Solar Manufacturing ships Mentor furnace to Virginia tool and die heat treating company
March 30, 2020 Source: ASM International
Solar Manufacturing, Sellersville, Pa., recently shipped a Mentor vacuum furnace to Virginia, for a customer servicing the tool and die industry.
Continue readingSeco Warwick provides two heat treatment systems to machine tool manufacturer
Source: ASM International
Seco Warwick, Meadville, Pa., has received orders for a CaseMaster Evolution multi-chamber vacuum furnace with oil quench, and a Vector 15-Bar high-pressure gas quench vacuum furnace, from a machine tool manufacturer.
Continue readingOne Minute Mentor: M50 bearing steels
September 16, 2019 Source:
Bearings made of M50 have been used in jet-engine applications for many years. M50 is a secondary-hardening alloy typically tempered multiple times to achieve high hardness and dimensional stability. High-alloy, high-carbon steels are stabilized by tempering at temperatures 10 to 15 °C (20 to 30 °F) higher than their peak secondary-hardening temperature. Austenite is stabilized by alloy in solution. Carbides that form during secondary hardening deplete alloy in solution making the austenite susceptible to transformation during cooling and during additional tempering cycles
Figure 17 shows the dimensional stability of M50 aged at room temperature as a function of tempering temperature and number of tempering treatments. Tempering M50 five times shows an improvement over triple tempering.
Thermal cycling is another test used to quantify the stability of bearings. M50 thermal cycled from 20 to 260°C (68 to 500°F) 20 times, results in 23 and 15 micro-in./in. of growth for triple tempering at 510 and 525°C (950 and 975°F), respectively, but no difference between three and five tempers at 540°C (1000°F), for which the growth is only 2 to 3 micro-in./in. of growth (Ref 10).
For more information, click on the link below (subscription required), then scroll down the Chapter Contents column on the left of the page, and click on "Special Purpose Through-Hardening Bearing Steels."
https://dl.asminternational.org/handbooks/book/9/chapter/110017/Heat-Treatment-of-Bearing
M50 is a secondary-hardening alloy typically tempered multiple times to achieve high hardness and dimensional stability.
Continue readingOne-Minute Mentor: Special Purpose Through-Hardening Bearing Steels
September 4, 2019 Source:
Through-hardening bearing steels from the ASTM A295 and A485 families that are given a typical heat treatment, operate well up to the 120–135 °C (250–275 °F) service range. Other through-hardening bearing steels have been developed over the years for use in specialty applications in higher temperature service or in atmospheric corrosive environments.
Some of these steels and service environments in which they operate:
Tool steels
M50 (jet engines, other aerospace applications up to 430 °C (800 °F)
M62 (high temperature, high stress applications)
T5 and T15 (high temperature, high stress applications)
Corrosion-resistant steels
Cronidur 30 (high temperature, corrosive applications)
BG42 (high temperature, corrosive applications; stable to 430 °C, or 900 °F)
XD15NW (high temperature, corrosive applications)
Type 440C (ambient temperature atmospheric corrosion)
440 N-DUR (ambient temperature atmospheric corrosion)
These special purpose steels were modified and tailored for their respective service environments. Because several of them are used in aerospace applications, they are also subject to specialized melting practices, such as consumable electrode vacuum melting (CEVM) and vacuum induction melted-vacuum arc remelting (VIM-VAR), which provide very low-inclusion content microstructures.
These high cleanliness specialty steels must be heat treated with care as they still are subject to the previously described restrictions of air-melted through-hardening steels, and certain precautions must be taken during high hot-working temperatures and heat treating.
For more information, click on the link below (subscription required), then scroll down the Chapter Contents column on the left of the page, and click on "Special Purpose Through-Hardening Bearing Steels."
https://dl.asminternational.org/handbooks/book/9/chapter/110017/Heat-Treatment-of-Bearings
Through-hardening bearing steels from the ASTM A295 and A485 families that are given a typical heat treatment, operate well up to the 120–135 °C (250–275 °F) service range.
Continue readingQuaker Chemical and Houghton International combine to form new industrial fluids company
August 5, 2019 Source:
Quaker Chemical Corp., Conshohocken, Pa., and Houghton International, Valley Forge, Pa., have combined to create Quaker Houghton, a global leader in industrial process fluids to the primary metals and metalworking markets. Along with the new name, the company revealed a new logo and brand representing the combined companies.
Their combined breadth of product and service offerings can be found in end-markets such as aerospace, aluminum, automotive, machinery, can manufacturing, industrial parts manufacturing, mining, offshore, steel, and tube and pipe industries.
With its expanded products and services portfolio, the company expects that cross-selling opportunities will facilitate continued above-market growth. Specific products the company offers include metal cutting and forming fluids, corrosion protection fluids, specialty hydraulic fluids, and steel and aluminum rolling oils.
In addition, legacy-Houghton customers will benefit from Quaker’s strength in specialty greases, high-pressure die casting, mining specialties, surface treatment and bio-based lubricants, while legacy-Quaker customers will now have access to Houghton’s heat treatment quenchants, offshore hydraulic fluids, metal finishing products, and a broader metal removal fluids portfolio.
In the first year, the company’s focus will be to maintain service levels for its customers and ensure no supply chain disruptions, while successfully executing its integration plans. In year two, the revenue synergies will begin to be visible as the company expects to grow above the market by 2% to 4% as it has in the past.
The company also expects to continue to grow through acquisitions, which remain part of its core growth strategy. In the short term, the company will focus on paying down debt, but will continue to consider smaller acquisitions that can create value. Both Quaker and Houghton have long histories of building value through acquisitions.
