Quintus cold isostatic press delivered to China’s Lingchuang Special Material Co

February 6, 2024
Source: ASM International

Quintus cold isostatic press delivered to China’s Lingchuang Special Material Co

Qunitus, Västerås, Sweden, delivered a supersized Cold Isostatic Press (CIP) to China’s Henan Lingchuang Special Material Co. to raise the bar for domestically produced high-quality Isostatic Graphite. 

With its sights set on securing a place as market leader in both product quality and production efficiency, Lingchuang will install a Quintus press model QIC 2.4 x 4.5 – 2000 to maximize operation and output capabilities. The press itself is setting new standards, with its world’slargest vessel dimension—2400 mm x 4500 mm (7.87’ x 14.7’)—along with a new energy management system that offers energy savings of more than 30 percent compared to conventional intensifier solutions.

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Constellium to showcase cutting-edge solutions for aluminium automotive structures at CES 2024


Source: ASM International

Constellium to showcase cutting-edge solutions for aluminium automotive structures at CES 2024

Constellium, Paris, exhibited its latest innovations in aluminium Automotive Structures at CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 9-12. A leading supplier of advanced lightweight aluminium automotive components, Constellium highlighted its sustainable solutions for automakers and consumers. 

Constellium showcased a diverse range of aluminium solutions designed to address the industry’s growing demand for lightweight materials and more sustainable solutions. These components contribute to enhanced vehicle performance and play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions, aligning with the global trend toward eco-friendly mobility. Among the products displayed are:  

  • Innovative Crash Management System for electric vehicles
  • Structural Sill providing stiffness and crash resistance
  • Lightweight Battery Enclosure solutions
    • Laser-Welded Battery Enclosure for Cell-to-Module applications
    • Adhesive-Bonded Battery Enclosures for Cell-to-Module or Cell-to-Pack applications
    • Structural Battery Enclosure for Cell-to-Pack or Cell-to-Body applications 

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Nitrex Partners with Telfer School of Management


Source: ASM International

Nitrex Partners with Telfer School of Management

Nitrex, Quebec,  announced a collaboration with the Telfer School of Management, with the aim of nurturing innovation and cultivating the next generation of visionaries through the new PhD scholarship in Digital Transformation and Innovation (DTI). 

Nitrex said that this partnership echoes their commitment to driving digitalization, not only within the heat treat industry but also within academia. They added that this scholarship marks a significant leap in empowering brilliant minds to spearhead groundbreaking research, shaping the future technological landscape of industrial manufacturing.

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Bodycote appointments Group Chief Executive

December 4, 2023
Source: ASM International

Bodycote appointments Group Chief Executive

Bodycote, Macclesfield, U.K, announced the appointment of Jim Fairbairn as the new Group Chief Executive, succeeding Stephen Harris upon his retirement. Fairbairn is set to join the company and its Board in March 2024 and will assume the role of Group Chief Executive in May 2024, following a structured transition period. Stephen Harris will retire and step down from the Board at the Annual General Meeting on May 31, 2024.

Jim Fairbairn, 54, brings a wealth of experience in managing engineering businesses. His career, spanning over thirty years, includes significant roles at John Wood Group, PE-owned Clyde Bergemann, Howden Group, and Megger Group, culminating in substantial experience as both a Divisional and Group CEO.

Fairbairn’s most recent position was Group CEO at Megger Group, a test and measurement specialist based in Dover, which he joined in 2017. Under his leadership, the company saw significant revenue growth to £325m and a notable increase in operating margins. He also played a pivotal role in evolving Megger’s strategy and culture. Before Megger, he held executive roles at Howden Group in Glasgow from 2009 to 2017, ending his tenure there as President of the Howden Power, Environment and Process business, overseeing global product and service revenues exceeding $1 billion across 19 sites worldwide.

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One Minute Mentor: Continuous Operating Furnaces for Tool Steel Strips


Source: ASM International

One Minute Mentor: Continuous Operating Furnaces for Tool Steel Strips

The continuous heat treatment of tool steel is applied to low- or medium-alloyed carbon steel strips as well as martensitic stainless steels. The described lines produce high-quality strip with respect to uniform structure, flatness, and bright surface finish. Steel grades with 0.4 to 1.2% C, low and high alloyed, can be processed. 

Strip dimensions range between 10 to 750 mm (0.4 to 29.5 in.) wide and 0.05 to 4 mm (0.002 to 0.16 in.) thick. High quenching rates are necessary, especially for plain carbon steels. Cooling gradients of up to 600 K/s are possible in a molten lead-bismuth quench. Because two-stage quenching technology provides considerable advantages over quenching in oil, this method has been adopted worldwide. It is also possible to achieve isothermal transformation to bainite and pearlite using a molten metal quench, so this type of hardening and tempering line is extremely versatile.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 9. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005958

Wisconsin Oven ships two horizontal quench systems to the semiconductor industry


Source: ASM International

Wisconsin Oven ships two horizontal quench systems to the semiconductor industry

Wisconsin Oven, East Troy, WI, announced the shipment of two Electrically Heated Horizontal Quench Systems to the semiconductor industry. These systems are designed for the annealing and rapid cooling of various high purity alloy parts.

