Sarah Maffet

Fives North American Combustion CertiFire® Presentation at AISTech

OCSource: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.

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This presentation was featured in a Heat Treat Radio episode with Justin Dzik, manager of business development, and Ben Witoff, manager of data engineering, at Fives North American Combustion, Inc. In the episode, Heat Treat Radio #77: Algorithmic Combustion Tuning With Justin Dzik and Ben Witoff at Fives, Heat Treat Today publisher Doug Glenn learns about a never-before-seen combustion system tuning technology from Justin and Ben. Hear from the experts themselves how this system will save time, money, and personnel and can be adapted to virtually any furnace system.

An excerpt from the episode: "Where we’ve focused on is direct-fired heat treat furnaces and torch furnaces, and we’re looking to branch out into other things. We’ve even had discussions internally of using this on resistive heaters for electric heaters because we know 'the green wave' is coming. The product itself has been stated pretty well. The algorithm has no idea that it’s even a furnace. It could be applied to pretty much everything."

Access the full episode: Heat Treat Radio #77: Algorithmic Combustion Tuning With Justin Dzik and Ben Witoff at Fives

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21 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter Items To Keep You Current

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 21 news bites that will help you stay up to date on all things heat treat. 

 

Company Chatter

  1. HarbisonWalker International (HWI), a North American supplier of refractory products and services, announced that its new Alabama One (AL1) manufacturing facility for steel customers in the southern United States is on track to open before the end of 2022.
  2. Solar Atmospheres of Western PA announced their newly designed vacuum oil quench furnace (VOQ) has passed startup protocol
  3. On July 6, Solar Atmospheres hosted over 40 high school students enrolled in the Summer Engineering Institute (SEI) at Lehigh University. The SEI program is a two-week residential program. Students are nominated by faculty of local high schools, and the program specifically targets students who might have limited opportunities to study in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). They received a tour of the campus that emphasized cutting-edge technologies in heat treating and manufacturing.
  4. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) announced the addition of UltraGlow® Induction Hardening at its location in Cullman, Alabama.
  5. Pfeiffer Vacuum opened up a new 40,000 square foot facility May 13, 2022. This facility is located at 4037 Guion Lane, Indianapolis, IN.


Personnel Chatter

  1. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) announced that Chris Williams has joined as the new regional sales manager for its location in Cullman, AL.
  2. Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) recently announced its 2022–2023 Board of Directors and Executive Officers. Serving as President is Jeff Valuck of Surface Combustion, Inc.; Vice-President is Brian Kelly of Honeywell Thermal Solutions; and Treasurer is Jeff Rafter of Selas Heat Technology Co. LLC. Scott Bishop of Alabama Power – a Southern Company assumes the Past President position.
  3. IHEA welcomed to the Board of Directors Ben Gasbarre, the of Sales & Marketing for Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, to the Board of Directors.
  4. The Supervisory Board of Advanced Graphene Products has been formed, appointed by the Ordinary General Meeting on June 24, 2022. Peter Zawistowski, a graduate of the Częstochowa University of Technology, Kozminski University (MBA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Executive Program in General Management), became the new chairman of the Supervisory Board. Peter has been the managing director of SECO/VACUUM operating in the American market since 2017.
  5. The Plibrico Company, a supplier of monolithic refractories and installation services, is excited to announce and welcome Shawn Story as its new engineering manager.


