Super Systems completes heat treating modernization of Milacron manufacturing facility
August 16, 2019
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SuperSystems Inc., Cincinnati, recently completed major upgrades to the heat treating assets at Milacron LLC in Mt. Orab, Ohio, installing the latest furnaces and equipment, state-of-the-art controls, and modern SCADA infrastructure.
Included in the scope of work were new control cabinets, atmosphere flow panels, SCADA software, and a new ammonia dissociator. Equipment addressed as part of the upgrade were two pit nitriders, two pit tempers, a pit carburizer, an integral quench furnace, a batch temper furnace, an oil quench system, and the new ammonia dissociator with controls.
All furnaces are capable of running recipes to automate processes, creating an easy to use interface for operators. The furnaces are centrally controlled and operated using the SuperDATA SCADA package, which provides proof of process and quick access to real-time and historical process and load data.
“We enabled gas flow control with our eFlo product line, recipe controls with our 9205 and 9215 products, and data acquisition with SuperDATA,†says “Bob Fincken, National Sales Manager with Super Systems. “All the installation and project management were carried out by our Field Engineering Team.â€
Super Systems Inc., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been developing and manufacturing products for the thermal processing industry since 1995. SSi’s products include probes, analyzers, flow meters, controllers, software solutions, and engineered systems. With over 100 years of combined experience, SSi continues to satisfy industry demands with innovative technology, enabling customers to be more efficient and to produce higher quality products.
Milacron is the only global company with a full-line product portfolio that includes hot runner systems, injection molding, mold components and extrusion equipment plus a wide market range of advanced fluid technologies.
www.supersystems.com
www.milacron.com
SuperSystems Inc., Cincinnati, recently completed major upgrades to the heat treating assets at Milacron LLC in Mt. Orab, Ohio, installing the latest furnaces and equipment, state-of-the-art controls, and modern SCADA infrastructure.
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ASM member George Durfee to receive the ITA 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award
August 12, 2019
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The International Titanium Association (ITA), Denver, Colo., announces that metallurgist George L. Durfee has been named the recipient of the ITA’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. A member of ASM International, Mr. Durfee is a metallurgist who built his career around pioneering applied research projects for the titanium industry at forging company Wyman-Gordon Co. He will be honored at the ITA’s 35th annual Titanium USA conference and exhibition, which will be held Sept. 22–25 at the SMG Mobile Convention Center in Mobile, Alabama.
In the nomination form, Max Schilenger, the president of Flight Rail Corp., Ukiah, Calif., praised Mr. Durfee for “pioneering Ti-6-Al-4V alpha-beta processing knowhow in forging and flow forming.†He pointed out that through Mr. Durfee’s insights and efforts, press and hammer optimal forging of titanium alloys—ceramic and nickel-plated—were critical in producing parts on the legendary Lockheed SR71 Blackbird, the high-speed, long-distance reconnaissance jet. The SR71 was an iconic aircraft that played a key role for the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War era of the 1960s.
Born in 1929 and growing up on a farm in Falls City, Nebraska, Dr. Durfee was fascinated by the welding and repair of metal farm equipment—what he referred to as “blacksmith work.†He received a scholarship to Michigan Tech (today known as Michigan Technical University in Houghton, Mich.) and graduated in 1951. As a student at Michigan Tech, his research on thermal analysis of metals and ceramic coatings used in forgings would prove to be essential as a foundation for his career in the titanium industry.
Hands-on, applied research became his calling when he joined Wyman-Gordon on Aug. 1, 1954. Initially, his assignments at Wyman-Gordon involved micro-polishing and heat treating to improve the in-service performance of high-temperature alloys and large aluminum forgings used in aerospace programs. In April 1955, he was assigned to a high-priority project: develop Ti-6Al-4V forgings and present a plan for the approval of Pratt & Whitney for the production of compressor disks, which would be used in the J57 engines to power the Boeing B52 long-distance bomber, another iconic military aircraft.
In order to reduce friction and minimize surface defects of the forged titanium compressor disks, he developed the use of ceramic coatings for the starting metal before the metal was heated for forging. The ceramic coatings significantly improved uniform part geometry. Pratt & Whitney, in November 1955, approved Ti-6Al-4V as the bill of material for jet engine compressor discs used on the J57 turbo-jet engines.
