TimkenSteel to invest $40 million in continuous heat-treating facility
July 23, 2014
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TimkenSteel Corp., Canton, Ohio, announces plans to invest $40 million to build an additional continuous heat-treating facility in the United States. The company is evaluating locations and plans to make that decision in the third quarter of 2014. The facility would be fully operational within two years, and would have capacity for 50,000 tons annually of 4-inch to 13-inch bars and tubes. It would be larger than any of the company's three existing thermal treatment facilities in Canton.
TimkenSteel serves global equipment manufacturers and service companies with customized products and services for their most demanding applications in down-hole tools and top-of-hole infrastructure. The company's integrated supply chain combines high-performance material, industry-leading thermal treatment, proprietary machining processes, and responsive delivery capabilities.
"Many of the applications require higher-performance steels that give our customers confidence as they push the limits of what's possible. This investment is foundational to our ability to grow some of our most unique and sophisticated product lines to meet those needs," said Shawn J. Seanor, executive vice president of Energy and Distribution. "Additional continuous heat-treat capabilities provide the flexibility to create more customized steels to serve energy and other markets that have a strong long-term outlook. That continuous innovation is a key part of our unique business model."
http://www.timkensteel.com
TimkenSteel Corp., Canton, Ohio, announces plans to invest $40 million to build an additional continuous heat-treating facility in the United States.
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Phased-array wheel probe designed for ultrasonic inspection without immersion
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Olympus America, Center Valley, Pa., introduces the RollerForm, a new phased -array wheel probe designed for ultrasonic inspection of composites and other smooth-surfaced materials. The unique tire material has been specifically developed to guarantee high-quality, immersion-like ultrasonic testing. Minimal couplant and pressure is required for the RollerForm to provide excellent coupling and a strong signal, even in difficult scanning positions.
An affordable and easy-to-implement replacement for full 2-D encoding systems, the RollerFORM also offers a viable alternative to immersion techniques.
In addition to providing exceptional coupling, the tire of the RollerFORM wheel is made of a unique material that closely matches the acoustic impedance of water. This design feature permits the efficient transmission of energy to the part without unwanted echoes, obtaining an optimum 1 mm near-surface resolution in composites when using the 5-MHz phased array probe model.
The 3.5-MHz phased array probe model is better suited for certain thicker, more attenuating materials. Since the tire is transparent, it is easy to identify the presence of air bubbles or contaminants within the water chamber.
The RollerForm, combined with a phased array instrument such as an OmniScan or the Focus LT, uses zero-degree ultrasonic beams for manufacturing and maintenance inspections. Common applications include delamination sizing and porosity quantification in composite core material, as well as wall-loss monitoring in aluminum panels. With its integrated indexing button, the ergonomically designed it enables mapping the surface of an inspected material by acquiring multiple one-line C-scans and combining them in real time into a single image. The built-in laser guide facilitates straight and precise one-line scans.
http://www.olympus-ims.com/en/rollerform/
Olympus America, Center Valley, Pa., introduces the RollerForm, a new phased-array wheel probe designed for ultrasonic inspection of composites and other smooth-surfaced materials.
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Sciaky’s electron beam additive manufacturing systems now available for purchase
Source: ASM International
Sciaky Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries, Chicago, will now offer its electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) systems for purchase, with accelerated delivery opportunities available as early as Sept. 1.
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ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe invests $121 million to modernize Duisburg continuous caster
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ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Germany, is investing $121 million to modernize continuous caster 1 in Duisburg-Beeckerwerth to improve slab quality and widen the product range. It is scheduled to go back into operation in just under eight weeks. The work is being carried out in parallel with the reline of blast furnace 2 in order to minimize production losses.
Continuous caster 1 is designed for steel slabs with widths between 1000 and 2150 millimeters and a thickness of up to 257 millimeters. The rebuild of the two-strand bow-type caster includes a new ladle turret and an 80-ton tundish including car, the replacement of the casting machine itself, and the installation of new measuring systems. A key element of the modernization is a new cooling system. Previously slabs were sprayed with water across their full width. A new air-water cooling technology will permit gentler, more accurate cooling of the hot strand.
In the future it will be possible to switch individual nozzles on and off, so allowing targeted cooling of defined zones across the width of the strand. "Thanks to air-water cooling we will have next to no edge defects in slabs anymore," explains Dr. Arnd Köfler, Head of Crude Steel at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe. "This will significantly improve the surface quality of the steel, particularly the higher-strength grades our customers are increasingly requesting."
Continuous caster 1 was built in 1974 and has been modernized twice since. The revamp is therefore essential. Alongside this unit there is a second continuous caster in Beeckerwerth and another one in the Bruckhausen plant. The capacity of continuous caster 1 is around 2.3 million tons per year. Since it began operation 40 years ago it has produced more than 80 million tons of steel, enough to build almost 1,100 copies of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The two continuous casters in Beeckerwerth provide work for roughly 170 employees. They produce high-quality slabs for special steels, mainly for the auto industry, as well as tinplate for the packaging industry, high-strength steels, skelp and quarto plate.
www.thyssenkrupp-steel-europe.com/en
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Germany, is investing $121 million to modernize continuous caster 1 in Duisburg-Beeckerwerth to improve slab quality and widen the product range.
