EOS and 3D-Micromac form corporation for micro laser sintering technology
January 3, 2014
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3D-Micromac AG, a leading provider of laser micromachining systems, and EOS GmbH, a leader in additive manufacturing, both of Germany, are joining to form a new corporation called 3D MicroPrint GmbH. Its goal is to advance the development and commercialization of micro laser sintering (MLS) technology, and to identify and establish more solutions in the field of micro technology.
MLS enables the production of parts with complex 3D structures where conventional manufacturing processes reach their limits. Even a lot size of one can be produced at reasonable cost. The technology offers a high degree of design freedom, as well as the capacity to integrate and optimize functionality. Individualization of products even in series production processes can be accomplished without difficulty.
Target applications include nozzles for the automotive industry, components for medical devices, and the individualization of jewelry. In addition, demand is growing for micro-parts in the areas of mold-making and aerospace technology.
According to Dr. Hans J. Langer, founder and CEO of EOS GmbH, "Micro Laser Sintering provides solutions for three major trends: individualization, functional integration, and miniaturization." Adds Joachim Göbner of 3D MicroPrint, "Working with layer thicknesses of ≤5 µm, focus diameters of ≤30 µm and powder particle size of ≤5 µm, the MLS technology opens up new dimensions. With MLS it is even possible to produce movable component assemblies."
Joachim Göbner, formerly project head MLS at EOS and head of the technical center at Chemnitz, and Tino Petsch, CEO of 3D-Micromac, were appointed business managers of 3D MicroPrint. The company's headquarters is located in Chemnitz.
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3D-Micromac AG, a leading provider of laser micromachining systems, and EOS GmbH, a leader in additive manufacturing, both of Germany, are joining to form a new corporation called 3D MicroPrint GmbH.
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Sulzer Metco opens diamondlike coating center in Germany
December 11, 2013
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Thin Film, an operational unit of Sulzer Metco, Germany, has opened its new diamondlike carbon (DLC) Coating Center. The 3000 m2 production area includes six coating systems that provide state-of-the-art DLC coatings. They offer low friction, wear and corrosion protection, and hardness, as well as optimal starved-lubrication conditions that meet the growing demands for CO2 reduction and reduced fuel consumption.
The center, in Bergisch Gladbach, incorporates all required process steps according to the common criteria of automotive production. These steps include: the TS 16949 certification, clean room conditions, material flows in compliance with FIFO standards, and production control following the KANBAN principle. The six coating systems include A.Carbon, A.Carbon WCH, A.Carbon WCHmod, and A.DYLYN.
Sulzer Metco's production and service site in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, has a longstanding tradition in manufacturing coating equipment and supplying the automotive industry with surface and coating solutions for engine, chassis and transmission components. Worldwide, the company treats the surface of more than 30 million ball pivots a year – nearly 8% of all used ball pivots in a car per year. The applied plasma heat treatment processes from Sulzer Metco like A.IONIT and A.IONIT OX are well-established in the automotive industry.
With the additional DLC coating capacities of the new coating center for serial production, together with the broad technology portfolio and global presence, Sulzer Metco is well prepared for automotive specific production processes.
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Thin Film, an operational unit of Sulzer Metco, Germany, has opened its new diamondlike carbon (DLC) Coating Center in Germany. The 3000 m2 production area includes six coating systems that provide state-of-the-art DLC coatings. They offer low friction, wear and corrosion protection, and hardness, as well as optimal starved-lubrication conditions that meet the growing demands for CO2 reduction and reduced fuel consumption.
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ASB cold spray system used by GE Aerospace for 3D printing of aerospace components
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ASB Industries, Barberton, Ohio, reports that its 2000-2 Portable High Pressure Cold Spray system is being used by GE Aerospace for 3D printing of aerospace components. GE chose this system because it is capable of producing contamination-free and oxide-free dense coatings with high bond strength, processing a wide range of high purity materials, and controlling process parameters to build reproducible and homogenous coatings.
The system provides relatively simple and understandable process flow, along with short cycle startup time. It was designed after years of systematic R&D studies on gun and nozzle design, system development and integration, spray experiments, and process optimization. The 2000-2 system is routinely used for production of coatings and repair/refurbishment of parts in many technically advanced industries such as aerospace, defense, and sputtering, among other unique applications.
