MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS Archives

United States Steel to Restart Construction of Electric Arc Furnace

David B. Burritt, U.S. Steel President & CEO

United States Steel Corporation announced recently the restart of construction on a technologically advanced electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking facility at its Tubular Operations in Fairfield, Alabama. U. S. Steel previously initiated construction of the EAF in March 2015 in order to replace an existing aging blast furnace, but the company suspended construction in December 2015 due to unfavorable market conditions.

The investment to complete the EAF, which includes modernization of the existing rounds caster, is expected to begin immediately and the furnace is expected to be on line in the second half of 2020. The U. S. Steel Fairfield Tubular Operations custom creates seamless steel casing with an outside diameter range of 4-1/2 to 9-7/8 inches and seamless steel line and standard pipe with an outside diameter range 4-1/2 to 8-5/8 inches.

“We are pleased to announce the achievement of the market and performance stage gates required to restart our Tubular Segment EAF,” said David B. Burritt, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This investment is an important step to improve our cost structure and positions our Tubular business to win over the long-term. We are committed to investing in the sustainable steel technology required to be a value-added tubular solutions provider for our customers,” said President and Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt.

“Thanks to the President’s strong trade actions and improved market conditions, support from the United Steelworkers and incentives from the State of Alabama and the Jefferson County Commission, we are excited to add EAF capabilities to our company’s footprint and provide sustainable tubular solutions for our customers,” added Burritt.

Image Source: USSteel Tubular Operations

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Heat Treat Tips: Make and Stick to a Clear Preventative Maintenance Program

February 21, 2019 / MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

During the day-to-day operation of heat treat departments, many habits are formed and procedures followed that sometimes are done simply because that’s the way they’ve always been done. One of the great benefits of having a community of heat treaters is to challenge those habits and look at new ways of doing things. Heat Treat Today‘s 101 Heat Treat Tips, tips and tricks that come from some of the industry’s foremost experts, were initially published in the FNA 2018 Special Print Edition, as a way to make the benefits of that community available to as many people as possible. This special edition is available in a digital format here.

Today, we offer one of the tips published under the Vacuum Furnace category.

Vacuum Furnace

Heat Treat Tips #3

Make and Stick to a Clear Preventative Maintenance Program

Make sure a preventative maintenance schedule is clearly defined and adhered to. Most modern furnace control systems include diagnostics to assist in determining when certain components of the equipment require maintenance. Use these tools to prevent downtime and avoid wasting unnecessary maintenance.

Change pump oil regularly: roughing, pump, boosters, and holding.
Check hot zone for wear, loose, or missing hardware; verify element to ground resistance is greater than 10 ohms, vacuum out loose debris (monthly).
Check water chemistry and adequate flow to and from the furnace (weekly).
Check front door O-ring integrity, make sure there is no damage and that the ring is not flat; light grease as needed.
Bubble check process gas lines for potential leaks.
Check motor belts.
Grease the main valve (monthly).

This tip was submitted by Solar Manufacturing.

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Common Sense Guidelines for Loading Parts in Vacuum Furnaces

February 19, 2019 / FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

Source: VAC AERO International

From minuscule medical implants to massive aerospace engine parts, vacuum furnaces process components that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The challenge that faces a furnace operator is to load parts in such a way as to maximize efficiency (important) but also achieve desired metallurgical properties and minimize distortion (more important).

Understanding that loading options generally follow common sense rules can help with the puzzle of load arrangements, spacing parts properly, accommodating geometric irregularities, and loading orientation. This Technical Tuesday feature examines everything to consider about loading parts into a vacuum furnace — from the size and orientation of a workload to the “final spacing . . . [as] dictated by concerns for heating, soaking, flow (of partial pressure or backfill gases), the type and volume of quench media (e.g. oil, gas) and gross load weight.”

Table 2 – Typical Part Spacing Requirements

Photo credit/caption: Vac Aero International / Typical Vertical Furnace Loading Configuration

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Salt Bath Nitriding Process Monitored by Data Logger

February 14, 2019 / FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

A distributor of data loggers, paperless recorders and data acquisition equipment recently supplied a surface treatment company with runtime data collection to continually monitor its salt bath production line.

CAS DataLoggers provided the industrial data logging solution to Northeast Coating Technologies (NCT) in Kennebunk, Maine. NCT is a surface treatment company specializing in Salt Bath Nitriding Melonite® Quench-Polish-Quench (QPQ), among other processes, to produce high-durability metal components including piston rods, axles and more. NCT is using CAS’s dataTaker DT80 Intelligent Data Logger to continually monitor its production Melonite® line, specifically the salt bath area, recording tank temperature from multiple thermocouples and using these readings to trend the run data.

