ATI Inc. and The Boeing Company have expanded their agreement for high-performance titanium materials for aerospace. ATI will supply high-performance titanium materials, including long products — such as ingots, billets, rectangles, and bars — and flat-rolled products, including plate, sheet, and coil.
Kimberly Fields President & CEO ATI Inc.
ATI‘s extension and expansion of its long-term titanium products agreement will support Boeing‘s narrowbody and widebody airplane operations.
“We’re proud to expand our decades-long partnership with Boeing,” said Kimberly Fields, president and CEO of ATI. “This agreement reaffirms ATI’s leadership in titanium at a time of accelerating aerospace production and growing demand for differentiated materials. It also deepens our position in high-strength titanium alloys and sheet products…It includes titanium alloy sheet from our new Pageland, South Carolina, facility and draws on the strengths of both our Specialty Materials and Specialty Rolled Products businesses.”
Specialty Rolled Products Source: ATI Inc
ATI is a producer of high-performance materials and solutions for the aerospace and defense markets, and critical applications in electronics, medical and specialty energy, and a Nadcap certified heat treater. They provide alloys in a full range of mill products, forgings, titanium castings, and machined components, designed for the high performance requirements such as for aerospace and defense, oil and gas/chemical process industry, electrical energy, and medical.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Consolidated Precision Products (CPP) commissioned a vacuum furnace for in-house heat treatment of jet engine blades from single crystals. CPP is an aviation parts manufacturer headquartered in Cleveland, OH, that specializes in highly precise, geometrically complex aviation industry systems and components in the United States, Mexico, and Europe.
Dariusz Szawara Foundry Director of DS/SX Consolidated Precision Products
Source: Linkedin
“This particular vacuum furnace will be used for the production of a new line of jet engine blades from single crystals. The turbine elements used in the aviation industry operate under high mechanical loads at temperatures close to their melting point and in an aggressive corrosive environment. Therefore, we cannot afford structural defects that would affect the quality or durability of our products. The SECO/WARWICK vacuum furnace will provide us with very high-quality processed elements, but it will also increase efficiency,” explained Dariusz Szawara, foundry director of DS/SX at Consolidated Precision Products.
Paweł Okińczyc Sales Engineer Vacuum Plant SECO/WARWICK
The furnace has a working space of 900x900x1200 mm, screen insulation, and metal heating elements.
“The round heating chamber allows for the placement of oversized elements. The furnace has been expanded and modified with dedicated options to meet very high requirements: high vacuum, temperature distribution, operation at high temperatures around 1300 degrees, and cleanliness of processes. The device will be used for annealing blades cast from single crystals. Its advantage is the molybdenum heating chamber, which prevents direct heat loss to the wall of the vacuum chamber and ensures very high process cleanliness. The efficiency of the processes carried out is also influenced by the ability to cool in 1.5 bars of Argon,” said Paweł Okińczyc, sales engineer at the Vacuum Plant of SECO/WARWICK.
Press release is available in its original form here.
A company in advanced metal casting technologies has shipped its first commercial additive manufacturing evaporative casting (AMEC) machine to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). The system will be installed at UTK’s manufacturing research facility, where it will support continuing education, casting research, and workforce development in next-generation manufacturing.
Lightning Metal LM-16 is Skuld LLC‘s flagship machine for additive manufacturing evaporative casting (AMEC). The machine is a tool-less, net-shape casting process capable of producing aerospace grade aluminum and other high-performance alloys with minimal post-processing. The system enables rapid prototyping, reduced lead times, and flexible alloy compatibility, making it ideal for both industrial and academic environments.
The Lightning Metal LM-16 AMEC machine by Skuld Source: Skuld LLCSarah Jordan Founder & CEO Skuld, LLC Source: Author
“This milestone represents…a signal that advanced casting is entering a new era,” said Sarah Jordan, co-founder and chief executive officer at Skuld. “The University of Tennessee is a national leader in manufacturing innovation, and we’re proud to support their mission with a system that bridges research and real-world application.”
Adam Penna Director, Sales and Marketing Skuld Source: Linkedin
UTK will use Lightning Metal LM-16 platform to expand its materials science curriculum, conduct applied research in casting and alloy development, and provide hands-on training for students and professionals entering the manufacturing workforce.
“This is exactly the kind of partnership we envisioned when we launched the Lightning Metal platform,” said Adam J. Penna, director of sales and marketing at Skuld. “It’s a platform that empowers innovation in evaporative casting utilizing 3D printing for improved features like edges and surfaces while also reducing the need for tooling cost…whether you’re solving supply chain challenges or training the next generation of engineers.”
The Technology
Skuld’s AMEC technology merges lost foam with polymer 3D-printing. Heating up to around 2000°F, the machine operates as an automated micro-foundry. The Lightning Metal LM-16 removes the safety issues of handling molten metal and is perfect for small, custom, one-off aluminum parts fasteners. It makes products in a 7″ cube, melting approximately 16lbs of aluminum, and can also process brass or bronze.
