Leco metallographic mounting press offers simple operation, touchscreen interface

May 13, 2019
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Leco, Saint Joseph, Mich., introduces the MX400 mounting press, which offers dual mount capability, a slim eight-inch design, a simple steel closure, low thermal mass, and energy-efficient heating with substantially faster cooling than previous generations of mounting presses. Its convenient standby option with selectable temperature keeps the mold cylinder warm between uses, allowing for increased throughput. An optional ventilation system also helps to keep the work area clean and safe from harmful fumes.

 

A seven-inch touchscreen interface with simple swipe-and-touch operation makes the MX400 easy to use. It is simple to select all parameters, such as heat, pressure, and cure time, for unparalleled versatility. These parameters can then be used to create customizable methods for optimized repeatability.

 

Leco-developed methods are also available to help the user get started. The MX400 offers three fixed common mold sizes, enabling users to choose the one that best fits their needs: a 1.25 inch, 1.50 inch, and 30 millimeters. The MX400 is ideal in sample preparation for a wide range of applications, including, but not limited, to metal such as steel, iron, and nickel; heat treatment or coatings; and most manufacturing quality control and research and developmental needs.

 

www.leco.com

 

Leco metallographic mounting press offers simple operation, touchscreen interface

Leco, Saint Joseph, Mich., introduces the MX400 mounting press, which offers dual mount capability, a slim eight-inch design, a simple steel closure, low thermal mass, and energy-efficient heating with substantially faster cooling than previous generations of mounting presses.

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One Minute Mentor: Ductile iron austempering temperature and time

May 9, 2019
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The austempering temperature is the primary determinant of the final microstructure and therefore the hardness and strength of the austempered ductile iron product. As the austempering temperature increases, the strength varies, as shown in Fig. 19 for irons with two levels of manganese.

 

The attainment of maximum ductility at any given austempering temperature is a sensitive function of time. The initial increase in elongation occurs as stage I, and elongation progresses to completion, at which point the fraction of austenite is a maximum.

 

Further austempering merely serves to reduce ductility, as the stage II reaction causes decomposition to the equilibrium bainite product. Typical austempering times vary from one to four hours.

 

Adapted from: K. Hayrynen, Heat Treating and Properties of Ductile Iron, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels, Vol 4D, ASM Handbook, ASM International, 2014, p 508–521. https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005937

 

For more information on this topic, visit the article (subscription required), scroll down the Chapter Contents column on the left, and click on Austempering Ductile Iron.

One Minute Mentor: Ductile iron austempering temperature and time

The austempering temperature is the primary determinant of the final microstructure and therefore the hardness and strength of the austempered ductile iron product.

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Can-Eng Furnaces to design heat treating system for thin-wall aluminum die castings

May 7, 2019
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Can-Eng Furnaces, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been chosen to design and commission a high-capacity heat-treatment system for a Tier 1 global automotive manufacturing company. The new system provides T-6 and T-7 processing capabilities for lightweight aluminum high-pressure die casting automotive components.

 

Features of the system include Can-Eng’s proven lean manufacturing robotically integrated part handling system with individual part processing features that deliver predictable metallurgical and part dimensional properties; precision air quenching technology; Level 2 automation for the managing of individual component parameter traceability; system diagnostics; and CQI-9 reporting. The system is scheduled for commissioning in the first quarter of 2020, and will support a next-model-generation luxury SUV being released in 2021.

 

Can-Eng Furnaces International is a global provider of state-of-the-art thermal processing systems for ferrous and nonferrous metals, and is a significant supplier to the automotive community through direct and tier supply.

 

www.can-eng.com

Can-Eng Furnaces to design heat treating system for thin-wall aluminum die castings

Can-Eng Furnaces, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been chosen to design and commission a high-capacity heat-treatment system for a Tier 1 global automotive manufacturing company.

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Wisconsin Oven ships five ovens to East Carolina Metal Treating for stress relieving


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Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, has shipped five electrically heated standard draw batch series ovens with maximum operating temperatures of 1250°F to East Carolina Metal Treating in Raleigh, N.C., for stress relieving.

