Retech Systems develops hybrid plasma arc melting system for titanium aluminides
May 10, 2017
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Retech Systems LLC, Ukiah, Calif., reports that, after years of research and development between Retech and partner Ti-Solutions GmbH of Germany, Retech has been granted patents for a hybrid plasma-arc melting plus cold-wall induction system for titanium aluminides. The single-operation process converts raw materials into ingots that exhibit excellent homogeneity and a fine crystalline structure. This system solves a number of the typical issues associated with conventional melting and, ultimately, the atomization of titanium aluminide powders.
On May 18 at the ITA Europe 2017 conference in Amsterdam, Retech engineers will present "Advances in the Systems and Processes for the Production of Gamma Titanium Aluminide Bars and Powder." The paper will focus on the successful system and process development for ingots with lengths up to 1000 mm and diameters 53, 80, 100, and 200 mm. Additionally, the company's experience with powder production equipment and associated processes for selected gamma titanium aluminide alloys will be presented.
All developments have focused on cost-effective production for both product forms and, as such, an economic analysis will also be discussed.
"This is another example of Retech's commitment to developing real, viable solutions to the problems of today while being focused on tomorrow," says Rob Haun, Director of Product Development. "These systems and the process knowledge further support our efforts to facilitate the continued implementation of titanium aluminides in markets from jet engines to automotive turbochargers."
Retech, a Seco Warwick Group company, actively works with partners and customers to develop equipment and process solutions to meet and exceed expectations; this includes upstream elements as well as downstream components.
www.retechsystemsllc.com
Retech Systems LLC, Ukiah, Calif., reports that, after years of research and development between Retech and partner Ti-Solutions GmbH of Germany, Retech has been granted patents for a hybrid plasma-arc melting plus cold wall induction system for titanium aluminides.
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Baker Furnace heavy-duty industrial oven pre-heats aluminum ingots
May 5, 2017
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Baker Furnace, Brea, Calif., announces the shipment of a gas-fired batch oven for pre-heating large aluminum ingots that will be forged into aerospace parts at an aluminum forging company. The batch oven chamber is designed to withstand the impact of aluminum ingots weighing over 3000 pounds as a forklift operator drops the aluminum ingots into the oven chamber.
This oven has a maximum temperature rating of 1000°F, and work chamber dimensions of 14x11x6 feet. After pre-heating to 1000°F, the ingots are removed from the oven and placed in a forging press that forms the aluminum into the specified shape.
"For this project, we needed to pay special attention to the chamber and floor design to ensure that no damage would occur from the impact of the aluminum ingots being loaded," says Tim Bacon, VP Business Development. "A ten-inch thick hard castable refractory floor was one of the design features to make sure the oven could withstand the loading process."
http://bakerfurnace.com
Baker Furnace, Brea, Calif., announces the shipment of a gas-fired batch oven for pre-heating large aluminum ingots that will be forged into aerospace parts at an aluminum forging company.
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Lindberg/MPH ships aluminum melting and holding equipment for die casting
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Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., announces the shipment of an aluminum central melting furnace that holds 62,000 pounds of aluminum and has a melt rate of 6000 pounds per hour. The melting furnace is capable of delivering molten aluminum to a transfer ladle through a pneumatic well that has no moving parts. Air pressure is applied to the pumper by means of a blower, and molten aluminum is forced up a special discharge tube and into a transfer ladle.
The furnace is loaded with aluminum ingot, and sows across a preheat hearth. Returns are fed via conveyor system into an exterior side well that is interconnected to a circulation well equipped with a pump. The aluminum on the hearth receives tremendous preheat before being pushed into the bath, which increases efficiency and improves safety.
The metal temperature is controlled through digital temperature controllers and features automatic preheat and dry out. The flue gases are controlled with a mechanical flue damper, reducing flue losses during low-fire operation. A three-point laser metal-level sensor is provided to notify operators of the current furnace metal level through an attached light tree. A totalizing gas meter is also included to accurately measure gas usage.
Access grating and ladder are provided for safe access to the roof-mounted equipment during maintenance. "Operator safety is a top priority for our customer," says Andrew Paul, Sales Engineer. "This equipment features options for added safety during the loading and dispensing processes."
www.lindbergmph.com
Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., announces the shipment of an aluminum central melting furnace that holds 62,000 pounds of aluminum and has a melt rate of 6000 pounds per hour.
