AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT

Carpenter Technology Corporation Opens Facility with Vacuum Heat Treating Capabilities

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

Carpenter Technology Corporation, a leader in high-performance specialty alloy-based materials and process solutions, recently announced the grand opening of its Emerging Technology Center (ETC) in Athens, Alabama, with capabilities for vacuum heat treating for multiple applications, including aerospace, automotive, energy, medical, defense, and other industries.

Carpenter Technology CEO Tony Thene

With a new, state-of-the-art quick cooling hot isostatic press (HIP) and vacuum heat treating system, Carpenter Technology’s 500,000-square-foot additive manufacturing (AM) facility provides the capability to atomize a range of specialty alloys into metal powder and manufacture the powder into finished parts using AM technology (3D metal printing).

"Our Emerging Technology Center is a critical component of Carpenter Technology’s future growth and development, and is aligned with our business strategy of evolving to an end-to-end solutions provider and influential leader in the AM area," said Carpenter Technology CEO Tony Thene. "We will also use it as a base to launch future investments as we expand our soft magnetics technology platform, scale up additional powder operations, and demonstrate a number of next-generation materials we have under development today."

The ETC investment complements Carpenter Technology’s 500,000-square-foot Alabama manufacturing facility, which began operations in 2014, and produces high-end specialty alloy products, primarily for the aerospace and energy markets.

"We have chosen to continue to invest in North Alabama because it offers three important advantages—a high-quality, tech-oriented workforce, a clear connection with the aerospace industry and a close working partnership with state and local government officials," said Thene.

"I have been looking forward to the opening of Carpenter Technology’s Emerging Technology Center since we joined with company leaders to announce plans for the facility at the Farnborough International Airshow in 2018," said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. "I’m proud to see this world-class R&D center call Alabama home as we continue to strengthen the partnership with our friends at Carpenter Technology.

 

Main graphic photo credits: Carpenter Technology

Carpenter Technology Corporation Opens Facility with Vacuum Heat Treating Capabilities Read More »

Who’s Winning the Steel v. Aluminum Battle? Both, in the Form of Mixed Materials, per Auto Industry Watchers

/ ALUMINUM PROCESSING NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

 

Source: SME Media

 

It wasn’t long ago that auto industry watchers were casting votes for either steel or aluminum in what was to be a big competition in what metals would be used in automotive lightweighting.

Would it be the heavy-weight champion steel which was ramping up its development of high-strength, lower-weight steels? Or would the new contender on the block, aluminum, gather more adherents to lightweighting in the wake of Ford Motor Company choosing aluminum for its F-150 and Super Duty pickup bodies?

An excerpt:

“A consensus has emerged. The future for the industry is a mix of materials, a mix that will vary from vehicle to vehicle. It’s also likely to be a more complex future, with composite materials making inroads in the long run.”

Jay Baron, retired president of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), Ann Arbor, Michigan

“You have to take into account all sorts of factors,” said Jay Baron, retired president of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), Ann Arbor, Michigan. Vibration and stiffness figure into the equation, he said. And there’s cost. “It’s much more than weight and strength.”

Designing and building vehicles with a patchwork quilt approach to materials is how some brands are tackling the lightweighting challenge. Most are also exploring advanced technological processes such as a combination of 3D printing and artificial intelligence, friction welding technology, and rethinking other automotive systems, e.g., braking.

Read more: “Lightweighting’s New Phase”

 

Main image credit / caption: Manufacturing Technology Inc. (MTI) / The MTI-built LF35-75 at Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow is ideal for unique part geometries, near-net shapes and full-size part development for all industries, according to MTI. 

 

Who’s Winning the Steel v. Aluminum Battle? Both, in the Form of Mixed Materials, per Auto Industry Watchers Read More »

Aluminum Provider Completes Expansion of Extrusion Operation

/ ALUMINUM PROCESSING NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

 

Source: Light Metal Age

 

A Pennsylvania company that provides aluminum fabrication, extrusion, and casting products across a variety of industries recently celebrated the completion of the expansion of its facility in Leetonia, Ohio, where new equipment was installed aimed at increasing the company’s capabilities.

Pennex Aluminum, which was also marking the 40th anniversary of Pennex being purchased by the Metal Exchange Corporation, specializes in aluminum extrusions and fabricated components for the automotive, construction, HVAC, landscaping, and off-road vehicle markets at the Leetonia facility.

 

Read more: “Pennex Aluminum Completes Expansion of its Extrusion Operation in Ohio”

Main image credit / caption: Pennex  / opening of Pennex’s new extrusion press line at Leetonia in 2015.

