Reliance acquires Tubular Steel for its specialty steel products
January 8, 2016
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Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, has acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Tubular Steel Inc. ("TSI"), St. Louis. TSI stocks over 60,000 tons and ships over two million custom-cut lengths of pipe, tubing, and bar products annually from its seven service centers across the United States. TSI will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., and current management will remain in place.
"Tubular Steel is a strong company with a respected position in the market and we are very excited for TSI to join the Reliance family of companies," commented Gregg Mollins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance. "The addition of Tubular Steel, with specialty, high margin products, fits our growth strategy of investing in higher returning businesses, while expanding our product breadth and end market diversification. Energy is an important end market for Tubular Steel. Although current activity levels are lower than normal in this area, we are confident in the long term strength of the energy market and Tubular Steel's ability to benefit during the recovery."
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, has acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Tubular Steel Inc., which stocks over 60,000 tons and ships over two million custom-cut lengths of pipe, tubing, and bar products annually.
Nucor Steel Louisiana DRI Plant to resume operations
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Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that its direct reduced iron (DRI) plant in Louisiana will resume operations by the end of January. The plant temporarily suspended production at the end of last year for planned maintenance, and the company decided not to resume production at that time based on market conditions. Nucor's raw materials strategy is built on flexibility, with the company constantly evaluating the market for the lowest cost raw material inputs at the quality levels customers need. Changes in the raw materials market led to the decision to restart plant operations.
Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Products include carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.
Lindberg/MPH ships gas-fired aluminum stack melting furnace to marine supplier
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Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped a gas-fired aluminum stack melting furnace to a leading supplier in the marine industry. The industrial furnace was modified to hook directly to the customer's existing melting furnace to provide additional melting capacity and efficiency.
The customer requested a system that would increase melt rate, enhance safety, and improve efficiency with state of the art process control. Lindberg/MPH took the customer's request and designed a stack melting system to attach to the customer's existing melting furnace via a short and enclosed launder connection trough. The two manually operated doors on adjacent sides allow for easy access to the melting chamber for cleaning. The laser charge stack level control monitors material level in the stack for maximum efficiency. A service technician provided by Lindberg/MPH will perform supervision during the installation period and perform onsite start-up and training.
The stack melt zone of the industrial furnace consists of a sloped charging stack that helps to minimize impact damage from ingot or large heavy scrap. Instead of falling directly onto the impact zone, it slides and tumbles to the bottom of the charging stack. At the intersection of the stack and hearth, the metal begins to melt. Additional material that is charged in the stack is preheated until the metal below it becomes molten and runs off the hearth through the flanged connector into the separate customer-supplied melting and holding furnace.
"At Lindberg/MPH we work with our customers to provide the most efficient solutions to their production needs," said Lindberg's Andrew Paul." For this customer, hooking into their existing equipment was the most effective solution to increase their melting capacity. This furnace provided the flexibility to increase their melting capacity by adding to their existing equipment instead of installing an entirely new furnace."
Multiple tempering is effective in decreasing the amount of austenite retained in A and D steels and is a common practice in heat-treating them. The general precautions and tempering practices outlined for O steels are also followed for the A and D steels.
However, because most of the steels in groups A and D (except A4, A5, and A6) soften less rapidly than the group O steels with an increase in tempering temperature, as shown in the graph, higher tempering temperatures can be used for the A and D steels. A minimum tempering temperature of 205°C (400°F) is a common requirement for A2, A7, and D steels. Tempering temperatures as high as 550°C (1025°F) are frequently used, and even higher temperatures are used for special requirements.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels -> Tool Steels -> Heat Treating of Cold-Work Tool Steels -> Medium-Alloy Air-Hardening, High-Carbon High-Chromium and High-Vanadium-Powder Metallurgy Steels -> Recommended Heat Treating Practices
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped an AvaC (acetylene vacuum carburizing) two-chamber gas/oil quench vacuum furnace to a facility in Connecticut, where it will be used to process sports equipment. This horizontal-loading furnace utilizes oil or 2-bar gas quenching, as well as low-pressure carburizing. It features a graphite hot zone dimensions of 24 x 36 x 24 inches, with a 1000-pound load capacity.
The AvaC process produces twice the carbon availability as traditional carburizing agents, resulting in excellent carbon transfer into the parts. It also has the advantage of producing an oxidation-free surface microstructure while allowing complex-geometry components to be evenly carburized.
This was one of more than 25 furnaces recently shipped around the globe for a variety of applications and industries. The remaining shipments were comprised of Titan furnaces, including Titan DS and Titan LT (low-temperature) furnaces, as well as horizontal and vertical MetalMaster, TurboTreater, VFS, Global Vertical, Horizontal External Quench, Liquid/Gas Oil Quench and vacuum aluminum brazing vacuum furnaces.
The equipment was sent to international customers in Canada, China, England, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, as well as sites within the U.S., covering a range of 15 different states.
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped an AvaC (acetylene vacuum carburizing) two-chamber gas/oil quench vacuum furnace to a facility in Connecticut where it will be used to process sports equipment.
