VPC and Liquidmetal sign agreement to grow amorphous metal technology
May 28, 2014
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Liquidmetal Technologies Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., announces that it has signed an amended sublicense agreement with Visser Precision Cast LLC (VPC) in which Liquidmetal is freed from its commitment to use VPC as its exclusive contract manufacturer, and VPC is freed from its commitment to use Liquidmetal as its exclusive sales and R&D channel. The new agreement provides both companies with the flexibility to pursue independent sales and manufacturing strategies needed to rapidly grow the market for amorphous metal products.
"We are pleased to have reached this agreement with VPC, as we believe it is in the best interests of both companies," said Tom Steipp, President and CEO of Liquidmetal. "Under the new agreement, Liquidmetal is able to enter into contracts with other manufacturers to serve a broad array of specialized industries and geographies. We expect a network of manufacturers to leverage their customer relationships to readily identify promising applications, and to leverage their quality certifications and qualified supplier status to rapidly qualify parts for production."
According to Ryan Coniam, President of VPC, "The agreement between Liquidmetal and VPC is a big step forward for both companies. VPC has made substantial investments in its amorphous metal casting technology and we have proven the promise of this technology for several high-value applications."
Under the terms of the amended sublicense agreement, VPC will have rights to manufacture, market, and sell amorphous metal products directly to customers, and it will retain a license to the full portfolio of technology developed by Liquidmetal that exists as of the date of the agreement.
Liquidmetal will have rights to contract with manufacturers of its choosing, and it will retain exclusive rights to any technology that Liquidmetal develops after the date of the agreement. The companies will work together to complete certain projects that VPC currently is manufacturing for Liquidmetal customers, and the companies may choose to work together in the future on a project-by-project basis.
Liquidmetal Technologies Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., announces that it has signed an amended sublicense agreement with Visser Precision Cast LLC (VPC) in which Liquidmetal is freed from its commitment to use VPC as its exclusive contract manufacturer, and VPC is freed from its commitment to use Liquidmetal as its exclusive sales and R&D channel.
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Ford heat treatment nearly doubles strength of aluminum parts in Ford F-150
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Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., says that the aluminum door panels and box panels in its new Ford F-150 pickup truck are more resistant to dents than the previous steel panels. The reason is said to be the high-strength 6000-series aluminum alloys in the panels, which are heat treated using proprietary technology "that nearly doubles the strength." Starting with the signature fully boxed frame, Ford engineers increased the use of high-strength 70,000-psi steel from 23% to 77% of the frame. This improves stiffness and durability while reducing weight. The new frame is up to 60 pounds lighter than the previous frame.
Thanks to its high-strength military-grade aluminum-alloy body, coupled with the high-strength steel frame, the all-new F-150 is nearly 700 pounds lighter, resulting in increased towing and hauling capability and better efficiency.
"Our objective was to find materials that allowed us to design the truck to be as tough – or tougher – than the current model, yet could help it be hundreds of pounds lighter for better capability and fuel economy," said Pete Friedman, manager, Ford manufacturing research. "Out of all the materials we tested, we carefully selected only certain grades of aluminum that met our high performance standards in all of our tests, while allowing us to trim hundreds of pounds from the truck."
Ford engineers have also filed patent applications for spot welding methods, adhesives, and hydroforming.
www.media.ford.com.
Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., says that the aluminum door panels and box panels in its new Ford F-150 pickup truck are more resistant to dents than the previous steel panels.
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Solar Atmospheres certified for liquid penetrant inspection testing
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Solar Atmospheres, Hermitage, Pa., announces that it has been certified by Nadcap for fluorescent liquid penetrant inspection. In this process, a liquid penetrant is uniformly applied to the part, allowed to remain for a pre-determined length of time, and then washed away. The part is then air dried by passing through a controlled temperature dryer, and slowly advanced through a darkroom where fluorescent lighting and magnification are used to identify crack locations. Cracked parts are rejected and segregated, and the customer is notified.
The company has been continuously Nadcap NDT certified since 2009. The original certification resulted primarily from an audit of current inspection work on major aerospace structural parts.
