NanoSteel builds fully dense additively manufactured parts with hardness gradient
March 16, 2015 Source: ASM International
The NanoSteel Co., Providence, R.I., announces the expansion of the company’s additive manufacturing material capabilities to support metal 3D printing of complex high hardness parts.
Continue readingKay & Associates announces “Fundamentals of Brazing” seminar
March 12, 2015 Source:
Kay & Associates, Simsbury, Conn., will hold two intensive brazing-training programs this spring, the first in the Hartford, Conn., area (April 14-16), and the second identical program in Los Angeles (May 12-14). These hands-on programs cover all the essentials of furnace, torch, induction, and dip-brazing, including all brazing fillers (nickel, silver, gold, copper, aluminum, and titanium).
Pre-braze and post-brazed components will be physically examined and discussed, as well as actual samples of brazing filler metal (BFM), fluxes, and brazing stop-off compounds. Many case-studies will be covered, including special problem-solving exercises the attendees work on in small groups.
These programs are unique in that all methods of brazing and types/forms of brazing filler metals (BFMs) are covered. Thus, the attendee will get a well-rounded, full education on the complete world of brazing, rather than just a limited exposure to one type of brazing process or one type of BFM.
Many topics are covered in the three-day program, and each topic is taught very clearly in a non-technical, easy-to-understand manner, so that both the shop person doing the brazing, and the senior engineer running the plant, will readily grasp all that it needed to understand the "why" and the "how" of brazing.
In addition, all attendees receive free life-time brazing consultations via phone, fax, e-mail, etc., so that they can effectively apply what they learned.
Kay & Associates, Simsbury, Conn., will hold two intensive brazing-training programs this spring, the first in the Hartford, Conn., area (April 14-16), and the second identical program in Los Angeles (May 12-14).
Continue readingKay & Associates announces “Fundamentals of Brazing” seminars.
Source:
Kay & Associates, Simsbury, Conn., will hold two intensive brazing-training programs this spring, the first in the Hartford, Conn., area (April 14-16), and the second identical program in Los Angeles (May 12-14). These hands-on programs cover all the essentials of furnace, torch, induction, and dip-brazing, including all brazing fillers (nickel, silver, gold, copper, aluminum, and titanium).
Pre-braze and post-brazed components will be physically examined and discussed, as well as actual samples of brazing filler metal (BFM), fluxes, and brazing stop-off compounds. Many case-studies will be covered, including special problem-solving exercises the attendees work on in small groups.
These programs are unique in that all methods of brazing and types/forms of brazing filler metals (BFMs) are covered. Thus, the attendee will get a well-rounded, full education on the complete world of brazing, rather than just a limited exposure to one type of brazing process or one type of BFM.
Many topics are covered in the three-day program, and each topic is taught very clearly in a non-technical, easy-to-understand manner, so that both the shop person doing the brazing, and the senior engineer running the plant, will readily grasp all that it needed to understand the "why" and the "how" of brazing.
In addition, all attendees receive free life-time brazing consultations via phone, fax, e-mail, etc., so that they can effectively apply what they learned.
Kay & Associates, Simsbury, Conn., will hold two intensive brazing-training programs this spring, the first in the Hartford, Conn., area (April 14-16), and the second identical program in Los Angeles (May 12-14).
Continue readingDirect Flame Impingement for annealing aluminum cuts fuel costs by 50%
March 11, 2015 Source:
The Linde Group, Murray Hill, N.J., has developed Direct Flame Impingement oxyfuel-based technology for continuous annealing of cold-rolled aluminum strip. In DFI technology, oxyfuel flames directly heat the metal strip as it passes through the annealing furnace, enabling a capacity increase of 50%, cost reduction of 50%, and reduced scaling losses and dross formation.
The DFI oxygen burners are arranged in rows, with multiple burners to cover the entire width of the strip. The rows are mounted in modules, and each module consists of two burner rows firing from above and below the strip. The material temperature rises very quickly within a compact furnace body, resulting in heat transfer rates up to ten times higher than those in conventional fuel-fired furnaces.
