Alcoa to build $100 million superalloy plant in La Porte
June 1, 2014
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has broken ground on a new state-of-the-art, $100 million, 320,000-square-foot facility in La Porte, Indiana, where it will produce nickel-base superalloy jet engine parts. The plant will expand Alcoa's reach from structural engine components for business and regional jets, to large commercial aircraft, including narrow- and wide-body and military airplanes. Engines for narrow-body aircraft are among the top selling jet engines in the world.
The plant will increase the company's capacity to supply engines for narrow-body aircraft. It also will enable Alcoa to produce parts nearly 60% larger than components it makes today, expanding its market reach to wide-body airplanes. These components are used in the compression and hot sections of the engine. Alcoa is already the global leader in jet engine airfoils.
Construction of the plant is underway and is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2015. Customer contracts underpin the new capacity. The facility will use the latest in high-tech advanced manufacturing equipment, including digital X-ray for real-time quality assurance, 3D printing of prototypes, blue light technology for more comprehensive dimensional inspection data, and automated casting furnaces with advanced controls to meet precise product specifications.
This is the second major aerospace investment by Alcoa in Indiana in two years. In 2012, Alcoa announced construction of a $90 million greenfield state-of-the-art aluminum lithium facility at its Lafayette operations. The facility is on schedule to open later this year and will be capable of producing upwards of 20,000 metric tons of Alcoa's patented aluminum-lithium alloys used to build dramatically lighter and lower-cost airplanes versus composite alternatives.
www.alcoa.com
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has broken ground on a new state-of-the-art, $100 million, 320,000-square-foot facility in La Porte, Indiana, where it will produce nickel-base superalloy jet engine parts.
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Ipsen ships 15 vacuum furnaces for aerospace, automotive, and energy industries
May 28, 2014
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped more than 15 vacuum furnaces to customers around the world for a diverse range of applications and industries. Of these recent shipments, several were sent to international customers in Singapore, Japan, China, Hungary, Vietnam and Russia; the remaining furnaces were delivered to sites within the United States. These vacuum furnaces were for the aerospace, automotive, energy, commercial heat treating, and surface engineering industries, to name a few.
This continues Ipsen's long-standing tradition of supporting global growth by engineering thermal processing systems that sustain complex recipes and produce components from simple tools to giant wind turbine gears. The equipment models shipped out included horizontal MetalMaster furnaces, Titan furnaces, horizontal and vertical TurboTreater furnaces, and Titan DS furnaces.
Ipsen delivers custom-built solutions that allow customers to tailor features to their exact specifications. These features include: horizontal or vertical configurations, manual or automatic loading systems, custom load size/configurations, high pressure gas quenching and/or control systems to support any applicable industry requirements. Customers can also take advantage of Ipsen's Global Support Team; they facilitate on-site installation, expert training and start-up assistance from the moment of delivery through the entire life span of your equipment.
In addition, Ipsen also offers customers the opportunity to either send employees to an Ipsen U training or schedule one at their facility, during which they can ask questions about specific equipment and processes, as well as receive hands-on instruction.
www.IpsenUSA.com/map.
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., has recently shipped more than 15 vacuum furnaces to customers around the world for a diverse range of applications and industries.
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VPC and Liquidmetal sign agreement to grow amorphous metal technology
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Liquidmetal Technologies Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., announces that it has signed an amended sublicense agreement with Visser Precision Cast LLC (VPC) in which Liquidmetal is freed from its commitment to use VPC as its exclusive contract manufacturer, and VPC is freed from its commitment to use Liquidmetal as its exclusive sales and R&D channel. The new agreement provides both companies with the flexibility to pursue independent sales and manufacturing strategies needed to rapidly grow the market for amorphous metal products.
"We are pleased to have reached this agreement with VPC, as we believe it is in the best interests of both companies," said Tom Steipp, President and CEO of Liquidmetal. "Under the new agreement, Liquidmetal is able to enter into contracts with other manufacturers to serve a broad array of specialized industries and geographies. We expect a network of manufacturers to leverage their customer relationships to readily identify promising applications, and to leverage their quality certifications and qualified supplier status to rapidly qualify parts for production."
According to Ryan Coniam, President of VPC, "The agreement between Liquidmetal and VPC is a big step forward for both companies. VPC has made substantial investments in its amorphous metal casting technology and we have proven the promise of this technology for several high-value applications."
Under the terms of the amended sublicense agreement, VPC will have rights to manufacture, market, and sell amorphous metal products directly to customers, and it will retain a license to the full portfolio of technology developed by Liquidmetal that exists as of the date of the agreement.
Liquidmetal will have rights to contract with manufacturers of its choosing, and it will retain exclusive rights to any technology that Liquidmetal develops after the date of the agreement. The companies will work together to complete certain projects that VPC currently is manufacturing for Liquidmetal customers, and the companies may choose to work together in the future on a project-by-project basis.
Liquidmetal Technologies Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., announces that it has signed an amended sublicense agreement with Visser Precision Cast LLC (VPC) in which Liquidmetal is freed from its commitment to use VPC as its exclusive contract manufacturer, and VPC is freed from its commitment to use Liquidmetal as its exclusive sales and R&D channel.
