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Bonnell Aluminum to Invest $18 Million, Expand Automotive and Specialty Markets

Bonnell Aluminum, a subsidiary of Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG), announced it will be investing approximately $18 million over the next 12 months to fund an expansion project which will include the purchase of a new state-of-the-art aluminum extrusion line at its AACOA facility in Niles, Michigan. Planned startup is the second quarter 2017.

“With continued growing demand from our customers, it is exciting to invest in this additional capacity, knowing that we will satisfy these opportunities with the high quality products and services that AACOA is known for in the industry,” commented Brook Hamilton, President and General Manager for Bonnell Aluminum. “Our facility in Niles is ideally suited for this project, with a well-run operation and a great team in place.” “AACOA has a solid market reputation and is highly regarded as a leader in the markets it serves, primarily consumer durables and machinery and equipment. The facility also serves the automotive market due to its regional location,” added Ira Endres, Vice President Sales and Marketing. “It makes sense to increase the capacity in Niles based on demand from our customers.”

The new line will be comprised of a state-of-the-art 3600-ton extrusion press, housing a 9-inch container, handling systems and ancillary equipment. Capacity is estimated at approximately 16 million pounds. The project also includes additional floor space to accommodate future value-added fabrication capacity.

This announcement marks another important investment made by the Company in recent years and confirms once again Bonnell’s full commitment to its business. “The addition of this new line will provide new and broader product line capabilities for our customers,” added Hamilton.

Bonnell Aluminum is a subsidiary of Richmond Va., based Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG). The company produces soft and medium-strength alloy aluminum extrusions for building and construction, automotive, machinery and equipment, consumer durables, transportation, electrical and distribution markets. On October 1, 2012, Bonnell Aluminum acquired AACOA, a world-class manufacturer, fabricator and anodizer of aluminum extrusions with operations in Niles, MI, and Elkhart, IN.

Bonnell Aluminum to Invest $18 Million, Expand Automotive and Specialty Markets Read More »

TMK-ARTROM Orders Austenitizing Tube Heat-Treatment Line

March 1, 2016 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

SMS group received an order from Romania’s TMK-ARTROM for a heat-treatment line for tubes. The line will consist of an austenitizing furnace with walking-beam transport system, quenching head, quenching tank, walking-beam tempering furnace and cooling bed. It will allow various process steps, such as quenching, tempering and normalizing. The line, which will be able to treat tubes up to a wall thickness of 60 mm (2.4 inches), is scheduled to start up in the second quarter of 2017.

TMK-ARTROM’s plant in Slatina produces seamless tubes, OCTG pipes and high-strength tubes for mechanical applications. It has an annual capacity of 160,000 tons. This heat-treatment line, which also includes eco-friendly recuperative burners in the furnaces, will strengthen TMK-ARTROM’s presence in the market for tubes for oil and gas exploration

TMK-ARTROM Orders Austenitizing Tube Heat-Treatment Line Read More »

TimkenSteel Develops New Manufacturing Process for High-Pressure Tubing

February 25, 2016 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

CANTON, Ohio, TimkenSteel (NYSE: TMST, timkensteel.com), a leader in customized alloy steel products and services, today announced that it has developed a new process to manufacture high-pressure tubing (HPT) for use in the production of low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

TimkenSteel recently accepted its first order of HPT for a major petrochemical producer. Over the last decade, HPT for LDPE environments has had extended supply chains that created long lead times for North American customers.

“We have developed a more streamlined process using the assets and operations we have in place to create cost efficiencies. HPT that previously took more than a year to produce now takes a matter of months,” said Shawn Seanor, TimkenSteel’s executive vice president of sales and business development. “Another advantage our process offers is flexibility, allowing customers to buy smaller lot sizes.”

TimkenSteel’s process begins in Canton where its special bar quality (SBQ) steel is forged-rolled and heat treated. It is then sent to TimkenSteel Material Services in Houston where it is bored and honed.

TimkenSteel recently entered into a supply agreement with A&A Machine & Fabrication, LLC, of La Marque, Texas, to further process, market and sell HPT for LDPE customers. A&A completed reliability testing to ASME code on prototype tubing and processed that material to industry fabrication requirements in order to illustrate material performance. A&A and TimkenSteel then met with end-users to gain market acceptance of the material.

“HPT users will be able to plan projects with a more accurate forecast due to the shorter lead times and ease of inspection and oversight of the manufacturing process,” said C. Alan Hutchins, President and CEO of A&A.

SOURCE TimkenSteel

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Brazing and High Vacuum Heat Treat Furnace Delivered to Southwest USA

February 23, 2016 / AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, BRAZING NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

CHERRY VALLEY, IL – Ipsen recently shipped a horizontal-loading MetalMaster® vacuum furnace with 2-bar gas quenching to a company in the Southwest U.S. for use in manufacturing catalytic converter products, which are then used by such industries as Aerospace, Automotive and Power Generation. Ideal for brazing and other high vacuum applications, this vacuum furnace line performs well with thin section parts and lighter pieces.

