FEATURED NEWS

Refractory Products Manufacturer Expands with Purchase of Southern Supplier

A producer of monolithic refractory products, an employee-owned company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has expanded its manufacturing presence in the southeast through the recent acquisition of an Alabama refractory products supplier.

Jon Tabor, Chairman and CEO, Allied Mineral Products. Photo credit: Janet Adams/BizJournals

Allied Mineral Products, Inc., with twelve manufacturing facilities in eight countries, three precast shapes facilities, and two research and technology centers, has purchased family-owned and -operated Riverside Refractories, Inc, adding taphole clay to its line of industry-leading refractory products and extending a reach into the steel industry, including international operations. The sale includes Riverside’s Pell City, Alabama, manufacturing operation, monolithic and pre-cast refractory shapes products, refractory coatings and mortars and high-alumina and anhydrous taphole clay products.

“Riverside is a natural to join the Allied family,” said Jon R. Tabor, chairman and CEO of Allied. “They have outstanding products, expertise in the manufacture of taphole clays, a skilled workforce, and an employee-driven culture that is a perfect fit with Allied’s. After our recent acquisition of Pryor Giggey Co., which included a facility in Anniston, Alabama, Allied is poised for a significant manufacturing presence in the Southeast.”

John Morris, President of Riverside

“As the marketplace continues to be more competitive, [Riverside] realized we needed to align with a strong company to ensure we could continue to serve our customers and provide security for our employees,” said John Morris, president of Riverside. “With this sale, we know our customers and employees will benefit and that was very important to us. We are excited that Allied’s global manufacturing network and worldwide sales presence will provide a platform to market the Riverside product lines internationally. We could not be in better hands.”

“The Morris family has been a force in the refractory industry for over 60 years,” added Tabor. “We have great respect for what they have achieved at Riverside. There is great value in the brand and in the name, and we look forward to carrying on their tradition of great products and customer service.”

Riverside’s production facility in Pell City, Alabama, joins Allied’s existing U.S. manufacturing operations in Columbus, Ohio; Brownsville, Texas; Chehalis, Washington; and Anniston, Alabama.

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Aerospace, Auto, AM Industries Expand Heat Treat Capabilities

Fourteen vacuum furnaces have recently been shipped to various clients in the additive manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and commercial heat treating industries, distributed across seven states as well as Indonesia and Japan.
Ipsen USA delivered the following during the third quarter 2017:
  • A vertical (bottom-loading) MetalMaster® vacuum furnace with an 84″ (2,100 mm) diameter work zone and 8,000-pound (3,600 kg) load capacity;
  • four standard TITAN® vacuum furnaces with options ranging from spare parts kits and a thermocouple upgrade to the PdMetrics® predictive maintenance software platform;
  • three HIQ (horizontal internal quench) and HEQ (horizontal external quench) furnaces from the VFS® product line that will process parts for aerospace and commercial heat treating industries;
  • several custom-built, horizontal MetalMaster® and TurboTreater® vacuum furnaces.

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Launch of Dana Driveshaft Line Promises Lighter Weight, Durable Driveline Systems for Commercial Trucks

A global engineering solutions firm recently established the next generation in its series of driveshafts optimized for the most popular configurations of heavy-duty commercial trucks.

Mark Wallace, Executive Vice President of Dana Incorporated

Dana Incorporated announced the launch of its SPL® 250 Lite driveshaft line, designed to handle torque ratings up to 25,000 Nm and specifically engineered to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels. Up to 25 pounds lighter than competitive products, the newly revealed driveshaft will enhance vehicle dynamics without compromising strength.

“The lower numeric axle ratios required to support engine downspeeding and improve fuel efficiency can cause significant stress to the drivetrain and alter harmonics in driveline components,” said Mark Wallace, executive vice president of Dana and president of Dana Commercial Driveline Technologies.  “Excessive vibration leads to unplanned downtime and driver fatigue on the road.  The SPL 250 Lite driveshaft leverages proprietary precision manufacturing methods that ensure no NVH issues while delivering a smooth ride.  It also reduces weight without sacrificing performance or durability.”