 

Basket dimensions are 2 x 3 x 2 feet. Guaranteed temperature uniformity of ±10°F at set points 300°F, 750°F, and 1250°F was documented with a nine-point temperature uniformity survey in empty oven chambers under static operating conditions.

 

Wisconsin Oven’s heat treat ovens and tempering furnaces (SDB Series) come in ten standard sizes and are available as either gas fired or electrically heated in four temperature ranges. The SDB series features heavy-duty furnace construction, including a plate steel outer shell, a reinforced steel plate oven front, a lined inner shell, and exterior structural reinforcements as required.

 

These ovens feature temperature uniformity of ±10°F at 300°F, 750°F, and 1250°F. They provide 3600 CFM @ 3 HP recirculation system, and 36 kW heating system with SSR control.

 

These standard draw batch ovens were fully factory tested and adjusted prior to shipment. All safety interlocks were checked for proper operation and the equipment was operated at the normal and maximum operating temperatures. An extensive quality assurance check list was completed to ensure the equipment met all Wisconsin Oven quality standards.

 

www.wisoven.com

Wisconsin Oven ships five ovens to East Carolina Metal Treating for stress relieving

Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, has shipped five electrically heated standard draw batch series ovens with maximum operating temperatures of 1250°F to East Carolina Metal Treating in Raleigh, N.C., for stress relieving.

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United States Steel to invest a billion dollars in new plant


Source: ASM International

United States Steel to invest a billion dollars in new plant

United States Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, announces that it will invest more than $1 billion to construct a new sustainable endless casting and rolling facility at its Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa., and a cogeneration facility at its Clairton Plant in Clairton, Pa., both part of the company’s Mon Valley Works.

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Ipsen appoints mechanical engineer Andrew Yazot to Midwest Regional Sales Owner


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Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., announces the transition of Andrew Yazot from International Sales Manager to Midwest Regional Sales Owner, where he will cover nine states in the Midwest. He replaces former Midwest Regional Sales Owner Matt Clinite, who was promoted to Ipsen Customer Service Sales Manager last month.

 

"My mission is to continue the level of customer service Matt established with customers and prospects in the territory," says Mr. Yazot. "My technical background and attention to detail will allow me to do that."

 

Mr. Yazot joined the company in 2009 and has provided sales support in Eastern Europe, Russia, Germany, China, and parts of the United States. His degree is in mechanical engineering, and he has worked in technical sales for more than two decades. He will be based out of Ipsen's Cherry Valley facility.

 

"Andrew is a great asset to Ipsen with more than a decade of working in the industry," says Pete Kerbel, Vice President of Sales, Ipsen USA. "His breadth of domestic and international experience is what makes him a balanced problem-solver, and I have no doubt our Midwestern client base will succeed with Andrew as their representative."

 

www.ipsenusa.com

 

Ipsen appoints mechanical engineer Andrew Yazot to Midwest Regional Sales Owner

Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., announces the transition of Andrew Yazot from International Sales Manager to Midwest Regional Sales Owner, where he will cover nine states in the Midwest.

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Cummins invests in GE’s Binder Jet additive manufacturing technology to reduce costs

May 6, 2019
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Cummins Inc., Columbus, Indiana, is set to expand its additive manufacturing capabilities by implementing GE Additive’s high-precision Binder Jetting AM technology, initially focusing on  low-volume parts as engineers investigate the best way to use AM in higher-volume manufacturing. Cummins is one of the first customers to invest in GE’s Binder Jet technology, and the company says that this investment will support its plan to advance manufacturing processes.

 

Binder jetting is a technology in which a print head moves across a bed of powder and selectively deposits a liquid binding agent in the shape of the section, bonding these areas together to form a solid part one layer at a time. Depending on complexity, the part can be printed 60 to 100 times faster than by laser-based printing processes.

