Executive Officer of Constellium.
"Van Buren is an ideal location," commented Paul Warton, President of Constellium's Automotive Structures and Industry business unit. "Its proximity to the automotive industry in Detroit enables us to work closely with our OEM customers and suppliers to ensure our products meet customized, precise specifications and performance expectations."
Constellium's expansion in Van Buren has created over 200 new jobs, enabling the industrial facility to reach a total of 370 full-time employees.
www.constellium.com
Constellium N.V., New York, has invested $40 million to expand its plant in Van Buren, Mich., which produces customized automotive structures and which features advanced prototyping and development capabilities.
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Zeiss provides scanning electron, stereo, and digital microscopes to ECR Engines
April 8, 2015
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Zeiss, Germany, announces an expansion of its multi-year partnership agreement with ECR Engines, Welcome, N.C., a subsidiary of Richard Childress Racing. The company develops and builds Chevrolet engines for numerous teams, including RCR's seven full-time teams. ECR is using the latest Zeiss EVO MA25 scanning electron microscope for material analysis studies, the Zeiss Stereo Discovery.V20 stereo microscope, and the ZEISS Smartzoom 5 digital microscope for imaging larger parts, and a confocal light microscope for measuring surface roughness and 3D-topographical characterization.
"We are proud of this new partnership with Zeiss, the leader of the microscopy industry," said Jim Suth, Quality Manager and Engineer for ECR. "Having access to the latest advanced, analytical technology will be an asset and provide us a distinct advantage that will undoubtedly translate to success on the race track."
ECR will use the microscopes for quality control, research and development, and failure analysis work. Data obtained by using these analytical tools will allow engineers to be completely confident in their decision making on both new part acceptance and failed part corrective actions. The work is being carried out as part of the company's ongoing implementation of cleaner components, stronger raw materials and higher performing lubricants. Engineers have found that ever-increasing demands on engines for power and fuel economy places greater pressure on various critical engine components, which can cause premature wear and/or fatigue. Occurrences of premature wear and fatigue can lead to catastrophic failure, resulting in the race team having to exit the race.
ECR will use the newest version of ZeissVO MA25 to study these different types of component wear and material fatigue. The SEM is equipped with Zeiss SmartBrowse software for particle analysis and report generation. As an essential part of the EVO workflow, Zeiss SmartBrowse provides an interactive map of the entire sample. By providing in-context visualization of all optical and SEM images in data layers, SmartBrowse greatly improves post image analysis and provides an innovative and striking data review method.
www.zeiss.com
Zeiss provides scanning electron, stereo, and digital microscopes to ECR Engines.
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Despatch upgrades its LAC benchtop oven, streamlines manufacturing process
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Despatch Industries, Minneapolis, Minn., announces that its engineers have streamlined the manufacturing process for the Despatch LAC Benchtop Oven, reducing shipping time to three days or less, and within a week if standard options are added. The oven was also redesigned with the controls, heater, and fan now moved from the bottom to the top for better ergonomics and more convenient service access.
The oven interior has been upgraded to 304 stainless steel. Despatch is also offering the LAC in a standard Class A (NFPA 86) model for processing flammable solvents or removing large amounts of moisture. This model includes a pressure relief panel, purge timer, exhaust fan, and advanced safety circuitry.
The LAC benchtop oven features horizontal recirculating airflow and exceptional temperature uniformity of ±2.5˚C at temperatures up to 500ºF (260ºC). A high-volume fan circulates air through perforated, stainless steel walls to create a constant horizontal airflow across all sections of the oven.
It has an advanced Protocol 3 microprocessor-based temperature and hi-limit controller with large LCD display and real time clock for auto start capability. The LCD display shows temperature readings along with clear, detailed information on oven status. Data-logging functionality enables reporting and analyzing and data files can be exported via the controller's USB port. Modbus RS485 communications are included for easy data access and Ethernet communication is available
www.despatch.com
Despatch Industries, Minneapolis, Minn., announces that its engineers have streamlined the manufacturing process for the Despatch LAC Benchtop Oven, reducing shipping time to three days or less, and within a week if standard options are added.