As a nationally recognized, Nadcap-certified vacuum heat treater, Solar Atmospheres, with three plants across the United States, has numerous third party quality certifications as well as many prime certifications. This renewed certification recently awarded to the Hermitage plant covers a process where fluorescent light is used to check for cracks immediately following heat treating.
The company also recently passed, with merit status, a Nadcap heat treating audit, an accomplishment not common among heat treaters. Merit status allows Solar to go 24 months before their next Nadcap Heat Treat audit. "Achieving Nadcap accreditation is not easy: it is one of the ways in which the aerospace industry identifies those who excel at manufacturing quality product through superior special processes. Companies such as Solar Atmospheres of Western PA go above and beyond achieving Nadcap accreditation to obtain Merit status and they should be justifiably proud of it," said Joe Pinto, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Performance Review Institute.
www.solaratm.com
Solar Atmospheres, Hermitage, Pa., has been certified by Nadcap for fluorescent liquid penetrant inspection.
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Advanced High-Strength Steels Application Guidelines Version 5.0 published by World Auto Steel
May 19, 2014
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WorldAutoSteel, Brussels, Belgium, has launched the Advanced High-Strength Steels Application Guidelines (AHSS Guidelines) Version 5.0, the largest and most comprehensive update since its first publication in 2004. Previous versions covered metallurgy, forming, and joining. Version 5.0 includes new content highlighting the broader materials portfolio, advanced fabrication technologies, and optimized joining processes.
The AHSS Guidelines are available free of charge at worldautosteel.org to aid automakers and manufacturers in applying the latest in lightweighting with steel.
"These guidelines are the leading AHSS information resource for engineers and press shop personnel," said Ronald Krupitzer, vice president, automotive market for the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute. "It represents the steel industry's strong commitment not only to produce new generation steels, but to assist automakers in actively applying them."
Applications of the latest steels will proliferate during the next 10 years as auto manufacturers seek to achieve improved safety and fuel economy requirements for their customers. Current vehicles have not nearly exhausted the breadth of AHSS grades available that can achieve lightweighting targets at less cost and five to 20 times less production emissions than alternative materials.
This rapid increase in demand requires users of AHSS to quickly learn the basics about AHSS and acquire specific application knowledge. AHSS Guidelines Version 5.0 gathers that knowledge and experience in two volumes. Volume I includes metallurgy, forming and joining. Volume II includes over 200 pages of case studies, which demonstrate actual manufacturing practices.
www.worldautosteel.org
WorldAutoSteel, Brussels, Belgium, has launched the Advanced High-Strength Steels Application Guidelines (AHSS Guidelines) Version 5.0, the largest and most comprehensive update since its first publication in 2004.
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MMFX’s ChromX 4100 high-strength reinforcing steel provides up to 60% cost savings
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MMFX Steel Corp. of America, Irvine, Calif., has been named as a finalist in American Metal Market's annual Awards for Steel Excellence for its high-strength reinforcing steel, ChromX 4100. This high-strength (100 ksi) rebar allows structures to be designed and built with up to 40% less steel, resulting in up to 60% cost savings in steel fabrication and placement labor.
The unique steel technology used in the manufacture of ChromX 4100 results in a low-carbon martensitic steel microstructure with high ductility. Unlike common carbon steel rebar, which loses ductility as strength is increased, ChromX 4100 maintains excellent ductility and can be fabricated like conventional reinforcing steel.
"We are honored to have ChromX 4100 recognized as a finalist for the Awards for Steel Excellence," said Tom Russo, MMFX CEO. "MMFX developed ChromX 4100 specifically to meet the growing demand for reasonably priced high-strength reinforcing steels for large construction projects when high corrosion resistance is not required."
MMFX introduced ChromX 4100 at a lower cost than its popular, more corrosion-resistant MMFX2 rebar to meet the market's need for high-strength steels when corrosion is less of an issue, such as in the high-rise commercial market.