Aluminum Provider Completes Expansion of Extrusion Operation Read More »

Steelmaker Orders Key Furnace Equipment to Produce Advanced High Strength Steels for Auto Industry

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

A U.S. steel producer recently purchased key process equipment for the existing continuous galvanizing line (CGL) at its Columbus, Mississippi, plant.

Steel Dynamics Inc., based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, plans to modify its current CGL#1 to produce advanced high strength steels (AHSS) for the automotive industry.

ANDRITZ, an international technology group providing plants, systems, equipment, and services for various industries, will supply engineering and delivery of a new direct-fired furnace (DFF), new differential rapid jet cooling (DRJC), and after pot coolers (APC). The project will be implemented during the fourth quarter of 2020.

The ANDRITZ delivery also includes the supply of model-predictive advanced furnace control (AFC) for the complete furnace sections as well as automation and electrical equipment and supervision of erection and commissioning.

 

Steelmaker Orders Key Furnace Equipment to Produce Advanced High Strength Steels for Auto Industry Read More »

Nucor Contracts Quenching Unit, Caster for Kentucky Plate Mill Facility

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, QUENCHING NEWS

A company that provides construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry was recently selected for the supply of new equipment for a new plate mill facility, including a quenching unit, a single-strand caster, and other key elements of the production chain.

Nucor Corporation selected The SMS Group to design and produce the single-strand caster for ultra-wide and thick slabs for an annual capacity of 1.45 million tons (1.6 million short tons) at Nucor’s new plate mill facility in Brandenburg, Kentucky. The new casting machine is expected to be one of the largest casters worldwide.

Johnny Jacobs, vice president and general manager of Nucor Brandenburg

“SMS group and Nucor make a good team, and the caster will be essential to the success of our new plate mill facility,” said Johnny Jacobs, vice president and general manager of Nucor Brandenburg.

Incorporated in the project are several special technological features, including robotic applications on the casting platform and an HD mold with fiber optics and electromagnetic stirring, as well as a customized roller apron, a quenching unit, and a second cutting line.

 

Main photo caption: (L-R) Keith Watson, SMS Group vice president; Burkhard Dahmen, SMS Group GmbH president and CEO; John Ferriola, Nucor chairman and CEO; Leon Topalian, Nucor president and COO

Nucor Contracts Quenching Unit, Caster for Kentucky Plate Mill Facility Read More »

Alfa Romeo Racing Invests in High-Pressure Heat Treatment

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

A Swiss company that operates Alfa Romeo Racing recently partnered with a global leader in high-pressure heat treatment (HPHT) technology for processing high-performance materials.

Christoph Hansen, head of technical development at Sauber Engineering AG

Sauber Motorsport AG, a part of the Sauber Group of Companies, launched a long-term partnership with Title Sponsor Alfa Romeo in 2018 and have now chosen Quintus Technologies to supply their hot isostatic pressing (HIP) equipment.

"The partnership with Quintus is an important milestone on Sauber Engineering’s Additive Manufacturing journey" said Christoph Hansen, head of technical development at Sauber Engineering AG. "The implementation of the hot isostatic pressing process adds massive value in bringing performance to our car as well as for the demanding needs of our customers. By using Quintus’s HIP technology, the Sauber Group will be able to push the boundaries of what we do even further and bring the materials we produce to an outstanding level."

Jan Söderström, CEO of Quintus Technologies

With the QIH 21 M URQ®, Alfa Romeo Racing has access to Quintus’s proprietary URQ® technology, which allows heat treatment and cooling to be combined in a single process, known as high-pressure heat treatment. The QIH 21 M URQ® has an operating temperature of 2,552°F (1,400°C).

"We are excited to be partnering with one of the most iconic Formula One teams—Alfa Romeo Racing," said Jan Söderström, CEO of Quintus Technologies. “This collaboration brings together two organizations at the forefront of advanced development and product innovation in the AM field. Working with Alfa Romeo Racing also gives us at Quintus a unique opportunity to show a large audience how well the modern HIP technology optimizes material properties."

Main photo credit: Speedcafe

Alfa Romeo Racing Invests in High-Pressure Heat Treatment Read More »

Ohio Steel Producer Advances Expansion with Order of Tunnel, Shuttle Furnaces

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

Dual-line tunnel furnace © ANDRITZ

A leading Ohio steel producer recently advanced an expansion project by ordering heat treating equipment to increase its supply of hot-rolled coils for end-use in the automotive sector, as well as construction, agriculture, and general manufacturing applications.

