The week that gave us Furnaces North America 2018 is winding down. This is also the week that Heat Treat Today launched its inaugural print edition, as well as a digital version of the print edition, with the popular 40 Under 40 feature, highlighting the Class of 2018, enthusiastic, forward-thinking, skilled professionals who are making a difference in the heat treating industry before they turn 41. We invited the 40 Under 40 ’18 members who were at FNA to visit us at the Heat Treat Today booth to pick up their own copy of the print magazine — and one for their moms, as well — and for a photo session to share with local or company media. We are posting the photos below that we were able to capture, plus a few others here from FNA 2018.
The leading manufacturer of rolled aluminum products recently broke ground on the expansion of its automotive aluminum manufacturing facility in Changzhou, China, where the facility will double its capacity of heat-treated aluminum sheet.
Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco Industries, the parent company of Novelis Inc.
Novelis, Inc., hosted members of the community, customers and government officials in the groundbreaking ceremony launching the $180 million investment to increase capacity by 100,000 metric tons in order to better meet the growing demand for automotive aluminum in Asia. The facility will be equipped with a high-speed slitter and a fully automated packaging line. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2020 in order to align with key customer’s vehicle-launch plans.
“As market demand for lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles continues to grow, Novelis will play a critical role in supporting the next generation of automotive innovation and design,” said Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco Industries, the parent company of Novelis Inc. “This expansion reinforces our steadfast commitment to our customers and communities, and reaffirms our continued confidence in this ever-growing market.”
A leading metal additive manufacturing (AM) group based in Chicago recently announced that it will deliver large-scale metal 3D printing system to a supplier of highly engineered AM solutions.
Sciaky, Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries, Inc. (PSI) will deliver an industry-leading Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM®) 110 System to Burloak Technologies, a division of Samuel, Son and Co., Limited, which delivers high quality, lightweight, fully functional additive manufactured parts for a range of industries including space, aerospace, defense, energy, medical, automotive, and transportation.
Peter Adams, co-founder and president of Burloak Technologies.
“Using traditional subtractive processes, such as forging and machining, the production of titanium parts of this size could take one year while generating a significant amount of waste,” said Peter Adams, co-founder and president of Burloak Technologies. “Our EBAM 110 system will allow us to manufacture the same large-scale titanium structural parts in a matter of days. We are already engaged with several aerospace end-users who have started the qualification process with us.”
Scott Phillips, president and CEO of Sciaky, Inc.
“Sciaky’s EBAM systems are the most widely sold large-scale metal 3D printing system in the world, having qualified parts on land, sea, air, and space applications,” said Scott Phillips, president and CEO of Sciaky, Inc. “The innovators at Burloak Technologies will leverage the numerous benefits of EBAM to produce faster and cheaper parts for their customers all across the globe.”
A July 2019 delivery is scheduled for this EBAM system.
This is the second of three articles by metallurgist Marc Glasser on three individual heat resistant alloys. This article will feature RA330®. Please submit your questions about heat-resistant alloys for Marc to editor@heattreattoday.com.
RA330® is a nickel alloy containing 35% nickel, 19% chromium, and 1.2% silicon. Over the years, it has become one of the most widely used wrought heat-resistant alloys due to the combination of its versatility, availability, properties, and cost-effectiveness.
The Chemistry of RA330
The chemistry of RA330 is shown below in Table 1.
There are several important benefits to this alloy including:
Oxidation resistance up to 2100°F
Usable creep resistance up to 1850°F
Utility up to 2100°F when there are no loads applied and some deflection can be tolerated
Resistance to many heat treating atmospheres including carburizing and nitriding
Sufficient nickel content to prevent sigma phase formation and embrittlement
The oxidation resistance of various alloys is shown in Table 2 below¹.
Table 2: Oxidation limits of various materials.
The oxidation limit for RA330 is higher than that of any stainless steel, comparable to alloy 600, and only exceeded by nickel alloys with much higher nickel content.