The SPL 250 Lite driveshaft widens the range of applications with fewer components to reduce weight and improve installation by OEMs.

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Heat Treat Operations Included in Medical Devices Manufacturer Expansion

Eric J. Holcomb, Governor of Indiana

An Indiana-based manufacturer of wires for medical and non-medical markets recently announced plans to expand its operations, including in thermal processing, production, and maintenance.

Fort Wayne Metals, which was established in 1946 and now has locations in the U.S., Asia, Central America, and Europe, will invest $51.1 million to increase its Allen County operation, creating up to 337 new jobs by 2021. The project will include the construction of an addition to their corporate office building and revitalization of a 60,000-square-foot building, further bolstering the company’s production capacity for precision wire and wire-based components for the medical device industry and other non-medical critical applications, including aerospace and defense, industrial and resistance wire industries.

“Indiana has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading medical device hubs,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. “Every day, Hoosiers are at work developing new life-saving solutions, and I’m excited to see that trend continue with the growth of our life sciences sector and industry-leading firms like Fort Wayne Metals.”

Troy Linder, CFO of Fort Wayne Metals

“As we continue to be innovative leaders of life-saving, high-quality material solutions, we are experiencing a global increase in demand,” said Troy Linder, chief financial officer of Fort Wayne Metals. “Our investment in facilities and people will help build the infrastructure necessary to meet this demand, and we are excited to be able to partner with the IEDC and Greater Fort Wayne Inc. to continue to expand our footprint in Fort Wayne.”

 

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Boeing Approval for So. Carolina Heat Treat Supplier Covers AMS 2759/3 Requirements

Steve Prout, President, Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, South Carolina

Boeing has granted an approved scope of processing to a South Carolina heat treat processing plant to include the processing of precipitation hardening, corrosion resistant, and maraging steel parts to the requirements of Aerospace Material Specification AMS 2759/3.

Solar Atmospheres recently announced the expansion to its current scope of Boeing approval at its Greenville, South Carolina, facility, which now includes the following specifications:

  • BAC 5613 – Heat Treatment of Titanium and Titanium Alloys
  • BAC 5616 – Heat Treatment of Nickel-Base and Cobalt-Base Alloys
  • BAC 5619 – Heat Treatment of Corrosion Resistant Steel
  • AMS 2759/3 – Heat Treatment of Precipitation-Hardening, Corrosion Resistant, and Maraging Steel Parts

“We are proud to be able to expand upon our process offerings in support of Boeing and its many suppliers,” said Steve Prout, President of  Solar Atmospheres’ Greenville facility. “This step allows us to once again provide the U.S. Southeast with another regional option for aerospace thermal processes.”

The facility handles small lots and development cycles to a 6-1/2 foot diameter by 24 foot long vacuum chamber capable of processing up to 50,000 lb loads with a maximum temperature of 2400°F.  Solar Atmospheres has previously been awarded AS9100 and Nadcap accreditation.

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Airbus Provides Glimpse into Production of 5 New BelugaXL Super Transporters

  Source: ThomasNet

Airbus recently released an update on their progress on five new Airbus BelugaXL super transporters, anticipating the first of the five to be ready to join the Airbus Beluga fleet by 2019. Current work is on the power-on process–systems, mechanical, and electrical integration–to be followed by adding on the tail section.

Read and view video here: “Airbus Builds Massive Cargo Aircraft”.

Video image from ThomasNet

 

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Auto, Aero Among Industries to Benefit from Corrosion Protection Process

An Indiana-based coil coater and manufacturer of proprietary coating chemistries has recently introduced a new type of corrosion protection for galvanized steel that utilizes covalent bonds and enhances the effectiveness of zinc.

Standard practice to protect metal from corrosion for approximately the last 70 years has been to coat it with zinc. Heavier zinc coatings have normally been applied to provide longer protection. In order to meet industry demand for corrosion-retardant galvanized steel, Chemcoaters, Inc, of Gary, Indiana, has developed InterCoat®ChemGuard, which forms a permanent, covalent bond on the surface of the metal. After application to a light layer of zinc, the product reacts with the zinc to dramatically improve its corrosion protection properties. The bond which is formed at the molecular level cannot be washed or worn off. This process allows bending, stamping, post-painting and even shearing, while providing self-healing characteristics that help protect newly exposed zinc that naturally occurs during secondary processing.