In another important project at Wyman-Gordon, Mr. Durfee created procedures for chemically applying a nickel coating on a proprietary titanium aerospace alloy used for forged aerospace parts. As a result, he received a patent for the electroless nickel plating of titanium. In a separate effort, he pioneered flow forming Ti-6Al-4V and, along with co-inventors, was granted a patent.
www.titanium.org
https://titanium.org/page/AchievementAward
The International Titanium Association (ITA), Denver, Colo., announces that metallurgist George L. Durfee has been named the recipient of the ITA’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Cleveland-Cliffs invests $100 million in DR iron plant, $830 million in HB iron plant
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Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Cleveland, announces that has started up new production equipment, including supporting infrastructure, to support large-scale commercial production of DR-grade iron pellets at its Northshore Mining facility in Babbitt, Minnesota. The plant will be completed on schedule and within a total investment budget of $100 million. Cleveland-Cliffs invested in upgrading the concentrator building, a new scavenger building, new conveyor systems, a limestone tank, and a steam-generating plant to support large-scale commercial production of DR-grade pellets. With the conclusion of the project, Northshore Mining will be the only U.S.-based iron ore processing facility to produce low-silica DR-grade pellets.
The company also announces that it has invested $830 million in a hot briquetted iron plant in Toledo, Ohio. The Northshore operation will immediately start to produce DR-grade pellet feedstock for this HBI plant, which will be commissioned in mid-2020, as well as DR-grade pellets to be exported to a new clientele of DRI producers outside the United States.
Founded in 1847, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. is the largest and oldest independent iron ore mining company in the United States. The company is a major supplier of iron ore pellets to the North American steel industry from its mines and pellet plants located in Michigan and Minnesota. By 2020, Cliffs expects to be the sole producer of hot briquetted iron in the Great Lakes region with the development of its first production plant in Toledo.
www.clevelandcliffs.com
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Cleveland, announces that has started up its new production equipment, including supporting infrastructure, to support large-scale commercial production of DR-grade iron pellets at its Northshore Mining facility in Babbitt, Minnesota.
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Aeromet aluminum A20X additive manufacturing alloy exceeds 500 MPa ultimate strength
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Aeromet International Ltd., United Kingdom, announces that A20X, the aluminum alloy developed and patented by Aeromet, has cemented its status one of the strongest aluminum additive manufacturing powders commercially available after surpassing the key 500 MPa UTS mark.
As part of a recent research project involving aero-engine giant Rolls-Royce and additive manufacturing equipment specialist Renishaw, heat-treated parts produced of A20X powder have achieved an ultimate tensile strength of 511 MPa (74 ksi), a yield strength of 440 MPa (64 ksi) and elongation of 13%. This places the powder at the forefront of high-strength aluminum additive manufacturing. Crucially, parts additively manufactured with A20X powder maintain high strength and fatigue properties even at elevated temperatures, outperforming other leading aluminum powders.
According to Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet, “Since bringing the A20X alloy to market for additive manufacturing five years ago, we have seen significant adoption for high-strength, design-critical applications. By working with Rolls-Royce, Renishaw, and Phoenix Scientific Industries Ltd. (PSI), we have optimized processing parameters that led to record-breaking results, opening up new design possibilities for aerospace and advanced engineering applications.â€
The HighSAP project, backed by the UK’s National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP), was led by Aeromet and involved Rolls-Royce, Renishaw, and atomization expert PSI.
The A20X powder for additive manufacturing is derived from the MMPDS-approved A20X casting alloy, the world’s strongest aluminum casting alloy, which is in use by a global network of leading aerospace casting suppliers.
www.aeromet.co.uk
www.a20x.com
www.natep.org.uk
Aeromet International Ltd., United Kingdom, announces that A20X, the aluminum alloy developed and patented by Aeromet, has cemented its status one of the strongest aluminum additive manufacturing powders commercially available after surpassing the key 500 MPa UTS mark.
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One Minute Mentor: Cooling time and transformation diagram for a 52100 Jominy test bar
August 6, 2019
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Figure 8 shows a cooling time and transformation (CTT) diagram for a 52100 Jominy test-bar sample austenitized at 845°C (1550°F). The bar cools at different rates, which results in different microstructural constituents and amounts as the cooling curves intersect and traverse the different phase transformation domains.
The expected result of the cooling rate of the second point on the Jominy bar is a microstructure consisting of martensite plus some nonmartensitic transformation products, such as upper bainite, which is a softer constituent than martensite. The softer constituents serve as points of weakness in the martensitic matrix, making them objectionable in a bearing steel.
Inhomogeneities such as nonmetallic inclusions and voids, and constituents like upper bainite reduce rolling contact fatigue life of through-hardening bearing steels.
For more information, click on the link below (subscription required), then scroll down the Chapter Contents on the left of the page, and click on Quench problems that can affect through-hardening bearing steels. Then scroll to Figure 8.
https://dl.asminternational.org/handbooks/book/9/chapter/110017/Heat-Treatment-of-Bearings
Figure 8 shows a cooling time and transformation (CTT) diagram for a 52100 Jominy test-bar sample austenitized at 845°C (1550°F).
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Lindberg hot stamping furnace features one low-heat and three high-heat stacked chambers
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Lindberg MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped an electrically heated four chamber hot-stamping furnace to the Gestamp Research and Development facility located in Auburn Hills, Mich. Gestamp is an international corporation that designs, develops, and manufactures metal automotive components.