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Wisconsin Oven steam-heated ovens have temperature uniformity of ±5°F at 240°F
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Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, Wis., has shipped two steam-heated batch ovens to a leading manufacturer of industrial products for curing a water-based adhesive applied to rolls of sandpaper. The adhesive is needed for the sand to stick to the paper, and curing the adhesive provides for a more durable product. These ovens are a duplicate of a previous order, and were needed to meet increased production demands.
The curing ovens have a maximum operating temperature of 300°F and work chamber dimensions of 17.5x21.3x7.5 feet. The customer required temperature uniformity of ±5°F at 240°F for each batch oven, with uniformity verified by a twenty-point profile test. These ovens have sufficient capability to heat 35,000 pounds of product from 70°F to 240°F within two hours, and cool the load down to 140°F within three hours.
These batch ovens feature top-down airflow that is distributed through the work chamber by factory preset nozzles. Jumbo suction fans draw hot air through all the layers of the sandpaper rolls. The airflow arrangement provides optimum air flow efficiencies along with maximizing heating rates and temperature uniformity.
"At Wisconsin Oven, we pride ourselves on new and innovative designs," says Tom Trueman, Application Engineer. "For this project, large suction fans were used in the design to ensure that the hot air was drawing through all layers of the roll for a uniform cure of the adhesive."
www.wisoven.com
Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, Wis., has shipped two steam-heated batch ovens to a leading manufacturer of industrial products for curing a water-based adhesive applied to rolls of sandpaper.
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Hybrid technology combines 3D printing, traditional grinding to produce ship propeller
May 1, 2017
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The Port of Rotterdam announces that its Rotterdam Additive Manufacturing Lab (RamLab) is working with Autodesk, San Rafael, Calif., to build a large ship propeller by combining 3D printing with traditional milling and grinding. RamLab is an onsite facility that includes a pair of six-axis robotic arms capable of additively manufacturing large metal industrial parts. The port has partnered with Autodesk, which has played a key role in developing RamLab's hybrid manufacturing approach.
Hybrid manufacturing combines additive and subtractive manufacturing. 3D printing builds large ship components in metal, and traditional CNC milling and grinding methods are used for finishing. The combination reduces production time to days rather than the weeks needed for conventional methods.
The next step for the ship propeller pilot project will be the production of a full-scale version that will be fitted to a ship later this year.
"With the work being done at RamLab, the group hopes to accelerate the cross-industry adoption of hybrid manufacturing for making large-scale parts on-demand," says Vincent Wegener, managing director. "Our aim is to make the Port of Rotterdam not only an important gateway for Europe, but also a leader in the development of new manufacturing methods."
The website includes a video of the process.
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/dutch-engineers-unveil-3d-printed-ship-propeller/?cmpid=tenews_3349307
The Port of Rotterdam announces that its Rotterdam Additive Manufacturing Lab (RamLab) is working with Autodesk, San Rafael, Calif., to build a large ship propeller by combining 3D printing with traditional milling and grinding.
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Braidy Industries to invest $1.3 billion to build aluminum rolling mill in Kentucky
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Braidy Industries Inc., Ashland, Kentucky, announces that it will spend $1.3 billion to build an auto body sheet and aerospace plate aluminum rolling mill, the nation's first greenfield aluminum rolling mill in over three decades. The goal of the mill is to become the nation's low-cost producer of high quality auto body sheet aluminum, plate, and ultra-high strength alloys for the aerospace industry.
The mill will open with capacity of 370,000 tons per annum, producing series 5000, 6000, and 7000 aluminum sheet and plate products. Braidy is also exploring new scientific nano-crystalline technical advances capable of improving molten metal-based manufacturing.
"By combining an advanced production capability with advanced metallurgical science, there is a great opportunity to reinvigorate metals manufacturing in United States," said ASM member Christopher Schuh, MIT metallurgist and member of the Braidy board of directors.
Ground will be broken at the 370-acre South Shore site in the first quarter of 2018. Over $1.3 billion will be spent on the mill, which is located in Greenup County Kentucky, close to the city of Ashland. The mill will be 2.5 million square feet under roof, with an ideal location on the great Ohio River, and already-permitted barge capacity. The CSX railroad runs through the property, and highway I-64 connects the mill site to some of the nation's largest auto-making and aerospace customers. The State of Kentucky exports more than $10 billion per year in aerospace products, ranking it second among all states in the United States.
www.braidyindustries.com
Braidy Industries Inc., Ashland, Kentucky, announces that it will spend $1.3 billion to build an auto body sheet and aerospace plate aluminum rolling mill, the nation’s first greenfield aluminum rolling mill in over three decades.