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Ford heat treatment nearly doubles strength of aluminum parts in Ford F-150
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Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., says that the aluminum door panels and box panels in its new Ford F-150 pickup truck are more resistant to dents than the previous steel panels. The reason is said to be the high-strength 6000-series aluminum alloys in the panels, which are heat treated using proprietary technology "that nearly doubles the strength." Starting with the signature fully boxed frame, Ford engineers increased the use of high-strength 70,000-psi steel from 23% to 77% of the frame. This improves stiffness and durability while reducing weight. The new frame is up to 60 pounds lighter than the previous frame.
Thanks to its high-strength military-grade aluminum-alloy body, coupled with the high-strength steel frame, the all-new F-150 is nearly 700 pounds lighter, resulting in increased towing and hauling capability and better efficiency.
"Our objective was to find materials that allowed us to design the truck to be as tough – or tougher – than the current model, yet could help it be hundreds of pounds lighter for better capability and fuel economy," said Pete Friedman, manager, Ford manufacturing research. "Out of all the materials we tested, we carefully selected only certain grades of aluminum that met our high performance standards in all of our tests, while allowing us to trim hundreds of pounds from the truck."
Ford engineers have also filed patent applications for spot welding methods, adhesives, and hydroforming.
www.media.ford.com.
Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., says that the aluminum door panels and box panels in its new Ford F-150 pickup truck are more resistant to dents than the previous steel panels.
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Solar Atmospheres certified for liquid penetrant inspection testing
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Solar Atmospheres, Hermitage, Pa., announces that it has been certified by Nadcap for fluorescent liquid penetrant inspection. In this process, a liquid penetrant is uniformly applied to the part, allowed to remain for a pre-determined length of time, and then washed away. The part is then air dried by passing through a controlled temperature dryer, and slowly advanced through a darkroom where fluorescent lighting and magnification are used to identify crack locations. Cracked parts are rejected and segregated, and the customer is notified.
The company has been continuously Nadcap NDT certified since 2009. The original certification resulted primarily from an audit of current inspection work on major aerospace structural parts.
As a nationally recognized, Nadcap-certified vacuum heat treater, Solar Atmospheres, with three plants across the United States, has numerous third party quality certifications as well as many prime certifications. This renewed certification recently awarded to the Hermitage plant covers a process where fluorescent light is used to check for cracks immediately following heat treating.
The company also recently passed, with merit status, a Nadcap heat treating audit, an accomplishment not common among heat treaters. Merit status allows Solar to go 24 months before their next Nadcap Heat Treat audit. "Achieving Nadcap accreditation is not easy: it is one of the ways in which the aerospace industry identifies those who excel at manufacturing quality product through superior special processes. Companies such as Solar Atmospheres of Western PA go above and beyond achieving Nadcap accreditation to obtain Merit status and they should be justifiably proud of it," said Joe Pinto, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Performance Review Institute.
www.solaratm.com
Solar Atmospheres, Hermitage, Pa., has been certified by Nadcap for fluorescent liquid penetrant inspection.
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Eco-friendly, barnacle-repelling paint
May 20, 2014
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Barnacles might seem like a given part of a seasoned ship's hull, but they are literally quite a drag and cause a ship to burn more fuel. To prevent these and other hangers-on from slowing ships down, scientists are developing a sustainable paint ingredient from plants that can repel clingy sea critters without killing them. The report appears in the ACS journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
Guillermo Blustein and colleagues explain that barnacles and other ocean creatures that stick to hulls create a cascade of problems. By increasing water resistance, they can bump a ship's fuel use by as much as 40%, which costs money, adds to pollution and depletes resources. These marine hitchhikers also can cause environmental problems by invading new parts of the globe and competing with native animals and plants. To keep hulls clean, some shipping companies have turned to special coatings. The problem is these coatings can permanently harm sea life. So the team sought an ocean-friendlier option from a sustainable source.
They turned to Maytenus trees, which are found worldwide. The plants' root bark contains compounds that are similar to defensive agents produced by bottom-dwelling ocean creatures. In the lab, the scientists found that the compounds repel barnacles, but generally don't cause long-term damage. They also added the compounds to paint, which they applied to tiles and field-tested in the sea. The new coatings effectively stopped algae, tube worms and other creatures from latching on.
Barnacles might seem like a given part of a seasoned ship’s hull, but they are literally quite a drag and cause a ship to burn more fuel.
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Moth eyeballs inspire low-glare coating
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Work by University of California Irvine scientists could reduce glare from solar panels and electronic displays, as well as dangerous glints on military weapons. "We found a very simple process and a tiny bit of gold can turn a transparent film black," says chemistry professor Robert Corn. The team was initially worried when they noticed what appeared to be soot on a flexible film designed to coat various products. Via painstaking tests, however, they realized they accidentally discovered a way to fabricate a surface capable of eliminating glare. The material can also keep grime in raindrops and other moisture from sticking.
