AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT Archives

The Nadcap Accreditation Process Explained

January 21, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

Nadcap accreditation is looked on by most of the heat treating world as a significant achievement and a guarantee of quality. It not only permits a company to perform heat treating for the Aerospace/Defense industries but also tells customers that this company has a high standard of quality.

So what is it, and how does it work?

In this HTT Best of the Web Technical Tuesday feature, Vac Aero International takes readers through the entire Nadcap accreditation process from start to finish, examining what it is, how it works, and troubleshooting problem areas.

An excerpt: “Nadcap accreditation benefits not only the company being audited but helps ensure their customers receive products and services that meet or exceed both their expectations and requirements. The audit and accreditation processes result in continuous improvement in multiple areas, with deficiencies (i.e., nonconformances) identified and corrected based on specific rules (i.e., guidelines) to ensure each process meets or exceeds industry standards.”

Vac Aero gives a detailed look at the common pitfalls in the accreditation process, useful resources and training courses to help companies prepare for their audit, and what to do after the audit is complete.

Photo Credit: TAV Vacuum Furnaces

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Stack Metallurgical Group Adds Vacuum Furnace to its Capabilities

Stack Metallurgical Group, a Nadcap accredited and Northwestern U.S. commercial heat treater, recently installed a TITAN® vacuum furnace at its location in Spokane Valley, Washington. Formerly known as Inland NW Metallurgical Services, Stack Spokane is one of the company’s four locations offering metal processing services such as vacuum heat treating, induction heat treating, aluminum chemical processing, and ion nitriding. Ipsen USA completed the installation.

Ron Decker,
General Manager, Stack Metallurgical Services, Inc.

“It was an easy choice adding another Ipsen furnace to our offering,” said General Manager Ron Decker. “We count on Ipsen for a versatile product that delivers great results.”

Installation of the TITAN® H6 2-bar vacuum furnace was completed in late 2019 and will be used to process aerospace components. Stack operates four Ipsen furnaces in Spokane and a dozen more in Portland.

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Airbus to Increase Production of U.S. Aircraft

January 17, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Airbus will expand operations in the U.S. by increasing the production rate of A320 family aircraft at its U.S. manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, to seven per month by the beginning of 2021 as part of its plans to produce 63 of this aircraft per month. With plans already in place for production of four A220 aircraft per month in Mobile by the middle of the decade, Airbus is on track to produce more than 130 aircraft in Mobile each year for its airline customers.

C. Jeffrey Knittel,
Airbus Americas Chairman & CEO

Airbus Americas Chairman and CEO C. Jeffrey Knittel said, “Airbus has been manufacturing in the U.S. for many years now through our helicopter, aircraft, and satellite products. This increase in commercial aircraft production in Mobile is an exciting expansion of our significant industrial investment in the U.S., and it continues Airbus’ positive contribution to American aerospace.”

Airbus plans to open its new final assembly line for the A220 in Mobile this year and deliver the first U.S.-made A220. They are on track to deliver their 200th U.S.-built A320 family aircraft in the summer.

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Gulfstream Awards GAMPS 5101 & 5102 Certification to Heat Treater

January 15, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Gulfstream recently awarded Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania with material processing specification approvals for GAMPS 5101 and 5102. Specification GAMPS 5101 relates to the heat treatment of low alloy steels and GAMPS 5102 is associated with the annealing and precipitation hardening of PH stainless steel. Compliance to these two specifications are important to ensure that flight-critical raw materials and parts are heat treated and tested properly.

Michael Johnson,
Sales Manager
Solar Atmospheres of Western PA

“This prime approval not only gives our current customer base permission to use our location for thermal processing of Gulfstream components, it also gives them the ability to run larger loads of 40,000 – 60,000 lbs. at a time, due to our large furnace sizes,” stated Michael Johnson, Sales Manager. “The larger loads reduce the number of certifications, furnace charts, and mechanical testing documentation that is typically required post heat treating.”

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CMC: What are They? Why are They Important?

January 14, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, INSULATION TECHNICAL CONTENT

Source: L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc

CMC stands for Ceramic Matrix Composite, and these materials are considered a subgroup of both ceramics and composite materials. CMC components are used in the energy and power, defense, aerospace, electrical, and electronics industries. In this Best of the Web Technical Tuesday feature, L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. delves into the composition, applications, fabricating process, and uniqueness of CMCs.

An excerpt:

“CMCs are able to retain a relatively high mechanical strength even at very elevated temperatures. They offer excellent stiffness and very good stability, both mechanical, thermal, dimensional, and chemical.”

To explore more about ceramic matrix composites, read more: “What Are Ceramic Matrix Composites?”

CMC: What are They? Why are They Important? Read More »

Sandvik Acquires North Carolina-Based High Temp Furnace Manufacturer

January 10, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Sandvik Group, a global engineering group based in Sweden, has acquired a manufacturer of high temperature furnace systems and metallic heating elements headquartered in North Carolina.

Sandvik, which offers products for industrial heating, has purchased Thermaltek, Inc., a producer of furnace systems for handling nonferrous alloys, including aluminum, magnesium, brass, and tin. They also design and create custom high-temperature furnaces and heating equipment for ceramic applications.