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One Minute Mentor: Physical Metallurgy of Expanded Austenite
April 27, 2017
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The microstructural feature responsible for the favorable technological properties resulting from low-temperature gaseous thermochemical treatment is a supersaturation of nitrogen and/or carbon in austenite. This is called expanded austenite.
An investigation of homogenous nitrogen-expanded austenite with adjusted contents of nitrogen (as controlled by gaseous nitriding) showed that nitrogen-expanded austenite has a face-centered cubic (fcc) Bravais lattice. The study also showed that systematic hkl-dependent peak shifts with respect to the perfect fcc peak positions can be explained from the presence of stacking faults .
This is the ultimate proof that the designation "S-phase" is inappropriate, because no new phase develops, but rather a diffusion zone where the austenite lattice is expanded as a consequence of an interstitial supersaturated solid solution.
The graph shows the lattice parameter of (expanded) austenite as a function of the interstitial content of nitrogen and carbon. The data were obtained with x-ray diffraction on nitrided or carburized thin foils.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Low-Temperature Surface Hardening of Stainless Steel
The microstructural feature responsible for the favorable technological properties resulting from low-temperature gaseous thermochemical treatment is a supersaturation of nitrogen and/or carbon in austenite. This is called expanded austenite.
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Ipsen provides advanced equipment, comprehensive support to industries around the world
April 26, 2017
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Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped eight vacuum heat-treating systems to customers in Costa Rica, India, Germany, and the United States, where the equipment will be used to support the additive manufacturing, aerospace, medical, MIM, and tooling industries. Several customers also took advantage of Ipsen's full-scale support offerings, including Ipsen U training, spare parts kits, and installation.
The vacuum furnaces shipped included a vertical MetalMaster furnace with a 5000-pound capacity; a custom-built furnace for debinding and sintering; horizontal MetalMaster and TurboTreater furnaces; and a TITAN DS (debinding and sintering) furnace.
Several H2- and H6-sized TITAN vacuum furnaces equipped with the PdMetrics software platform for predictive maintenance were also shipped. This software platform securely connects to a network of integrated sensors on the furnace to gather and analyze data, run algorithms, and provide real-time diagnostic that improve the health and integrity of the equipment.
To best support these industries, Ipsen's global ICS (Ipsen Customer Service) Team facilitates system installations, and provides expert training, startup assistance and 360;degree support throughout the entire life span of the equipment for any brand.
Learn more about the extensive support and training at www.IpsenUSA.com/ICS.
Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped eight vacuum heat-treating systems to customers in Costa Rica, India, Germany, and the United States, where the equipment will be used to support the additive manufacturing, aerospace, medical, MIM, and tooling industries.
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Harper and Ferrite partner to expand solutions for industrial microwave heating
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Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., announces that it is partnering with Ferrite Microwave Technologies, Nashua, N.H., to utilize FMT's high-power microwave heating technology to complement its product portfolio of traditional gas and electric fired furnaces. Wider choices will enable Harper customers to access a broader range of options and the expertise of two recognized industry leaders.
FMT has several patented microwave technologies that enable advanced microwave field distribution across a wide variety of materials. Harper will integrate FMT's unique heating technology into its furnace systems. Since commercial microwave use requires material-specific equipment, matching the engineering and design capabilities of FMT with Harper's furnace systems will provide customers a distinct advantage for their unique processing requirements.
Charles Miller, President at Harper, commented, "Microwave can be a highly efficient and effective solution for a range of materials including ceramic and metal powders. To provide our customers with an expanded solution set via world class microwave components inside our proven furnace systems is a winning combination."
According to Peter Tibbetts, CEO at Ferrite, "Teaming up with Harper gives us access to material processing capabilities and expertise that will enable us to solve more complex heating problems for our customers. At FMT, we constantly strive to advance the science of industrial microwave processing. Partnerships with industry leaders like Harper open up new avenues of advancement."
www.harperintl.com
www.ferriteinc.com
Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., announces that it is partnering with Ferrite Microwave Technologies, Nashua, N.H., to utilize FMT’s high-power microwave heating technology to complement its product portfolio of traditional gas and electric fired furnaces.
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J.L. Becker IQ heat treating furnace line processes workloads up to 4000 pounds
April 21, 2017
Source: ASM International
J.L. Becker, a Gasbarre Furnace Group Company, Plymouth, Mich., recently manufactured, shipped, and commissioned a complete IQ furnace line at the East Carolina Metal Treating facility in Raleigh, N.C.
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