Olympus launches industrial ultrasonics R&D program at engineering school in Quebec
March 3, 2019 Source: ASM International
Olympus Scientific Solutions Americas (OSSA), Montreal, one of three divisions at Olympus,
announces the launch of the Olympus Industrial Research Chair on Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing with the Quebec engineering school, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS
Australian scientists develop molten metal catalyst to change carbon dioxide into coal
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RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, announces that its researchers have developed a molten metal catalyst technique that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide from a gas into solid particles of carbon. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research offers an alternative pathway for safely and permanently removing the greenhouse gas from our atmosphere.
RMIT researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke, an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow, says that converting CO2 into a solid could be a more sustainable approach. “While we can’t literally turn back time, turning carbon dioxide back into coal and burying it back in the ground is a bit like rewinding the emissions clock,†says Dr. Daeneke “By using liquid metals as a catalyst, we’ve shown it is possible to turn the gas back into carbon at room temperature, in a process that’s efficient and scalable. While more research needs to be done, it’s a crucial first step to delivering storage of solid carbon.â€
Lead author Dr. Dorna Esrafilzadeh, a Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow in RMIT’s School of Engineering, developed the electrochemical technique. The researchers designed a liquid metal catalyst with specific surface properties that made it extremely efficient at conducting electricity, while chemically activating the surface. The carbon dioxide is dissolved in a beaker filled with a liquid electrolyte and a small amount of the liquid metal, which is then charged with an electrical current. The CO2 slowly converts into solid flakes of carbon, which are naturally detached from the liquid metal surface, allowing the continuous production of carbonaceous solid.
Dr. Esrafilzadeh says the carbon produced could also be used as an electrode. “A side benefit of the process is that the carbon can hold electrical charge, becoming a supercapacitor, so it could potentially be used as a component in future vehicles. The process also produces synthetic fuel as a by-product, which could also have industrial applications.â€
The paper is published in Nature Communications (“Room temperature CO2 reduction to solid carbon species on liquid metals featuring atomically thin ceria interfacesâ€, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08824-8).
RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, announces that its researchers have developed a molten metal catalyst technique that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide from a gas into solid particles of carbon.
Continue readingLinde Group signs contract with U.S. Praxair to supply a hydrogen plant in Louisiana
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The Engineering Division of the Linde Group, Bridgewater, N.J., announces that it has signed a contract to design and supply hydrogen production equipment for the core components of Praxair Inc.’s hydrogen plant in Louisiana. The order includes the steam-methane reformer, designed and supplied by Linde subsidiary Selas Linde in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania; the pressure swing adsorption unit; and the balance of the core plant.
The facility will have a production capacity of over 190,000 Nm3/h (normal meters cubed per hour) of high-purity hydrogen, and will also generate steam. It will be highly modular, with world-class reliability and energy efficiency, and is scheduled to come on stream in 2021.
In the 2017 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of $19.5 billion, making it one of the leading gases and engineering companies in the world, with approximately 58,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business, with forward-looking products and services.
www.linde.com
The Engineering Division of the Linde Group, Bridgewater, N.J., announces that it has signed a contract to design and supply hydrogen production equipment for the core components of Praxair Inc.’s hydrogen plant in Louisiana.
Continue readingHarper develops on-line cleaning system for hot carbon-fiber production furnaces
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Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., has developed an on-line furnace cleaning system that is located in the entrance section, which enables cleaning while the furnace is hot. Left untended, debris and filament buildup impedes and disrupts smooth gas flow in a carbon fiber high-temperature furnace, resulting in non-uniform properties across the tow band. The debris needs to be removed periodically during the operation of a fiber production line. However, traditional cleaning techniques require reduction of furnace temperatures in order to gain access for cleaning, resulting in reduced furnace run times.
To prevent exposure of the furnace to an air atmosphere, the on-line cleaning feature is self-contained and sealed with an incorporated nitrogen purge. Additionally, Harper’s on-line cleaning system includes sight-ports that permit the operator to see into the process chamber to assess the level and location of the debris. Utilizing the on-line cleaning feature enables improved fiber thermal uniformity and increased furnace utilization.
“Continuous uniformity across the tow band throughout the entire campaign has never been more achievable than with Harper’s innovative online cleaning system,†says Rebecca Stephenson, Applications Engineer. “Increased fiber quality throughout the whole production campaign is now possible with this solution for removing debris that negatively impacts the velocity uniformity within the HT furnace throat.â€
Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., has developed an on-line furnace cleaning system that is located in the entrance section, which enables cleaning while the furnace is hot.