The machine is sized to be able to move through standard doorways and utilizes single-phase power, like a dryer plug.
The casting works by utilizing a hollow polymer shape in place of lost foam, where the molten metal vaporizes the polymer. This is a subset of the casting field called lost foam, which is a variation on lost wax investment casting, and eliminates around 90% of process steps, making for fewer costs and a faster process. The mold is insulated with a thin ceramic shell, ceramic beads, a metal container called a flask, and unbonded beads.
Gear produced by Lightning Metal LM-16 Source: Skuld LLCProduct of Lightning Metal LM-16 Source: Skuld LLCProduct of Lightning Metal LM-16 Source: Skuld LLC Source: Skuld LLC
Heat Treat Today asked what difficulties Skuld faced in developing this technology. The development process faced several unique hurdles, such as heat retention due its small size (compared with a large furnace), as well as crafting the machine’s automation while not allowing it to be hackable.
Applications
SBIR awarded to Skuld LLC Source: Skuld LLC
The Lightning Metal LM-16 is for those without an in-house foundry. It works well for replacement parts for in-house heat treatment, for example: hooks, baskets, or rollers. The machine can also produce spare parts or be utilized for prototyping pieces that can be used by higher volume machines. The Lightning Metal LM-16 operates well at around one hundred pieces per year.
The AMEC technology eliminates machining (which reducing costs for clean machining), and drives down the cost substantially associated with cooling for lost foam. The process also avoids HIPing, reducing the need for powder bed fusion parts.
The system enables reverse-engineering for discontinued items, and could be particularly applicable for heavy equipment, agriculture, compressors, and railroads.
The Lightning Metal LM-16 deployment marks a major step in Skuld’s commercialization strategy, following over $9 million in Department of Defense contracts and successful pilot programs with the U.S. Air ForceandDefense Logistics Agency. The company was recently awarded an SBIR for additive manufacturing.
For more information on this technological innovation, please contact Adam Penna at apenna@skuldllc.com.
A prominent aerospace company known for producing advanced, high-precision components for the global aviation and aerospace engine industry has been shipped a vacuum carburizing furnace. Headquartered in North America, the company’s aerospace division has been a trusted resource for the aeroengine sector for decades.
Vacuum carburizing furnace for aerospace Source: Solar Manufacturing
To support the development of a specialized carburizing process, Solar Manufacturing partnered closely with the R&D team at its sister company, Solar Atmospheres, a heat treating affiliate. Collaborative testing was conducted at Solar Atmospheres’ Technology Center in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where engineers from both organizations worked together to fine-tune the process to meet the specific metallurgical specifications.
“This collaboration was invaluable in achieving the desired metallurgical results,” said Rick Jones, regional sales manager at Solar Manufacturing.
The delivered system features a graphite-insulated hot zone measuring 48” wide × 48” high × 60” deep, capable of reaching temperatures up to 2400°F (1370°C). The furnace can accommodate workloads up to 5,000 pounds and includes an internal gas cooling system that provides rapid 2-bar nitrogen quenching.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Following foundation preparations, Solar Atmospheres will be installing a new titanium drop bottom water quench furnace at their Hermitage, Pennsylvania, location. The new addition will ensure consistent metallurgical results for demanding aerospace and industrial applications.
The new furnace is rated for a maximum operating temperature of 1850°F ±10°F and is designed to process titanium bar and forging loads of up to 7,500 pounds. Measuring 14′ by 54″ wide by 48″ high, workloads will be rapidly transferred into a 7,000-gallon, recirculated water quench tank within seconds.
This investment opens the door to expanded titanium solution treating capabilities and supports Solar Atmospheres’ commitment to innovative thermal processing solutions.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Three induction vacuum melting furnaces will be delivered to an industrial foundry specializing in parts production for the aerospace industry.
Sławomir Woźniak CEO SECO/WARWICK Group
The three furnaces will increase the European partner’s production facilities and includes VIM technology for using directional solidification or single crystal casting of nickel and cobalt superalloys.
“In the VIM DS/CS furnace, the client can obtain castings using directional solidification or single crystal technology. The well-designed furnace structure…allows the user to produce the highest quality castings,” said Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICKGroup, a thermal processing solutions provider with North American locations.
The furnaces on order have a maximum capacity of 40kg.
The growing importance of vacuum metallurgy is partly a consequence of the continuously changing production needs of aviation. The most modern jet engines utilize advanced blades cast using single crystal technology.
Press release is available in its original form here.
A Defender Series furnace has been provided for Al Udeid Air Base, providing the U.S. Air Force with mission-critical capability to heat treat all aviation-grade metals used in aircraft maintenance.
