Nitrex installs nitrocarburizing system for treating aluminum profiles and extrusions
May 1, 2019
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Nitrex Metal, St. Laurent, Canada, announces that it has delivered and installed a Nitrex nitrocarburizing system for a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on a greenfield site in northwestern Romania for the Swiss corporation Alu Menziken Extrusion AG, a manufacturer of aluminum profiles and complex extrusion press products.
The turnkey NX-815 nitrocarburizing system incorporates the Nitreg-C technology for treating aluminum extrusion dies. The pit furnace has overall chamber dimensions of 31.5 inches diameter by 59 inches high, with capacity optimized to nitrocarburize a 3300-pound load. Inaugurated this past November, the plant produces a range of profile products for aerospace and automotive companies such as Audi, BMW, Bentley, and Daimler.
The process technology adapts to the application requirements to deliver improved performance of extrusion dies. Tailoring the application’s surface properties has a positive influence on performance metrics such as throughput per run and number of runs per die, which, as a consequence, mitigates the cost of tooling. Alu Menziken also chose the Nitreg-C technology to reduce the possibility of potential failures such as premature washout and flaking, which degrade the performance of dies.
“With a focus on the environment, Alu Menziken also sought to introduce eco-friendly technologies for all equipment at its greenfield facility. Not only is there a benefit of reduced process gas use with the Nitrex system, but also the integral high-efficiency neutralizer also helps comply with environmental regulations,†says Marcin Stoklosa, Nitrex European Project Manager.
www.nitrex.com
Nitrex Metal, St. Laurent, Canada, announces that it has delivered and installed a Nitrex nitrocarburizing system for a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on a greenfield site in northwestern Romania for the Swiss corporation Alu Menziken Extrusion AG, a manufacturer of aluminum profiles and complex extrusion press products.
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Paulo acquires HIP to combine heat treating and hot isostatic pressing of 3D printed products
April 28, 2019
Source: ASM International
Paulo Heat Treating, Willoughby, Ohio, will add hot isostatic pressing to its thermal processing services with the acquisition of a hot isostatic press from Quintus Technologies.
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Ajax Tocco induction heat treating lines process upset tubing at 15 to 20 tons per hour
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Ajax Tocco Magnethermic, Warren, Ohio, announces the delivery of two large induction heat-treating quench and temper lines to facilities in the United States that process upset tubing inline. Both pipe heat-treating lines process upset tubing inline through multifrequency scheming technology at a rate of 15 to 20 tons/hour.
These systems incorporate the company’s water sleeve quenching design, using high-volume precision barrels to produce uniform metallurgical grain structures, as required by API-certified tube and pipe. To maintain uniformity for API requirements, the systems incorporate a slow-feeding, rotating cooling bed at the exit of the tempering zone to ensure straightness after heat processing.
Ajax Tocco Magnethermic has over forty years experience providing heating equipment to the pipe and tube industry. It has provided induction heating equipment for heat treating API pipe casing and tool joints, for stretch reduction of seamless tubing, for atmosphere induction systems for bright annealling of stainless tubing, for seam annealing of ERW pipe, and for many other applications.
www.ajaxtocco.com
Ajax Tocco Magnethermic, Warren, Ohio, announces the delivery of two large induction heat-treating quench and temper lines to facilities in the United States that process upset tubing inline.
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One Minute Mentor: Austenitizing Temperature and Time
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As austenitizing temperature increases, so does the matrix carbon content; the actual matrix carbon content depends in a complex way on the alloy elements present, their amounts, and their locations (segregation) within the matrix.
The most important determinant of matrix carbon content in ductile irons is the silicon content; as silicon content increases for a given austenitizing temperature, the carbon content in the matrix decreases. Austenitizing temperatures between 845 and 925°C (1550 and 1700°F) are normal. The austenitizing time is largely dependent on the section thickness of the casting and to some extent on the alloy content.
The austenitizing temperature, through its effect on matrix carbon, has a significant effect on hardenability. The higher austenitizing temperature with its higher carbon content promotes increased hardenability, which causes a slower rate of isothermal austenite transformation. This reduced rate of austenite reaction to all transformation products is shown in the beginning portions of the isothermal transformation (IT) diagrams in the graph (Fig. 18).
Adapted from: K. Hayrynen, Heat Treating and Properties of Ductile Iron, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels, Vol 4D, ASM Handbook, ASM International, 2014, p 508–521. https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005937
For more information on this topic, visit the article (subscription required), scroll down the Chapter Contents column on the left, and click on Austempering Ductile Iron.
As austenitizing temperature increases, so does the matrix carbon content; the actual matrix carbon content depends in a complex way on the alloy elements present, their amounts, and their locations (segregation) within the matrix.