RA330 Creep Strength
Table 3² shows the creep strength required to produce 1% strain in 10,000 hrs.
The creep strength of RA330 is better than all heat-resistant stainless steel grades except RA 253 MA. It is comparable to alloy 600 but less than the higher nickel alloys 601, RA333, and RA 602 CA. When comparing the economics of RA330 with those of the more expensive nickel alloys, RA330 often has enough creep strength for many heat treating applications and is often the most economical option. There are companies who use RA330 above 1800°F and sometimes as high as the 2100°F oxidation limit. They compensate for the very low creep strength at these temperatures by using braces such as gussets or supports. These supports may be made of ceramic or a different alloy with significantly higher creep strength at this temperature.
Strength Variables and Value
One of the excellent attributes of RA330 is its ability to resist the various atmospheres used in surface or case hardening operations. Thermodynamically, the formation of nickel carbides and nitrides are not favored. With 35% nickel, RA330 has sufficient nickel content to resist carburization, nitriding, and combinations of both. The alloy is not immune to surface hardening, just resistant. The length of resistance time is a function of the process and process variables. For example, field experience shows that 310 muffles used in carburizing atmospheres can completely carburize in as little as 1 month, especially at high temperatures. After that, the material is brittle and can rupture easily. Often, the usable life will be between 1 and 3 months depending on process temperature. A corresponding RA330 muffle under the same atmosphere will last up to 1 year.
Stainless steels are subject to sigma phase formation and embrittlement. Sigma phase is an intermetallic phase that consists of iron and chromium. It precipitates between approximately 1100 and 1600°F. Sigma phase does not embrittle materials at these relatively high temperatures, but at room temperature, sigma phase can reduce charpy impact values to single digits. One sudden impact can cause catastrophic failure. RA330, with 35% nickel, has enough nickel to prevent sigma phase formation.
Applications of RA330
RA330 is available from stock in many product forms. In addition to the traditional plate, sheet, and round bar, RA330 is also available in expanded metal, pipe, and hexagonal nuts. Round bar can quickly be turned into threaded bar. The ability to draw on all these items from stock make RA330 the ideal alloy for maintenance and repair.
RA330 is resistant to thermal fatigue. This property lends RA330 to be the wrought alloy of choice for alloy fixtures and baskets that require quenching a least once a day.
For all of these reasons, RA330 is often an excellent choice for heat treating applications. It has good oxidation resistance, good resistance to case hardening atmospheres, no sigma phase formation, and thermal fatigue resistance. It is available from stock in many forms and sizes. RA330 may not always be the best solution, but often it is the solution that works best.
One of the few atmospheres in which RA330 is not a good choice is sulfur. Like other nickel alloys, the nickel forms a nickel-sulfur intermetallic at a low temperature. In such environments, a lower nickel stainless steel such as 309 or 310 is often a better choice.
RA330® is a trademark of Rolled Alloys.
1. Glasser, Marc, “Selecting an Appropriate Heat-Resistant Alloy,” Industrial Heating. September 2014: 59-65.
2. Condensed from “High-Temperature Environments: Alloy Properties,” https://www.rolledalloys.com/technical-resources/environments/high-temperature/
Marc Glasser is Director of Metallurgical Services at Rolled Alloys and is Heat TreatToday‘s resident expert in process metallurgy, heat treatment, materials of construction, and materials science and testing.
As representatives from the heat treat industry gather over the next couple of days in Indianapolis, Indiana, for Furnaces North America 2018, Heat Treat Todayis offering two new resources for attendees to peruse in between meetings or sessions — and for those not in attendance, there’s no need to feel left out because one of these resources is digital.
Today, Monday, October 8, 2018, Heat Treat Today launches its digital edition of the inaugural Heat Treat Today publication, with the physical edition to be distributed on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at FNA.