This customized furnace features a 36″ x 36″ x 72″ (914 mm x 914 mm x 1,829 mm) graphite work zone with a carbon steel gas distribution plenum and graphite heating elements, as well as a 3,000-pound (1,361 kg) load capacity. It operates at temperatures of 1,000 °F to 2,400 °F (538 °C to 1,316 °C) with ±5 °F (±3 °C) temperature uniformity.

The furnace is also equipped with a 35-inch diffusion pump and Ipsen’s CompuVac® controls system. In addition, this MetalMaster furnace is capable of meeting applicable AMS 2750E requirements and providing tight temperature tolerances with DigiTrim® controls settings. It also features an open heating element detection system, as well as offers a specially engineered heat exchanger and turbine blower that are designed to optimize gas flow for more efficient cooling.

MetalMaster furnaces can also include several high-productivity options, including specialized instrumentation, increased pumping capability and material handling systems.

Brazing and High Vacuum Heat Treat Furnace Delivered to Southwest USA Read More »

Two -thirds new US generating capacity from renewables: Wind largest source

February 19, 2016 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

Washington, D.C. – Setting a new annual record, renewable sources (biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) accounted for almost two-thirds (63.85%) of the 16,485MW of new electrical generation placed in service in the U.S. during 2015.

According to the just-released latest monthly Energy Infrastructure Update report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission‘s (FERC) Office of Energy Projects, 69 new units of wind accounted for 7,977MW of new generating capacity – or nearly half (48.39%) of all new capacity for the year. That is a third more than the 5,942 MW of new capacity provided by 50 units of natural gas.

Among the other renewable sources, solar placed second with 2,042MW (238 units) followed by biomass with 305MW (26 units), hydropower with 153MW (21 units), and geothermal steam with 48MW (2 units).

FERC reported no new capacity at all for the year from nuclear power and just 15 MW from ten units of oil and only 3 MW from a single new unit of coal. Thus, new capacity from renewable energy sources during 2015 (10,525 MW) is more than 700 times greater than that from oil and over 3,500 times greater than that from coal.

Renewable energy sources now account for 17.83% of total installed operating generating capacity in the U.S.: water – 8.56%, wind – 6.31%, biomass – 1.43%, solar – 1.20%, and geothermal steam – 0.33%. The share of total installed capacity from non-hydro renewables (9.27%) now exceeds that from conventional hydropower (8.56%).

For perspective, when FERC issued its very first Energy Infrastructure Update in December 2010, renewable sources accounted for only 13.71% of total installed operating generation capacity. Over the past five years, solar’s share has increased 12-fold (1.20% vs. 0.10%) while that from wind has nearly doubled (6.31% vs. 3.40%). During the same period, coal’s share of the nation’s generating capacity plummeted from 30.37% to 26.16%.

Finally, for the first time, installed electrical capacity from non-hydro renewables (108.34 GW) has now eclipsed that of nuclear power (107.03GW).

“If it weren’t already obvious, the latest FERC data confirm that the era of coal, oil, and nuclear power is rapidly drawing to a close,” notes Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “The future – in fact, the present – has become renewable energy!”

Source: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Two -thirds new US generating capacity from renewables: Wind largest source Read More »

The USA plans more aerospace work in Asia: Heat treat impact expected

February 19, 2016 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Source: Aerospace Industries Association

The U.S. Aerospace and Defense industry shows a commitment to increasing international trade and partnerships with America’s friends and allies in the Asia-Pacific region by participating in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Singapore Airshow.

The USA plans more aerospace work in Asia: Heat treat impact expected Read More »

Flash Heat Treat Boost & Silicon Anodes Boost Lithium Batteries’ Energy

February 18, 2016 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

Source: IHS Engineering 360

Chemical engineers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have swapped out graphite for silicon anodes, resulting in smaller and longer-lasting lithium batteries for products ranging from smart devices to electric cars.

Current lithium-ion batteries, of the sort used in many electronic devices, typically use graphite anodes. Researchers led by Zhongwei Chen, a chemical engineering professor at Waterloo, found that silicon anode materials have a much higher capacity for lithium and are capable of producing batteries with more energy.

The silicon technology yields a 40%-60% increase in energy density, which the researchers say could improve the performance of devices that rely on lithium-ion batteries. An electric car powered by the new technology could be driven up to 500 kilometers between charges, the researchers claim, and the smaller, lighter batteries could also reduce the overall weight of vehicles.