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Toyota selects Novelis as supplier for 2019 RAV4 aluminum body sheet
April 23, 2019
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Novelis Aluminum, Atlanta, announces that it has been selected by Toyota Motor Corp. to supply premium aluminum automotive body sheet for the all-new 2019 Toyota RAV4, Toyota's number-one-selling vehicle and the best-selling non-pickup truck in the country. With a new-and-improved design that includes Novelis aluminum in the hood, fenders, and lift gate, the fifth-generation model of the RAV4 is four percent lighter than previous models.
The new RAV4 offers consumers a robust design, additional safety technology, and off-road capabilities, resulting in an overall enhanced driving experience. By lightweighting the vehicle with aluminum, Toyota had even more flexibility to add new features, while also increasing the width and wheelbase. For example, lightweight aluminum helped offset 45 pounds of additional vehicle weight for a suite of safety features including a Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and Lane Tracing Assist.
To meet Toyota's stringent requirements for joining and performance, Novelis supplied Advanz 6HS – s600 and Advanz 6HS – e600. These are heat-treatable aluminum alloys specifically designed and optimized for high-strength requirements, offering a balance of formability and strength. In addition, a team of Novelis engineers and metallurgists developed a new thermomechanical manufacturing process at the company's facility in Oswego, N.Y., where Novelis produces the alloy for Toyota.
www.novelis.com
Novelis Aluminum, Atlanta, announces that it has been selected by Toyota Motor Corp. to supply premium aluminum automotive body sheet for the all-new 2019 Toyota RAV4, Toyota’s number-one-selling vehicle and the best-selling non-pickup truck in the country.
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HRL Labs commercializes 3D-printable high-strength aluminum alloy
April 22, 2019
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HRL Laboratories LLC, Malibu, Calif., is commercializing its additively manufactured (3D-printed) high-strength aluminum, which has obtained the first ever registration of an additive alloy from the Aluminum Association. HRL will be granted registration number 7A77.50 for the aluminum powder used to additively manufacture the alloy, and number 7A77.60L for the printed alloy.
The association's new additive alloy registration system was launched in February 2019 in response to a growing number of additively manufactured alloys. The first to be registered was HRL Laboratories' high-strength aluminum, the first alloy of its kind to be printable. (This breakthrough discovery was published in the journal Nature in September 2017.)
"Essentially, this will connect us to this particular alloy composition forever," says Hunter Martin, the lead scientist on the HRL team that developed the alloy. "These alloy numbers will always be trackable back to HRL, like a DNA signature. When I first contacted the Aluminum Association about registering our alloy, they did not have a way to register alloys printed from powders, so they decided to create a new system for registration of additively manufactured materials - a first in the materials space."
Zak Eckel, another HRL team member says, "We're in the process of commercializing this material, which is already in high demand. As we scale up to commercial levels, AA registration validates our product. Companies who want the powder for their 3D printers can ask for its specific number, and it becomes a true commercial alloy."
The Aluminum Association provides global standards, statistics, and expert knowledge to manufacturers and policy makers. Alloy and temper designations, chemical composition limits, and registered properties in North America adhere to those standards. The association also provides business intelligence, sustainability research, and industry expertise and is committed to environmental considerations while advancing aluminum as the sustainable material of choice around the world.
HRL Laboratories is a corporate research-and-development laboratory owned by the Boeing Company and General Motors specializing in research into sensors and electronics, information, and systems sciences, materials and microsystems, and microfabrication technology. HRL provides custom research and development and performs additional R&D contract services for its LLC member companies, the U.S. government, and other commercial companies.
www.hrl.com
HRL Laboratories LLC, Malibu, Calif., is commercializing its additively manufactured (3D-printed) high-strength aluminum, which has obtained the first ever registration of an additive alloy from the Aluminum Association.
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One Minute Mentor: Hardness of normalized ductile iron tempered at various temperatures
April 19, 2019
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The normalizing temperature for ductile iron is usually between 870° and 940°C (1600° and 1725°F). The figure shows the effect of tempering temperature on the hardness of normalized ductile iron.
The standard time at temperature of one hour per inch of section thickness or one hour minimum usually is satisfactory. Longer times may be required for alloys containing elements that retard carbon diffusion in the austenite. For example, tin and antimony segregate to the nodules, effectively preventing the solution of carbon from the nodule sites..
Normalizing sometimes is followed by tempering to attain the desired hardness and relieve residual stresses that develop upon air cooling when various parts of a casting with different section sizes cool at different rates. Tempering after normalizing also is used to obtain high toughness and impact resistance. The effect of tempering on hardness and tensile properties depends on the composition of the iron and the hardness level obtained in normalizing.
Tempering usually consists of reheating to temperatures of 425° to 650°C (800° to 1200°F) and holding at the desired temperature for one hour per inch of cross section. These temperatures are varied within this range to meet specification limits. Figure 14 shows the effect of tempering temperature on the hardness of normalized ductile iron.