While “the melting pot of the best minds in heat treating” brings you multiple opportunities for networking, valuable technical sessions presented by industry experts, and an exhibitor’s hall with over 170 suppliers ready to help you, Heat Treat Today promises to enhance your FNA experience with the following features:
Our inaugural 40 Under 40 Class of 2018, highlighting 40 enthusiastic, forward-thinking, skilled professionals who have made a mark on the heat treating industry before their 41st birthday (plus 10 Honorable Mentions)
101 Heat TreatTips — troubleshooting, preventative, green initiatives, safety reminders, time savers — from experts representing all facets of the heat treating industry.
A round-up of NewsChatteritems featuring personnel and company news, equipment transactions, acquisitions and expansions, and kudos — what have your colleagues been up to in the last few months?
A selection of Technical Tuesday articles that examine the how, what, why, and when of a variety of heat treating operations.
Heat Treat Shop — where the buying and selling begins
You don’t have to wait for the print edition to read the new Heat TreatToday publication!
Heat Treat Today is very pleased to present the inaugural 40 Under 40 Class of 2018. These enthusiastic, forward-thinking, skilled professionals are part of the reason the future of this industry is bright. We invite you to click to our newly unveiled page and read how this inaugural class is breaking barriers, saying yes to challenges, resolving the impossible, and reinforcing the culture of hard work and customer service.
Have a young professional in mind who should have been included? The nomination page will remain live to begin receiving submissions for the 40 Under 40 Class of 2019. Do it now!
And if you’re at FNA next week, visit us at Booth #505 and pick up a copy of the Heat Treat Today inaugural print edition with the 40 Under 40 featured, as well as 10 Honorable Mentions, and many more articles pertinent to our industry such as:
101 Heat Treat Tips
Samplings from our Technical Tuesday and News Chatter features
Heat Treat Shop listings
If you can’t make it to FNA, on Monday, October 8, 2018, a digital version of the print edition will be released online and through the Heat Treat Today e-newsletter.
Thanks to all those who nominated individuals for this inaugural 40 Under 40 Class of 2018.
A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current
Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.
Personnel and Company Chatter
John Hubbard, P.E., has been awarded the 2018 Distinguished Alumni of the year award from Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering, which has provided a tradition of high-quality undergraduate and graduate education in engineering and engineering technology. Hubbard recently joined Calvert Street to form Thermal Process Holdings to create a new North American heat treating group.
Paulo is pleased to announce the promotion of two employees to new roles in the company. Scott Herzing, a 20-year company veteran who most recently was Manager of Project Engineering, will take over as Vice President of Engineering. And Jessica Sickmeier, who had been Director of Human Resources Development, has been promoted to Vice President of Human Resources.
Contour Hardening, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is proud to announce the appointment of Ben Crawford as its new CEO and President. The appointment, which became official on July 30, 2018, follows the recent passing of Contour Hardening’s founder, CEO and President, John Storm.
The National Tooling and Machining Association, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has announced the appointment of Dean Bartles, PhD, as their new president, succeeding Dave Tilstone, who is retiring after serving as president since 2010. Bartles brings almost four decades of experience in the manufacturing sector, most recently as the director of the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at the University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH). Previously, Bartles served as a president of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, president of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute, founding executive director of the Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute, and founding chairman of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition.
Kristopher R. Westbrooks was recently named as executive vice president and chief financial officer to succeed current CFO Christopher J. Holding at TimkenSteel Corp., based in Canton, Ohio. Westbrooks joined the company in this new role on September 24, 2018.
Jim Feltner, vice president of sales and marketing with FPM Heat Treating, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, was recently honored with an Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the Daily Herald Business Ledger, nominated by Tom Merrick.
Scott Herzing joins Paulo.
Jessica Sickmeier joins Paulo.
Ben Crawford, new CEO and President of Contour Hardening
NTMA new president Dean Bartles, Ph.D.
Kristopher R. Westbrooks, executive vice president and chief financial officer, TimkenSteel Corp
Jim Feltner of FPM Heat Treating honored with Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.
