Contour Hardening acquires gas nitride induction system to heat treat complex parts
January 8, 2019
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Contour Hardening, Indianapolis, announces the purchase of a gas nitride unit that will help Contour expand its offerings in the automotive sector and expand more deeply into the aerospace market. Contour will install the first unit at its global headquarters in Indianapolis, in late spring 2019.
Since its founding in 1986, Contour has both manufactured induction heat treat systems and offered commercial induction processing services for industry partners around the globe. The new gas nitride unit allows Contour to expand services focusing on distortion-critical, complex parts for clients. With the addition of nitriding, it allows increased offerings to solve complex parts demanding dimensional control through engineered processes.
“Our customers rely on our controlled heat-treatment processes, 100% hardness verification, and dimensional inspections,†says Neil Merrell, Director-Heat Treat.. “Our goal is to drive out part variation and provide a repeatable dimensionally accurate part.â€
“For several years we have planned to have a more significant presence in the aerospace, agricultural, heavy truck and light automotive industries,†says Ben Crawford, Contour CEO and President. “The purchase of this gas nitride unit will allow us to do just that, and complement our induction and dimensional services. We are committed to offering innovative thermal heat treat solutions to our clients globally, and this investment is proof of our commitment.â€
www.contourhardening.com)
Contour Hardening, Indianapolis, announces the purchase of a gas nitride unit that will help Contour expand its offerings in the automotive sector and expand more deeply into the aerospace market.
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AK Steel uses neutron spallation source at Oak Ridge to improve manufacture of AHSS
January 3, 2019
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AK Steel Corp., West Chester, Ohio, accepted an award of up to $1.2 million last October from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office program to investigate novel low-density steels that could ultimately be used in automotive structural applications.
Specifically, scientists from AK Steel are using neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) to discover how different manufacturing processes affect the performance of the company's new advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), called Nexmet 1000. Neutrons, unlike electrons or X-rays, are highly penetrating, nondestructive, and sensitive to lighter elements, making them an ideal probe for this novel category of steel materials.
"The Vulcan instrument at the SNS provides information about the crystal structure of AHSS during different stages of the stamping process that we cannot get anywhere else in the United States," said Wei Wu of AK Steel. "This data will be vital to improving our manufacturing methods and will make it easier to quickly identify the best new materials to blend with Nexmet 1000 to produce lighter, safer, and more durable automotive components."
The three-year project is being conducted in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory Materials Science and Technology Division, and the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center in the Department of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.
The objective of the project is to conduct alloy design, laboratory validation, and testing of low density steels that are alternatives to currently available advanced high strength steels and other lightweight metals. These low density steels are expected to generate energy savings by bringing efficiencies in manufacturing and lifetime savings in automotive structural applications.
www.aksteel.com
AK Steel Corp., West Chester, Ohio, accepted an award of up to $1.2 million last October from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office program to investigate novel low-density steels that could ultimately be used in automotive structural applications.
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Spray Tips: Continuous Galvanizing Line
January 1, 2019
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The schematic diagram shows the pot region of a continuous hot dip metal coating line. Degradation of sink rolls and other rolls associated with continuous galvanizing lines is due to zinc and/or aluminum reactions with iron from the steel rolls. These reaction products degrade the rolls and affect the surface of the steel products. Some of these reaction products are called dross particles.
The most commonly used zinc baths are galvanized zinc with minor concentrations of aluminum, zinc with 0.5 wt% Al, and zinc with 55 wt% Al and minor amounts of silicon. Currently, coatings consist of tungsten carbide/cobalt powders applied via HVOF or detonation gun technology. The success of these coatings depends on the spray parameters, powder manufacturing method, and sealant system. The key to increased life is to reduce the amount of free cobalt in the coating.
https://dl.asminternational.org/books/book/12/chapter/132957/Thermal-Spray-Applications-in-the-Steel-Industry
The most commonly used zinc baths are galvanized zinc with minor concentrations of aluminum, zinc with 0.5 wt% Al, and zinc with 55 wt% Al and minor amounts of silicon.