Kudos Chatter

  1. Space-Lok, Inc. met the requirements of Nadcap accreditation and achieved approval for heat treating.
  2. ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc.'s Port Huron facility received the General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award for outstanding quality performance for the 8th year in a row. Criteria for this award include zero official customer complaints for 12 months and quality performance of less than one defective part per million.
  3. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), a provider of heat treat services and metallurgical solutions, announced that it has renewed its Nadcap accreditation in heat treating (ion and gas nitriding) and passed its Aerospace Quality System (AC7004) audit. The company has also added additional AMS specifications to its scope: AMS2759/6 and AMS2759/12.
  4. Braddock Metallurgical announced the renewal of a Nadcap accreditation at their Tampa, FL location. The administrator, , has also determined that the heat treater has gone beyond industry requirements and so earned Merit recognition.
  5. SECO/WARWICK in India celebrated its fifth anniversary of its establishment in May, although they have been operating in that market since.
  6. Metalex Thermal Specialties, a heat treat service provider, announced that it has achieved AS9100:2016 and ISO 9001:2015 certification for the quality management system implemented by its heat treating facility in Berthoud, CO.
  7. Paulo’s Cleveland plant in Ohio has earned Honeywell approval for all HIP processing with no restrictions.
  8. The MTI Educational Foundation announced that it awarded Eric Roth of Tucson, Arizona (University of Arizona) the $15,000 Founders Scholarship.
  9. ITP Aero UK Limited was awarded their latest Nadcap certification for Heat Treating with full 24-month merit and accreditation length.
  10. Maryam Razavipour, a senior engineer at Lumentum, was selected by the Heat Treating Society Board of ASM International for the 2022 HTS/Bodycote Best Paper Award for her paper, “Data-Driven Design Framework for Laser Heat Treatment Process of Cold Spray Coating.”

 


Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to bethany@heattreattoday.com.


 

 

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IHEA Monthly Economic Report: Q4, New Year, and Beyond

The monthly Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) Executive Economic Summary released in December gives forecasts for Q4 results and takes a look into the start of 2023. The 3.9% growth from Q3 is not expected to be matched in Q4, but the spending power of the consumer holds out hope for battling recession.

The 3.9% growth from Q3 is not expected to be matched in Q4 and beyond, but the spending power of the consumer holds out hope for battling recession. The thought is that inflation highs have peaked, and interest rates could lower about halfway into 2023. Heat treaters should note that applicable indices are remaining steady while still dealing with supply chain problems and work force shortages. Of the 10 economic indices in this report, 6 sectors are steady or seeing growth; while 4 are on a downturn.

Holding steady with biggest strength found in automotive.
Source: IHEA

The categories included in seeing maintenance and growth are: New Auto & Light Truck Sales, Steel Consumption, Industrial Capacity Utilization, Metal Pricing, Durable Goods, and Factory Orders. Automotive sales are strong; people are wanting and needing to replace vehicles they've maintained for a long time. "People want new and they are confident enough in their job security to buy a new vehicle."

Automobiles are still in heavy demand due to supply chain issues and need to replace older vehicles.
Source: IHEA

There are no surprises from the Steel Consumption reports, as the "big three sectors are all performing about as expected – vehicle manufacturing, construction and the oil and gas arena." Metal Pricing is seeing a A Tale of Two Cities because copper is affected by political tensions around the world, but aluminum is seeing strong demand, particularly for the aerospace industry.

Interest rates are prohibitive for single-family home purchases.
Source: IHEA

Those indices that are in decline or experiencing drops are: New Home Starts, Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), Capital Expenditures, and Transportation Activity. New home purchases are difficult for those buyers because the interest rates are high. There is a bit of a bright spot for heat treaters since multi-family home sales are still strong; this means metal products are needed - appliances, window frames, and construction components.

Manufacturers are showing caution in purchases.
Source: IHEA

The PMI "is always a good indicator of overall industrial activity as the purchasing manager will be doing what they do at the start of any industrial process." In the report it's down to 47.7; not an emergency, but very uncomfortable level.

Anne Goyer, Executive Director of IHEA

The report on these indices takes a middle-of-the-road approach. There are no alarmingly sharp drop-offs in the reports, neither is there any drastic growth into the positive numbers; it all comes down to inflation. Economic markers are such that the interest rates are as high as they will get indicate a drop about halfway through the new year. The report looks for some lowering of the numbers to"between4.25% and 4.50%" while the Fed members think the rate "may top out at 5.1%."