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Quaker Chemical Corp., Conshohocken, Pa., and Houghton International, Valley Forge, Pa., have combined to create Quaker Houghton, a global leader in industrial process fluids to the primary metals and metalworking markets.
Continue readingSeco vacuum temper furnace designed for tempering and stress relieving cutting tools
June 24, 2019 Source:
Seco Vacuum Technologies, Meadville, Pa., announces that a global manufacturer of cutting tools has purchased an additional vacuum temper furnace for its North American manufacturing operations. The new furnace, which will be used for tempering and stress relieving metal parts, is part of the company’s growing manufacturing expansion and complements another commissioned earlier in 2019 at this facility.
The horizontal, front-loading furnace is purpose-built to accommodate the customer’s needs with an all-metal hot zone for clean vacuum processing. As with the earlier furnaces, one of which was installed at a different facility, the new furnace includes a convection fan and a pressurized gas quench for quick cooling.
Seco Vacuum provides consultation, project engineering, installation, and aftermarket support from its Meadville headquarters via the company’s Seco Visory team consulting service. This is a unique, cost-free service for qualified companies. It allows heat treaters to examine their needs, evaluate equipment options appropriate to those needs, and make an informed decision with the help of heat treatment experts.
Seco Vacuum Technologies, Meadville, Pa., announces that a global manufacturer of cutting tools has purchased an additional vacuum temper furnace for its North American manufacturing operations.
Continue readingNitrex installs nitrocarburizing system for treating aluminum profiles and extrusions
May 1, 2019 Source:
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.
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.
Continue readingSolar installs 100-ton vacuum hot press heat treating system with gas fan quench cooling
January 8, 2019 Source:
Solar Manufacturing Inc., Souderton, Pa., announces that it has completed the installation and startup of a large 100-ton-force vacuum hot press that is capable of treating a 4000-pound part for Refrac Systems’ commercial and aerospace diffusion-bonding operation in Chandler, Arizona. The system includes a two-bar gas fan quench.
Working with Solar’s engineering team, Refrac Systems selected a derivative of the Solar Manufacturing standard HLF-5748-2IQ internally quenched two-bar vacuum furnace as the base design. The furnace hot zone was modified to contain a 100-ton load hydraulic ram centered over the zone, which is configured to diffusion bond parts up to 36 inches wide x 48 inches long x 30 inches tall. The system was specifically designed to diffusion bond large plastic injection molding dies, while concurrently quench hardening them. In addition, the system is finding applications in bonding advanced superalloy heat exchangers, for which the quench cooling offers significant improvement in performance.
According to Norm Hubele, President of Refrac Systems, “We really drew on the extensive engineering experience base that Solar Manufacturing has for building large gas fan quench-cooled vacuum furnaces coupled with our own vacuum hot-pressing experience to build this very unique hot-press system.â€
During the course of system design and development, a number of new and complex engineering solutions were needed to reduce the operational and ownership risks for the new type of furnace system.
William Jones, CEO of the Solar Atmospheres family of companies, notes that “Norm put together a team of engineers to design and build this state-of-the-art GFQVHP, and it contains many innovations. Throughout the entire process, Norm personally reviewed all aspects of the design and added considerable insight to the development of this unique vacuum furnace system.â€
Solar Manufacturing designs and manufactures a wide variety of vacuum heat treating, sintering and brazing furnaces, and offers replacement hot zones, spare parts, and professional service.
Solar Manufacturing Inc., Souderton, Pa., announces that it has completed the installation and startup of a large 100-ton-force vacuum hot press that is capable of treating a 4000-pound part for Refrac Systems’ commercial and aerospace diffusion-bonding operation in Chandler, Arizona.
Continue readingPitt and General Carbide partner to improve tungsten carbide powders for 3D printing
December 31, 2018 Source:
The University of Pittsburgh and General Carbide Corp., Greensburg, Pa., report that recent awards from the state of Pennsylvania will enable research into improving tungsten carbide powders and developing 3D printing methods for more effective and economical additive manufacturing.
Tungsten carbide is one of the most versatile metal compounds and is renowned for its durability and strength, making it perfect for cutting tools, boring machines, and surgical instruments. Although it would seem ideal for additive manufacturing, tungsten carbide is susceptible to fractures and breakage when exposed to the extreme laser heat used in printing metal powders.
"Additive manufacturing is increasingly adopted by industry to build highly complex metal parts, but the rapid local heating and cooling during energy beam-based 3D metal printing produces large thermal gradients that cause tungsten carbide to crack," explains principal investigator Markus Chmielus, Pitt assistant professor. "Binder jet 3D printing is more effective because it selectively joins powder particles with a binder, one microscopic layer on top of another, without any temperature fluctuations during printing."
Still key to utilizing tungsten carbide, however, is that after a part is printed, it needs to withstand sintering and potentially HIP. Therefore, Dr. Chmielus and General Carbide will investigate various tungsten carbide base powders that can be utilized in a binder jet 3D printer, as well as optimize the printing process and subsequent sintering and HIP.
The project is financed in part by a $57,529 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the first round of the PA Manufacturing Innovation Program (PAMIP). Cost share from Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering and General Carbide will provide a total funding of $145,000.
The University of Pittsburgh and General Carbide Corp., Greensburg, Pa., report that recent awards from the state of Pennsylvania will enable research into improving tungsten carbide powders and developing 3D printing methods for more effective and economical additive manufacturing.
Continue readingIpsen Titan vacuum furnace to heat treat cutter blades for Vietnam division of U.S. company
July 6, 2018 Source: ASM International
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., reports that Zenith Cutter, an Illinois manufacturing company, has purchased a Titan H6 vacuum furnace with two-bar gas quenching for its sister company Metkraft in Vietnam to process its industrial knives, cutter blades, and related accessories.
Continue reading