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Praxair receives award from Pratt & Whitney for reducing costs, increasing efficiency
December 31, 2018
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Praxair Surface Technologies, Danbury, Conn., announces that it has received Pratt & Whitney’s 2018 Supplier Sustainability Award, which is given yearly to recognize a supplier that demonstrates exemplary commitment to environmental sustainability. Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, as well as auxiliary power units.
“Praxair is committed to improving our customers’ performance while helping them to reduce their environmental footprint,†said PST Vice President of Americas, Dean Hackett. “We work with our customers to develop solutions that help them reduce operating costs, increase process efficiencies, and improve environmental performance.â€
Recently, the aviation industry has increased its focus on replacing chrome, cadmium, and other materials with more sustainable options. PST offers replacement solutions that help reduce reliance on these materials, helping to improve their environmental performance. Other advanced coating solutions also decrease energy consumption and reduce NOx emissions.
“PST emerged as a leader among many strong applicants for this year’s sustainability award,†said Lisa Szewczul, vice president, Environment, Health & Safety, Pratt & Whitney. “We were particularly impressed with their transparency, ambitious targets, and alignment with Pratt & Whitney’s environment, health, and safety goals. Praxair’s use of life cycle analysis demonstrates the link between sustainability and business value. This positions them to support our commitment to reducing the overall environmental impacts of our operations and products.â€
www.praxairsurfacetechnologies.com.
Praxair Surface Technologies, Danbury, Conn., announces that it has received Pratt & Whitney’s 2018 Supplier Sustainability Award, which is given yearly to recognize a supplier that demonstrates exemplary commitment to environmental sustainability.
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Pitt and General Carbide partner to improve tungsten carbide powders for 3D printing
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The University of Pittsburgh and General Carbide Corp., Greensburg, Pa., report that recent awards from the state of Pennsylvania will enable research into improving tungsten carbide powders and developing 3D printing methods for more effective and economical additive manufacturing.
Tungsten carbide is one of the most versatile metal compounds and is renowned for its durability and strength, making it perfect for cutting tools, boring machines, and surgical instruments. Although it would seem ideal for additive manufacturing, tungsten carbide is susceptible to fractures and breakage when exposed to the extreme laser heat used in printing metal powders.
"Additive manufacturing is increasingly adopted by industry to build highly complex metal parts, but the rapid local heating and cooling during energy beam-based 3D metal printing produces large thermal gradients that cause tungsten carbide to crack," explains principal investigator Markus Chmielus, Pitt assistant professor. "Binder jet 3D printing is more effective because it selectively joins powder particles with a binder, one microscopic layer on top of another, without any temperature fluctuations during printing."
Still key to utilizing tungsten carbide, however, is that after a part is printed, it needs to withstand sintering and potentially HIP. Therefore, Dr. Chmielus and General Carbide will investigate various tungsten carbide base powders that can be utilized in a binder jet 3D printer, as well as optimize the printing process and subsequent sintering and HIP.
The project is financed in part by a $57,529 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the first round of the PA Manufacturing Innovation Program (PAMIP). Cost share from Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering and General Carbide will provide a total funding of $145,000.
www.engineering.pitt.edu
The University of Pittsburgh and General Carbide Corp., Greensburg, Pa., report that recent awards from the state of Pennsylvania will enable research into improving tungsten carbide powders and developing 3D printing methods for more effective and economical additive manufacturing.
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Air Products to build large-scale air separation unit to produce nitrogen, oxygen, argon
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Air Products, Lehigh Valley, Pa., announces plans to build, own, and operate a new air separation unit in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. The large-scale facility, scheduled to be onstream in early-to-mid-2020, will provide reliable liquid industrial gas options for local customers and distributors in the region.