The operation of each horizontal quench system begins with loading the product onto a work grid located on the loading platform. After the load is lifted into position, a pusher/extractor mechanism at the front of the quench tank moves the load onto the quench lift platform. Then, the furnace pusher/extractor mechanism transfers the load into the furnace for annealing. Once the heating cycle is complete, the vertical lift door opens, and the furnace pusher/extractor moves the load back onto the quench lift platform, lowering it into the water quench tank for cooling. After adequate cooling, the quench lift raises the load, and the front-mounted pusher/extractor mechanism returns it to the scissor lift, where a blow-off system removes most of the water from the load. A video demonstrating this system’s operation is available through a provided link.

Each horizontal quench furnace can reach a maximum temperature of 1,250°F and has the capacity to heat and support a 4,500-pound gross load. These furnaces are designed to achieve a temperature uniformity of +/-10°F. The customer requested a uniformity tolerance of ±20°F at 500°F, 900°F, and 1200°F, which was documented for each system through a nine-point profile test conducted in an empty oven chamber under static conditions.

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Ipsen completes ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for pyrometry services


Source: ASM International

Ipsen completes ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for pyrometry services

Ipsen, Cherry Valley, IL, has successfully achieved ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for calibrations, enhancing its pyrometry services. This accreditation is particularly significant for customers operating under the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) and Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS) 2750G.

A key update in AMS2750G, revised in 2022, mandates that calibration service providers must hold ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation. This requirement encompasses temperature controller calibration, system accuracy testing (SAT), and temperature uniformity surveys (TUS).

Cavan Cardenas, Ipsen’s calibration and pyrometry coordinator, emphasized the importance of this certification: “Obtaining this lab certification reassures our customers of our capability to accurately conduct these tests. It’s crucial for us to verify the precision of our calibration equipment to provide superior support to our clients.”

Ipsen has appointed a dedicated technician for its Calibrations Lab, located at the Vacuum Technology Excellence Center in Cherry Valley, IL. This addition strengthens the company’s commitment to providing advanced calibration solutions.

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Solar Atmospheres South Carolina facility orders 10 bar vacuum furnace


Source: ASM International

Solar Atmospheres South Carolina facility orders 10 bar vacuum furnace

Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, SC, has announced the acquisition of a new 10-bar vacuum furnace for its Greenville, SC facility. Manufactured by Solar Manufacturing, this new horizontal vacuum furnace measures 48 inches wide, 48 inches high, and 96 inches deep. It is designed to handle loads up to 12,000 pounds and is scheduled for installation in late 2024.

The furnace will be equipped with a vacuum pumping system capable of achieving an ultimate vacuum of 1×10-6 Torr, essential for processing titanium and other high-grade alloys. It also features advanced designs for the uniform and rapid cooling of large workloads, enhancing the processing capabilities at the Greenville facility.

Steve Prout, president of Solar Atmospheres Southeast, said, “This new furnace will provide an additional option for high-pressure quenching of large components and workloads in the region. It also offers an opportunity for cost-effective thermal processing in the current economic environment.”

https://solaratm.com/solar-atmospheres-south-carolina-facility-orders-10-bar-vacuum-furnace/

One Minute Mentor: Heat Transfer in a Fluidized Bed Furnace

November 13, 2023
Source: ASM International

One Minute Mentor: Heat Transfer in a Fluidized Bed Furnace

One of the major attributes of the fluidized bed is the high rate at which heat can be transferred from the bed of particles to an immersed object. Coefficients of heat transfer on the order of 400 to 740 W/m2 · K (70 to 130 Btu/ft2 · h · °F) are possible. This heat flow rate is two to ten times higher than that provided by normal convection or radiation. In addition, the rate of heat transfer in the full bed is relatively independent of the emissivity of the object that is immersed and the temperature level.

The figure illustrates the nature of heat transfer in a fluidized bed. Under curve 1, the bed is nonfluidized in a static state with low heat transfer rates that increase only slightly with velocity. After the minimum fluidization velocity (Vmf) is reached, the heat transfer coefficient, or HTC (h), increases rapidly over a comparatively narrow velocity range (curve 2). At a certain optimal velocity (Vopt), the HTC reaches a maximum (hmax) and then tends to diminish as the fluidized bed attains more gaslike properties (curve 3). The actual heat transfer rate experienced in the fluidized bed depends on the fluidizing gas velocity and its thermal conductivity, the size and density of the bed particles, their thermophysical properties, and on the geometry and structural design features of the furnace.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 8.
R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014
https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005958

Effect of heat treatment on the properties of a high alloying maraging steel fabricated by laser metal deposition


Source: ASM International

Effect of heat treatment on the properties of a high alloying maraging steel fabricated by laser metal deposition

Soochow University, China, successfully demonstrated a novel high alloying element maraging steel (HA-MS1) prepared by laser metal deposition (LMD). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) phase transformation analysis on the as-deposited (AF) specimens was conducted and the reasonable aging heat treatment (AT) and solution + aging heat treatment (ST + AT) were subsequently proposed.

These specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness test, wear test and potentiodynamic polarization test for microstructure, phase, hardness, tribological and corrosive properties. The grain refinement and a large number of Ni3(Ti, Mo) intermetallic compounds in the matrix after AT resulted in superior hardness and wear resistance, while leading to poor corrosion resistance. This phenomenon resulted in a decreasing compatibility of mechanical properties than the AT specimens, but the specimens aged at 490 °C after solution treatment at 820 °C had the best corrosion resistance, mainly due to their good surface and more densification.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12540-022-01218-4