FEATURED NEWS

Alcoa to Supply 3D-Printed Metal Parts for Airbus

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, HIPING NEWS

Lightweight metals leader Alcoa (NYSE:AA) has entered into an agreement with Airbus to supply 3D-printed titanium fuselage and engine pylon components for Airbus commercial aircraft. Alcoa expects to deliver the first additive manufactured parts to Airbus in mid-2016.

“We are proud to partner with Airbus to help pave the way to the future of aerospace development and manufacturing,” said Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld. “The unique combination of our multi-material alloy development expertise, powder production capabilities, aerospace manufacturing strength and product qualification know-how position us to lead in this exciting, emerging space.”

Airbus chose to work with Alcoa because of its comprehensive capabilities, from materials science leadership to additive manufacturing and aerospace parts qualification. The agreement will draw on Alcoa’s decades of aerospace experience and new technologies gained through the recent acquisition of RTI and organic expansion in Whitehall, Michigan. Alcoa also recently invested in 3D-printing and metallic powder production capabilities at its technical center outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Last year, Alcoa acquired RTI International Metals (RTI)—now known as Alcoa Titanium & Engineered Products (ATEP)—which grew Alcoa’s additive manufacturing capabilities to include 3D-printed titanium and specialty metals parts produced at ATEP’s Austin, Texas facility. The Airbus agreement will draw on these capabilities as well as ATEP’s titanium ingot melting and billetizing, machining, finishing and inspection technologies.

Alcoa will employ advanced CT scan and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) capabilities at its advanced aerospace facility in Whitehall, Michigan. HIP is a technology that strengthens the metallic structures of traditional and additive manufactured parts made of titanium and nickel based superalloys. Through a $22 million investment in the technology in Whitehall, Michigan, Alcoa today owns and operates one of the largest aerospace HIP technology complexes in the world.

Additionally, Alcoa is bolstering its additive manufacturing capabilities through a $60 million expansion in advanced 3D-printing materials and processes, including metallic powders. The expansion is located at the Alcoa Technical Center near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the world’s largest light metals research center.

 

 

 

Post updated Thursday 4/29/2021 at 3:37pm.

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Temperature Uniformity Surveying for Vacuum Furnaces

/ FEATURED NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

BOTW-50w Source:  Solar Atmosphere’s Vacuum Reference Series Number 2

A Temperature Uniformity Survey ( TUS ) for a vacuum furnace to satisfy AMS 2750D must be performed using established procedures and methods that fully meet the requirements of the specification and allows for consistent and more accurate results of actual furnace capabilities.

Read More: Optimizing Procedures for Temperature Uniformity Surveying of Vacuum Furnaces

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Solar Manufacturing’s Vacuum Furnace Reference Series

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES

 

 

BOTW-50w Source:  Solar Manufacturing’s Vacuum Furnace Reference Series

This series includes eight releases with the following titles.

Release 1:  Critical Melting Points and Reference Data for Vacuum Heat Treating

Release 2:  Optimizing Procedures for Temperature Uniformity Surveying of Vacuum Furnaces

Release 3:  Operating a Vacuum Furnace Under Humid Conditions

Release 4:  Understanding PID Temperature Control as Applied to Vacuum Furnace     Performance

Release 5:  Understanding Power Losses in Vacuum Furnaces

Release 6:  Important Considerations when Purchasing a Vacuum Furnace

Release 7:  Important Considerations when Selecting a Vacuum Furnace Water Cooling System

Release 9:  Understanding Vacuum and Vacuum Measurement

Read More:  Solar Manufacturing’s Resources for Vacuum Heat Treating Releases 1 – 9

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Element Launches World-Leading Material Testing, PQT Facility

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, INDUSTRIES, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT

Following significant capex investment, Element Materials Technology has launched its newly expanded and upgraded Cincinnati, Ohio, facility, as one of the largest independent materials testing and product qualification testing (PQT) service facilities in the U.S. The former-Accutek location has expanded to 62,000ft2 and now provides specialist testing to both the aerospace and medical device sectors and houses three of Element’s Global Centers of Technical Excellence delivering critical testing services to these sectors.