If oxygen, not air, is used to combust a fuel, all the heat transfer mechanisms, convection, conduction and radiation, can be promoted at the same time. This results in a faster, more even heating process, which cuts the total heating time, thus allowing for more production capacity and flexibility. The flue gas volumes are reduced by up to 80%, with no more need for bulky flue gas systems or recuperators. Heating and cleaning can be done in the same operation.
Details about the new technology were presented at TMS 2015, March 15-19, at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In a paper titled, "Direct Flame Impingement (DFI)" Linde senior nonferrous expert Henrik Gripenberg discussed DFI technology, applications, and pilot test results.
Linde, Murray Hill, N.J., has developed Direct Flame Impingement oxyfuel-based technology for continuous annealing of cold-rolled aluminum strip.
Continue readingSSAB launches steel tube family with extreme wear resistance
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SSAB Steel, Sweden, has launched the new Hardox Tube 500 family, which provides the same hardness and toughness as Hardox wear plate, but in tubular form. It was developed for applications that require high wear resistance in combination with lower density. It is suitable for transporting all types of abrasive materials, such as wet concrete, soil, gravel, and ore slurry.
"The new Hardox Tube 500 range completes the existing Hardox family product range. We have long experience in developing wear-resistant steel tubes. The final properties are set after tube rolling and welding, which guarantees consistency as well as high hardness and toughness qualities," says Fredrik Mikaelsson, Manager for Tubes & Sections at SSAB.
Its extreme wear resistance allows for a lighter product with a long service life. It can increase the competitiveness of certain products by extending their service life by two, five, ten times, or more.
Hardox Tube 500 is available from stock in 88.9-133 mm diameters and different material thicknesses. Custom tubes in thinner materials and other diameters are also available.
www.ssab.com
SSAB Steel, Sweden, has launched the new Hardox Tube 500 family, which provides the same hardness and toughness as Hardox wear plate, but in circular form.
Continue readingCalifornia Brazing installs new Haas vertical machining center
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California Brazing, Newark, Calif., has installed a new Haas vertical machining center with an envelope of 64 by 40 by 30 in. This 15,000 RPM machining center includes a 1000-block look-ahead, high pressure through-the-spindle cooling, and expanded memory up to 15M. The company is is Nadcap, AS9100, and ISO9001:2008 accredited.
The company is a turnkey manufacturer of critical brazed components for the aerospace, semiconductor, photonics, and energy-management markets. Working with aluminum, copper, ceramic, and stainless steels, the company offers an array of brazing alloys, including copper, gold, and other precious and non-precious brazing filler metals. Nadcap-certified brazing services include vacuum furnace brazing, vacuum aluminum brazing, and hydrogen brazing.
California Brazing, Newark, Calif., has installed a new Haas vertical machining center with an envelope of 64 by 40 by 30 in.
Continue readingAlcoa to acquire RTI International Metals
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire RTI International Metals Inc., to grow its value-add businesses and to further strengthen its aerospace portfolio. RTI will expand Alcoa's range of titanium offerings and add advanced technologies and materials, increasing the company's position as a leading industrial innovator.
The acquisition will offer Alcoa financial benefits with realized net synergies of about $100 million in 2019, primarily driven by procurement and productivity improvements, leveraging Alcoa's global shared services and driving profitable growth. Alcoa expects RTI to contribute $1.2 billion in revenues in 2019, up from $794 million generated in 2014, with 65 percent of revenues supported by contracts over the next five years. RTI is expected to reach profitability of 25 percent EBITDA margin in 2019, up from 14.5 percent in 2014.
This transaction is expected to enable Alcoa to capitalize on strong growth in the commercial aerospace sector. Alcoa projects a compounded annual global aerospace market growth rate of 5 to 6 percent through 2019 and sees a current 9-year production order book for commercial jets at 2014 delivery rates.
