Nadcap awards Merit status to Solar Atmospheres of Western PA
February 5, 2014
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Solar Atmospheres of Western PA (SAWPA), Hermitage, announces that it has been awarded Nadcap Merit status for vacuum heat treating and brazing of metals. The successful November 2013 audit marks ten years of doing business as a Nadcap supplier. Having demonstrated SAWPA's ongoing commitment to quality by satisfying customer requirements and industry specifications, the Nadcap Task Group has determined that SAWPA has earned the prestigious honor of being a Merit status supplier.
Among other benefits, Merit status means that SAWPA has been granted an accreditation that lasts two years, through January 2016, instead of the standard one-year accreditation.
Susan Generalovich, SAWPA Quality Manager, says, "Achieving Nadcap accreditation with Merit could not have been accomplished without the help and understanding of each and every Solar employee. I would especially like to recognize Bob Hill, SAWPA president, for his unwavering support. Upper management support is a key to a smartly run organization. Top down encouragement and drive for excellence, achieves excellence!"
"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.
"Benefitting from a less audit schedule reduces audit costs and associated pressures and demonstrates the trust that the aerospace industry has in Solar Atmospheres of Western PA, based on their past performance in Nadcap audits."
www.solaratm.com
Solar Atmospheres of Western PA (SAWPA), Hermitage, announces that it has been awarded Nadcap Merit status for vacuum heat treating and brazing of metals.
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The Metal Treating Institute reports year-to-date sales
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The Metal Treating Institute, Jacksonville, Fla., reports that year-to-date sales for the Metal Treating Industry for December 2013 were $877.0 million. This is a decrease of 2.0% from 2012, when sales for January-December equaled $894.5 million.
Sales for the Metal Treating Industry for December 2013 totaled $66.8 million, an increase of 7.6% from 2012, when sales for December equaled $62.1 million.
Seven out of the nine MTI districts reported higher sales in December 2013 compared to the previous year.
www.heattreat.net
The Metal Treating Institute, Jacksonville, Fla., reports that year-to-date sales for the Metal Treating Industry for December 2013 were $877.0 million.
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Al-Fe Heat Treating achieves TS16949 Certification for auto industry
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Al-Fe Heat Treating, Charlotte, N.C., announces that its ferrous heat-treating plant has achieved TS16949 Certification, allowing the company to be a direct, tier-one supplier to the automotive industry. The plant has operated under ISO 9001 2008, which is general industry certification, and this new level ensures documentation and administrative processes are up to automotive standards. A copy of the TS16949 certificate can be downloaded as a PDF from Al-Fe's website.
Many of our customers require suppliers to be TS 16949 certified, and Al-Fe is to have earned this certification. We're proud to be a supplier to the automotive industry, and receiving our TS 16949 certification shows our continued commitment to this industry and to our customers. In addition, there are occasions when a captive heat treater reaches out for short-term support, even if it's last minute, or when an auto supplier looks to outsource a long-term contract, and we are now able to be responsive and take on that new work.
www.al-fe.com
Al-Fe Heat Treating, Charlotte, N.C., announces that its ferrous heat-treating plant has achieved TS16949 Certification, allowing the company to be a direct, tier-one supplier to the automotive industry.
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RTI acquires Directed Manufacturing for additive manufacturing of titanium aerospace and medical products
January 28, 2014
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RTI acquires Directed Manufacturing for additive manufacturing of titanium aerospace and medical products
RTI International Metals Inc., Pittsburgh, has acquired Directed Manufacturing Inc., Austin, Texas, a leader in additive manufacturing of metals and plastics for both commercial production and engineering development applications. The transaction is expected to enhance RTI's ability to deliver advanced, cost-effective titanium and other advanced material solutions to customers in markets such as aerospace and medical devices.
RTI Directed Manufacturing Inc. will become the flagship organization in RTI's Advanced Additive product line. It produces complex components of titanium, nickel–chromium alloys, and other specialty metals and composite plastics. The specific additive manufacturing or "3D printing" technologies used by the company include Direct Metal Laser Sintering and Plastic Laser Sintering systems.
