HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Online Tickets Now Available for ITPS 2017

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

The online ticket shop for ITPS 2017, 2nd International Thermprocess Summit, held at the InterContinental Hotel in Düsseldorf, Germany on June 27 and 28, 2017 is now open at www.itps-online.com.  The tickets for the two-day conference cost Euro 950 (approximately $1,010) plus VAT. Reduced rate tickets (Euro 800/$850 plus VAT) are available for members of VDMA Metallurgy and CECOF (European Committee of Industrial Furnace and Heating Equipment Association).

The ITPS 2017 conference program has also been finalized. High-profile international speakers will include Prof. Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker (Club of Rome / keynote address), Dr. Paul Rübig (EU Parliament) and Dr. Richard Mark Soley (Industrial Internet Consortium).  The conference will address not only scientific and practical aspects of thermo process technology but also the general global, economic and industry policy conditions. The impact of digitization on industry will be presented, in addition to the latest news from selected industrial customer groups (e.g. car manufacturing and the metal processing industry) and new business models. The complete ITPS 2017 program is available at www.itps-online.com.

Successful Duo: Conference and Exhibition

The second part of the Thermprocess Summit will be the exhibition in the foyer of the InterContinental Hotel, complementing the conference. The sponsor this year is LOI Thermprocess GmbH, presenting its capabilities alongside other well-known companies such as Himmelwerk GmbH, Elster GmbH (Honeywell Thermal Solutions), IBS and ITG Induktionsanlagen GmbH. Companies can book stands and sponsor packages. Contact Jennifer Dübelt (e-mail: DuebeltJe@messe-duesseldorf.de; (Tel.: +49 211-4560520) for application forms or visit  www.itps-online.com/exhibition-and-sponsorship.

ITPS & The Bright World of Metals

Four years ago, Messe Düsseldorf, VDMA Metallurgy/Frankfurt, the European thermo process association CECOF and the trade magazine “heat processing” published by Vulkan Verlag launched the ITPS conference and exhibition with great success. Every two years, Düsseldorf becomes the hotspot for the global thermo process industry and the industries that use its products – with ITPS and THERMPROCESS taking place alternately. The international portfolio includes events in Asia and the U.S. The four international technology trade fairs GIFA (International Foundry Trade Fair), METEC (International Metallurgical Trade Fair), THERMPROCESS (International Trade Fair for Thermo Process Technology) and NEWCAST (International Trade Fair for Castings) will take place from June 25 – 29, 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany. A high-quality program consisting of seminars, international congresses and lecture series will   support the exhibits. Further information is available at www.gifa.com, www.metec-tradefair.com, www.thermprocess-online.com,  www.newcast.com and www.tbwom.com.

For further information about ITPS 2017, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit our web sites www.itps-online.com , www.tbwom.com and

http://www.mdna.com

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AR-15 Rifle Parts to be Heat Treated

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

A natural gas fired four zone solution treatment furnace was shipped to a manufacturer of aluminum components. The solution treatment furnace will be used to heat forged aluminum parts for AR15 rifles prior to quenching in water and was manufactured by Wisconsin Oven Corporation.

The maximum operating temperature is 1,100°F and the work chamber dimensions are 4’2” W x 60’0” L X 1’0” H. Each of the four (4) work zones will have dimensions of 4’2” W X 15’0” L X 1’0” H. The design capacity of the furnace is 1,500 pounds per hour of aluminum. The equipment achieved temperature uniformity of +/-10°F at 750° F and 1,100° F.

The conveyor furnace shell features “CAN” type, double-wall construction and includes 2” of 14# density high temperature industrial mineral wool insulation, backed with 6” of 6# density, industrial board type insulation, for a total of 8”. The shell, including the roof, consists of Wisconsin Oven’s patented high efficiency Expandable Surface Design®. The solution treatment furnace utilized a flat wire belt to transfer parts through the work zones.