Göran Björkman,
President of Sandvik
Materials Technology

“Through this acquisition we add further strength to our leading position in industrial heating, a strategically important growth area for our Kanthal division within Sandvik Materials Technology,” says Göran Björkman, President, Sandvik Materials Technology.

Thermaltek will continue to go to market under its own brand.

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Doncasters Implements New Operating Model for Production

January 6, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Doncasters Group Ltd., based in Burton upon Trent, UK, has made financial changes to allow for increased focus on precision casting and superalloys production. They are implementing a “new operating model” and will organize into two geographic divisions led by two managing directors, Jason Mays in the U.S. and Simon Ward in Europe.

Jas Sahota,
CEO of Doncasters Group Ltd.

“This is a significant positive development for Doncasters, our people, customers and suppliers. The agreement we have reached with our lenders will provide the necessary stable platform for DGL to deliver on its future strategy,” said CEO Jas Sahota of the agreement. Ownership of the group will transfer to the senior lenders, which is expected during Q1 2020.

Doncasters’ casting operations —including Certified Alloy Products, Doncasters Precision Castings – New England, and Doncasters Southern Tool, all in the U.S. — are investment casting plants producing aerospace and industrial gas turbine parts, aerospace structural castings, and more.

The superalloy business produces vacuum- and air-melted ferrous, nickel-base, and cobalt-base superalloy bar stock used to cast and fabricate turbine blades and vanes and other components for aerospace engines and land-based gas turbines, hot-end turbocharger wheels, medical prostheses, and other components requiring high metallurgical integrity.

Photo Credit: Foundry Management & Technology

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NATO Agrees to Surveillance Aircraft Contract with Boeing

January 6, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

NATO and Boeing have announced a $1 billion agreement to update and modernize the Alliance’s AWACS surveillance aircraft fleet.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the president of Boeing International, Sir Michael Arthur, met at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels to mark a major investment in the Alliance’s fleet of AWACS surveillance aircraft. NATO’s investment will ensure the surveillance aircraft continue to support the Alliance’s missions to 2035.

Jens Stoltenberg,
NATO Secretary General

“NATO AWACS have been our eyes in the sky, supporting our operations for decades, from patrolling American skies after 9/11, to our operations in Afghanistan, and as part of the Global Coalition against ISIS,” said the Secretary General.

He welcomed the contract with Boeing, which will provide NATO’s 14 AWACS aircraft with sophisticated new communications and networking capabilities. 16 NATO Allies, on both sides of the Atlantic, are funding this modernization, and companies from Europe and North America are working together to provide high-tech capabilities.

Sir Michael Arthur,
President of Boeing International

“NATO AWACS is a symbol of trans-Atlantic excellence, in terms of technology and partnership between Boeing, NATO and Europe. This modernisation programme will ensure the aircraft continue to thrive,” noted Sir Michael Arthur.

Photo Credit: Virginia Mayo/AP

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Bodycote Acquires Aerospace Surface Coating Specialist

January 3, 2020 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Bodycote, a leading provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, has entered into an agreement to acquire Ellison Surface Technologies, of Mason, Ohio, which will provide thermal spray and engineered coating surface technology services to the aerospace industry.

Combining Ellison’s thermal spray and engineered coating surface technology services with Bodycote’s services and global infrastructure will broaden their service offering to aerospace customers.

Stephen Harris,
Group Chief Executive of Bodycote

Group Chief Executive of Bodycote Stephen Harris said, “Ellison’s business is one that we have long respected and is a perfect strategic fit for Bodycote’s aerospace and Specialist Technologies’ businesses. Ellison has been successful in winning new business in recent years and it will be very complementary to Bodycote’s existing surface technology business.”

Completion of the transaction is contingent on various regulatory filings’ processes; it is anticipated that the transaction will complete during the first quarter of 2020.

Main Photo Credit: ASM International

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Bombardier Announces Plans to Relocate Global Aircraft Final Assembly

December 12, 2019 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Canadian business jet manufacturer Bombardier recently announced that it will relocate its global aircraft final assembly plant to Mississauga, Ontario.

Bombardier signed a long-term lease agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to build its new state-of-the-art Global Manufacturing Centre located at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Preliminary site work is underway, and first production activities are set to begin in 2023, opening the way for final assembly operations for all global business jets, including the industry flagship Global 7500 business jet.

Alain Bellemare, president and CEO, Bombardier Inc

A rendering of Bombardier’s Global Manufacturing Centre at Toronto International Pearson

The one-million-square-foot facility will incorporate Bombardier’s advanced manufacturing technology, including a state-of-the-art automated positioning system that uses laser-guided measuring to ensure major aircraft structures, such as the wing and fuselage, are joined consistently and perfectly each time.

“Today, I’m very excited to announce the relocation of our Global aircraft family production activities to a new, cutting-edge manufacturing facility at Toronto Pearson,” said Alain Bellemare, president and CEO, Bombardier Inc. “This is a strategic move for Bombardier and a strong commitment to Ontario’s aerospace industry. It will allow us to offer world-class career opportunities and continue fueling the economic development of the region for years to come.”

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