Ralph P. Poor, Surface Combustion Inc., Maumee, Ohio, presented “Batch Integral Quench Furnace Innovations: Heating, Quenching, Automation” at Heat Treat 2013 in Indianapolis. Original batch integral quench (BIQ) furnace technology was introduced in the 1950’s, and the paper covered innovations for the 21st Century. Sealed quench furnace designs mate a quench to a carburizing hot zone, with the goal of maximizing throughput and uniform properties.
Researchers at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, have fabricated strong heat-resistant sheets of aluminum foam by depositing a foaming agent between two thin sheets of aluminum dotted with indentations, then heating until the agents decomposed and formed pores. The foamed aluminum weighs about 20 to 30% less than the bulk material, yet offers a 30 to 50% increase in bending strength. The tensile strength is nearly identical to that of the original sheet metal. Prof.
Hoganas AB, Bruksgatan, Sweden, announces the implementation of a combined vacuum sintering and low pressure carburizing (LPC) furnace technology to provide more cost-efficient and higher quality PM component solutions. LPC also results in reduced distortions during the heat treatment process and consequently improves the overall dimensional quality and tolerances of PM components. Chromium-alloyed powders provide a cost-efficient way to manufacture high-performance applications.
Bruker AXS, Germany, launches the ECO series for X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and chemical X-ray crystallography. The D8 Quest ECO X-ray chemical crystallography system features the new Photon 50 CMOS detector, which is two times larger than traditional CCD cameras. It is capable of high-speed data collection in shutterless operation mode, ensuring excellent quality of data and unprecedented data acquisition speed.
Have you published a scientific paper related to materials testing? Zwick will reward the most innovative use of a materials testing machine for ground-breaking research. The entry deadline is November 30, 2013. The development and use of new materials and technologies has always played an essential role. A substantial part of this development takes place in universities.