“Temperature control and uniformity was a critical feature in the design of this system. The equipment achieves the tightest temperature tolerances available in the industry for a furnace of its type.”– Mike Grande, Sales Manager

Unique features of this industrial furnace include:

  • Temperature uniformity of ±10°F from the set point at 750°F and 1,100°F
  • Guaranteed soak of +/-10° F for 20 minutes
  • Heavy duty flat wire belt system to transfer parts into the quench tank
  • One (1) 6,750 CFM exhaust blower V-belt driven by a 5 HP motor
  • Four (4) 56,000 CFM recirculating blowers, each with 50 HP TEFCBB motor
  • Each zone is equipped with burners rated at 3.0 MMBTUH, for a total of 12.0 MMBTUH
AR-15
AR-15 (photo: The Washington Post)

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Furnace Builders Compare Operational Benchmarks

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Heat treat industry veterans Wally Bamford, Chairman of HARPER INTERNATIONAL and founding partner of CAN-ENG,  along with William R. Jones, CEO of the Solar Atmospheres group of companies, discussed a cooperative exchange of business benchmarks between Can-Eng, Harper International, and Solar Manufacturing, Inc. The purpose of this innovative business data exchange was to review operating parameters such as cost of materials, engineering and manufacturing labor rates, sales, marketing, R&D, and other cost centers.  Since each of the companies is in the furnace manufacturing business, yet not competitors, it was agreed that an exchange of information would be helpful in improving each companies’ operations and identifying efficiencies.  The most recent management team meeting took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, where the photo associated with this release was taken.

Photo Courtesy of Solar Manufacturing, Inc.
Harper, Can-Eng, Solar Management Teams
L to R: Michael Klauck, President, Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd.; James Nagy, President, Solar Manufacturing, Inc.; Scott Jacoby, Controller, Solar Manufacturing; Diane Weller, Controller, Can-Eng; Mark Young, Vice President, Purchasing and Procurement, Can-Eng; Wally Bamford, Chairman, Harper International; and William R. Jones, CEO, Solar Atmospheres Group of Companies.

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Steel Producer NUCOR to Purchase Turn Key Production Lines

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Steel producer Nucor has purchased new turn-key production lines for its new specialty cold rolling mill complex at the company’s sheet steel mill in Hickman, Arkansas, USA. The contract was awarded to International technology Group ANDRITZ. Start-up of the plant is scheduled for the second half of 2018. The 650,000 short ton p. a. expansion project will increase Nucor Steel Hickman’s production of specialty grades, including third-generation, advanced high-strength steels, high-strength low-alloy steels, and high-efficiency electrical steels.

The ANDRITZ METALS scope of supply includes a high-performance push pickling line with line speeds of up to 200 m/min for pickling hot-rolled carbon steel. Besides complete ANDRITZ in-house electrics and automation, an advanced ANDRITZ multi-roll leveler for highly effective shape correction and a powerful ANDRITZ 4-high skin pass mill are included. Thanks to the multi-roll-leveler and the skin pass mill, the push pickling line will achieve superior material flatness in addition to the well-known, excellent ANDRITZ strip surface.

The order also comprises a reduction cold rolling mill equipped with the ANDRITZ S6-high technology as well as a temper rolling mill in 4-high design, including reduction mode (prepared for future S6-high mode as well). With rolling speeds of up to 800 m/min, the mills process advanced high-strength steel of the third generation and even beyond for material grades of up to 2,000 MPa. All rolling units (skin pass, reduction, and temper mill), which are operated with state-of-the-art ANDRITZ in-house electrics and automation, are equipped with correspondingly fast and automated roll change equipment, integrated bridle rolls, advanced strip drying, and gauge controls to ensure tightest tolerances.