Charles Noall, president and CEO of Element, comments: “Our investment at Element Cincinnati marks a significant step towards securing our position as the strategic partner of choice for our clients in the aerospace and medical device industries. We are committed to developing Centers of Technical Excellence across our global platform, allowing us to deliver market-leading technical expertise where needed by our partners, from aerospace primes to leading medical device manufacturers.”

Element Cincinnati is a world-leading ceramic matrix composite (CMC) Center of Technical Excellence, that is equipped with market-leading environmental controls, high temperature facilities (up to 2,400°F) and doubled capacity in CMC testing, to support its major clients in the development of the next generation of aero engines. The laboratory also houses the Element Group’s Center of Technical Excellence in low-cycle fatigue (LCF) testing, which tests aerospace forgings for airframers and their supply chain partners. Finally, the laboratory also contains the group’s medical device testing center of Technical Excellence that offers a comprehensive range of 21 test methods including accelerated aging testing capabilities and mechanical testing for physiological studies for new spine, knee and hip wear simulator evaluations.

Rick Sluiters, Element’s executive vice president, aerospace, comments: “Our investment at Element Cincinnati allows us to act as a strategic partner to primes and OEMs working at the forefront of CMCs for the aerospace sector. The CMC Center of Technical Excellence provides testing services to respond to the industry’s most demanding challenges through the laboratory’s market-leading environmental controls. The increase in quality of environmental controls also gives us a very tight tolerance, allowing for highly accurate measurement of straining of CMCs.

“The investment also enhances the location’s medical device capabilities, with the mechanical, biological and related testing services allowing us to act as a full-service testing provider for clients. Element Cincinnati is a leading center for Medical Device testing and its newly expanded scope of accreditation underlines our commitment to acting in strategic partnership with key clients.”

Element Cincinnati is Nadcap and ISO accredited, as well as having an impressive range of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) approvals, including GE Aviation, Snecma, MTU, Honeywell, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Rolls-Royce (Germany, U.K., and U.S.), Pratt & Whitney, and Bell Helicopter.

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In-House Heat Treatment Process Works Too Well

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS

BOTW-75w Source:  Today’s Motor Vehicles

“We developed our own hot-stamping process to be cost competitive,” says Elie Mordovanaki, general manager of operations and engineering for Merit Technologies Worldwide, GNS America’s hot-stamping division. “However, mechanical trimming is not optimal after the heat treating process takes place.”

Read More:  Laser Cutting Supports Hot Stamping

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Heat Treating Oven Part of Norsk Titanium’s Ultra Lean Manufacturing Line

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, TITANIUM PROCESSING NEWS

Norsk Titanium AS, the world’s leading provider of aerospace-grade, titanium additive manufacturing technology, today announced the groundbreaking of a new European assembly and test center outside Oslo, Norway.

Norsk Titanium Chief Commercial Officer Chet Fuller, Chief Executive Officer Warren M. Boley Jr., and Senior Vice President of Operations Chris Bohlmann were on hand to kick off construction of the new facility, which is scheduled to be completed October 2016.

“Customer demand for our additive manufacturing technology is growing to the point where we need significantly more space to assemble and test our MERKE IV™ RPD™ machines prior to worldwide shipment,” said Senior Vice President of Operations Chris Bohlmann. “This new factory will enable us to better serve our manufacturing partners and aerospace customers while expanding our footprint in this innovative region of Norway.”

Norsk Titanium also plans to install the world’s first end-to-end aerospace Ultra Lean Manufacturing line in the facility. A MERKE IV™ Rapid Plasma Deposition™ machine paired with a heat treating oven and a multi-axis CNC machining center will demonstrate the conversion of titanium wire into finished aerospace parts in a production line length of approximately 30 meters.

“The new Ultra Lean Manufacturing line allows our customers to do hands-on development of new part programs on the same campus as our worldwide technology center,” said CEO Warren M. Boley Jr. “Titanium wire comes in one end, the CAD drawing is input, and finished aerospace parts that are fully tested, heat treated and ready for installation are produced in a matter of days. RPD™ truly is a game-changer in terms of cost reduction, speed to market and production line efficiency.”

