Optomec LENS print engine to be retrofitted with CNC machine in hybrid manufacturing cell at RIT
July 20, 2014
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Optomec , Albuquerque, N.M., announces that its LENS Print Engine for metal components has been adopted by the Center for Remanufacturing and Resources Recovery (C3R) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The system at C3R will retrofit LENS 3D metal printing capabilities within a conventional CNC vertical milling machine, enabling a hybrid additive/subtractive manufacturing work cell. The hybrid manufacturing work cell will be used for both research and commercial production in the remanufacture and repair of high value metallic components.
C3R is considered one of the world's leaders in remanufacturing, which involves restoring worn or damaged in-service parts to extend their useful life. The LENS process can either fully build 3D metal parts, when replacement parts are no longer available, or selectively and precisely add materials onto an existing metal component of almost any three-dimensional shape, making it also ideally suited to perform repair/remanufacturing operations. The process leverages LENS "blown powder" technology, which is an industrial proven method to add metal directly onto an existing metal part. The LENS print head delivers powdered metal and a highly focused laser beam to the damaged part area, enabling repair of components in a way not possible with traditional repair methods such as welding. The low heat input of the LENS process creates a lower heat affected zone on the part under repair, and reduces the chance of distortion.
The LENS Print Engine's modular, open system architecture allows for easy integration with either new or pre-owned CNC machine tools. This open approach enables customers to implement additive manufacturing technology in a cost effective manner by leveraging existing capital assets and speeding productive use through a common human-machine interface already known by machinists.
In a similar vein, the open system approach extends to the metal powder feedstock used by the system, where Optomec supports third party suppliers to optimize the performance of their materials for use with the LENS process. This enables LENS customers to purchase feedstock directly from multiple sources further reducing cost and single source supply risks.
The C3R hybrid repair work cell will be available to other universities or commercial companies, which can contract with RIT for funded development or use the work cell for themselves for development and production work.
http://optomec.com
Optomec , Albuquerque, N.M., announces that its LENS Print Engine for metal components has been adopted by the Center for Remanufacturing and Resources Recovery (C3R) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
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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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Alcoa’s aluminum bonding technology wins R&D 100 award
July 15, 2014
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that R&D Magazine has named Alcoa 951 — an enabler for adhesive bonding of aluminum-intensive vehicles (AIVs) — an R&D 100 Award winner. The patented Alcoa 951 pretreatment bonding technology is up to nine times more durable than the competition. It enhances bond durability and enables more cost-effective, mass production of AIVs. Its ultra-thin profile more readily accepts spot welds and rivets, making it easier to use.
Alcoa's plant in Davenport, Iowa, has a state-of-the-art automotive treatment line that applies Alcoa 951 to aluminum sheet before it is shipped to customers. The technology was co-invented by Alcoa scientists Sherri McCleary and Jim Marinelli, and has been licensed to Chemetall in an exclusive global distribution agreement.
"Alcoa 951 is rapidly becoming the industry standard because it simply outperforms the competition," said Mark Vrablec, President, Global Aerospace, Transportation and Industrial Rolled Products at Alcoa. "For automakers that want the best long-term performance for their aluminum-intensive vehicles, this is the clear choice. It is widely regarded as one of the core enablers to the big automotive shift into aluminum vehicles."
The amount of aluminum body sheet content in North American vehicles is expected to quadruple by 2015 and increase tenfold by 2025 from 2012 levels. To capture that growth, Alcoa invested $300 million in an automotive expansion in Davenport, Iowa, which is now complete, and $300 million in a second automotive expansion in Tennessee, which is on schedule for completion in mid 2015. Alcoa projects that this added capacity will grow auto sheet revenues six fold from 2013 to $1.3 billion in 2018.
Alcoa 951 was also recognized as the "Best Product Innovation" at Metal Bulletin's Global Awards for Aluminum Excellence earlier this year in Geneva, Switzerland. Alcoa and other R&D 100 award winners will be recognized at a black-tie event on November 7 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
www.alcoa.com
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that R&D Magazine has named Alcoa 951 — an enabler for adhesive bonding of aluminum-intensive vehicles (AIVs) — an R&D 100 Award winner.