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Aerospace Supplier Orders Titanium Rotary Hearth Forging Furnace

/ FEATURED NEWS, FORGING NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, TITANIUM PROCESSING NEWS

A leading North American aerospace supplier ordered a 36 ft. diameter pancake style rotary hearth furnace for the production of large fixed wing aircraft titanium and nickel based alloy closed-die structural forgings. The open hearth configuration furnace system which allows for more flexible loading and uniform heating, was supplied by Can-Eng International Ltd. and features an advanced low NOx combustion system designed to meet the most stringent environmental and temperature uniformity requirements. Special dual-door design provides the customer with significant flexibility for forging to press manipulation within in their existing plant layout. The system is capable of processing up to 250,000 pound load capacity in a 24/7 production environment.  The furnace system complies with thermal performance requirements laid out in AMS2750E, integrates a low shrinkage ceramic fiber lining, unique rotating hearth drive and sealing system. The system is scheduled to be commissioned to the United States in the third quarter of 2017.

Aerospace Supplier Orders Titanium Rotary Hearth Forging Furnace Read More »

Medical Manufacturer Chooses Vacuum Heat Treating System

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

Ipsen recently shipped a TITAN® H2 vacuum heat-treating system with 2-bar gas quenching to Costa Rica. There it will be used to manufacture surgical components. With its compact dimensions and superior quality, the TITAN helps companies accelerate the pace of innovation while satisfying the strict legal requirements of the Medical industry. This shipment included more than just a furnace, though. The company also utilized Ipsen’s full-scale support offerings with Ipsen U training, a spare parts kit and installation/start-up support to advance their equipment and maximize uptime.

This standardized vacuum furnace features an 18” x 24” x 18” (455 mm x 610 mm x 455 mm) all-metal hot zone with a 1,000-pound (450 kg) load capacity. It is capable of operating at temperatures of 1,000 °F to 2,400 °F (538 °C to 1,316 °C) with ±10 °F (±6 °C) temperature uniformity. Equipped with the PdMetrics® platform for predictive maintenance – which securely connects to a network of integrated sensors on the furnace to gather and analyze data, run algorithms and provide real-time diagnostics – the TITAN furnace provides sophisticated monitoring of critical systems and key parameters that improve the health and integrity of the equipment. They also received a gas backfill reservoir, a loader with a 2,000-pound (907 kg) load capacity and a complete air-cooled, closed-loop water system.

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Tata Steel’s First Greenfield Ferro-Chrome Plant Starts Production

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

The recently commissioned ferro-chrome plant of Tata Steel at Gopalpur Industrial Park in Ganjam district of Odisha, has achieved a major milestone with the first ever production of ferro-chrome  on February 25, 2017, with compliance to all technical parameters.

Chromite briquettes used for making ferro-chrome have been produced by the Briquetting Plant at the ferro-chrome plant complex. The Briquetting Plant had earlier commenced production on January 23, 2017. For the plant, the steel major is sourcing chrome ore from its chromite mine at Sukinda in Jajpur district of Odisha.

Speaking on the occasion Mr D B Sundara Ramam, Executive-in-Charge, Ferro Alloys & Minerals Division of Tata Steel said, “This marks the completion of the commissioning of the ferro-chrome plant. It also goes a long way in consolidating our footprint in Odisha and the long standing partnership with the state towards industrial progress of the region.”

As part of the anchor investment in Tata Steel’s Gopalpur Industrial Park, the Rs 542 crore Ferro-chrome plant has an installed capacity of 55,000 tonne per annum (TPA). The plant was inaugurated on November 30, 2016 by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik. It is a unique environment-friendly plant with state-of-the-art pollution control equipment and technology such as the ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) and STP (Sewage Treatment Plant). It has 100% water harvesting facility that caters to most of the water needs of the plant. It has an indigenously built semi-closed hybrid furnace, which is first of its kind in India and components procured from all over the world to maintain high standards of quality and safety. Also, it is the first plant in India to use briquetting method of Chrome ore fines agglomeration.

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STM Kunshan Cheng Tongming Metal Orders Bell Furnace

/ ANNEALING NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

At the beginning of 2017, LOI Thermprocess GmbH and its Chinese subsidiary company LOI Thermprocess (Tianjin) Co. Ltd. received a contract for a wire annealing plant from STM Kunshan Cheng Tongming Metal Co. Ltd. a Chinese wire manufacturer in the province Jiangsu. The order includes the delivery of a bell-type furnace plant with two annealing bases, two heating hoods and one Jet-cooling hood. The HPH® (High Performance Hydrogen) bell-type furnaces also works with hydrogen as annealing atmosphere and has per base an usable diameter of 4,200 mm and a charging height of 3,500 mm. Thus, an average batch weight of 28 tons steel wire per annealing base can be achieved. Not only hot rolled wire coils but also drawn wire coils shall be annealed. The start of production for the new annealing plant is forecasted for end of the third quarter of 2017.