Leco hardness testing system includes advanced image recognition
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Leco Corp., St. Joseph, Mich., introduces the AMH55 hardness testing system with advanced image-recognition technology, which allows analysis of information not available with limited threshold-based methods. The system measures impressions in specimens having various surface conditions, including scratched/etched/unevenly illuminated surfaces.
Leco's unique Cornerstone brand software enables complete control over analysis parameters, method settings, calibrations, reporting, and more. A touch-screen interface with automatic software capabilities, such as simultaneous auto alignment and auto parfocal adjustment, delivers increased speed, ease of use, and repeatability.
Highlights of the AMH55 include automated instrument operation, which combines the tasks of sample testing, measuring, converting, and documenting into one automated instrument. Advanced image recognition technology broadens the measuring capabilities on various types of sample surfaces. An optional advanced analysis module further details the analysis with a color hardness and contour map feature, as well as auto indent placement.
Leco Corp., St. Joseph, Mich., introduces the AMH55 hardness testing system with advanced image-recognition technology, which allows analysis of information not available with limited threshold-based methods.
High-strength magnesium-lithium alloy weighs half as much as aluminum
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The University of New South Wales and Monash University, Australia, announce that a team of researchers has developed a high-strength magnesium-lithium alloy with density of 1.4 g/cm3, 50% less than aluminum and 30% less than magnesium. The researchers have shown that the alloy forms a protective layer of carbonate-rich film upon exposure to air, making it immune to corrosion. The finding is published online in the 19 October edition of Nature Materials.
Prof. Michael Ferry, of UNSW's School of Materials Science and Engineering, says that the excellent corrosion resistance of the alloy was observed by chance, when the team noticed that a heat-treated sample in a beaker of salt water showed no corrosion after several hours. Normally magnesium would have been extensively corroded.
The researchers then designed a magnesium-lithium alloy of specific composition together with a processing sequence consisting of hot extrusion, heating and water quenching, low-temperature aging, and cold rolling.
"This is the first magnesium-lithium alloy to stop corrosion from irreversibly eating into the alloy, as the balance of elements interacts with ambient air to form a surface layer which, even if scraped off repeatedly, rapidly reforms to create reliable and durable protection," says Prof. Ferry.
The UNSW team partnered with scientists on the Powder Diffraction beamline at the Australian Synchrotron, to confirm that the alloy contains a unique nanostructure that enables the formation of a protective surface film.
Prof. Nick Birbilis (shown in the photo), School of Materials Science and Engineering at Monash University, says viewing unprecedented structural detail of the alloy through the Australian Synchrotron will enable the team to work toward commercializing the new metal.
‘We're aiming to take the knowledge gleaned at the Australian Synchrotron to incorporate new techniques into the mass-production of this unique alloy in sheets of varying thickness, in a standard processing plant," Prof. Birbilis said.
The University of New South Wales and Monash University, Australia, announce that a team of researchers has developed a high-strength magnesium-lithium alloy with density of 1.4?g/cm3, half as much as aluminum and 30% less than magnesium.
SSAB to deliver 25,000 metric tons of Galfan-coated high-strength steel for power plants
December 31, 2015
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SSAB, Sweden, has agreed to deliver a total of 25,000 metric tons of metal-coated high-strength steel to the Spanish company CIE Egana to build support arms for parabolic reflectors in thermosolar plants.
The high-strength steel has a thick Galfan (95%Zn-5%Al) coating to prevent corrosion and extend product lifetime for power plants that can produce electricity for decades. Metal-coated high-strength steels enable the manufacture of stronger and lighter support structures. Deliveries began in December 2015 and will continue until October 2016.
The Noor II thermosolar plant to be built in Morocco will have an output of 200 megawatts and the Kathu plant to be built in South Africa will have an output of 100 megawatts. SSAB delivered the coated high-strength steels to the Noor I thermosolar plant built earlier in Morocco. When the Noor II plant is completed, the two plants together will have a combined output of 360 MW. The Kathu thermosolar plant in South Africa will provide electricity for about 80,000 homes.
SSAB, Sweden, has agreed to deliver a total of 25,000 metric tons of metal-coated, high-strength steel to the Spanish company CIE Egana to build support arms for parabolic reflectors in thermosolar plants.
The National Football League (NFL), Under Armour, General Electric , and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), recently announced the five winners of Head Health Challenge III, an open innovation competition to support the discovery, design, and development of advanced materials that better absorb or dissipate impact. The new materials have the potential to improve the performance of protective gear, playing surfaces, and equipment for athletes, members of the military, and others.
Each of the winners will receive $250,000 to advance their work in developing state-of-the-art materials. A panel of leading experts in the field of materials science selected these five winners from 125 entries because they met the challenge's technical criteria to maximize energy absorption and minimize momentum transfer. One overall Head Health Challenge III winner will be selected from the five awardees to receive a $500,000 grand prize.
The Challenge III award winners are:
Alba Technic LLC (Winthrop, Maine) has developed a patented, shock-absorbent honeycomb material with an outer layer that diverts the energy from a fall or hit. The material is normally soft and compliant, but upon impact, the outer layer changes into a hard shell to spread the energy and protect the user from injury.
