Ipsen vertical vacuum furnace heat treats flowformed aerospace products
April 24, 2014
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Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., reports that PMF Industries in Pennsylvania selected Ipsen to manufacture a vertical MetalMaster vacuum heat treatment system. PMF will use this furnace to manufacture stainless steel flowformed products for the aerospace industry. This particular MetalMaster vacuum furnace has a 48 x 84 in. all-graphite hot zone with a 6000-pound load capacity. It utilizes gas cooling to 2-bar absolute pressure and operates at temperatures of 1000 to 2400°F. The furnace also features a 35-in. Varian diffusion pump and Ipsen's CompuVac control system.
The need for a clean manufacturing environment and overall uniform cooling drove PMF to select Ipsen's MetalMaster, which delivers cleanliness and uniform cooling, while also providing a cost-effective, versatile, and adaptable vacuum furnace system. Ipsen equipment is also capable of meeting Nadcap and AMS 2750E applicable requirements.
MetalMaster heat treatment furnaces are available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations, including horizontal or vertical designs and all-metal or graphite insulated hot zone packages. This multi-purpose vacuum furnace series features a specially engineered heat exchanger and turbine blower designed to optimize gas flow for more efficient cooling and excellent temperature uniformity of ±10 °F (±5 °C) or better. In addition to Ipsen's CompuVac control system, MetalMaster offers other high-productivity options, including specialized instrumentation, increased pumping capability, and material handling systems.
www.ipsenusa.com www.pmfind.com
Ipsen USA, Cherry Valley, Ill., reports that PMF Industries in Pennsylvania selected Ipsen to manufacture a vertical MetalMaster vacuum heat treatment system.
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Duplex stainless steel yacht is lighter than aluminum
April 22, 2014
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Sandvik Materials Technology, Sweden, has built a prototype stainless steel yacht manufactured entirely of Sandvik SAF 2507 duplex stainless steel. Construction is based on a thin hull with internal ship-length reinforcements. It is lighter than traditional aluminum boats, and consumes half as much fuel. SAF 2507 provides excellent corrosion properties and very high mechanical strength. It is particularly well-suited for service in aggressive environments such as warm chlorinated seawater and acidic, chloride-containing media.
Suitable for service in highly corrosive conditions and where high strength is required, the properties of Sandvik SAF 2507 are being widely used in offshore oil and gas exploration and production, and in heat exchangers in petrochemical and chemical processing. The grade is also a good choice for hydraulic and instrumentation applications in tropical marine environments.
The external surface is manufactured and delivered under license from Outokumpu, while Sandvik delivers the boat's details, such as strip steel for hull reinforcements, welding wire, tubes, and propeller-shaft rods.
www.smt.sandvik.com
Sandvik Materials Technology, Sweden, has built a prototype stainless steel yacht manufactured entirely of Sandvik SAF 2507 duplex stainless steel.
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Novelis launches aluminum beverage can with 90% recycled content
April 16, 2014
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Novelis, Atlanta, announces that Red Hare Brewing Company will launch the world's first commercial use of Evercan, the company's independently certified high-recycled-content aluminum sheet for beverage cans. Evercan aluminum sheet is made of a guaranteed minimum 90% recycled content. The company has announced capital investments of approximately $500 million over the last two years that will double its global recycling capacity to 2.1 million metric tons by 2015.
"Evercan is a perfect fit for Red Hare," noted Roger Davis, founder and CEO of Red Hare Brewing Company. "The independent certification of the closed-loop recycling process behind evercan strengthens our commitment to employing the best in sustainable business practices, making evercan a natural extension of the Red Hare brand."