RTI grows Alcoa's pro forma 2014 annual aerospace revenues by 13 percent, up from $5 billion to $5.6 billion. RTI is expected to increase Alcoa's 2014 pro forma aerospace revenues to 37 percent of value-add sales, up from 35 percent. Alcoa's aerospace business is the largest contributor to Alcoa's value-add businesses.
Eighty percent of RTI's revenues in 2014 were from the aerospace and defense industries, with the balance mainly split between other markets including energy and medical devices, complementing Alcoa's growth markets.
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire RTI International Metals Inc., to grow its value-add businesses and to further strengthen its aerospace portfolio.
Continue readingASM International makes major update to alloy center database
March 5, 2015 Source: ASM International
ASM Alloy Center Database adds thousands of standards and commercial grades records.
Continue readingNorth American aluminum producers and fabricators ship 25.5 billion pounds in 2014
March 3, 2015 Source:
The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va., reports that the aluminum industry in the United States and Canada saw year-over-year demand growth of 5% through the end of 2014. The estimated 25.5 billion pounds of aluminum shipped by North American producers and fabricators is the largest shipment total for the industry since 2006. Total mill product shipments grew 4.5% in 2014, led by growth in the extrusion, foil and sheet, and plate markets.
"We're seeing steady demand growth across many of our key markets," said Ryan Olsen, Vice President of Business Information & Statistics for the Aluminum Association. "Orders of aluminum mill products are also on the rise, a leading indicator of continued growth for the industry into 2015."
"The growth in North American demand for aluminum in 2014 was all the more impressive given the harsh winter weather the region experienced at the start of the year, and the significant impact it had on operations," Mr. Olsen said. "Demand grew just eight-tenths of one percent year-over-year during the first four months (January – April), compared to a year-over-year increase of 7.1% over the final eight months."
According to this latest data, demand for aluminum has grown by 38.3% since the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, and the industry continues to expand. Over the past two years, Aluminum Association member companies have announced domestic plant expansions and planned investment totaling more than $2.3 billion. These investments are intended to capture and meet anticipated demand growth for aluminum in the automotive sector as automakers strive to make lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The investments announced to date could increase industry auto sheet capacity by more than 2 billion pounds over the next decade.
The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va., reports that the aluminum industry in the United States and Canada saw year-over-year demand growth of 5% through the end of 2014.
Continue readingCentorr ships furnaces for production of aluminum nitride substrates
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Centorr Vacuum Industries, Nashua, N.H., has shipped orders for two high-temperature sintering furnaces for 2015 delivery to a leading firm in the production of aluminum nitride substrates for the LED market in China. The designs include a 2 ft3 graphite furnace for AlN sintering, and a refractory metal furnace rated to 1850°C for a secondary heating process. These new furnaces build on the success of CVI's experience in non-oxide ceramics, and include modifications made specifically for high-temperature sintering of advanced ceramics.
The graphite furnace includes robust graphite tube and block elements designed for service to 2250°C, with a four-sided hot zone and integral graphite retort for excellent temperature uniformity.
The rigid graphite insulation provides for long-term service even in the presence of process off-gassing and residual binder contamination. The new dual-flow Sweepgas system allows more effective "sweeping" away of the process offgassing. Furnace control is via PLC/Programmable Controllers with Centorr's custom-designed HMI visualization interface.
Centorr's Sintervac Non-Oxide furnace is available with volumes of 2, 3, 4.5, 9, 16, 24, and 54 cubic feet. The refractory metal furnace, sized at one cubic foot, will be used for a specific part of the AlN process in which a non-graphite hot zone is needed for material cleanliness. The system is rated to 1850°C and offers temperature uniformity under +/- 3°C.
Centorr Vacuum Industries, Nashua, N.H., has shipped orders for two high-temperature sintering furnaces for 2015 delivery to a leading firm in the production of aluminum nitride substrates for the LED market in China.
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