 

 

InterCoat®ChemGuard is RoHS compliant and continues to protect during stamping, roll forming, shearing and is weldable, enhancing these processes due to a low coefficient of friction. It eliminates the need for temporary corrosion protection coatings, often used in shipping and materials storage, including hexavalent chrome, a known carcinogen, making it more environmentally friendly for all building, architectural, transportation and consumer appliance applications. It is applicable to many industries, including automotive, aerospace, construction, electrical conduit, wall studs, furniture, fixtures, appliances, outdoor and highway railing, agricultural, lawn and garden and other products using galvanize.

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Swedish Aluminum Supplier Gränges Increasing Tennessee Presence

A Swedish supplier of rolled aluminum products that has operations in Sweden, China, and the U.S. recently announced an expansion project that will incorporate investment in heat treat equipment, including annealing furnaces.

Johan Menckel, Gränges CEO

Gränges of Stockholm, Sweden, will invest $110 million (U.S.) to increase the capacity of its aluminum rolling operation in Huntingdon, Tennessee, from 160K tons to  nearly 200K tons per year, creating 85 permanent full-time jobs and servicing its North American market with light gauge foil, automotive heat exchanger materials, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications. This is the company’s second major investment in Huntingdon since 2000.

“The expansion in Huntingdon marks the next step in our strategic growth plan for the North American market. Gränges has built a strong reputation in the aluminum rolling industry, and this expansion allows us to further support our customers’ growth”, says Gränges CEO Johan Menckel. Other expansion projects will include buildings, casters, cold rolling mills, and
slitters.

Patrick Lawlor, Gränges Americas President

“The investment represents a long-term commitment to our customers, employees, and shareholders as we grow in support of our strategic markets”, says Gränges Americas President, Patrick Lawlor.

The expansion was supported by Tennessee (TN) Governor Bill Haslam, the TN Department of Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Valley Authority, and local Huntingdon Officials.

“In TN, we take pride in the fact that our hardworking residents still make things,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. “The Gränges facility is a vital part of the Carroll County community and I’d like to thank Gränges for committing to create new jobs in Huntingdon and bringing us closer to making TN the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high-quality jobs.”

 

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Alpha Precision Group Emerges After Rebranding, Acquisitions

 

Source: Markets Insider

 

JoAnne Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer of APG

Alpha Precision Group (APG) recently announced acquisitions that will consolidate powder metal and metal injection molding operations under a single brand, providing integrated capabilities to the medical device, aerospace, and firearms markets.

Alpha Sintered Metals (ASM) of Ridgway, PA; Precision Compacted Components (PCC) of Wilcox, PA and St. Marys, PA; and Precision Made Products (PMP) of Brunswick, OH, now known as APG, will operate through two primary divisions:

1) APG Sintered Metals, which will consist of the powder metal operations of Alpha Sintered Metals and Precision Compacted Components, and

2) APG Metal Injection Molding, which will consist of the metal injection molding operations of Alpha Sintered Metals and Precision Made Products.

 

Read more: “Alpha Sintered Metals, Marks 50th Anniversary, Consolidates New Acquisitions With Re-Branding Effort, New Name: Alpha Precision Group“

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Kazakhstan Steel Producer Orders 290-Ton Ladle Furnace

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal recently ordered a 290-ton ladle furnace to control chemical composition and temperature of liquid steel and slag for its integrated steel plant in Temirtau, Kazakhstan.

The furnace will be supplied by SMS Group, and commissioning will include the engineering, mechanical and electrical equipment, and supervision of erection, and commissioning of the new ladle furnace, gas cleaning plant, additives handling system and water treatment plant. ArcelorMittal’s Kazakhstan facility has an annual capacity of 4 million tons of crude steel and produces hot and cold rolled steel, tin plates, galvanized steel and polymer-coated coils, welded pipes, coke, and chemical by-products. plant

Commissioning is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.

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