Red Hare Brewing Company, one of the fastest-growing micro-breweries in the U.S., selected Evercan aluminum as part of its commitment aimed at reducing the company's environmental footprint, while preserving the freshness and enhancing the taste of its finely crafted beer. Red Hare was the first craft brewery in Georgia to package its products in aluminum cans, following a trend in the micro-brewery industry to move from bottles to cans as a way to expand distribution and appeal to on-the-go consumers.
www.novelis.com
Novelis, Atlanta, announces that Red Hare Brewing Company will launch the world’s first commercial use of Evercan, the company’s independently certified high-recycled-content aluminum sheet for beverage cans.
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Vac Aero commissions vacuum furnace for aerospace manufacturer
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Vac Aero, Burlington, Ontario, has commissioned a high-vacuum production-scale, 2-bar VAH3436 horizontal vacuum furnace with work zone dimensions of 24-in. wide x 24-in. high x 36-in. deep. It is designed to process aerospace parts under high vacuum and partial pressures with excellent process control, and is rated at a normal operating temperature of 2400°F (1316°C).
The hot zone is comprised of curved graphite elements and the heavy duty hearth is constructed with quickly removable rails of pure molybdenum designed to support a uniformly distributed load of 1000 lb at 2400°F. The vacuum chamber and door are constructed of carbon steel and feature a double-wall, water-cooled design. The furnace operating system is based on Vac Aero's versatile HC900 interactive hybrid control package with SCADA and complete network integration capabilities and remote monitoring and control. The furnace is expected to run at full capacity next month.
www.vacaero.com
Vac Aero, Burlington, Ontario, has commissioned a high-vacuum production-scale, 2-bar VAH3436 horizontal vacuum furnace with work zone dimensions of 24-in. wide x 24-in. high x 36-in. deep.
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Lucifer Furnaces supplies high temperature box furnace to battery maker
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Lucifer Furnaces, Warrington, Pa., recently shipped a high-temperature laboratory box furnace to a leading producer of products for the battery, ceramics, and glass industries around the globe. Model 3027-K12 heats to 2500°F with silicon carbide rod-type heating elements mounted above and below the hearth providing uniform heat in the work chamber.
The 12 x 12 x 12-in. chamber is lined with 7 in. of insulation consisting of 5 in. insulating brick and 2 in. mineral wool block. The double pivot horizontal swing door with insulating plug meets with the throat section at the front of the furnace chamber minimizing heat loss. Hammond Lead Products, Pottstown, Pa. , selected a Honeywell UDC 3500 temperature controller with enhanced set point programming, fast scanning and onboard diagnostics, as well as an Overtemperature Safety System for automatic furnace shutdown in the event of a high temperature excursion, an add-on recommended for unattended furnace operation.
Controls are mounted in the furnace base cabinet and include a voltage-regulating power transformer with selector switches. A type R platinum thermocouple mounted through the roof provides a fast, accurate response and excellent lifespan at elevated temperatures. Hammond will be using the furnace for the development of PZT powders. Jon Hegland of Hammond says they chose a Lucifer because it was "the right product at the right price, and everyone involved in the sale were friendly and helpful."
www.luciferfurnaces.com
Lucifer Furnaces, Warrington, Pa., recently shipped a high-temperature laboratory box furnace to a leading producer of products for the battery, ceramics, and glass industries around the globe.
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Ambrell induction heating system purchased for pipe bending process
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Ambrell, an Ameritherm Co., Scottsville, N.Y., has sold an Ekoheat 125 kW/10 kHz induction heating system to a manufacturer of pressure control products for the oil industry. The application involves heating a narrow band around a large steel pipe to 1000°C. Air and water quenches are typically used before and after heating to ensure bending only in the heated zone. Once the temperature is achieved, pressure can be applied by a bending arm to bend pipe into shape.
Ambrell has expertise with numerous tube and pipe applications. Curing tube and pipe coatings, pre- and post-weld heating, drill pipe heat treatment, and preheating drill bits for insert brazing are some of the popular induction applications. Induction is often favored because it provides rapid, controllable, non-contact, energy efficient heat.