The Melonite® QPQ process forms a nitrocarburized layer around components comprised of an outer compound layer (iron, nitrogen, carbon and oxygen compounds) and a diffusion layer underneath. Initially, the process preheats components to raise their surface temperature before they’re placed in a tank containing liquid Melonite® salt (MEL 1/TF 1 bath) to start the nitrocarburizing process. Alkali cyanate is the active constituent in the salt bath, and this step requires the temperature in the range of 896°F – 1166°F with a target temperature of 1076°F. The components react with the salt and start to diffuse nitrogen and carbon into the substrate.

After a preset period of 1-2 hours, the components have the proper compound layer thickness and case depth. After immersion in the salt bath, the components are placed in a cooling bath (AB 1 bath) maintained at 700°F – 800°F for oxidative treatment which forms a magnetite layer on the components to improve corrosion resistance.

Tank temperature is the parameter NCT needed to monitor and trend for each of its 3 Melonite® salt tanks and the AB 1 oxidizing bath tank. With this in mind, CAS DataLoggers provided the facility with a Series 3 dataTaker universal data logger to automate their data collection.

“The dataTaker’s software is internal so everything this application needs is there in the dataTaker unit itself,” said CAS DataLoggers Applications Specialist Bill Hoon. “Now they have the memory, the data trending capability, and the alarming feature. That’s why the DT80’s our workhorse.”

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Registration Open for IHEA’s Online Learning Course

February 11, 2019 / MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Registration is open for IHEA’s Fundamentals of Industrial Process Heating Online Learning Course that begins on April 15, 2019.

The course is ideal for students who wish to further their studies at home or work in a flexible web-based distance-learning format. It’s an affordable alternative to campus-based classes and allows students to go at their own pace. The program offers a vital tool to industrial process heating operators and users of all types of industrial heating equipment. Students learn safe and efficient operation of industrial heating equipment, how to reduce energy consumption, and ways to improve a company’s bottom-line.

The fundamentals course provides an overview of heat transfer, fuels and combustion, energy use, furnace design, refractories, automatic control, and atmospheres as applied to industrial process heating. For a complete listing of the topics covered visit www.ihea.org or click here.

Industry expert Jack Marino will lead students in this 6-week online course. Jack is a registered Professional Engineer with over 40 years’ experience in the heat processing business. He is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering and has a master’s degree in Engineering Science from Penn State. Mr. Marino’s knowledge and experience offer invaluable resources that online students can access throughout the course.

IHEA will also offer an Advanced Industrial Process Heating course this fall. This course is a compliment to the Fundamentals of Industrial Process Heating and provides the student with an in-depth view of the control and efficient operation of industrial process heating equipment. Students will become familiar with a variety of oven, furnace, and kiln types used in industry.

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Registration Open for Forge Fair 2019 in Cleveland

February 8, 2019 / MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

In May 2019, the forging industry will come together to showcase their products and services at Forge Fair, North America’s largest event dedicated exclusively to the forging industry. More than 1,650 forging professionals from across the globe come to Forge Fair to learn about new products, make purchasing decisions and network with each other. No other industry event offers suppliers and forgers the platform to connect with more qualified potential customers. Attendees will include everyone from C-level executives to purchasers, representing OEMs, and Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturing companies.

From material selection to the shipment of finished parts, Forge Fair will showcase innovations in heating, tooling, equipment, testing, automation, conservation of resources, process and plant improvements and technology for all types of forging operations.

Why should you attend Forge Fair 2019?

MEET with more than 150 industry producers and suppliers from around the world.
HEAR about the latest forging trends and technologies at more than 60 exhibitor presentations.
NETWORK with industry professionals.
ENJOY complimentary hot buffet meals, receptions, and new in 2019, an industry night networking event.
LEARN about advancements in the forging industry that will affect your business in 2019 and beyond.

Join industry peers and colleagues for three days of new products and technologies, industry presentations and peer-to-peer networking.

Click here to for more information or to be registered.

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“Metallic Wood”: Strong as Titanium

February 6, 2019 / FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, TITANIUM PROCESSING TECHNICAL CONTENT

Source: Medium.com

The study was led by James Pikul, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at Penn Engineering.

We’ve come a long way in the search for and application of lightweight metals, which are being used now in everything from high-performance golf clubs to airplane wings, but random defects that arise in the manufacturing process mean that these materials are only a fraction as strong as they could theoretically be.

In a new study published in Nature Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and the University of Cambridge have designed and built materials that are stronger than anything heretofore developed, using a sheet of nickel with nanoscale pores that make it as strong as titanium but four to five times lighter.

“The empty space of the pores and the self-assembly process in which they’re made make the porous metal akin to a natural material, such as wood.

And just as the porosity of wood grain serves the biological function of transporting energy, the empty space in the researchers’ “metallic wood” could be infused with other materials. Infusing the scaffolding with anode and cathode materials would enable this metallic wood to serve double duty: a plane wing or prosthetic leg that’s also a battery.”