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AK Steel acquires Severstal’s Dearborn steelmaking assets
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AK Steel, West Chester, Ohio, has signed an agreement to acquire Severstal North America's integrated steelmaking assets located in Dearborn, Mich., for $700 million in cash. The acquisition also includes a cokemaking facility and interests in three joint ventures that process flat-rolled steel products. The Dearborn plant produces high-quality, flat-rolled steels, primarily for the automotive, construction, and appliance markets. A large-scale modernization campaign was completed in 2011. During the campaign, major capital was invested in new state-of-the-art equipment and various operational improvements.
Dearborn's blast furnace, which was rebuilt in 2007, is among the most efficient and productive blast furnaces in the world for its size. The plant also began operating a new pickle line tandem cold mill and a new hot dip galvanizing line in 2011. Similar to AK Steel's existing carbon steel operations, the Dearborn plant produces hot and cold rolled sheet and hot dip galvanized products, as well as other flat-rolled steel products.
The plant employs approximately 1400 people and is capable of producing about 2.5 million tons of finished steel per year. Upon completion of the acquisition, AK Steel's annual shipments are expected to exceed 7.5 million tons. AK Steel said that it intends to utilize all of Dearborn's production units, and the company has no plans to cease operations at any of its current steelmaking or steel finishing facilities.
The Dearborn facility is strategically located in close proximity to many of AK Steel's customers, and the assets at the steel plant and the other acquired facilities complement AK Steel's existing carbon steel operations.
The acquisition also increases AK Steel's operational flexibility and enables significant cost-based synergies. "In addition to operational and productivity enhancements, the acquisition will create purchasing, transportation, and overhead cost savings," said Mr. Wainscott. "We expect the transaction to be immediately accretive to our earnings and create significant long-term value for AK Steel, our employees, customers and shareholders." The company anticipates annual cost-based synergies of approximately $50 million, with approximately $25 million realized in the first full year following the closing of the acquisition.
http://www.aksteel.com
AK Steel, West Chester, Ohio, has signed an agreement to acquire Severstal North America’s integrated steelmaking assets located in Dearborn, Mich., for $700 million in cash.
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Bosio commissions 72-foot pit furnaces for heat treatment of turbine rotors
July 16, 2014
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Aichelin Group, Austria, announces that member company Bosio, Slovenia, has commissioned a 72-foot pit furnace, a 72-foot split type furnace, and a PLC-controlled spray quenching unit of the same size for the heat treatment of turbine rotors with a length up to 52 feet and a rotor weight up to 175 tons. The furnaces are available with gas or electric heating for temperatures up to 2000°F. Different heating zones ensure a temperature uniformity of ± 9°F.
The PLC controlled spray quenching unit can adjust the quench speed by shutting on/off selected zones and switching between the quenching medias water, air, or air-water mixture. For better uniformity, the parts can be rotated during quenching. A wireless transmitter ensures real-time temperature measurement during the rotation.
For interested customers, Bosio can also provide a simulation of the cooling process for a specific application.
All plants built by the companies of the Aichelin Group ensure a very energy-efficient and environmentally friendly operation with consistently excellent product quality and reproducibility.
This furnace technology is now also available in the United States, and will be built by the U.S.-based Aichelin Heat Treatment Systems Inc., Plymouth, Mich.
www.aichelinusa.com
Aichelin Group, Plymouth, Mich., announces that member company Bosio, Slovenia, has commissioned a 72-foot pit furnace, a 72-foot split type furnace, and a PLC controlled spray quenching unit of the same size for the heat treatment of turbine rotors with a length up to 52 feet and a rotor weight up to 175 tons.
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Stratasys acquires Solid Concepts for its 3D printing of medical and aerospace parts
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Stratasys, Minneapolis, announces the acquisitions of Solid Concepts and Harvest Technologies, which will be combined with RedEye, its existing digital manufacturing service business, to establish one additive manufacturing services business unit. Stratasys acquired Solid Concepts because of its deep knowledge of manufacturing and vertical focus, such as medical and aerospace. Stratasys expects to complete its acquisition of Harvest Technologies by the end of July.
David Reis, chief executive officer of Stratasys, stated, "We look forward to enhancing our customer offering with the completion of this transaction. With Solid Concepts' deep knowledge of manufacturing and vertical focus, such as medical and aerospace, Stratasys will be even better positioned to meet our customers' evolving additive manufacturing requirements. We are delighted to welcome the talented employees of Solid Concepts to the Stratasys family and look forward to completing the acquisition of Harvest in order to form a leading strategic platform to better meet customers' needs."
Stratasys expects to update its financial guidance to reflect both the Solid Concepts and Harvest transactions in conjunction with its second quarter 2014 financial results.
www.stratasys.com
Stratasys, Minneapolis, announces the acquisitions of Solid Concepts and Harvest Technologies, which will be combined with RedEye, its existing digital manufacturing service business, to establish one additive manufacturing services business unit.