Check out the full report to see specific index growth and analysis which is available to IHEA member companies. For membership information, and a full copy of  the 11-page report, contact Anne Goyerexecutive director of the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA). Email Anne by clicking here.


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Solar Atmospheres of Souderton, PA Adds Furnace for Titanium Reclamation

HTD Size-PR LogoSolar Atmospheres Souderton, PA incorporated a high-production vacuum furnace with a work zone of 48"x48"x72" and a weight capacity of up to 7,500 lbs/batch. The furnace doubles the facility's hydriding and de-hydriding capacity in the reclamation of titanium and tantalum materials.

Solar Atmospheres Souderton, PA installed the furnace with Solar Manufacturing's vacuum furnace technology. The technology is aimed at safety and efficiency and will help in the reclamation process.

Solar Atmospheres of Souderton, PA Adds Furnace for Titanium Reclamation Read More »

Vacuum Furnace for Manufacturer of Wind Power Plants

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Maciej Korecki
Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment
SECO/WARWICK

A manufacturer has chosen a heat treat vertical vacuum furnace designed to perform low-pressure carburizing for the large structural elements (gearboxes) used in wind power plants.  

SECO/WARWICK Group, a manufacturer with North American locations, provided the furnace that combines two technologies: atmospheric and vacuum processing. This system provides: process purity, heating uniformity, and elimination of the oxidation effect at the grain boundary. The product solves the problem of high energy and process gas consumption by the partner’s old furnaces, and shortens the carburizing process.

"The Pit-LPC technology . . . increases the safety for users, because it does not involve explosive and flammable gases. LPC eliminates direct CO₂ emissions from the carburizing atmosphere,'" commented Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Products Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group.

 

 


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Metal Profiles Manufacturer Increases Nitriding Heat Treat

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PMS Alüminyum, an aluminum extrusion company, has added a nitriding system from a North American based company that also has international locations to enhance its production capabilities and meet the increasing demand for high-quality, metal profiles across industries including automotive, construction, solar energy, defense, aerospace, and rail.

Previously outsourcing this process, PMS Alüminyum made the decision to bring nitriding operations in-house for streamlined logistics coordination, long-term cost savings, improved availability of ready-to-use dies, and faster turnaround times. Moreover, the growing number of dies to be treated made in-house processing a more viable and cost-effective solution.

The Nitrex pit-type furnace, model NX-1020, with Nitreg® controlled nitriding and Nitreg®-C controlled nitrocarburizing technologies, provides capabilities for processing H11 and H13 dies.

The system was installed in the extrusion company's new facility in November 2022 that also houses an extrusion press and powder coating lines.

 

 


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Ohio Metallurgical

In 1947, amidst a global war that touched every corner of the world, a small heat treat company emerged to serve the thriving and diverse manufacturing market of northeast Ohio. That company, Ohio Metallurgical (Ohiomet), was started by William Latiano and Frank Monaco with only a few salt pots in Lorain, but grew into a larger plant in Elyria, adding vacuum, shaker, and integral quench furnaces. Years later in 1977, Don Gaydosh, who was the general manager at the time, purchased 70% of the company, along with fellow employee Jerry Pragg. In 1990, John Gaydosh followed in his father’s footsteps and is the current president and owner.

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The company has now grown to include 78 employees who are trained in four core values: Be client focused, be dependable, do business with integrity, and always be improving.

One way they accomplish their first value is by scheduling production based on the client’s need. In order to be dependable and operate safely, efficiently, and with high quality, the company invests in new equipment and controls. Since 1990, almost all equipment has been replaced completely, though a few older furnaces are still in use but with upgraded, modern controls.

Heat treat operations at Ohiomet
Source: Ohiomet

To implement their fourth value of always improving, Ohiomet regularly updates its control systems to reduce operator errors and increase accuracy. Using an in-house customized SCADA software package, they monitor furnaces in real-time, so the operators and supervisors can be notified if process parameters are outside of preset parameters.