Photo credit/caption: Penn Engineering/A microscopic sample of the researchers’ “metallic wood.” Its porous structure is responsible for its high strength-to-weight ratio, and makes it more akin to natural materials, like wood.

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40 Under 40 Highlight: Christina Somogye

February 4, 2019 / MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

In 2018, Heat Treat Today introduced one of its most popular features, the 40 Under 40 Awards for young, up-and-coming talent in the North American heat treat industry. Click here for the 2018 recipients. Heat Treat Today is posting occasional features of some of the 2018 recipients in anticipation of the 2019 40 Under 40 awardees to be presented in September (nominations are being accepted here). Today we feature Christina Somogye of Akron Steel Treating Company.

Christina Somogye

Akron Steel Treating Company

VP of Administration and Operations; Shareholder in ASTC

Christina Somogye was nominated from within Akron Steel Treating Company. The following was provided by the nominator:

Christina graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University and has also completed the MTI “Yes” Program. She has earned respect from her fellow employees, the customers and the vendors at Akron Steel Treating, being wise beyond her years. In January [2018], she purchased a 10% interest in ASTC and is an integral part of the succession plan. Christina balances her responsibilities at Akron Steel Treating Company with being wife to Aaron and mother to her 3-year-old daughter, Olivia. The family resides in Sarnia, Ontario.

Christina Somogye follows three generations of steel treaters at Akron Steel Treating Company, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2018. Her great-grandfather, Prosper P. Powell, founded the company in 1943, and her father, Joe Powell, is currently at the helm. In this way, Christina has grown up in the environment of metallurgy, steel treatment and manufacturing, and heat treating operations. Asked what interests her about the industry that compelled her to stay with the family business, she says, “I enjoy evaluating our racking procedures to optimize load size and ensure uniformity throughout the load with an ergonomic work set up for our employees.”

With the changes in the industry due to technology, new materials, etc., Christina is enthusiastic about the way ASTC is seeking innovative methods, equipment and processes to keep up.

“ASTC, especially our President, Joe Powell, has been very passionate about new heat treating process technology,” she says. “We are a licensee of the IntensiQuench® process. We work with fabricators to build new and unique equipment for ourselves and to prove out new heat treatment processes. Akron Steel Treating Company is the ‘skunk works’ for IHTS Akron, Joe’s heat treat and metallurgical consulting company.”

Heat treating is an industry that offers a unique path to invention, innovation, and discovery. Christina agrees that “there are many opportunities in large and small heat treating companies (commercial and captive) as well as the equipment, alloy, material suppliers and service industries that serve the heat treating companies. The knowledge of senior industry members is ready to be passed on to the next generation with tremendous opportunities for growth and technical expertise. Small, privately held businesses and large, multi-facility companies have the need to pass down this tribal knowledge for their continued success.”

Click here for the 2018 recipients. To nominate someone for the Class of 2019 40 Under 40, please click here.

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UK Heat Treater Invests in N. American Facility

January 29, 2019 / MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

The world’s largest provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services based in Macclesfield, United Kingdom, is pleased to announce plans to open a new heat treating facility in Elgin, Illinois.

Bodycote’s new facility will include advanced heat treating technologies such as low pressure carburizing and carbonitriding, vacuum nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing, Bodycote’s proprietary Corr-I-Dur® process, and traditional carburizing of large parts. The facility, scheduled to be operational by late 2019, will support the automotive, agricultural, mining, construction and various other manufacturing supply chains in the Upper Midwest region.

“This investment demonstrates Bodycote’s commitment to serving the Midwest with the services our customers ask for and require,” said Dan McCurdy, President Automotive & General Industrial, North America & Asia division.

Photo: Bodycote

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“Sign” Leads Firearms Maker to New Manufacturing Location

January 28, 2019 / FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Source: Times-Enterprise

A firearms maker from New York looking for a more spacious location for its business recently announced it will expand its manufacturing, including heat treating capabilities, to Thomasville, Georgia.

Although most well known for its magazines for small arms and rifles, Check-Mate Industries, currently located in Long Island, New York, is a metal stamping and tool and die manufacturer for medical, automotive, aerospace, and a variety of other industries.

Check-Mate Industries began the search for a new home for the industry after the owner died in 2014. After visiting Thomasville, his widow, Regina Viewig, though impressed with what she saw, was not prepared to take the big step of moving the company without confirmation. A friend reminded her that the southern Georgia town’s name included the name of her late husband, Thomas. That was the sign Vieweg needed.

Photo credit and caption: WALB.com / Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal speaking to crowd, behind him are Check-Mate Industries representatives as well as local and state economic representatives, including, State Representative Darlene Taylor; Pat Wilson, a commissioner with Georgia Department of Economic Development; Shelly Zorn, Thomasville PDA executive director; Joseph DeBello, Check-Mate president and chief operating officer; Jacquelyn Santoro, Director, Checkmate Industries; and Regina Viewig

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