Charles Owen Inc. (Lincolnton, Ga.) made cellular structures that use a stacked, origami-like design to optimize energy absorption. The essential building block of this winning material is a double corrugated sheet of the material, whose ability to fold efficiently was originally developed for applications in areas such as solar array packing in the space industry.
Corsair Innovations (Plymouth, Mass.) has developed a textile that uses tiny, spring-like fibers to repel rotational and linear impacts, thereby reducing potential damage. Unlike foam materials, this textile is washable, breathable, wicks sweat and can be easily engineered to meet impact performance requirements.
Dynamic Research Inc. (Torrance, Calif.) and 6D Helmets LLC are collaborating to evolve 6D's single-impact suspension technology for use in repeated impact conditions. The suspension technology consists of a multi-layer, suspended internal liner system that allows the outer layer to move independently of the inner layer in order to reduce the effect of both angular and linear impact forces.
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) researchers designed a lightweight, multi-layered composite that includes a viscoelastic material. This material can be uniquely utilized to help limit the force of multiple and repeated impact events.
The finalists will work with the HHC III partners to optimize their materials over the coming year.
The Challenge III judges were:
Jeff Crandall, professor in Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Virginia. Crandall's research focuses on mechanisms of injury under impact loading.
Sharon Glotzer, Ph.D., professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Glotzer's research focuses on the ability to manipulate matter at the molecular, nanoparticle, and colloidal level to create "designer" structures.
Heinrich Jaeger, Ph.D., professor of Physics at the University of Chicago. Jaeger's team at the University of Chicago is involved in projects ranging from the assembly of next-generation nanostructures to investigations of the complex nonlinear behavior of granular materials, including grain, gravel, pharmaceutical pills and ultrafine powders.
Michael Maher, program manager for the Defense Sciences Offices at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Maher's current interests include development of new technologies to reduce the manufacturing cycle time and novel lightweight multifunctional material systems.
Tresa Pollock, Ph.D., chair of the Materials Department at the University of California – Santa Barbara. Pollock's current interests include the mechanical and environmental performance of materials in extreme environments, unique high temperature materials processing paths, ultrafast laser-material interactions, alloy design and 3-D materials characterization.
Alton D. Romig, Ph.D., former vice president and general manager of Advanced Development Programs Engineering and Advanced Systems, known as Skunk Works, for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. In this role, Romig focused on generating breakthrough technologies and designs for aircrafts and is known as the leader in aerospace innovation. Romig now serves as executive officer of the National Academy of Engineering.
Alan Taub, Ph.D., professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Taub is pursuing research in advanced materials and processing and leading an initiative to establish a new center within the U-M College of Engineering that will focus on advanced manufacturing of lightweight material structures for automotive and aerospace applications.
Head Health Challenge III, part of the larger Head Health Initiative, a four-year, $60 million collaboration between GE and the NFL, is one of three open innovation challenges to invest up to $20 million in research and technology development to better understand, identify and protect against brain injury. Challenge I focused on discovering imaging and methods for diagnosis and prognosis of mild traumatic brain injuries, and in July 2015, six grand prize winners were awarded $500,000 to further their revolutionary research. Challenge II focused on new technologies to monitor, identify and protect against mild traumatic brain injury, and in December 2015, three grand prize winners were announced. The winners could receive up to $1 million over the next year to continue to advance their innovations.
The Head Health Challenge III collaboration helps implement a pledge by NIST and the Department of Commerce to invest resources to accelerate the development of materials that can protect against concussions, made at the White House's Healthy Kids and Safe Sports Concussion Summit in May 2014.
The National Football League (NFL), Under Armour, General Electric , and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), recently announced the five winners of Head Health Challenge III, an open innovation competition to support the discovery, design, and development of advanced materials that better absorb or dissipate impact.
One Minute Mentor: Austenitizing Powder Metallurgy Steels
December 17, 2015
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Steels of groups A and D as well as 8%Cr or High-V-PM steels are usually austenitized in vacuum furnaces or in various types of furnaces using gaseous atmospheres.
Whereas for conventionally produced cold-work tool steels the adjustment of the working hardness is usually done by a combination of different austenitizing and tempering temperatures, PM steels are typically tempered in a small tempering range, from about 550 to 560°C (1020 to 1040°F) with a variation in austenitizing temperature to adjust the hardness level , as shown in the graph.
This different procedure is explained by the toughness results, which increase when austenizing temperature is reduced. Furthermore, because of high content of fine dispersed stable carbides, grain growth at high temperatures does not take place in these steels. Typical austenitizing temperatures therefore range from 1000 to 1180°C (1830 to 2160°F).
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels-> Tool Steels -> Heat Treating of Cold-Work Tool Steels—Medium-Alloy Air-Hardening, High-Carbon High-Chromium and High-Vanadium-Powder Metallurgy Steels -> Recommended Heat Treating Practices
Steels of groups A and D as well as 8%Cr or High-V-PM steels are usually austenitized in vacuum furnaces or in various types of furnaces using gaseous atmospheres.