Continue readingLuxfer acquires Neo Performance Materials for its rare-earth-based functional materials
February 26, 2019 Source:
Luxfer Holdings, England, and Neo Performance Materials Inc., Toronto, announce a definitive agreement under which Luxfer would acquire Neo Performance Materials for its rare-earth-metals-based functional materials. The transaction accelerates Luxfer’s strategy to become a leading global manufacturer of highly-engineered advanced materials for high-end applications.
Luxfer serves a broad range of manufacturing and process industries with highly engineered materials:
--High-purity zirconium compounds for catalytic processes
--Magnesium specialty alloys for lightweight, durable products and components
--Aluminum gas cylinders for specialty and reference gases
--Magnesium, copper, zinc, and brass plates and chemicals for high-quality etching and embossing
--Unique soluble magnesium products supporting maintenance operations on oil and gas rigs
--Magnesium chips, granules, and powders for commercial applications
“Neo’s Magnequench segment is an industry leader in rare-earth powders used to manufacture magnets for performance micro motors and other critical applications, while the Chemicals and Oxides segment complements Luxfer’s own zirconium-based chemicals business,†stated Alok Maskara, Chief Executive Officer of Luxfer.
According to Geoff Bedford, Chief Executive Officer of Neo Performance Materials, “The combination of Luxfer and Neo creates a global leader of highly-engineered advanced materials which are critical to many of today’s macro global trends, including those promoting energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. This combination will enable our businesses to reach the next level as an important part of a larger, more diversified company.â€
Photo shows the SynerMag bioresorbable magnesium alloy developed by Magnesium Elektron, a business of Luxfer Holdings.
Luxfer Holdings, England, and Neo Performance Materials Inc., Toronto, announce a definitive agreement under which Luxfer would acquire Neo Performance Materials for its rare-earth-metals-based functional materials.
Continue readingEU-developed hybrid additive-subtractive machine ready to build large demo parts
February 25, 2019 Source:
The Large Additive-Subtractive Integrated Modular Machine (LASIMM) project of the European Union has announced that the hybrid machine, which offers both metal additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing capabilities, is now ready to build demonstrator parts. Materials identified for the present project are aluminum and steel, as well as titanium in terms of extended system capability assessment.
The new system, said to be one of the world’s largest hybrid manufacturing machines, is expected to be capable of manufacturing large metal parts and structures for construction. It was developed by ten partners with funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research innovation program. The goal is to reduce costs and improve efficiency by producing a machine with the capability to manufacture components for the most demanding industries directly from CAD models.
LASIMM is a highly ambitious project that will culminate in the world’s largest 3D metal printer, which will be capable of producing quality-assured finished components directly from a CAD drawing. The key process technology of Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) combined with other advanced manufacturing processes and robotics enables this exciting but realistic possibility.
It will feature capabilities for AM, machining, cold work, metrology, and inspection. Its unique aspects are represented by the addition of innovative ancillary processes that are so far unseen on those hybrid platforms that are already available on the market. These processes include sensing, nondestructive testing, and cold-working methods that produce fully quality-assured parts with superior mechanical properties. Moreover, some of these processes will be carried out in parallel, leading to major cost and production time savings.
The modular approach of the system architecture will enable flexible reconfiguration, thus enabling potential for a high number of machine concepts. Regardless, no other setup operations will be required, apart from those necessary to load and unload the machine at the beginning and at the end of the manufacturing/repair process.
LASIMM’s project partners include the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting, BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd., Foster + Partners Limited, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Cranfield University, Global Robots Ltd., Loxin2002, S.L., Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung GmbH, Autodesk Limited, and Instituto Superior Técnico.
The Large Additive-Subtractive Integrated Modular Machine (LASIMM) project of the European Union has announced that the hybrid machine, which offers both metal additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing capabilities, is now ready to build demonstrator parts.
Continue readingNorsk Titanium, SAE International develop first directed energy deposition specifications
February 24, 2019 Source:
Norsk Titanium, Plattsburgh, N.Y., and SAE International announce the release of the first specifications for direct energy deposition additive manufacturing. The specifications utilize Norsk’s Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) process and material requirements, which are currently used by many original equipment manufacturers. With the release of the SAE Aerospace Materials Specifications (AMS) documents, the process will be available to a broader base of users across the world.
Developed within the SAE Additive Manufacturing Committee (SAE AMS-AM), these specifications establish the minimum basis required for the procurement of RPD Preforms from Norsk by an aerospace or non-aerospace customer. In addition, these specifications support the regulatory certification process by ensuring consistent process and quality control.