About Norsk Titanium AS

Norsk Titanium AS is the world’s pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process that transforms titanium wire into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. The Norsk Titanium research and development team is committed to displacing the inefficient forging process with a precision wire deposition technology embodying substantial savings for aerospace, defense and commercial applications. www.norsktitanium.com

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Anhui Yingliu Group Inaugurates Quintus® Hot Isostatic Press

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, HIPING NEWS

Västerås, Sweden, December 17, 2015 – Jan Söderström, CEO of Quintus Technologies (formerly Avure Technologies), joined Frank Du, President of China’s Yingliu Group, to celebrate the inauguration of a Quintus® hot isostatic press (HIP) at the Anhui Yingliu Group Huoshan Casting Co. Ltd. foundry in Anhui province, China, in early December.

The new press, model QIH 1.6 x 2.5 – 2000 – 1400M URC, brings several advanced capabilities that enable the Huoshan facility to manufacture products meeting mission-critical performance standards in the aerospace and nuclear power environments.

Operating at a pressure of 200 MPA (29,000 psi) and temperatures up to 1400°C (2552°F), the Quintus HIP produces complex components with improved fatigue strength and extended service life, ever-more-important characteristics that are difficult to achieve in traditional manufacturing technology.

A work zone of 1600 mm (63 inches) in diameter and 2500 mm (98 inches) in height accommodates the size requirements for production of large aircraft engine casings and core components for nuclear power, marine engineering, metallurgy, and other applications. Quintus’ proprietary Uniform Rapid Cooling (URC) technology enables increased productivity with optimal temperature control.

“Quintus HIP systems produce parts with excellent isotropic material properties and offer the highest possible density of all available compaction methods,” noted Mr. Söderström as he handed the keys to the press to Mr. Du during the inauguration ceremony. The event was attended by more than 500 guests, including representatives from a dozen prominent Chinese companies in the aviation and nuclear power industries.

Reminding the audience of the Made in China 2025 campaign to improve quality and production efficiency, Mr. Du referenced the Yingliu Group’s own strategic commitment to industrial upgrading. The company ordered the QIH 1.6 x 2.5 in December 2013. It was delivered after a 15-month manufacturing process at the Quintus plant in Västerås, Sweden. Installation, testing, and commissioning took place over a period of 20 weeks. Now fully operational, the press fulfills the Yingliu Group’s vision of establishing a world-class hot isostatic pressing center at the Huoshan Casting facility.

Quintus Technologies specializes in the design, manufacture, installation, and support of high pressure systems for sheet metal forming and densification of advanced materials and critical industrial components. Headquartered in Västerås, Sweden, and represented in 35 countries worldwide, the company is the world leader in high pressure technology and has delivered more than 1,800 systems to customers across the globe within industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, and medical implants.

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Industrial Batch Ovens to Automotive Supplier

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREATING EQUIPMENT, OVENS-HIGH-TEMPERATURE

Wisconsin Oven Corporation announced the shipment of two (2) direct gas fired batch ovens to a leading automotive supplier for tempering tire molds. The tempering process of the molds results in a longer mold life. This industrial oven was designed with the load capacity of 6,000 pounds and provides easy access of loading and unloading of tire molds by fork truck.

Each tempering batch oven has a maximum operating temperature rating of 800°F, work chamber dimensions of 5’0”W x 5’0”L x 8’0”H, and a 6” reinforced insulated floor. The recirculation system utilizes combination airflow which provides both horizontal and vertical upward airflow to maximize heating rates and temperature uniformity of the product. The batch oven is equipped with a 10,850 CFM @ 15 HP belt-driven blower. Supply air is delivered through fully adjustable boxed ducts and side-mounted along the length on each side of the work chambers. The heating system features an industrial air heat burner rated at 850,000 BTU per hour.

“Designing a solution for our customers that improves their production process is always a top priority. Improved work flow and ease of loading/unloading was a focus for this project to increase production efficiencies.” Tom Trueman, Senior Application Engineer, Wisconsin Oven Corporation

Unique features of these tempering batch ovens include:

  • Load capacity to 6,000 pounds
  • 575-volt electrical capacity
  • Operating temperatures to 800° F
  • 3/16” plate construction for durability
  • High volume of air flow; 10,850 CFM
  • Motorized dampers for quick cool down
  • Natural gas fired
  • Programmable controller
  • Meets all Canadian requirements – CUL, CSA TSSA
  • Field inspection provided by a trained factory technician
  • Temperature triggered door locks with safety pull cord

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