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Continental launches first automotive aluminum turbocharger housing
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Continental Corp., Auburn Hills, Mich., announces that its powertrain developers have launched series production of the first car turbocharger with an aluminum turbine housing. Integration of the unit in the three-cylinder gasoline engine for the MINI Hatch has already begun. The double-walled aluminum housing surrounds the hottest area with a cooling water jacket. The coolant flowing through this jacket ensures that the external housing surface does not get hotter than 248°F, and that the internal temperature does not exceed 662°F.
"Aluminum in a turbocharger designed for cars is a real milestone," said Wolfgang Breuer, Head of the Engine Systems Business Unit of the Powertrain Division. "With this lightweight material, we are saving nearly 30% of weight compared to a conventional turbocharger while simultaneously reducing costs and achieving system benefits."
Continental's innovative turbocharger with aluminum turbine housing is making its debut in a demanding downsized application: a turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 1.5 liters of cubic capacity and 100 kW of power.
"It's not just the aluminum that makes the turbocharger special; it was also developed from being a typical add-on component to an integral part of the engine," said Udo Schwerdel, Head of the Turbocharger Product Line, Engine Systems, Powertrain Division.
"The double-walled aluminum housing surrounds the hottest area with a cooling water jacket," said Schwerdel. The coolant flowing through this jacket ensures that the external housing surface does not get hotter than 248°F and that the internal temperature does not exceed 662°F. At the same time, the dynamic response of the electric actuator at the wastegate ensures that the catalytic converter heats up quickly.
www.continental-corporation.com
Continental Corp., Auburn Hills, Mich., announces that its powertrain developers have launched series production of the first car turbocharger with an aluminum turbine housing.
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Alcoa forged aluminum fan blade to fly on P&W jet engine
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announced at the Farnborough Air Show that it has signed a ten-year, $1.1 billion agreement with Pratt & Whitney for state-of-the-art jet engine components. Alcoa will supply key parts for Pratt & Whitney's engines, including the forging for the first ever aluminum fan blade for jet engines.
Its advanced gear system allows the fan to rotate at a slower speed and the hot section to operate at higher speeds, optimizing the running conditions of both. The large, lightweight fan moves more than 90% of the air around the core, delivering a very quiet engine with very low fuel burn. The larger fan diameter also opens the door to materials beyond titanium and composites.
The forging was developed for Pratt & Whitney's PurePower engines using an advanced aluminum alloy and a proprietary manufacturing process. Also for the PurePower engines, Alcoa is developing a fan blade forging using its most advanced aluminum-lithium alloy.
Alcoa plans to use aluminum and aluminum-lithium from its facilities in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Lafayette, Ind., for the front fan blades, which will be produced via proprietary manufacturing processes at its plant in Cleveland, Ohio. Several of Alcoa's facilities, including La Porte, Indiana; Whitehall, Michigan; Dover, New Jersey; and Wichita Falls, Texas, will supply the blades, vanes, and structural components, produced using nickel-based superalloys and titanium as well as aluminum.
www.alcoa.com
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announced at the Farnborough Air Show that it has signed a ten-year, $1.1 billion agreement with Pratt & Whitney for state-of-the-art jet-engine components.
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Notre Dame and General Electric to collaborate on gas turbine R&D facility
July 9, 2014
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The University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., and General Electric Power & Water, Schenectady, N.Y., announce plans to work together to build a $36 million research and test facility with the goal of making better massive gas turbines used by aircraft, power plants, and the oil and gas industry. The facility will have five test bays that will allow researchers to simulate full-scale engine operating environments. The turbo machines run under high stress and temperatures so hot that the metal would melt if not for the proper technology.
The partnership, which also includes the city, the state of Indiana, and a private equity firm, is expected to create research opportunities for Notre Dame and other universities, technological advances for GE and other companies, and economic development for South Bend.
GE has committed $13.5 million to fund research and testing for five years, while Notre Dame plans to contribute $7.5 million and the city of South Bend is contributing $4.4 million. The state of Indiana, through the Indiana Economic Development Corp., is providing up to $600,000 in training grants and up to $2 million in infrastructure assistance. Indiana Michigan Power will invest $2 million in a new substation.
"Trying to make turbines work more efficiently and more reliably takes an incredible commitment of scientists and engineers to keep pushing the boundaries — new materials, new cooling technology, new ways to put the pieces together mechanically," said Rick Stanley, vice president and chief technology officer for GE's Power and Water business. "Part of this facility is going to be dedicated just to that, pushing into the next generation."
Construction is scheduled to begin this summer at a technology park south of downtown South Bend that once was the site of the Studebaker Corp., which closed in 1963.
Great Lakes Capital is providing about $6 million for construction of the 43,000-square-foot building. Notre Dame plans to lease about 25,000 square feet of the building. Jeff Smoke, Great Lakes Capital's director of development, said the company hopes related businesses will move in to the rest of the building.
http://www.nd.edu/turbomachinery/
The University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., and General Electric Power & Water, Schenectady, N.Y., announce plans to work together to build a $36 million research and test facility with the goal of making better massive gas turbines used by aircraft, power plants, and the oil and gas industry.
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