A repeating pattern of cones modeled on moth eyeballs at the nanoscale was etched on Teflon and other nonstick surfaces. A thin layer of gold was then applied over the cones and the shine from the gold and any light reflecting onto it was all but obliterated. The material is also highly hydrophobic. For more information: Robert Corn, 949.824.1746, [email protected], uci.edu.
Image caption - UC Irvine undergraduate chemistry student George Auwaijan sports a pair of sunglasses coated with a new material invented by researchers that mimics the pattern of moth eyeballs to reduce glare. Courtesy of Gabriel Loget/UC Irvine.
Work by University of California Irvine scientists could reduce glare from solar panels and electronic displays, as well as dangerous glints on military weapons.
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Implant coating promotes bone growth
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Researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden, developed a responsive coating for implants to improve their integration into bone and to prevent rejection. Neutron scattering experiments at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), France, show how a protein that promotes bone growth binds to this surface and can be released in a controlled way. Gels made by modifying hyaluronan, a biological molecule, can coat implants. Research shows the coated titanium surfaces can bind protein molecules that promote bone formation.
These can be released slowly once the surface comes in contact with a solution of calcium ions. This process stimulates bone growth on implants. The gel layers, a few millionths of a millimeter thick, were characterized using neutron reflection at ILL, providing a detailed surface image. BMP-2, the protein that encourages bone growth, was bound to the gel. The protein layer was stable in water, but could be released slowly by adding solutions containing calcium, a process that was observed in real time using neutron reflection to track the amount of protein at the surface. www.uu.se/en.
Image caption - A gel-coated titanium surface binds proteins that promote bone formation. Courtesy of Ida Berts.
Researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden, developed a responsive coating for implants to improve their integration into bone and to prevent rejection.
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Advanced High-Strength Steels Application Guidelines Version 5.0 published by World Auto Steel
May 19, 2014
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WorldAutoSteel, Brussels, Belgium, has launched the Advanced High-Strength Steels Application Guidelines (AHSS Guidelines) Version 5.0, the largest and most comprehensive update since its first publication in 2004. Previous versions covered metallurgy, forming, and joining. Version 5.0 includes new content highlighting the broader materials portfolio, advanced fabrication technologies, and optimized joining processes.
The AHSS Guidelines are available free of charge at worldautosteel.org to aid automakers and manufacturers in applying the latest in lightweighting with steel.
"These guidelines are the leading AHSS information resource for engineers and press shop personnel," said Ronald Krupitzer, vice president, automotive market for the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute. "It represents the steel industry's strong commitment not only to produce new generation steels, but to assist automakers in actively applying them."
Applications of the latest steels will proliferate during the next 10 years as auto manufacturers seek to achieve improved safety and fuel economy requirements for their customers. Current vehicles have not nearly exhausted the breadth of AHSS grades available that can achieve lightweighting targets at less cost and five to 20 times less production emissions than alternative materials.
This rapid increase in demand requires users of AHSS to quickly learn the basics about AHSS and acquire specific application knowledge. AHSS Guidelines Version 5.0 gathers that knowledge and experience in two volumes. Volume I includes metallurgy, forming and joining. Volume II includes over 200 pages of case studies, which demonstrate actual manufacturing practices.
www.worldautosteel.org
WorldAutoSteel, Brussels, Belgium, has launched the Advanced High-Strength Steels Application Guidelines (AHSS Guidelines) Version 5.0, the largest and most comprehensive update since its first publication in 2004.
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MMFX’s ChromX 4100 high-strength reinforcing steel provides up to 60% cost savings
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MMFX Steel Corp. of America, Irvine, Calif., has been named as a finalist in American Metal Market's annual Awards for Steel Excellence for its high-strength reinforcing steel, ChromX 4100. This high-strength (100 ksi) rebar allows structures to be designed and built with up to 40% less steel, resulting in up to 60% cost savings in steel fabrication and placement labor.
The unique steel technology used in the manufacture of ChromX 4100 results in a low-carbon martensitic steel microstructure with high ductility. Unlike common carbon steel rebar, which loses ductility as strength is increased, ChromX 4100 maintains excellent ductility and can be fabricated like conventional reinforcing steel.
"We are honored to have ChromX 4100 recognized as a finalist for the Awards for Steel Excellence," said Tom Russo, MMFX CEO. "MMFX developed ChromX 4100 specifically to meet the growing demand for reasonably priced high-strength reinforcing steels for large construction projects when high corrosion resistance is not required."
MMFX introduced ChromX 4100 at a lower cost than its popular, more corrosion-resistant MMFX2 rebar to meet the market's need for high-strength steels when corrosion is less of an issue, such as in the high-rise commercial market.
Grade 100 ChromX 4100 steel is available in various sizes of reinforcing steel (rebar), smooth rounds, and flats. It is sold in North and South America by MMFX Steel Corporation of America and in the Middle East by MMFX Steel DMCC.
http://www.mmfx.com/
MMFX Steel Corp. of America, Irvine, Calif., has been named as a finalist for American Metal Market’s annual Awards for Steel Excellence for its high-strength reinforcing steel, ChromX 4100.
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