North Star Bluescope Steel Limited, based in Delta, Ohio, recently placed an order with international technology group ANDRITZ for a tunnel furnace along with two shuttle furnaces to convey slabs from casters to the company’s two-stand roughing mill.

Besides the furnace equipment, ANDRITZ will supply Level 1 and Level 2 automation systems. The shuttle furnaces will be installed during the fourth quarter of 2020. The tunnel furnace is scheduled to start production by the end of 2021.

North Star BlueScope also plans on adding a third electric arc furnace and a second continuous caster. The expansion will increase the annual capacity by 800,000 to 900,000 metric tons.

 

Main photo credit: North Star Bluescope Steel 

 

Ohio Steel Producer Advances Expansion with Order of Tunnel, Shuttle Furnaces Read More »

Global Heat Treater Opens New Facility in Prague

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

The world’s largest heat treat provider recently marked the opening of its new heat treatment plant in the Czech Republic.

Roman Poslusny welcomes guests to the official opening ceremony.

Bodycote held an official opening ceremony at the new facility in central Prague which has expanded space for broader heat treatment capabilities for the automotive and general manufacturing industries.

“Bodycote is proud to be opening our newest facility in Prague, where we can be close to our customers and grow to meet their future demand,” said Paul Clough, president of Bodycote’s classical heat treatment division for Northern Europe & Asia.

“The Czech Republic is an excellent place for Bodycote to invest in order to support our customers’ supply chains locally,” said Roman Poslusny, vice president of operations of Central Eastern Europe for Bodycote’s classical heat treatment division. “This expansion helps to demonstrate our commitment to our Eastern European customers by providing the best possible service.”

The VIP ceremony was attended by the local mayor of Hostivice (Prague-West district), arch. Klára Čápová, and the British ambassador to the Czech Republic, Nick Archer.

 

Main image credit/caption: Bodycote / Left to right: Paul Clough, President of Northern & Eastern Europe (Bodycote); Klara Capova, Mayor of Hostivice; Nick Archer, British Ambassador; Baris Telseren, Senior Vice President Eastern Europe (Bodycote); Roman Poslusny, Vice President Central Eastern Europe (Bodycote).

Global Heat Treater Opens New Facility in Prague Read More »

Canadian Steelmaker Cuts Ribbon on Batch Annealing Facility

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

Hamilton, Ontario, mayor Mayor Fred Eisenberger greets Stelco officials at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the company’s new $30 million batch annealing facility. (Photo credit: Ken Mann, GlobalNews.ca)

An integrated and independent steelmaker based in Ontario, Canada, recently celebrated the opening of its new $30 million dollar batch annealing facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Stelco opened the plant in Hamilton, Ontario, earlier in the summer as a part of the company’s focus on investment in new technology and expansion of its production of flat-rolled value-added steels, including premium-quality coated, cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel products for the automotive, construction, and appliance industries. The restart of a modernized and upgraded temper mill, along with the installation of new annealing furnaces, will allow Stelco to add a full range of up to 200,000 net tons of fully processed cold-rolled steel to its product mix.

 

Main photo credit and caption: The Spec.com video (Youtube) / Alan Kestenbaum, Stelco executive chairman, at the ribbon-cutting

Canadian Steelmaker Cuts Ribbon on Batch Annealing Facility Read More »

Aluminum Giants Progress Toward Merger with EC Approval

/ ALUMINUM PROCESSING NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

An industrial aluminum company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, recently received approval of its proposed acquisition of an Ohio-based aluminum rolled products producer, which would increase its capacity to provide lightweighting materials for the automotive market.

The European Commission announced approval for Novelis Inc. to acquire Aleris Corporation, conditioned upon the sale of Aleris’ plant in Duffel, Belgium, which produces aluminum for the automotive and specialties markets. Novelis is working expeditiously to market the plant to potential buyers, with the chosen counterparty and the definitive agreement for divestiture subject to European Commission approval.

With this conditional approval in the European Union, as well as a clear path forward for approval in the U.S., Novelis focuses on obtaining approval from the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

Steve Fisher, president and CEO, Novelis Inc

“Today’s announcement is another step forward in bringing Novelis and Aleris together, which will benefit our customers, employees, and the aluminum industry as a whole,” said Steve Fisher, president and CEO, Novelis Inc. “Overall, this transaction will strengthen our ability to compete against steel in the automotive market, meet growing customer demand for aluminum, achieve our recycling goals, and bolster our sustainability platform worldwide. In addition, it will further enhance our strategic position in Asia and diversify our overall product portfolio.”

The company expects to close the transaction by January 21, 2020, the outside date under the merger agreement.

Aluminum Giants Progress Toward Merger with EC Approval Read More »