With their updated equipment and software, the company serves the automotive, aerospace, military, and mining industries, and more. While the integral quench lines containing 12 IQ furnaces make up the largest part of their business, they also offer multiple types of processes and services from one location. In addition to their IQ lines, they have vacuum furnaces capable of 2-bar nitrogen gas quench, bright age hardening, tempering, and annealing, all of which are qualified to meet AMS2759 specifications and are Nadcap accredited.

In addition to these processes, Ohiomet has both automatic and manual straightening equipment, induction equipment with various frequencies for use on vertical and horizontal scanners, and bell furnaces performing atmosphere annealing and stress relieving. A Nadcap accredited, modern quality control laboratory contains multiple automated microhardness testers along with a metallograph with digital imaging capabilities.

Ohiomet heat treats ribs used in crash test dummies
Source: Ohiomet

Among the unique items they have been heat treating are the ribs used in crash test dummies. They harden and temper the steel crash test dummy ribs and the ribs are fitted with sensors to detect how extensive the damage would be in a real car wreck.

While remembering their humble beginnings, Ohiomet looks to the next five to ten years anticipating an increase in automation, not only in material handling, but also for machine control, allowing them to continue fulfilling their founding principle of serving the manufacturing market of northeast Ohio.

 

 


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Induction and Sustainability Tips Part 1: Cleaning and Maintenance

OC

Discover expert tips, tricks, and resources for sustainable heat treating methods Heat Treat Today's recent series.  And, if you're looking for tips on combustion, controls systems, or induction in general, you'll find that too! Part 1, today's tips, digs into cleaning and maintenance

This Technical Tuesday article is compiled from tips in Heat Treat Today's May Focus on Sustainable Heat Treat Technologies print edition. If you have any tips of your own about induction and sustainability, our editors would be interested in sharing them online at www.heattreattoday.com. Email Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com with your own ideas!


1. Maintenance of Induction Coils Used in Hardening Applications

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Soap and hot water will remove sticky quench and debris.
Source: Induction Tooling, Inc.

How should you maintain induction coils used in hardening applications? Elbow grease — a little goes a long way. After each use, a simple solution of soap and hot water will remove sticky quench and debris. Scrub hardened dirt with a Scotch-Brite pad. Check for pitting, arcing, and insulator damage. If all is good, use a hot water rinse, and it’s ready for use. If the inductor is to remain on the machine for an extended period, it is advised to wash it and the associated bus daily. Check for damage. Following this simple procedure will reduce business waste.

Source: William Stuehr, President/CEO, Induction Tooling, Inc.

#partscleaning #inductorcoil #hardening

2. Maintaining Tooling Fixtures for Induction Hardening

Tooling fixtures are usually maintained simply by storing them inside a mandrel and a box. This system will prevent coils from getting distorted.

Most tooling should be rinsed in hot water to wash off the polymer and then dried and stored away for future use.

It is a good practice to use deionized water for cooling the power supplies.

Source: Madhu Chatterjee, President, AAT Metallurgical Services LLC

#partscleaning #toolingfixtures

3. Switch to Aqueous

As industry tries to become more “green,” a number of companies are switching from lubricants that are petroleum or mineral oil-based to water-based (“aqueous”) lubricants instead. However, some of these companies then make the mistake of not changing their degreasing fluids that they use to remove these lubricants prior to their next processing operations, and stay with their standard degreasing fluids, such as acetone or alcohol, which are not effective at fully removing water-based lubricants. Instead, they need to run tests to find an appropriate alkaline-based degreasing fluid for such water-based lubricants, since alkaline-based degreasers will be effective at removing such lubricants. Commonly available dish-detergents (alkaline-based) have been shown to be highly effective for such use.