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Linde launches combustion and heat treatment R&D center in China
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The Linde Group, Houston, has launched a combustion and heat treatment center in Suzhou, China, for development of new combustion and heat treatment applications and solutions in China and the Asia Pacific region. Its purpose is to facilitate research and development work in metallurgy, steel, iron, nonferrous, mining, and heat treatment industries. It also has an R&D demonstration facility for closer customer interactions when designing solutions specific to their needs.
The Linde Combustion Centre will drive R&D initiatives in partnership with metal and glass industries and research institutes to develop green combustion technologies and improve heat treatment processes.
Oxyfuel technology is state of the art in many industries because using oxygen instead of air as an oxidizer reduces flue gas volumes by 70%. The energy that is taken out by the flue gas can be significantly reduced. Applying oxygen in industrial combustion processes can save 30 to 60% of the fuel input compared to air fuel operation. Global competitive pressures, "greenhouse" gas emissions, and high energy prices force metal and glass industry to optimize energy usage and reduce overall operating costs. Oxyfuel combustion and process technology can be applied to meet these objectives.
"As a leading global technology company, sustained research and development is vital to Linde's long-term business success, and the success of our customers. Intelligent gas applications can increase energy efficiency, improve product quality, lower emission and advance safety, " says Dr. Christian Bruch, Member of the Executive Board, The Linde Group.
Linde also has a strong position in European heat treatment industry as an application technology provider. As a traditional gas supplier, Linde is active in supporting customers through process consulting, problem solving and participating process improvement projects. Now, Linde is leveraging the efforts to China market, and the setup in the Suzhou Centre can demonstrate to the potential customers the best operational practice of safe gas supply and robust application techniques of multiple product families in the heat treatment field, especially for carburising, sintering and cryogenic processes.
www.linde-us.engineering.com
The Linde Group, Houston, has launched a combustion and heat treatment center in Suzhou, China, for development of new combustion and heat treatment applications and solutions in China and the Asia Pacific region.
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IBC Engineered Materials to supply Beralcast imaging system components to Kaman
April 7, 2015
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IBC Advanced Alloys Corp., reports that its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, IBC Engineered Materials Corp., Wilmington, Mass., has received a purchase order from Kaman Corp. to supply Beralcast beryllium-aluminum imaging system components for U.S. naval and foreign military tactical aircraft. Beralcast alloys are ideally suited for many ae rospace applications for which low density and high modulus are critical performance factors.
Production on the new contract has begun, with the first components scheduled for delivery in fiscal 2015.
Beralcast alloys are three times stiffer with 22% lower density than aluminum. Beralcast alloys can be an engineered substitute for aluminum, magnesium, titanium, metal matrix composites, pure beryllium, or powder-metallurgy beryllium-aluminum materials in the appropriate applications.
"IBC-EMC has extensive experience in high-performance optical targeting systems in which weight savings and high modulus are critical performance factors," said Ray White, IBC EMC President. "Our Beralcast castable alloys are ideally suited to these kinds of specialized precision applications and can uniquely offer defense and aerospace contractors cost-effective solutions compared to more traditional machined components."
Kaman Corporation was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., where it conducts business in the aerospace sector and distribution markets. The company produces and distributes a wide range of proprietary aircraft bearings and components and complex metallic and composite aero-structures for commercial, military and general aviation fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Kaman Corp. operates globally through a network of more than 200 offices and has over 5000 employees.
www.ibcadvancedalloys.com
IBC Advanced Alloys Corp., reports that its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, IBC Engineered Materials Corp., Wilmington, Mass., has received a purchase order from Kaman Corp. to supply Beralcast beryllium-aluminum imaging system components for U.S. naval and foreign military tactical aircraft.
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