Equipment Chatter
A Warrington, PA, furnace manufacturer recently delivered a large dual chamber unit to a metal stamping manufacturer in the Midwest. Lucifer Furnaces built Model HL82-P24, a hardening furnace over tempering oven, as a space-saving combination for multipurpose heat treating. The upper hardening chamber heats to 2300°F with 6.5” multilayer insulation throughout the chamber.
A vacuum furnace heat exchanger cleaning process has been developed by Souderton, PA, company Solar Atmospheres, involving a 12-hour soak submerged in a suitable tub using a water base cleaning agent. Recirculated forced water jets wash out the accumulated dirt from deep inside the heat exchanger. It is then pressure washed and blown dry with nitrogen gas. The heat exchanger is cleaned to an as new condition and then returned to the user.
A global manufacturer recently purchased a second vacuum furnace from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK company, for its US-based manufacturing operations. This second furnace, a vacuum temper furnace for tempering and stress relieving metal parts, is part of the company’s new US-based manufacturing expansion and becomes a centerpiece in a new processing line for the company.
An electrically heated annealing furnace was recently shipped to a firearms manufacturer to be used for annealing an assortment of brass and bronze firearm caps. Wisconsin Oven Corporation provided this conveyor furnace with a maximum temperature rating of 1,400° F (760° C) and a normal operating temperature of 572° to 1,202° F (300° to 650° C).
Lucifer Furnaces LLC recently delivered a large dual chamber unit to a metal stamping manufacturer.
A vacuum furnace heat exchanger cleaning process has been developed by Souderton, PA, company Solar Atmospheres, involving a 12-hour soak submerged in a suitable tub using a water base cleaning agent.
A global manufacturer recently purchased a second vacuum furnace from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK company, for its US-based manufacturing operations.
Wisconsin Oven Corporation recently shipped an electrically heated annealing furnace to a firearms manufacturer.
Kudos Chatter
On 24 September, at the Grand Gala of the Business Leader 2018, SECO/WARWICK was awarded for the second time the statuette in recognition of the company’s strong market position. Katarzyna Sawka, Marketing Director of SECO/WARWICK Group, collected the award on behalf of the Company. “Business Leader” is the award that recognizes the best companies in Western Poland who conduct their business in a transparent and honest manner and their success is a regional trademark.
Pelican Wire was named Manufacturer of the Year in the Small Business category at the 2018 Manufacturers Association of Florida “MAF Exchange” conference and awards banquet. Selected from over fifty nominees spanning numerous industries and cities throughout the State of Florida, Pelican Wire also received this award in 2014.
Ohio Star Forge, a steel firm with heat treating, cold roll forming, and CNC machining capabilities, recently held a ribbon cutting for its expansion and celebrated its 30th anniversary at the company’s location in Youngstown, Ohio. Ohio Star Forge was originally a joint venture of Copperweld Steel and Japanese company Daido Steel.
Katarzyna Sawka, Global Group Marketing Director SECO/WARWICK, received the Innovation Leader Award on behalf of the company.
Pelican Wire was named Manufacturer of the Year.
Ohio Star Forge recently held ribbon cutting for its expansion and celebrated its 30th anniversary.
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 the editor at editor@heattreattoday.com.
The largest commercial aluminum heat treater in the United States was recently acquired by a leading provider of metal heat treating services.
Steve Wyatt, President of PTS
Al-Fe Heat Treating has been purchased by Premier Thermal Solutions (PTS), which provides commercial metal processing services to a variety of industries, including automotive, energy, and aviation, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Atmosphere Annealing and NitroSteel. PTS maintains five facilities in four locations across the Midwest.