Directed Manufacturing currently manufactures products that include aerospace airfoils, rakes, guide vanes and injection nozzles, complex fasteners, surgical tools, medical implants, injection mold inserts, and many others. It is one of the few companies in the fast-growing additive manufacturing field with commercial production experience in both metals and plastics. The company's customers include a number of major aerospace industry prime contractors and suppliers.
www.rtiintl.com
RTI International Metals Inc., Pittsburgh, has acquired Directed Manufacturing Inc., Austin, Texas, a leader in additive manufacturing of metals and plastics for both commercial production and engineering development applications.
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Wichita State acquires full-scale aircraft structural testing systems from MTS for aviation R&D
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MTS Systems Corp., Eden Prairie, Minn., has sold an extensive array of state-of-the-art mechanical testing systems to Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). The MTS systems will be used in NIAR's new Aircraft Structural Test and Evaluation Center (ASTEC), one of the world's largest and most sophisticated full-scale structural testing facilities.
At 130,000 square feet, ASTEC has the capacity to host full-scale structural testing for some of the world's largest aircraft, or multiple aircraft simultaneously. The center also includes laboratories for component and materials testing, enabling commercial and military aircraft manufacturers to conduct virtually any kind of testing in one location.
MTS systems are deployed throughout the center, and include FlexTest Controllers, MTS FlexDAC Data Acquisition Systems, and AeroPro Software for structural test applications, as well as high-force load frames for component and materials testing.
"MTS technology allows us to efficiently manage resources across the entire spectrum of testing that occurs within ASTEC, and to readily accommodate any modifications our clients need to make to their test setups," said Tim Hickey, ASTEC Director. "The integrated control and data acquisition streams enhance the speed and ease of data processing, allowing our clients to quickly verify that a test was successful. Because of this, we have a lot of repeat clients; once they realize the full scope of capabilities and equipment we have, they want to do more kinds of testing on additional projects."
http://www.mts.com
MTS Systems Corp., Eden Prairie, Minn., has sold an extensive array of state-of-the-art mechanical testing systems to Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).
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Penn Stainless and Lehigh collaborate to study stainless steel corrosion and welding
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Penn Stainless Products, Quakertown, and Lehigh University, both of Pennsylvania, have announced a collaborative effort to provide metal users with access to the expertise in Lehigh's Materials Science and Engineering Department.
This strategic partnership will enable them to work together to expand knowledge and collaborative opportunities between material end users and the research community. The alliance is designed to resolve technical issues related to corrosion and welding, while giving students the opportunity to learn about the practical challenges associated with manufacturing and engineering.
Lehigh's research experience in metallurgy and metalworking processes such as welding and forming align perfectly with Penn's diverse inventory of stainless, duplex, and nickel-base alloys, as well as its customer base of fabricators, machine shops, and engineering, specialty construction, and process industries.
Penn Stainless will provide Lehigh faculty and students with access to over 20 specialty stainless, duplex and nickel alloys for research and experimentation, processing capabilities, and insight into issues impacting metal users across a wide range of industry segments and applications.
According to Dr. John DuPont, of the Materials Science and Engineering Department, "We are very pleased to work with Penn Stainless Products. It's vital that our students understand the real-world issues facing metal consumers, and the company's extensive inventory and processing expertise is an invaluable asset that will help our students to complete experiments."
www.pennstainless.com
Penn Stainless Products, Quakertown, and Lehigh University, both of Pennsylvania, have announced a collaborative effort to provide metal users with access to the expertise in Lehigh’s Materials Science and Engineering Department.
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Alcoa Dura-Bright commercial truck wheel is ten times more resistant to corrosion
January 24, 2014
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, introduces the surface-treated Dura-Bright EVO commercial truck wheel, said to be ten times more resistant to corrosion that is primarily caused by road salts and weather. Dura-Bright is not a coating, but rather a surface treatment that penetrates the aluminum and becomes an integral part of the wheel. In addition, Alcoa's wheels are made from one piece of forged aluminum, making them lighter and five times stronger than steel wheels, increasing payload and fuel efficiency.
In addition, the wheel is up to three times more resistant to chemicals, including hydrofluoric acid, found in the toughest truck wash cleaning agents. This enables the use of a wider variety of cleaning solutions to simplify maintenance, while preserving the integrity and brightness of the wheel.
Alcoa's surface treatment experts at the Alcoa Technical Center developed the Dura-Bright wheel technology in collaboration with the Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products business. The Company launched the first Dura-Bright product in 2003. Three years later, Alcoa's experts improved the brightness and corrosion performance of the Dura-Bright treatment and introduced Dura-Bright wheels with XBR technology. Alcoa's scientists have now enhanced the patented Dura-Bright technology with the development of Dura-Bright EVO wheels.