To read online, first click on https://dl.asminternational.org/books/book/9/chapter/109877/Heat-Treating-and-Properties-of-Ductile-Iron/normalizing ductile iron
Then scroll down the chapter titles in the left column, and click on Normalizing Ductile Iron
The normalizing temperature for ductile iron is usually between 870° and 940°C (1600° and 1725°F).
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AFC Holcroft provides UBQ and UBT heat treating furnaces to Specialty Steel Treating
April 16, 2019
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AFC Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that it has supplied a UBQ (universal batch quench) furnace and a UBT (universal batch temper) annealing furnace to Specialty Steel Treating as part of a larger multi-year equipment standardization program intended to replace older equipment provided by another supplier. The UBQ and UBT are near duplicates to equipment recently provided by AFC-Holcroft as part of the same multi-year program.
Specialty Steel Treating has had a long relationship with AFC-Holcroft, and uses several different types of AFC-Holcroft furnaces in its production facilities in Michigan and Connecticut, including multi-row pusher furnaces designed for high capacity output, as well as some large capacity UBQ batch equipment and accessories.
According to Tracy Dougherty, Vice President of Sales at AFC-Holcroft, “The customization of these furnaces combined with state of the art controls and IoT features (remote diagnostics), enable both AFC-Holcroft and Specialty Steel Treating the ability to offer superior quality, performance, and continuous improvement to customers.â€
Founded in 1956, Specialty Steel Treating has been performing precision heat treating for more than 60 years. SST is the only approved commercial heat treat company in the country to heat treat certain flight critical and flight safety configurations for prime aerospace and helicopter companies.
www.afc-holcroft.com
AFC Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that it has supplied a UBQ (universal batch quench) furnace and a UBT (universal batch temper) annealing furnace to Specialty Steel Treating as part of a larger multi-year equipment standardization program intended to replace older equipment provided by another supplier.
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Universal Stainless invests $10 million for upgrades to specialty steel facility in New York
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Universal Stainless and Alloy Products Inc., Bridgeville, Pa., announces that it has added a new bar turn and burnish line and a new General Electric phased-array nondestructive testing system to its Specialty Steel facility in Dunkirk, New York. The company has also made several other improvements to the 800,000 square-foot building, amounting to a total investment of $10 million.
“The installation of modern equipment keeps us ahead of new mills and foreign competitors by allowing us to produce more bar products at a higher quality standard,†says Wendel Crosby, general manager of Universal Stainless facilities in Dunkirk and Titusville, Pa. “It will also contribute to making our facility more efficient, with an eye toward increasing profitability and securing jobs in the community.â€
The equipment has been upgraded and installed over the past several months, with the new units beginning production in March.
www.univstainless.com
Universal Stainless and Alloy Products Inc., Bridgeville, Pa., announces that it has added a new bar turn and burnish line and a new General Electric phased-array nondestructive testing system to its facility in Dunkirk, New York.
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Baker Furnace develops point-and-click augmented reality platform for its furnaces
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Baker Furnace, Yorba Linda, Calif., a division of Thermal Product Solutions, has developed an augmented reality (AR) platform for its furnace lines, allowing operators, maintenance personnel, and engineers to interact with the furnace through a tablet. Three levels are available on the furnaces with a PLC: Augmented Operator, Augmented Maintenance, and Augmented Engineering.
The AR will have step-by-step procedures, component manuals, mechanical drawings, electrical drawings, and real-time data at the component level. It is no longer necessary to open electrical panels and put on ARC flash attire; with the tablet camera, it is only necessary to point and click, giving a view of the inside of the panel with all its components and live data.
The Augmented Operator level will provide systematic procedures on how to run the furnace. The system logs when the procedure starts and when it ends. This will provide helpful data for timework studies by providing data on typical loads. It will also increase productivity with training new operators, and will serve as a refresher for standard operating procedures.
The Augmented Maintenance level will provide all electrical, mechanical drawings, component manuals, and step-by-step procedures for maintenance on critical components Maintenance personnel will have the ability to be on the machine and use the tablet to pull up manuals, troubleshooting tips, and maintenance intervals for each component.
The Augmented Engineering level will provide real, live data of components on the tablet. It is as simple as pointing the tablet camera towards the control panel. Clicking on the image of the panel will allow the operator to open up the panel on the screen. Both maintenance and engineering personnel will have the ability to be on the machine and use the tablet to pull up manuals, troubleshooting tips, maintenance intervals, and real-time data of components in the cabinet.
www.bakerfurnace.com
Baker Furnace, Yorba Linda, Calif., a division of Thermal Product Solutions, has developed an augmented reality (AR) platform for its furnace lines, allowing operators, maintenance personnel, and engineers to interact with the furnace through a tablet.
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