SAF Metals Technology Technicians – Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
Qualified Heat Treaters for Military Aircraft Source: DELTA H®
DELTA H®and Phillips Federalcommissioned the dual-chamber system which features a radiant heat lower chamber (1,000°F–2,000°F, 12”W x 12”H x 48”D TUS volume) with inert atmosphere. A convection heat upper chamber (200°F–1,200°F, 18”W x 12”H x 48”D) is capable of rapid cooling from 1,000°F to below 200°F in under 30 minutes, allowing solution heat treating and aging (T6) in the same chamber before part freezing is required.
Al Udeid Air Base – Doha Qatar Source: DELTA H®Richard & Mary Conway
DELTA H® TECHNOLOGIES, LLC Source: DELTA H®
Commissioning included hands-on training and qualification of USAF Metals Tech personnel in system operation, AMS2750 compliance, TUS/SAT execution (via SuperSystems SDS 8120), pyrometry recordkeeping management, and heat treating fundamentals for aviation grade metals.
Director and CTO of DELTA H, Richard Conway, shares: “Mary and I were honored to work directly with the outstanding Airmen at Al Udeid — true professionals whose determination to master heat treating reflected their deep commitment to the mission. It was humbling to see our furnace system play a small part in supporting their readiness. In a time of growing uncertainty, DELTA H is proud to stand with our Warfighters on the front lines, providing the tools they need to defend freedom.”
Retired, SMSgt, John (JD) Murray Product Manager Phillips Federal Source: Linkedin
Product manager at Phillips Federal, USAF Retired, SMSgt,John (JD) Murray shares: “As a Retired USAF Aircraft Metals Technician with multiple deployments to my credit, I am overjoyed to see the deployed location receive the best equipment possible. DELTA H furnaces are essential to keep our aircraft flying, fighting, and winning.”
The furnace is equipped with a dual-bath quench tank supporting both water and oil quenching, and final testing confirmed AMS2750 compliance with the convection chamber achieving Class 1 (±5°F) and the radiant chamber Class 3 (±15°F) uniformity. PMEL completed all calibrations, certifying the system for immediate aircraft parts processing.
Press release is available in its original formhere.
An in-house heat treat manufacturer of highly specialized aviation parts will be increasing their vacuum heat treat abilities with a horizontal furnace.
SECO/WARWICK will be providing the Chinese aviation manufacturer with the Vector vacuum furnace, which will include a graphite chamber and gas cooling system.
Source: SECO/WARWICKMaciej Korecki Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment SECO/WARWICK
“The partner who ordered the Vector vacuum furnace is just starting their operation…In the case of aviation, these values are of significant importance. The quality of the parts produced can determine the safety of many people, so precision is our foundation and the highest value,” summarized Maciej Korecki, vice president of the vacuum furnaces segment at the SECO/WARWICK Group.
The furnace dimensions are 900x600x900 mm with a maximum load capacity is 800 kg.
Press release is available in its original form here.
A Chinese partner has purchased two vacuum induction melting (VIM) furnaces for melting and producing castings that will support the aerospace and energy industries.
Sławomir Woźniak CEO SECO/WARWICK Group
SECO/WARWICK Group will be providing the two VIM furnaces, which will be shipped to China. The first of the two furnaces on order is a 50 kg VIM induction furnace for producing castings in an equiaxed structure. The furnace is unique due to its high degree of automation. It is often a chosen solution in the field of vacuum metallurgy. Various metals can be processed in vacuum metallurgy furnaces, such as titanium and its alloys, silicon, nickel, or cobalt alloys. The second furnace is the JetCaster VIM DGCC, used to produce high-quality precision turbine blade castings in the aerospace and energy industries.
Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of SECO/WARWICK Group, stated how the furnace benefited “the field of unidirectional crystallization castings of nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys. Years of work by our R&D engineers on the development of new unidirectional crystallization casting technology has allowed us to create a device equipped with a supersonic argon stream cooling system.”
“The growing popularity of VIM furnaces and the increasing importance of vacuum metallurgy is a consequence of the constantly changing production needs of heavy industries.” said Liu Yedong, managing director of SECO/WARWICK China.
Liu Yedong Managing Director SECO/WARWICK China.
Press release is available in its original form here.
A prominent United States-based global aerospace company replaced a hot zone for their vacuum furnace. The company performs thermal processing on a variety of critical aerospace components used across multiple aircraft platforms.
John Hahn Aftermarket Sales Manager Solar Manufacturing Source: Linkedin
John Hahn, aftermarket sales manager at Solar Manufacturing, noted: “They trusted our engineering and service teams to design and build a hot zone with key modifications that would enhance performance and longevity.”
The hot zone was implemented with improvements to boost hot zone efficiency, serviceability, and lifespan, such as graphite felt insulation for thermal efficiency, CFC 0.050” hot face for increased durability, and CFC edge trim throughout (door, bottom, and top bung) to extend hot zone life.
Press release is available in its original form here.