The release of “AMS7004 Titanium Alloy Preforms from Plasma Arc Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing on Substrate Ti-6Al-4V Stress Relieved and AMS7005 Wire Fed Plasma Arc Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing Process†is a milestone achievement for the metal additive manufacturing industry.
“These new material and process specifications help address the regulatory authorities’ request for guidance material for this critical emerging technology,†said David Alexander, Director, Aerospace Standards at SAE International.
Established by aerospace industry leaders in 2015 and supported by a Federal Aviation Administration tasking request, SAE’s AMS-AM Committee continues to develop aerospace material specifications (SAE AMS) for metal and polymer AM to support the needs of the aerospace industry. Over 500 global participants from more than 20 countries representing aircraft, spacecraft, and engine OEMs, material suppliers, operators, equipment/system suppliers, service providers, regulatory authorities, and defense agencies are involved in the committee.
Norsk Titanium, Plattsburgh, N.Y., and SAE International announce the release of the first specifications for direct energy deposition additive manufacturing.
Continue readingOne Minute Mentor: Austempered Ductile Iron
February 22, 2019 Source:
ADI is a unique cast iron material with tensile properties attributable to γH with a fine dispersion of ferrite. Austempering is accomplished by heating the casting to a temperature in the austenite-phase range (usually 815 to 925 °C, or 1500 to 1700 °F), and holding for the time required to saturate the austenite with carbon. The cast ironis then cooled to a temperature above the Ms temperature at a rate sufficient to avoid the formation of pearlite or other mixed structures. In the final step, the material is held at that austempering temperature for the time required to produce the optimal structure of acicular ferrite and carbon-enriched austenite.
The properties of ADI can be varied by changing the austempering temperature. A lower transformation temperature (260°C, or 500°F) produces a fine, high-strength, wear-resistant structure, as shown in the micrograph (Fig. 6a).
A higher transformation temperature (370 °C, or 700 °F) results in a coarser structure (Fig. 6b) that exhibits high fatigue strength and good ductility. The various grades of ADI have been quantified in ASTM A897/897M-06 (reapproved 2011).
ADI is a unique cast iron material with tensile properties attributable to ?H with a fine dispersion of ferrite.
Continue readingLucifer Furnaces receives order for a series of heat treat recirculating ovens
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Lucifer Furnaces, Warrington, Pa., has supplied several convection ovens to a manufacturer of small medical parts in the southern United States. Model 42-B18 has a working chamber size of 9x9x18 inches, and heats to 1200°F. Uniformity is achieved with recirculating air flow. A rear mounted heavy-duty fan directs air along side-wall heating elements, then through the working zone.
Parts are protected from heating elements with a 16 gauge stainless steel liner. Furnaces are insulated with 4.5 inches of multilayered firebrick and 2 inches of insulating cold face block with overlapped seams for reduced thermal loss. Controls onboard include a Honeywell UDC3500 digital time proportioning temperature controller with four 20-segment setpoint programs, as well as a Honeywell high limit controller to prevent temperature excursions.
Side wall heating element banks consist of coil-wound resistance wire in ceramic holders, making replacement easy. The furnace shell is constructed with heavy gauge sheet steel reinforced throughout to form a rigid freestanding floor model. A horizontal swing door with adjustable latch provides a firm brick-to-brick seal while the safety switch powers-off both fan and heating elements when door is opened.
Lucifer Furnaces, Warrington, Pa., has supplied several convection ovens to a manufacturer of small medical parts in the southern United States.
Continue readingLindberg MPH ships single-zone tube furnace to company in the nuclear power industry
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Lindberg MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped a single-zone tube furnace to an engineering company in the nuclear power industry for annealing, ashing, carbon firing, ceramic firing, drying, hardening, sintering, solution treating, stress relieving, and normalizing.
Lindberg’s tube furnaces are available in a variety of sizes and options. This specific Single-Zone Tube Furnace has work chamber dimensions of 9 x 24 inches, with a maximum temperature rating of 1200°C .
The furnace is designed for energy efficiency. Its easy operation makes observation effortless and allows for convenient tube placement. This piece of equipment is also backed by Lindberg/MPH’s Exclusive One-Year Warranty, which covers all materials for all components (less wear items).
"This piece of equipment, along with our three-zone tube furnace, is designed for use where exceptional radial and linear temperature uniformity, process repeatability, rapid heat up, and response are critical, says Kelley Shreve, Applications Engineer.
Lindberg MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped a single-zone tube furnace to an engineering company in the nuclear power industry for annealing, ashing, carbon firing, ceramic firing, drying, hardening, sintering, solution treating, stress relieving, and normalizing.
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