Ambrell was founded nearly 30 years ago and has sold more than 10,000 systems into over 50 countries. All clients are offered free application testing to ensure their system achieves process objectives.
http://www.ambrell.com/
Ambrell, an Ameritherm Co., Scottsville, N.Y., has sold an Ekoheat 125 kW/10 kHz induction heating system to a manufacturer of pressure control products for the oil industry.
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New Auto Consortium targets material challenges
April 11, 2014
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At the SAE World Congress in Detroit, Granta Design, UK, announced the launch of the Automotive Material Intelligence Consortium (AutoMatIC). This collaboration will bring together OEMs and suppliers in the automotive and off-highway vehicle sectors to develop best practice for materials information and its use. It will help these members as they aim to increase engineering productivity, lower costs, improve product performance, lower risk associated with materials supply and regulations on restricted substances, and make the most of investments in simulation and PLM.
AutoMatIC is modeled on two projects that have pioneered the industrial application of materials information technology: the Material Data Management Consortium (MDMC) and the Environmental Materials Information Technology (EMIT) Consortium.
In a climate of aggressive deadlines, major redesigns, and reduced physical prototyping, the automotive industry is acknowledging the strategic importance of accurate, controlled materials information. This information is essential to initiatives involving Virtual Product Development, materials substitution, supply chain qualification, certification, and risk assessment.
Automotive organizations also need to keep up with a rapidly-evolving materials landscape, understanding and applying innovations in areas such as higher-strength steels and composite materials. Good materials data and effective materials decisions are essential in optimizing product designs for global manufacturing, lightweighting, and emissions reduction.
A strong base of technology already exists to manage materials information, deploy it for use, and turn it into material intelligence that can have business impact. AutoMatIC will further enhance this technology for automotive applications. Competitive advantage will accrue to member organizations, as they will be able to adopt and apply these tools with maximum speed and effect as well as benefiting from sharing experiences and networking with other members at regular Consortium meetings.
The Consortium will begin an initial three-year phase in June. Founding members will be announced before the first meeting later this year and are expected to include leading OEMs and suppliers from the US and Europe. The project is open to any organization in the relevant sectors interested in applying materials information technology.
The Consortium is expected to develop similarly to the MDMC and EMIT consortia. MDMC, founded in 2002, remains active with over twenty leading aerospace, defense, and energy member organizations (e.g., Boeing, NASA, GE, Rolls-Royce). It pioneered tools to meet the stringent materials data management requirements of companies in these sectors. EMIT, founded in 2008, has a dozen members (e.g., Airbus Helicopters, Emerson Electric, Honeywell) from varied manufacturing sectors. It is developing tools to assess environmental and restricted substance risk in organizations' materials portfolios and product designs.
In supporting the work of the Consortium, Granta will provide members with access to technology, data, and project work including: software to manage corporate materials data; innovative tools to integrate materials data into CAD, PLM, and simulation; leading reference data sources on automotive steels, lightweight alloys, polymers, and composites; and the outcomes of collaborations in areas such as data generation for steel and composite crash models, and restricted substance reporting.
"The AutoMatIC project will build on established technology for material intelligence in automotive organizations", says Dr Patrick Coulter, Chief Operating Officer at Granta Design. "It also applies the proven Consortium model, which has enabled close collaboration with industry to develop software and information resources that have a practical impact in materials engineering, simulation, product design, and development."
More information:
www.grantadesign.com/automatic
At the SAE World Congress in Detroit, Granta Design, UK, announced the launch of the Automotive Material Intelligence Consortium (AutoMatIC).
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Constellium to build two casthouses to triple production of Airware aluminum
April 9, 2014
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Constellium, Paris, plans to build two new casthouses for its Airware aerospace aluminum products at its plant in Issoire, France. These two additional casthouses will allow Constellium to nearly triple its production of advanced solutions based on its Airware technology, which was selected to be part of major new aerospace programs including the Airbus A350 XWB, Bombardier's CSeries, and SpaceX's Falcon 9 Launcher.