The new ASU will produce liquid nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, allowing Air Products to strengthen and grow its presence in a dynamic geography. “Air Products has supplied customers in Minnesota and the surrounding region with both onsite gases and merchant liquid for decades. This investment shows further commitment to our customers in the Midwest region, will expand our ability to serve the greater area, and will provide reliable product to supply new customers as well,†said Francesco Maione, Air Products vice president, Northern Region, Americas.
Air Products currently owns and operates over 300 air separation plants in over 40 countries worldwide. In addition to its plants, the company has sold, designed and built more than 2,000 air separation units globally. Air Products’ cryogenic offerings span plants with a capability of 50 tons per day (TPD) to single train facilities with oxygen production capacities beyond 4,000 TPD.
www.airproducts.com
Air Products, Lehigh Valley, Pa., announces plans to build, own, and operate a new air separation unit in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. The large-scale facility, scheduled to be onstream in early-to-mid-2020, will provide reliable liquid industrial gas options for local customers and distributors in the region.
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Mettech launches NanoFeed nanopowder suspension feeders for thermal spray torches
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Northwest Mettech, Vancouver, announces that its NanoFeed line of liquid and suspension feeders for the thermal spray industry has been developed to enable delivery of submicron powders to thermal spray torches. The powders are homogenously suspended in an easy-to-transport liquid medium, which is then delivered to the torch with a precisely controlled rate. Nanofeed units are available either standalone or integrated with a spray system.
Integration of Mettech's Axial III plasma system with a NanoFeed suspension delivery device resulted in new technology, Axial III Suspension Plasma Spray (SPS). Axial III SPS is capable of producing a large variety of unique nanostructured coatings with characteristics completely different from those deposited from powders of the same chemistry.
Uniqueness of Axial III SPS derives from its axial injection principle. This form of injection is the only one that allows nano-size (<1µm) particles and droplets to enter the plasma plume.
One family of coatings where Axial III SPS has proven to be a viable alternative to existing technologies are thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for high-temperature turbine components.
High end TBCs are generally produced by slow and very expensive vacuum process called electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). Low end TBCs are thermally sprayed in atmosphere in the process called Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS). Axial III SPS produces TBCs with equivalent properties to that of EB-PVD coatings, but at much lower operating and capital costs, whereas Axial III APS can economically do the low end ones. Other areas of interest that can benefit from Axial III SPS are nano-ceramics and nano-cermets for power generation, fuel cells, and electronics.
www.mettech.com
Northwest Mettech, Vancouver, announces that its NanoFeed line of liquid and suspension feeders for the thermal spray industry has been developed to enable delivery of submicron powders to thermal spray torches.
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SSPC, AWS, NACE announce Public Review Period for revised thermal spray standard
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The Society for Protective Coatings, the American Welding Society, and NACE International announce a public review period for its proposed Joint Standard/Standard Practice, “Specification for the Application of Thermal Spray Coatings (Metallizing) of Aluminum, Zinc, and Their Alloys and Composites for the Corrosion Protection of Steel.â€
Draft #1 of a proposed revision to this joint standard (SSPC-CS 23.00/AWS C.2.23/NACE No. 12), is being issued for consensus committee ballot by SSPC, NACE, and AWS in early January 2019.
Interested stakeholders (especially those in the “general interest†category who neither apply nor specify thermal spray coatings) may contact Aimée Beggs, Standards Development Specialist, at [email protected] (phone 412-288-6042) to obtain a copy of the draft for review purposes.
This SSPC/AWS/NACE joint standard contains requirements for best industry practice in the application of zinc and aluminum alloys to steel substrates for the preservation and maintenance of steel structures and components. It also may be used by thermal spray coating inspectors to assess the quality of surface preparation and coating application, and by thermal spray contractors to develop project work plans.
Comments should be received no later than March 1, 2019, and should be sent to [email protected], using “Draft #1 SSPC/AWS/NACE Thermal Spray Standard 2019â€as the subject line for the e-mail.