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ASB Industries, Barberton, Ohio, reports that its 2000-2 Portable High Pressure Cold Spray system is being used by GE Aerospace for 3D printing of aerospace components. GE chose this system because it is capable of producing contamination-free and oxide-free dense coatings with high bond strength, processing a wide range of high purity materials, and controlling process parameters to build reproducible and homogenous coatings.
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Ruukki to deliver 9000 metric tons of Galfan-coated steel to Morocco thermosolar plant
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Ruukki Metals, Helsinki, has signed a contract to deliver 9000 metric tons of steel coated with Galfan zinc-aluminum alloy to the Spanish company CIE Egana. The material will be used to manufacture the support arms for the parabolic reflectors in a new thermosolar plant to be built in Morocco. The plant will have an output of 125 megawatts, making it one of the largest in the world, and the first to be built in Morocco.
The Galfan-coated high-strength formable steel will increase strength and reduce weight of the structures, while the superior surface protection will prevent corrosion and extend product lifetime. The steels enable CIE Egana to utilize innovative stamping technology to reduce weight and cost, while reducing assembly and installation time and improving efficiency. Previously such structures have been built using welded tubular products.
According to Tony Harris, Vice President Sales, Western Europe & Africa, "We are one of the few suppliers able to deliver high-strength formable steel with thick Galfan coating, which is the preferred coating for this kind of application. To secure this contract is particularly pleasing, as it is consistent with Ruukki's strategy to provide lighter, longer-lasting solutions to build a more sustainable environment."
http://www.ruukki.com
Ruukki Metals, Helsinki, has signed a contract to deliver 9000 metric tons of steel coated with Galfan zinc-aluminum alloy to the Spanish company CIE Egana. The material will be used to manufacture the support arms for the parabolic reflectors in a new thermosolar plant to be built in Morocco. The plant will have an output of 125 megawatts, making it one of the largest in the world, and the first to be built in Morocco.
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Laser deposition process increases forming die lifetime by 150%
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The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Germany, announces that it has collaborated with several partners to develop a laser metal deposition process that builds up local layers on forming dies, increasing lifetime by over 150%. Researchers rebuilt a conventional five-axis milling machine so that it could be used to alloy forming dies automatically via laser.
In addition to the laser metal deposition machine, another key part of the system is the integrated software that allows all the requisite laser surface treatment processes to be controlled in a clear, reproducible manner. All necessary process parameters are transmitted to the machine without the need for any interface. Processes can be simulated in detail and optimized in advance of actual processing operations.
The machine can be embedded into the current manufacturing process. It improves the quality of components and makes it possible to plan set-up times with greater precision, as practical tests carried out on Mühlhoff's premises have shown. Mühlhoff, manufactures sheet metal components for the automotive industry. The company's own tool shop supplies its various production locations with forming dies.
In 2010, over 60 partners from industry and research joined together in InnoCaT® with the aim of carrying out joint research into innovations and synergies along the automotive process chain. For the first time, they analyzed the complex production flows in their entirety and from a resource efficiency perspective, taking in each stage from tool-making to pressing, car body construction, and painting car body shells. Five collaborative projects and 30 sub-projects yielded technical solutions and general approaches for increasing energy and resource efficiency before the initiative came to an end this summer.
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The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Germany, announces that it has collaborated with several partners to develop a laser metal deposition process that builds up local layers on forming dies, increasing lifetime by over 150%. Researchers rebuilt a conventional five-axis milling machine so that it could be used to alloy forming dies automatically via laser.
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ThyssenKrupp to sell Alabama plant to consortium of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal
December 9, 2013
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ThyssenKrupp AG, Germany, reports that it will sell its ThyssenKrupp Steel USA rolling and coating plant in Calvert, Alabama, to a consortium of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. A long-term slab supply contract will secure the value of ThyssenKrupp CSA in Brazil. Upon closing, ThyssenKrupp will receive a purchase price of $1.55 billion.