One of the two new casthouses is part of the initial $71 million investment announced in 2013. Constellium plans to make an additional investment of about $59 million to build a second new casthouse and Airware-specific recycling capacity.
Building on the experience of the first casthouse inaugurated in March 2013, which is already producing Airware at an industrial scale, the two new state-of-the-art casthouses are expected to start and ramp-up production in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Airware technology is considered a true game changer as it demonstrates a unique combination of strength, lightness, and improved corrosion resistance. Taking advantage of lower alloy density and improved material properties, Airware enables the re-design of structural parts and allows aircraft manufacturers to reduce the weight of aerospace components by up to 25%. It also eases the production of complex parts, guarantees higher durability due to its greater resistance to metal fatigue and corrosion, and contributes to the development of a more sustainable aerospace industry due to its infinite recyclability.
www.constellium.com
Constellium, Paris, plans to build two new casthouses for its Airware aerospace aluminum products at its plant in Issoire, France.
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High-temperature vacuum furnace installed in environmentally controlled environment
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Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Hermitage, announces the installation of a new high-temperature, high-purity, production-scale, 2-bar vacuum furnace in an environmentally controlled room for heat treating and brazing of small to mid-size loads. The "Mentor" furnace is designed for processing medical, tool & die, aerospace, nuclear, and other industrial heat treated or brazed parts.
The furnace has an effective workload area of 12" wide by 12" high by 18" deep, is capable of holding a load of up to 250 pounds, and is rated at a normal operating temperature of 2500°F/1370°C. The hot zone is constructed of high-efficiency graphite felt and boards and allows for rapid heat-up and cool-down cycles. In order to achieve desired metallurgical properties for some metals, the furnace is equipped with a 2-bar quenching capability.
The furnace, designed and built by sister company, Solar Manufacturing, is installed in an environmental cleanroom where humidity and temperature remain stable compared to typical heat treat facility conditions. The controlled environmental will allow Solar to more quickly and efficiently process parts providing quick turnaround to customers.
"This new furnace will give us the ability to process a variety of loads we were not competitively able to quote using our larger furnaces," says Michael Johnson, sales manager at Hermitage. "The Mentor is a great furnace and we're excited about the heat treating and brazing opportunities that this little workhorse is opening up to us."
The furnace went online in March 2014 and is expected to run at full capacity before October 2014.
www.solaratm.com
Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Hermitage, announces the installation of a new high-temperature, high-purity, production-scale, 2-bar vacuum furnace in an environmentally controlled room for heat treating and brazing of small to mid-size loads.
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Wall Colmonoy announces Furnace Brazing School
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Wall Colmonoy, Madison Heights, Mich., offers a spring session of Modern Furnace Brazing School on May 6-8 at the Aerobraze Engineered Technologies Brazing Engineering Center in Cincinnati. At this state-of-the-art facility, engineers, technicians, quality managers, production managers and others will experience "hands-on" applications and learn about brazing technology from leading industry experts.
Unlike classroom-only seminars, Brazing School attendees will tour the facility and see the actual brazing application on the shop floor. They will also have the opportunity to apply different forms of filler metal to supplied samples, have them vacuum brazed, and discuss the outcomes.
This course preserves the tradition originated by the late Robert Peaslee, a brazing pioneer who invented the first nickel-based brazing filler metal. Wall Colmonoy's Leading brazing engineers, with a combined 48 years of experience, have the technical know-how to guide attendees through the brazing process from beginning to end production.
This three-day seminar offers knowledge and practical application about:
Brazing Design
Metallurgical Aspects / Brazing Operation
Brazing Atmosphere and Furnace Equipment
Brazing Material Selection and Applications
Quality Control
www.wallcolmonoy.com
Wall Colmonoy, Madison Heights, Mich., offers a spring session of Modern Furnace Brazing School on May 6-8 at the Aerobraze Engineered Technologies Brazing Engineering Center in Cincinnati.
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