The Society for Protective Coatings, the American Welding Society, and NACE International announce a public review period for its proposed Joint Standard/Standard Practice, “Specification for the Application of Thermal Spray Coatings (Metallizing) of Aluminum, Zinc, and Their Alloys and Composites for the Corrosion Protection of Steel.”
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Buehler introduces programmable AutoMet grinder-polishers with intuitive touch screen
December 28, 2018
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Buehler, an ITW company, Lake Bluff, Ill., introduces the AutoMet family, semi-automatic grinder-polishers with advanced programming features such as method storage and z-axis material removal to ensure consistent results regardless of operator.
The AutoMet 250, AutoMet 250 Pro, and AutoMet 300 Pro grinder-polishers are ideal for customers in material testing or demanding environments who need to process a high volume of samples. They feature a brand new intuitive touch screen interface that is simple to learn and quick to operate. The AutoMet Pro models also include advanced programming features such as method storage and z-axis material removal to ensure consistent results regardless of operator.
The AutoMet supports complex lab applications and is also ideal for high throughput labs, especially in the automobile, aerospace, medical device, electronics, heat treat, metals, and other manufacturing industries.
Buehler’s non-programmable AutoMet 250 Grinder-Polisher offers push-button controls and digital readouts. All AutoMet models have been redesigned for a new look and feel, while retaining the reliability that comes with the Buehler name. Quick cleaning features like an adjustable water spout, 360-degree bowl rinse, and bowl liners save time and effort during daily cleaning.
Automation can be further improved by integrating the Burst Dispensing System, which also optimizes abrasive usage to save on consumables. Another new highlight of the AutoMet grinder-polishers is “Rinse and Spin,†which cleans polishing surfaces and the platen at the press of a button. Buehler also offers a complete line of compatible accessories (splash guard, recirculation tank, disposable bowl liner and more) and consumables (silicon carbide grinding discs, diamond grinding discs, polishing cloths and diamond suspensions and pastes) that are available in the online shop.
www.buehler.com
Buehler, an ITW company, Lake Bluff, Ill., introduces the AutoMet family, semi-automatic grinder-polishers with advanced programming features such as method storage and z-axis material removal to ensure consistent results regardless of operator.
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JSW USA restarts electric arc furnace, casts steel slab in Ohio steel mill closed for ten years
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JSW USA, Baytown, Texas, announces that it has restarted the electric arc furnace at its mill in Mingo Junction, Ohio, casting the first steel slab on December 14 after being closed for 3545 days. The reopening of the mill is expected to create 1000 jobs.
Mingo Junction is now the largest Connsteel Tenova EAF in North America. The first slab was cast on December 14, 2018. Now that the facility will be melting its own steel, JSW USA will be more cost-effective, ensuring the highest quality for customers in 2019.
Looking forward, JSW USA is already in the design process to install another EAF in Ohio. At the mill in Baytown, equipment is coming from all over the world to make JSW 100% melt and manufacture in approximately 18 to 24 months. As JSW works toward its goal of being completely melt and manufacture, the company has filed for a limited duration exclusion on the import of 10-inch and 12-inch slabs and API grades of steel that are not available in the United States. However, three U.S. mills have filed objections to the requests for exclusion. The U.S. Department of Commerce has not yet made a decision. Once the company completes both of the EAFs in Ohio and a third in Texas, JSW USA will become a three-million-ton flat rolled mill, a one-million-ton plate mill, and a 500,000-ton pipe mill.
According to John Hritz, President and CEO of JSW USA, “When all is said and done, JSW USA will be producing the highest quality, lowest-cost steel products in the country, whether made in Texas or in Ohio. This is all about installing the best technology in the world here in the United States and creating secure jobs for decades to come in our industry.â€
www.jswsteel.com
JSW USA, Baytown, Texas, announces that it has restarted the electric arc furnace at its mill in Mingo Junction, Ohio, casting the first steel slab on December 14 after being closed for 3545 days.
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