Grade 100 ChromX 4100 steel is available in various sizes of reinforcing steel (rebar), smooth rounds, and flats. It is sold in North and South America by MMFX Steel Corporation of America and in the Middle East by MMFX Steel DMCC.
http://www.mmfx.com/
MMFX Steel Corp. of America, Irvine, Calif., has been named as a finalist for American Metal Market’s annual Awards for Steel Excellence for its high-strength reinforcing steel, ChromX 4100.
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Element Materials lab expands Nadcap accreditation for testing aluminum
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Element Materials Technology's laboratory in Daleville, Ind., has significantly expanded the scope of its Nadcap accreditation for aluminum testing in the aerospace sector. The lab achieved Nadcap accredited testing for stress-corrosion cracking, R curve/Kapp panel fracture, exfoliation, and compressive yield strength. These tests are added to high-cycle fatigue and fracture toughness testing, as well as routine mechanical, metallurgical, chemical, and failure analysis.
"Over the last year, Element has invested substantially in Daleville's aluminum center of excellence, adding a dedicated team of ten technicians and machinists, and supporting its development of proprietary, innovative aluminum testing processes with the expertise of the Group's entire global platform, "says Rick Sluiters, Element's EVP, Aerospace and Defense.
"To be Nadcap audited with zero findings for such specialized aluminum testing capabilities makes Element one of an elite few organizations worldwide. It will open up significant new business opportunities, reinforcing the company's position as the largest provider of metallic and non-metallic testing services to the U.S. aerospace industry," Mr. Sluiters added.
Formerly operated by Sherry Laboratories, the Daleville laboratory joined Element as part of the company's acquisition of Sherry in March 2013. It is one of 12 Element facilities in the United States holding Nadcap certificates, believed to be the most held by any independent materials testing company in the country. Between them, Element's laboratories can offer the aviation industry accredited services covering the full range of testing methodology accredited by Nadcap.
www.element.com
Element Materials Technology’s laboratory in Daleville, Ind., has significantly expanded the scope of its Nadcap accreditation for aluminum testing in the aerospace sector.
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Metal Technology to build precision parts via additive manufacturing
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Metal Technology Inc., Albany, Ore., has purchased a ProX 300 Direct Metal Sintering production 3D printer to build precision functional metal parts layer by layer with metal powder. The powder is melted by a powerful 500-watt laser to exact geometry dictated by 3D CAD models. Parts are built in an argon environment at elevated temperatures, resulting in high-purity stress-relieved components with material properties better than cast and comparable to those of wrought material.
The company will initially focus on building geometries from 17-4 stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, and molybdenum, and their future plans include testing of other alloy powders including tantalum, niobium, and tungsten
"The ProX 300 is a complementary technology to our existing deep draw and precision machining capability and will allow us to offer an even broader range of unique solutions to our customers," says Gary Cosmer, CEO of Metal Technology. "We intend to leverage our experience working with exotic reactive and refractory metals for over forty years to create additive manufacturing parameters that will allow us to offer significant savings in cost, weight, and time for a number of our customer projects."
www.mtialbany.com
Metal Technology Inc., Albany, Ore., has purchased a ProX 300 Direct Metal Sintering production 3D printer to build precision functional metal parts layer by layer with metal powder.
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Constellium and UACJ form joint venture for aluminum automotive sheet
May 13, 2014
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Constellium N.V., Paris, and UACJ Corp., Japan, have signed a Joint Venture Agreement to supply Body-in-White aluminum sheet to the North American automotive industry, following their January 2014 announcement of plans to collaborate.
The JV will have an initial target capacity of 100,000 metric tons supplied by cold rolled coils from both partners' rolling mills. The facility, which will be located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, will be designed to allow for expansion beyond 100,000 tons. The total joint investment is expected to be approximately $150 million. Production is scheduled to start in the first half of 2016, with full capacity reached by 2018.
"Bowling Green is the right place for this plant, particularly because its central location will allow us to serve automotive OEMs across the United States with our advanced and innovative range of products," commented Laurent Musy, President of Constellium's Packaging and Automotive Rolled Products business unit. "The availability of a highly skilled local labor force and the entrepreneurial spirit of the area were the decisive factors in choosing the city of Bowling Green and the state of Kentucky, which has been very supportive during the decision process".