Source: Dan Kay, Owner, Kay & Associates

#aqueouscleaner #gogreen #lubricants


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IHEA Monthly Economic Report: Two Sides of the Same Coin

The monthly Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEAExecutive Economic Summary released in June provides some bad news and some good news about the U.S. economy status. Referring to the Leading Economic Indicators, the nation is in one of the lowest spots it has been for 23 years. A silver lining: This low point is not as low as other drops (2000-2001, 2007-2009, and 2020).

While this certainly shows the nation in a difficult spot, the report continues with some encouraging news. Even better, the heat treat industry can find positive impacts with the U.S. continuing to increase reshoring efforts as well as labor shortages helping with job security and job availability for industry workers.

The economic indices demonstrate that "[t]he majority of the data . . . shows solid performance and even the declines are relatively minor."  There are drops in these sectors:  Steel Consumption, Metal Pricing, Purchase Managers Index, Capital Expenditures, and Transportation Activity. Five indices show increase or at least holding steady: New Home Starts, Industrial Capacity Utilization, New Auto & Light Truck Sales, Durable Goods, and Factory Orders.

In New Auto and Light Truck Sales, the numbers are looking good. The report indicates this comes as a surprise, but it's good news for those manufacturing new vehicles.

"Consumers are still in a good mood, unemployment numbers are still low, car loans are still cheap and getting cheaper as interest rates fall."
Source: IHEA

The Steel Consumption index shows lots of ups and downs. Certainly there are still some supply chain issues, and the demand for construction of office space has been low during/since the pandemic. Growth stems from the reshoring movement as well as in construction for manufacturing facilities.

"The good news for steel is that manufacturing has been the driving sector for construction due to this investment in new technology that needs upgraded facilities."
Source: IHEA

The Purchasing Managers' Index measures industrial purchases for manufacturers. The PMI is going to drop if the purchase managers feel that the economy is slowing. Raw materials and other purchases are slowing down here, as the data shows.

"Right now, there are twenty nations registering under 50 and the US is now back among them at 48.4."
Source: IHEA

Conversely, Durable Goods is staying strong. Vehicles, appliances, even electronics are selling. Putting the PMI and this Durable Goods data together shows the two sides of the coin very clearly. Maybe the nation is just in economic slowdown, not entering dangerous recession.

The level of durable goods activity has been remarkably stable given all the turmoil in the overall economy."
Source: IHEA

Anne Goyer, Executive Director of IHEA

IHEA's report points out, "the U.S. is a country so large and diverse that it can easily host both recession and growth." With the majority of the indices holding steady or, at worst, seeing minimal drops, the coin toss of economic future doesn't seem too extreme in either positive or negative directions.

Check out the full report to see specific index growth and analysis which is available to IHEA member companies. For membership information, and a full copy of  the 11-page report, contact Anne Goyer, executive director of IHEA. Email Anne by clicking here.

 

 


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IHEA Monthly Economic Report: Two Sides of the Same Coin Read More »

Heat Treat Box Furnace Shipped to Manufacturer

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Bill St. Thomas
Business Development Manager
Lindberg/MPH
Source: Lindberg/MPH.com

A rod overbend box furnace with powered load/unload table is being shipped from Michigan to a manufacturer. An automated actuator increases safety measures protecting the operator.

Lindberg/MPH's furnace has a maximum temperature rating of 2,000°F and a load capacity of 900 lbs. The workspace dimensions of the furnace are 24” x 36” x 18” and is designed for air atmosphere applications. The box furnace features an automated actuator to flip the push/pull mechanism on the load table to eliminate the operators need to manually flip it into push position. This option allows the push/pull head to retract from the furnace once the work grid is in the furnace chamber and increases operator safety by removing the need to reach into the hot furnace with a hook to flip the push/pull head.

“This furnace design is a duplicate to a previous order . . . . with the [requested] modification of an automated actuator to provide easier loading for the operator," commented Bill St. Thomas, business development manager at Lindberg/MPH.

 

 


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