The hot stamping furnace features one stack of three high-heat chambers and one low-heat chamber. The maximum temperature rating of the high-heat chambers is 1920°F and the low-heat chamber is 1000°F. Each furnace chamber was designed with load space dimensions of 36 x 30 x 8 inches.
The furnace is integrated at the Gestamp facility with a robotic transfer system and hydraulic hot stamping press. The four chambers operate independently, with the top chamber designated for aluminum treatment. This type of hot stamping system allows the customer the flexibility to treat different steels simultaneously, and has a much smaller footprint than a continuous system. Click here to view a video of the integrated hot stamp furnace at the Gestamp facility.
Lindberg/MPH hot-stamping furnaces are available in batch or multiple batch style configurations, and are designed to heat any structural size or shaped part. They can be designed with rapid and selective heating areas, fast opening doors to meet any loading/unloading speeds, and data acquisition systems for full process reporting.
www.lindberg.com
Lindberg MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped an electrically heated four chamber hot-stamping furnace to the Gestamp Research and Development facility located in Auburn Hills, Mich.
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Exactatherm awarded Nadcap Merit accreditation for heat treatment from PRI
Source: ASM International
Exactatherm, Mississauga, Ontario, announces that it has been awarded Nadcap Merit status for heat treatment, which means that, instead of having its next Nadcap audit in twelve months, it has been granted an accreditation that lasts until April 30th, 2021.
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Solar Manufacturing provides heat treating furnace to Georgia Southern University
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Solar Manufacturing, Souderton, Pa., recently shipped a horizontal front-loading vacuum furnace to Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. The furnace – the Mentor– combines versatility and compact design to efficiently process smaller load sizes, and is ideal for laboratory use.
GSU will be using the furnace primarily for vacuum thermal processing research and development of various iron-based alloys, including additive manufactured parts. The Mentor® includes a graphite insulated hot zone and heating elements, with a work zone size of 12 X 12 X 18 inches, and a weight capacity of 250 pounds.
Fully compliant to aerospace specification AMS2750E, the Mentor can process in an argon or nitrogen atmosphere or in high vacuum in the 10-6 Torr range with a six-inch Varian diffusion pump. The furnace incorporates the SolarVac Essentials control system package with large graphic touchscreen overview. Programming capabilities include gas quench rate control up to two bar pressure, and precise temperature uniformity up to 2400°F.
“We are pleased to provide a solution to GSU’s growing research and development efforts,†says Dan Insogna, Solar Manufacturing’s Southeast Sales Manager. “We know the Mentor® vacuum furnace will benefit the university with this research.â€
www.solarmfg.com
Solar Manufacturing, Souderton, Pa., recently shipped a horizontal front-loading vacuum furnace to Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.
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Seco Vacuum provides high-volume nitrocarburizing furnaces for auto supplier
August 5, 2019
Source: ASM International
Seco Vacuum, Meadville, Pa., announces an order for a high-volume nitrocarburizing line of furnaces serving a major carmaker through a tier-one supplier.
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Quaker Chemical and Houghton International combine to form new industrial fluids company
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Quaker Chemical Corp., Conshohocken, Pa., and Houghton International, Valley Forge, Pa., have combined to create Quaker Houghton, a global leader in industrial process fluids to the primary metals and metalworking markets. Along with the new name, the company revealed a new logo and brand representing the combined companies.
Their combined breadth of product and service offerings can be found in end-markets such as aerospace, aluminum, automotive, machinery, can manufacturing, industrial parts manufacturing, mining, offshore, steel, and tube and pipe industries.
With its expanded products and services portfolio, the company expects that cross-selling opportunities will facilitate continued above-market growth. Specific products the company offers include metal cutting and forming fluids, corrosion protection fluids, specialty hydraulic fluids, and steel and aluminum rolling oils.
In addition, legacy-Houghton customers will benefit from Quaker’s strength in specialty greases, high-pressure die casting, mining specialties, surface treatment and bio-based lubricants, while legacy-Quaker customers will now have access to Houghton’s heat treatment quenchants, offshore hydraulic fluids, metal finishing products, and a broader metal removal fluids portfolio.
In the first year, the company’s focus will be to maintain service levels for its customers and ensure no supply chain disruptions, while successfully executing its integration plans. In year two, the revenue synergies will begin to be visible as the company expects to grow above the market by 2% to 4% as it has in the past.
The company also expects to continue to grow through acquisitions, which remain part of its core growth strategy. In the short term, the company will focus on paying down debt, but will continue to consider smaller acquisitions that can create value. Both Quaker and Houghton have long histories of building value through acquisitions.
www.quakerhoughton.com
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Quaker Chemical Corp., Conshohocken, Pa., and Houghton International, Valley Forge, Pa., have combined to create Quaker Houghton, a global leader in industrial process fluids to the primary metals and metalworking markets.
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