"This project is very significant for UACJ in terms of our Body-in-White market strategy. We look forward to supplying automotive OEMs throughout the Unted States with advanced products utilizing the technologies each party has separately developed in the EU and Japan. We welcome this Joint Venture with Constellium to tackle the strategic automotive market in the U.S.," said Mitsuru Okada, CEO of UACJ. "Both companies have been working hard together in the spirit of equal partnership, allowing us to finalize the agreement in a timely and efficient manner."
www.constellium.com
Constellium N.V., Paris, and UACJ Corp., Japan, have signed a Joint Venture Agreement to supply Body-in-White aluminum sheet to the North American automotive industry, following their January 2014 announcement of plans to collaborate.
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Nikon stereomicroscopes feature higher zoom ratio and improved chromatic aberration correction
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Nikon Instruments Inc., Melville, N.Y., has added two new stereomicroscope systems to its product portfolio. SMZ1270 and SMZ800N feature an expanded zoom ratio, enhanced ease of operation, and excellent optical performance. Paired with newly developed WF objectives, these new models offer a higher zoom ratio and improved chromatic aberration correction for brighter, sharper images across a large field of view.
They provide highly refined performance over basic parallel-optics stereo models, and build on the long-standing reputation of the Nikon SMZ800/1000. These cost-efficient models also incorporate an extensive lineup of accessories that support a variety of applications.
"The new SMZ800N/1270 scopes raise performance to a new level in their class, which will be apparent when observing fine structures or performing delicate manipulations," said Stephen Ross, Ph.D., General Manager of Product and Marketing. Key features include high-magnification, high zoom ratio, and high-definition imaging - are paired with improved ergonomics and an extensive lineup of accessories, it makes for an ideal solution across a number of industrial applications."
The SMZ800N comes with an 8x (1x – 8x) zoom ratio, with higher magnification than conventional models - a powerful tool for observation in the electronic components field where high-precision imaging is required.
www.NikonInstruments.com
Nikon Instruments Inc., Melville, N.Y., has added two new stereomicroscope systems to its product portfolio.
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AK Steel engineer and ASM member Grant Thomas wins award for steel-quenching research paper
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AK Steel, West Chester, Ohio, announces that Research Engineer and ASM International member Grant Thomas, Ph.D., has received the AISI "Finalist Medal" for the technical paper titled, "Tensile Properties Obtained by Quench & Partition Processing of Mn-Ni Steels at Room Temperature Quench Temperatures." These products, which feature enhanced formability, are expected to help automakers further reduce vehicle weight and increase fuel efficiency without sacrificing occupant safety.
Written in collaboration with two research colleagues from the Colorado School of Mines, the paper highlights research by AK Steel and the Colorado School of Mines in regard to the development of third-generation advanced high-strength steels.
"We applaud Grant and his co-authors for receiving the Finalist Medal from AISI," said James L. Wainscott, Chairman, President and CEO of AK Steel. "Grant's contributions to the award-winning paper reflect his technical expertise, as well as AK Steel's commitment to meeting the needs of automotive customers now and in the future."
According to AISI, the Finalist Medals are awarded for technical papers having special merit and importance in connection with the activities and interests of the iron and steel industry. Papers are judged based on their potential value to the future prosperity of the industry, technical excellence and originality, effective communication and breadth of interest to AISI members.
Dr. Thomas joined AK Steel in 2012 as an Engineer at the company's Research Center in Middletown, Ohio. He was promoted to Research Engineer in 2014. Dr. Thomas holds a Bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Iowa State University, as well as a Master's degree and a Doctor of Philosophy, both in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, from the Colorado School of Mines.
www.aksteel.com
AK Steel, West Chester, Ohio, announces that Research Engineer and ASM International member Grant Thomas, Ph.D., has received the AISI “Finalist Medal” for the technical paper titled, “Tensile Properties Obtained by Quench & Partition Processing of Mn-Ni Steels at Room Temperature Quench Temperatures.”
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