“With the acquisition of Al-Fe, PTS has expanded its service offerings to include both ferrous and aluminum heat treating services. This is an important diversification of our portfolio as we expect to see substantial growth in the use of aluminum in the automotive industry as well as in a variety of other industries that we serve,” said Steve Wyatt, President of PTS. “In addition to its aluminum processing capabilities, Al-Fe is Nadcap certified which will allow PTS to enhance its service offerings in other end-markets such as aerospace and defense.”
Rahul Sawhney, Senior Managing Director of Z Capital
Al-Fe Heat Treating, which has plants in Defiance, Ohio;Saginaw, Michigan;Wadsworth, Indiana; and Wabash, Indiana, provides demanding heat treat applications including continuous or drop-bottom processing, precision air quench for distortion control, and hyperquench for aerospace specifications or testing/inspection services.
“We are thrilled to have closed this transaction and expect to announce incremental acquisitions over the next 12 months,” said Rahul Sawhney, Senior Managing Director of Z Capital. Premier Thermal Solutions was acquired by Z Capital Partners, LLC in 2017. “Not only does Al-Fe add incremental heat treating capabilities, but also further strengthens the collective talent at PTS, which will be instrumental in continuing to provide superior customer service.”
With electricity costs increasing, heat treat facilities are looking for ways to harness energy and minimize heat loss through a variety of insulating methods and applications. Heat Treat Today‘s Technical Tuesday feature comes from Reál J. Fradette of Solar Atmospheres Inc of Souderton, PA (with Nicholas R. Cordisco of Solar Manufacturing Inc. contributing), analyzing the different types of furnace hot zone insulation materials with the following points taken into consideration:
A) Hot Zone Designs
All-Metal Designs
Ceramic Fiber Included Designs
Graphite Type Insulated Hot Zones
B) Defining Hot Zone Losses For Different Hot Zone Configurations
Calculating Power Losses For A Given Size Furnace
Effect Of Hot Zone Losses On Heating Rates and Peak Power
C) Effect on Power Losses With Various Insulation Layers and Thicknesses
Projecting Relative Losses Versus Felt Thicknesses
D) Equating Insulation Designs To Actual Power Usage
Projecting Cycle Costs For Different Areas Of Operation
Impact of Hot Zone Type on Total Cycle Cost
E) Summary And Conclusions
An excerpt:
The heating rate of a load will dictate the total energy required to heat that load at that heating rate. Heating as fast as possible is not often the best solution to the application.
A leading industrial gases company recently announced plans to build a new liquid hydrogen plant to produce approximately 30 tons per day at its La Porte, Texas, industrial gas facility to meet increasing product demand from several customer markets, including industries which provide heat treatment.
Global hydrogen provider Air Products will draw hydrogen for the liquid hydrogen plant from Air Products’ existing Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline system network and is to be onstream in 2021.
“The investment in this new liquid hydrogen production facility in Texas will assist with meeting current customer demand, as well as capture the increased growth that we see coming from several markets,” said Marie Ffolkes, president, Americas at Air Products. “Logistically, our La Porte plant has several operational benefits which make the site selection for this new facility a good choice. We are confident with this additional capacity that we will be able to meet the projected growing liquid hydrogen needs coming from the varied industries in the United States for which a reliable source of this product is vitally important to our customers’ manufacturing operations.”.
Once liquefied at La Porte, the hydrogen will be delivered in trailers to customers in industries which provide heat treatment as well as several others including electronics, chemical and petrochemical, material handling, float glass, edible fats and oils, and utilities.
The new facility at La Porte will join Air Products’ existing hydrogen and syngas production operations, as well as an air separation unit. The liquid hydrogen plant will be connected to, and draw hydrogen from, Air Products’ Gulf Coast Pipeline (GCP), the world’s largest hydrogen plant and pipeline network system. The 600-mile pipeline span stretches from the Houston Ship Channel in Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana, and supplies customers with over 1.4 billion feet of hydrogen per day from 23 hydrogen production facilities.
Photo credit: Air Products. Caption: Air Products employee practices checking a pipeline valve for leaks at the company’s training site in La Porte, Tex.