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Hydro Aluminium to Expand Heat Treatment Capacity

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Hydro Aluminium in Commerce (TX), USA has placed an order with Hertwich Engineering, a company of the SMS group, for the supply of a modern batch homogenizing furnace and a further saw for extrusion billets.
In 2010, Hertwich Engineering has completely modernised its batch furnace concept for the homogenisation of extrusion billets. The performance of Hertwich’s newly developed batch furnace with its new heating system and automated log handling is comparable to that of a continuous furnace.
This means clients can now choose between the two concepts or combine the two, as in the case of the US company Hydro Aluminium Commerce, TX. This flexibility has led to a significant increase in client interest.
Hydro Aluminium Commerce, TX processes some 100,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap into extrusion billets at its Commerce facility. The company already operates a Hertwich continuous homogenising furnace and has now placed an order for a state-of-the-art batch homogenising furnace together with an additional saw. The new furnace has a capacity of 55 tonnes and is designed for billets up to a maximum length of 7.7 metres and diameters in the range 178 – 406 mm.
The decisive advantage of the new batch-furnace design concept is the heating. With conventional batch furnaces, the air releases thermal energy when passing through the material being heated. This leads to non-uniform temperature distribution. Longer heating times are necessary to compensate for the temperature differences.
The concept of the new HE furnace generation combats this disadvantage by changing the direction of air flow in the furnace (using so-called reversed air). Thus the billets in the furnace are heated more uniformly. Experience has shown that heating time can be reduced significantly in this way.
The flow direction is reversed with the help of flaps. The fan operates at full power during flow reversal. The energy supplied via the fan suffices to balance out the heat loss during the soaking time. No external heating (whether supplied via burners or electrically) is necessary during this period. During operation, the temperature is kept constant using frequency-controlled fans. Baffles enable the hot gases to be distributed uniformly throughout the whole furnace chamber. The chamber is designed in such a way that uniform air flow is not impeded or prevented anywhere in the chamber.
Cooling is carried out in a similar manner to heating. The fact that the cooling air flow is reversible as well ensures that the temperature is uniform during this phase, with correspondingly better metallurgical results.
The two homogenising furnaces will be arranged in such a way that they can operate in combination, enabling homogenisation to be carried out flexibly. A second sawing plant will be installed to eliminate waiting times. A transfer car coupled with an automated stacker and spacer handling will be used to transport the billets.

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European Automotive Market Orders a Continuous T-7 Heat Treatment System

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CAN-ENG Furnaces International Limited has been contracted by a European leader in the design and development of Light Weighting Thin Walled Automotive Structural Castings to design, manufacture and commission an automated T7 Heat Treatment System for the processing of high integrity aluminum automotive structural castings. CAN-ENG’s Design was chosen for this new facility as it offers inherent part handling features which reduce floor space requirements and energy consumption while providing predictable mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the casting.

CAN-ENG is a global expert in thermal processing solutions for high pressure die castings (HPDC) and aluminum automotive structural components. The high volume continuous line includes integrated handling systems connected to up/down stream processes. The T-7 system integrates robotic handling, Solution Furnace with CAN-ENG’s Precision Air Quench (PAQ TM) technology, artificial aging system and controls integrating Level II SCADA system. CAN-ENG’s PAQTM system integrates a unique combination of features that have been developed through continuous system improvements and modeling carried out in the over twenty similar systems commissioned in recent years. CAN-ENG’s PAQTM system uniformly delivers controlled quenching processes that provide repeatable and uniform mechanical properties and accurate dimensional results. The system is scheduled to be delivered and commissioned to the EU in third quarter of 2017.

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