In addition, the consortium will purchase two million tons of slabs per year from ThyssenKrupp CSA up to 2019. The plant in Brazil has an annual production capacity of around five million tons of slabs. The agreement now reached will reliably secure at least 40% capacity utilization of the plant for several years. In addition, stronger penetration of the slab markets in South and North America will further increase the plant's capacity utilization. The transaction is subject to the approval of regulatory authorities in the USA and a number of other countries.
Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, Chief Executive of ThyssenKrupp AG, said: "We have found a sustainable solution for Steel Americas. The slab supply contract is a first important step in the decoupling of the two steel plants." He continued: "The supply contract reduces our risks and creates the conditions to move CSA into profit in the medium term. This is the best available solution for Steel Americas at present. All other options were not financially viable."
ThyssenKrupp will now concentrate on operating improvements at the Brazilian plant. Over the past fiscal year technical performance has been further optimized and plant efficiency improved. The combination of the sale of ThyssenKrupp Steel USA and the slab supply contract for ThyssenKrupp CSA in Brazil will help ThyssenKrupp improve its cash flow profile and key financials in the future.
www.thyssenkrupp.com
ThyssenKrupp AG, Germany, reports that it will sell its ThyssenKrupp Steel USA rolling and coating plant in Calvert, Alabama, to a consortium of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. A long-term slab supply contract will secure the value of ThyssenKrupp CSA in Brazil. Upon closing, ThyssenKrupp will receive a purchase price of $1.55 billion.
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Advanced vacuum heat treating furnace increases stainless steel’s durability and corrosion resistance
Source: ASM International
Seco-Warwick Corp., Meadville, Pa., has commissioned an advanced furnace design that provides improved durability for stainless steel heat treating. This vacuum furnace is equipped with a 15-bar gas quenching system and a full HMI data retrieval control package. Its Super Expanite process improves the hardness and corrosion resistance of stainless steel.
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Republic Steel invests $85 million to grow production by more than one million tons
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Republic Steel, Canton, Ohio, has invested $85 million in its plant in Lorain, Ohio, where it has initiated hot commissioning of its new electric arc furnace. The furnace will provide more than one million tons of steel annually for the production of semi-finished, bar and coil products. The initial heats will be cast into 6 x 6-in. billets and will be rolled on the 0.9 in. rolling mill. The EAF will supply both the bloom and billet casters, enabling the high-quality production of SBQ bar and coil from 0.295 in. to 6.5 in. diameter; and 6 in., 10.5 in., 11.625 in., 12.25 in. and 13.5 in. diameter seamless tube rounds.
Features of the state-of-the art EAF include a 150 ton heat size, eccentric bottom tapping, an exchangeable upper/lower shell, a 120/135 MVA furnace transformer, current-conducting arms, oxy-fuel burners, carbon and lime injection systems, a temperature/sampling system, and level 1 and level 2 automation. Major contracts for the project were awarded to SMS Concast (for EAF process equipment), Siemens (for the yard substation and related equipment), and TES (for the furnace transformer).
Production on the billet caster is expected to ramp up over the next several months, with bloom cast production beginning in February 2014. The project ultimately will create nearly 450 full-time jobs over the next several years, bringing more than $1 billion dollars in annual economic activity to Ohio. The existing 489 jobs in Lorain will be retained.
"This latest investment in Republic Steel demonstrates our commitment to exceeding our customer's expectations, and satisfying both their current and future volume requirements," said Jaime Vigil, Republic Steel president and CEO. "It is an exciting day for our Lorain plant, which discontinued steel production in December 2008 and is now back in the steelmaking business."
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Republic Steel, Canton, Ohio, has invested $85 million at its plant in Lorain, Ohio, where it has initiated hot commissioning of its new electric arc furnace. The furnace will provide more than one million tons of steel annually for the production of semi-finished, bar, and coil products. The initial heats will be cast into 6 x 6 in. billets and will be rolled on the 0.9 in. rolling mill.
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The largest jet engine gets bigger
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The GE90 is already the largest and most powerful jet engine ever built. But that does not mean that GE engineers have stopped trying to make it bigger, better, and leaner.