The Dura-Bright EVO wheel is now commercially available in Europe, where the Company has already seen significant adoption of its Dura-Bright wheels. Alcoa has begun producing the wheel at its manufacturing plant in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. The wheel is expected to be available in all other markets in 2015.
http://www.alcoa.com/global/en/news/news_detail.asp?pageID=20140123000187en&newsYear=2014
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, introduces the surface-treated Dura-Bright EVO commercial truck wheel, said to be ten times more resistant to corrosion that is primarily caused by road salts and weather.
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ThyssenKrupp Aerospace acquires aerospace operations of Alimex Metallhandelsgesellschaft
January 22, 2014
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ThyssenKrupp Aerospace, Germany, has acquired the aerospace operations of Alimex Metallhandelsgesellschaft GmbH, Willich, Germany. ThyssenKrupp Aerospace will continue Alimex's business of distributing and processing aluminum mill products (rod, sheet, plate) for the aviation industry. All inventories and the customer network will also be transferred to ThyssenKrupp Aerospace. Alimex is withdrawing completely from the aerospace sector but will continue its other areas of business.
"The acquisition of Alimex's aerospace business is a further step in our strategy to strengthen our market position and expand our product and service portfolio. For existing customers of Alimex, nothing will change - on the contrary, all supply and processing services will continue in the same quality and will be complemented by ThyssenKrupp Aerospace's product line," says Management Board member Sebastian Gudel.
http://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/presse/art_detail.html&eid=TKBase_1389976375500_1633998296&source=newsletter
ThyssenKrupp Aerospace will continue Alimex’s business of distributing and processing aluminum mill products (rod, sheet, plate) for the aviation industry.
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Uddeholm SuperClean Concept PM tool steels resist abrasion, chipping, elevated temperatures
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Uddeholm AB, Sweden, introduces Uddeholm SuperClean Concept powder metallurgy (PM) tool steels, building on the proven success of its current PM tool steel grades. The Uddeholm PM production process eliminates the macro segregation encountered in conventional ingot metallurgical production of higher-alloy tool steel. The process also eliminates the inclusions that limit the performance of most other PM steels.
Grades include:
Uddeholm Vanadis 4 Extra SuperClean – with chipping resistance that none can match
Uddeholm Vanadis 10 SuperClean – with extremely high abrasive wear resistance
Uddeholm Vanadis 23 SuperClean – perfect for high volume cold work applications
Uddeholm Vanadis 30/Vanadis® 60 SuperClean – for tooling at elevated temperature
Uddeholm Vancron 40 SuperClean – the Marathon runner of tool steel
Uddeholm Elmax SuperClean – specially developed for high-tech applications
http://www.uddeholm.com/superclean.htm
Uddeholm AB, Sweden, introduces Uddeholm SuperClean Concept powder metallurgy (PM) tool steels, building on the proven success of its current PM tool steel grades.
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Instron 5900 Series universal testing instruments enable acquisition rates up to 2500 points/second
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Instron, Norwood, Mass., offers the 5900 Series universal testing instruments, which are designed with enhancements that deliver unparalleled accuracy and reliability, improved ergonomics, and an enhanced overall experience for the operator. Industry-leading features include load measurement accuracy to +/-0.5% of reading down to 1/1000 of load cell capacity; and fast, synchronized data acquisition rates up to 2500 points per second.
The most common uses of these mechanical testing systems are for tensile, compression, bend, peel, shear, tear and cyclic tests. Configured systems are fully capable of meeting test requirements per ASTM, ISO, DIN, TAPPI, GB, JIS, ANSI, NAS, etc.
Frame types include the 5940 single column tabletop for low-force testing up to 2 kN; the 5960 dual column tabletop systems for mid-range testing up to 50 kN; and the 5980 floor model systems for heavy- duty, robust testing up to 600 kN. The control panel is an integral component of the testing system, reducing setup time and increasing testing efficiency through the use of programmable live displays and soft keys. Tests can be set up and run directly from the control panel.
www.instron.com
Instron, Norwood, Mass., offers the 5900 Series universal testing instruments, which are designed with enhancements that deliver unparalleled accuracy and reliability.
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