“Graphite has long been used to build the negative electrodes in lithium-ion batteries,” says Chen. “But as batteries improve, graphite is slowly becoming a performance bottleneck because of the limited amount of energy that it can store.”

The most critical challenge the Waterloo researchers faced when they began producing batteries using silicon was the loss of energy that occurs when silicon contracts and then expands by as much as 300% with each charge cycle. The resulting increase and decrease in silicon volume form cracks that reduce battery performance, create short circuits and eventually cause the battery to stop operating.

To overcome this problem, Chen’s team, with help from the General Motors Global Research and Development Center, developed a flash heat treatment for fabricated silicon-based lithium-ion electrodes that minimizes volume expansion while boosting the performance and cycle capability of lithium-ion batteries.

“The economical flash heat treatment creates uniquely structured silicon anode materials that deliver extended cycle life to more than 2,000 cycles with increased energy capacity of the battery,” Chen says. He says he expects to commercialize this technology and have batteries on the market within the next year.

Flash Heat Treat Boost & Silicon Anodes Boost Lithium Batteries’ Energy Read More »

AMAG Orders Plants for Production of Aluminum Strip and Sheet

February 16, 2016 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Source: Heat Processing
AMAG rolling GmbH, Austria, has placed an order with SMS group for the supply of a cold rolling mill, a heat treatment line with a connected passivation section, a high-bay warehouse and a packaging line. Thus, numerous key assets of the AMAG 2020 investment project, dedicated to the set-up of production facilities for cold rolled premium aluminum strips and sheets, will all be supplied by SMS group. Commissioning of the new facilities is scheduled for 2017.

The six-high cold rolling mill with CVC plus technology (Continuously Variable Crown) supplied by SMS group will provide the high degree of flexibility required to handle the extensive range of products, including strip in widths of more than two meters. The rolling mill will come with actuators that ensure production to the required, extremely tight product tolerances, and it will be equipped with X-Pact control systems. An Airwash system will provide most efficient purification of the exhaust air from the rolling process. In a highly eco-friendly process, the recovered rolling oil will be fed back to the process cycle. The technological highlights of the heat treatment line and the connected passivation section are the water-cooled floater furnace, the resource-saving process technology and the compact layout. During the heat treatment in the puller furnace, the strip receives the mechanical properties specified by the customer. The final chemical coating process (passivation) gives the strip the perfect condition for the downstream processing steps. Passivated strips are requested primarily by customers from the automotive industry.

An integral element of the new rolling complex will be the central coil handling system which consists of a fully automatic high-bay warehouse with links to the rolling and processing lines. All material flows will be controlled by a warehouse management system which will be connected to the higher-level production control system. The warehouse technology will include an innovative cooling system which will be able to flexibly switch between air circulation and forced cooling in the various warehouse areas depending on the material grades of the coils and the type of downstream processing.SMS group’s scope of supply also includes a semi-automatic packaging line, which will weigh the finished coils and securely tie, pack and label them for their transport to customers all over the world. The warehouse and the packaging line will be provided by SMS Logistiksysteme.With this investment project, AMAG will increase its production capacity as a supplier of special sheet for automotive body applications (exposed and structural parts) and for use in modern passenger aircrafts. The newly added production capacity will also be used to make the other strip products of AMAG’s portfolio, e.g. packaging material. The new facilities will make the works in Ranshofen, Austria, a top location of the aluminum industry and one of the most efficient and modern production plants for lightweight engineering sheets in the world.

AMAG Orders Plants for Production of Aluminum Strip and Sheet Read More »

3 Charter Members Join IHEA’s New Induction Heat Treating Division

February 15, 2016 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, INDUCTION HEATING NEWS

Ajax TOCCO Magnathermic, Ambrell and SMS Elotherm have all joined the Industrial Heating Equipment Association’s (IHEA) newest membership division — the Induction Division which focuses on keeping the industry up-to-date on the latest heat treat innovations, best practices and safety standards associated with induction heating. Several national utilities are also involved: Duke Energy, Georgia Power, Alabama Power, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). At least one other induction company is scheduled to join later this year.

The new division members are in the process of developing content for a 2016 Induction Seminar which will take place later this fall.

3 Charter Members Join IHEA’s New Induction Heat Treating Division Read More »

Hardened Steels for More Efficient Engines

February 12, 2016 / FEATURED NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS

Source: Phys.org

Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are working on the development of a new process for hardening steel: With the help of methylamine, they enrich low-alloy steels with carbon and nitrogen. Low-pressure carbonitration with methylamine saves time and process gas. The steels hardened in this way are suited for use in components subjected to high mechanical and thermal loads in energy-efficient and low-emission engines of the future. The researchers present their process in the HTM – Journal of Heat Treatment and Materials.

Hardened Steels for More Efficient Engines Read More »

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