Its new version, called GE9X, will power Boeing's next-generation 777X aircraft. GE plans to take new high-strength carbon fiber composite blades developed for the GE9X for a spin at Boeing's testing rig in Seattle. The new blades and other parts from breakthrough materials will reduce the GE9X's fuel use and environmental impact. Bill Millhaem, general manager of GE Aviation's GE90 program, says that the new engine will deliver more than 10% fuel efficiency improvement compared to the GE90-115B engine, which belongs to GE's ecomagination portfolio.
At 132 inches in diameter, the GE9X front fan will be even larger than the one used by its older sibling. Fourth-generation composites allowed the blades to be fewer and thinner, with the same strength and durability. The GE9X has only 16 fan blades, down from 22 on the GE90-115B engine, and 18 on the GEnx. These improvements will drive up fuel efficiency and shed hundreds of pounds of weight from the blades and the structures needed to support them.
The new blades will also enable engineers to increase fan tip speed, improve efficiency of the low pressure turbine and contribute to the engine's fuel-burn improvement.
The GE9X's durable, lightweight fan case similar to that used on the GEnx will be also made from composites. Compared to a metal fan case, the composite unit will lower the engine's weight by 350 lb.
Other high-tech materials inside the GE9X engine include ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) that can perform at temperatures as high as 2400°F—hotter conditions than any alloy can handle. Engineers say the engine will burn less fuel than the GE90-115B, in part due to CMC parts in the combustor and turbine.
GE Aviation developed the first composite fan blade for its GE90-94B engine in 1995. Such blades are also featured in the GE90-115B and GEnx engines.
GE Aviation has been conducting tests on new materials and technologies for the engine over the last few years. Along with fan-blade tests at the ITP engine-testing facility in the United Kingdom, GE Aviation will assess a high-pressure compressor rig at a GE Oil & Gas facility in Massa, Italy, this month.
The first engine will be tested in 2016, with trials on GE's flying test bed anticipated in 2017. Engine certification is scheduled for 2018.
More than 1500 GE90-115B engines were ordered by customers for their Boeing 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs, and 777 Freighters.
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GE90 Engine Family
The GE90 is already the largest and most powerful jet engine ever built. But that does not mean that GE engineers have stopped trying to make it bigger, better, and leaner.
Its new version, called GE9X, will power Boeing’s next-generation 777X aircraft. GE plans to take new high-strength carbon fiber composite blades developed for the GE9X for a spin at Boeing’s testing rig in Seattle.
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Blimp outfitted with microscopes studies the sky
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The world's largest airship, the Skyship 600, made its way through the clouds on a month long journey across the U.S. A team of British scientists made the air trek in a blimp as part of a BBC expedition team to study the clouds and life activity in the air. Microscopes from Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC, Oberkochen, Germany, were used to assist in the research being conducted by the traveling team for the BBC Two series Cloud Lab. The team included an entomologist, meteorologist, and professional explorer who hoped to shed light on the creation of clouds and the relationship between diverse ecosystems and weather.
The team traveled from Florida to California in the air and landed at 13 different air fields along their route. A small ground crew followed the blimp's path to monitor the progress and transport equipment to each stop. Carl Zeiss Microscopy loaned an inverted, compound microscope (Axio Vert.A1) and a stereo microscope (Stemi 2000), which were used by the scientists at the temporary "labs" to be set up on the air fields.
Bugs captured and air cultures grown in the airship were examined and dissected. With the use of the microscopes, scientists were able to look at the cultures grown on filters from different locations for fungi and bacteria. They also examined insects and anything else they came across. After being examined in the field, the bacteria were sent out to be imaged with a scanning electron microscope, as well as possible DNA testing.
The main goal of the exploratory expedition was to explain the changes in weather and its effects. Also, data was correlated to current weather, migratory, and wildlife patterns. The idea started with the question, "What would it be like to live on a cloud?" To be able to be among clouds and accurately measure them, a gentle machine was needed so as not to disrupt or change the cloud patterns. The U.S. was chosen due to the availability of renting an air ship for a month and no country borders needed to be crossed along the way, which makes travel easier. The Cloud Lab will be seen on BBC Two television next year.
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Carl Zeiss Microscopy
Skyship 600
The world’s largest airship, the Skyship 600, made its way through the clouds on a month long journey across the U.S. A team of British scientists made the air trek in a blimp as part of a BBC expedition team to study the clouds and life activity in the air.
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