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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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Alcoa to acquire Firth Rixson for its aerospace forging capabilities
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Firth Rixson, a global leader in aerospace jet engine components, from Oak Hill Capital Partners, for $2.85 billion in cash and stock. Firth Rixson currently holds the number one global position in seamless rolled jet engine rings, engineered from nickel-based superalloys and titanium, and is a major supplier of jet engine forgings. Through Firth Rixson, Alcoa enters into a highly specialized segment of jet engine forgings that require isothermal forging technology.
Isothermally forged parts are increasingly required in jet engines that use elevated turbine temperatures to maximize power output, drive fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Demand for large isothermal aerospace engine disks is expected to triple in the next eight years driven by strong aerospace build rates.
Firth Rixson has a strong portfolio of world-class assets that complements and deepens Alcoa's penetration of the growing aerospace market. Firth Rixson has gained share in each successive generation of engine platforms through its strong market position in rings and significant investment in isothermal forging. It is also one of the world's leading suppliers of vacuum melted superalloys used to make aerospace, industrial gas turbine, oil and gas products, and structural components for landing gear applications.
Firth Rixson recently entered this segment with the development of the state-of-the art Savannah, Georgia facility, which includes a 19.5k ton isothermal press and a 33k ton conventional forge press for other large aerospace components.
Approximately 75 percent of Firth Rixson's revenues in 2013 were from the aerospace industry, with the balance split between other markets such as industrial gas turbine, commercial transportation and oil and gas, complementing Alcoa's growth markets.
www.alcoa.com
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Firth Rixson, a global leader in aerospace jet engine components, from Oak Hill Capital Partners, for $2.85 billion in cash and stock.
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AFC-Holcroft batch furnace customized for Specialty Steel Treating
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AFC-Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that Specialty Steel Treating is adding a new Universal Batch Quench integral quench furnace to its facility in Fraser, Mich. The UBQ batch furnace, size 36 by 48 by 36 inches, is equipped with a top cool chamber, which offers additional cooling capacity for a variety of processes. The new furnace will be serviced by a new, double-ended Universal Batch Transfer Car, which will be delivered in the same timeframe. Both pieces will be integrated with furnace equipment already in production.
As a supplier of both standard and custom equipment, AFC-Holcroft customized their standard equipment designs to meet several specific requests from Specialty Steel Treating. The new UBQ furnace will meet all of the requirements established in AMS2750E for a Class 2, Instrument Type C furnace system. Both nitrogen and endothermic gas will be delivered to the top cool system on the UBQ. The rail spacing was also adjusted on both the UBQ and the UBTC to accommodate the customer's existing tray designs.
www.afc-holcroft.com
AFC-Holcroft, Wixom, Mich., announces that Specialty Steel Treating is adding a new Universal Batch Quench integral quench furnace to its facility in Fraser, Mich.
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CMI Industry to provide furnace to develop new heat treatments for aerospace alloys
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CMI Industry Groupe, Belgium, parent company of CMI Industry Americas, Salem, Ohio, announces that it will provide a heat treatment furnace at the Advanced Forming Research Center in Glasgow, Scotland, to carry out a range of combustion tests to develop new metal processing techniques for aerospace alloys. A single furnace can be equipped with multiple atmospheres to allow processing of many products in a single furnace. The furnace can be heated by various means: direct gas fired, gas-fired radiant tubes, or electric elements. It can be equipped with jet cooling to allow for varied control of cooling rates required for different processes.
The Advanced Forming Research Center was founded by global aerospace companies such as Boeing, Rolls Royce, and Timet. The objectives are to develop methods of fabrication and processing that will improve the performance of aerospace structures.
CMI Industry has also been chosen by Areva for the modernizing of the heat treatment line of CEZUS Rugles (Eure, France), dedicated to zirconium metallurgy. CMI intervention will increase the performance of the line, especially at the cooling chamber. CMI Industry is supporting the design and implementation of this modernization and relies on teams from CMI Services for dismantling and reassembly of equipment. The upgraded line will begin in August 2014.
http://www.cmigroupe.com/en/contact ; [email protected]
CMI Industry Groupe, Belgium, parent company of CMI Industry Americas, Salem, Ohio, announces that it will provide a heat treatment furnace at the Advanced Forming Research Center in Glasgow, Scotland, to carry out a range of combustion tests to develop new metal processing techniques for aerospace alloys.
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