 

Cummins recently sold its first metal additively manufactured part, a bracket produced on a GE Additive Concept Laser M2 system. Cummins is a strategic partner for GE Additive, which in traduced the first prototype of its Binder Jet system, then called the H1, in December 2017. The company is now quickly scaling its Binder Jet technology, first into pilot lines, then into a complete, industrialised factory solution – expected to be commercially available in early 2021.With the addition of GE’s Binder Jet technology, Cummins expects to be able to additively manufacture medium to large size complex parts at high throughput and at a comparatively lower cost.

 

www.cummins.com

www.ge.com/additive

Cummins invests in GE’s Binder Jet additive manufacturing technology to reduce costs

Cummins Inc., Columbus, Indiana, is set to expand its additive manufacturing capabilities by implementing GE Additive’s high-precision Binder Jetting AM technology, initially focusing on low-volume parts as engineers investigate the best way to use AM in higher-volume manufacturing.

Continue reading

Solar Atmospheres facility to install 12-foot vacuum furnace to process titanium

May 1, 2019
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Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, S.C., announces that it has ordered a new 12-foot car-bottom vacuum furnace with advanced pumping system and rapid cooling capability manufactured by sister company Solar Manufacturing, Hermitage, Pa. Installation is scheduled for early 2020.

 

This state-of-the-art horizontal vacuum furnace is 144 inches deep, 54 inches wide, and 54 inches high, and is capable of processing loads weighing up to 50,000 pounds. Its design features a vacuum pumping system capable of achieving an ultimate vacuum in the 1×10-6 Torr range, crucial to the processing of titanium and other high-grade alloys. Additionally, the furnace includes newly developed designs for the uniform and rapid cooling of large workloads, allowing the Greenville facility to continue bringing unique processing capabilities to the Southeastern United States.

 

“We see the acquisition of this new furnace as key to meeting the growing needs of Solar’s customers,” says Regional Sales Manager Michael Paponetti. “This provides yet another tool to lower the cost of heat treatment through economies of scale only experienced through the use of large vacuum furnaces.”

 

www.solaratm.com

Solar Atmospheres facility to install 12-foot vacuum furnace to process titanium

Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, S.C., announces that it has ordered a new 12-foot car-bottom vacuum furnace with advanced pumping system and rapid cooling capability manufactured by sister company Solar Manufacturing, Hermitage, Pa.

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Nitrex installs nitrocarburizing system for treating aluminum profiles and extrusions


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Nitrex Metal, St. Laurent, Canada, announces that it has delivered and installed a Nitrex nitrocarburizing system for a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on a greenfield site in northwestern Romania for the Swiss corporation Alu Menziken Extrusion AG, a manufacturer of aluminum profiles and complex extrusion press products.

 

The turnkey NX-815 nitrocarburizing system incorporates the Nitreg-C technology for treating aluminum extrusion dies. The pit furnace has overall chamber dimensions of 31.5 inches diameter by 59 inches high, with capacity optimized to nitrocarburize a 3300-pound load. Inaugurated this past November, the plant produces a range of profile products for aerospace and automotive companies such as Audi, BMW, Bentley, and Daimler.

 

The process technology adapts to the application requirements to deliver improved performance of extrusion dies. Tailoring the application’s surface properties has a positive influence on performance metrics such as throughput per run and number of runs per die, which, as a consequence, mitigates the cost of tooling. Alu Menziken also chose the Nitreg-C technology to reduce the possibility of potential failures such as premature washout and flaking, which degrade the performance of dies.

 

“With a focus on the environment, Alu Menziken also sought to introduce eco-friendly technologies for all equipment at its greenfield facility. Not only is there a benefit of reduced process gas use with the Nitrex system, but also the integral high-efficiency neutralizer also helps comply with environmental regulations,” says Marcin Stoklosa, Nitrex European Project Manager.

 

www.nitrex.com

Nitrex installs nitrocarburizing system for treating aluminum profiles and extrusions

Nitrex Metal, St. Laurent, Canada, announces that it has delivered and installed a Nitrex nitrocarburizing system for a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on a greenfield site in northwestern Romania for the Swiss corporation Alu Menziken Extrusion AG, a manufacturer of aluminum profiles and complex extrusion press products.

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