NITRIDING NEWS

Medical Device Manufacturer Acquires Metal and Silicon Nitride Developer

 

A medical device design, development, and manufacturing company recently announced plans to acquire an innovative biomaterials and OEM company that develops and commercializes silicon nitride for various biomedical applications including orthopedic, dental and arthroplasty.

Amedica Corporation announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with CTL Medical, based in Dallas, Texas, medical device manufacturer with in-house manufacturing facilities that focuses on the spine implant and instrument market. The agreement will make CTL Medical the exclusive owner of Amedica’s portfolio of metal and silicon nitride spine products, with access to future silicon nitride spine technologies.

Dr. Sonny Bal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amedica

As part of the up to $10 million transaction, CTL Medical will acquire Amedica’s entire existing inventory of spine products, including US and OUS regulatory clearances and intellectual property related to such. Amedica’s products, which are presently sold under the brand names of Taurus, Preference, and Valeo will be transferred to CTL Medical, while manufacturing, R&D, and all intellectual property related to the core biomaterial technology of silicon nitride will remain with Amedica in Salt Lake City. Amedica will serve as CTL’s exclusive OEM provider of silicon nitride products.

Following the purchase, CTL Medical will change its name to CTL Amedica. Amedica will re-position under a new name that is reflective of the breadth of its technology and potential applications.

“The transaction makes strategic sense, by monetizing our commercial spine sales organization and allowing Amedica to focus on its core biomaterials and OEM business,” said Dr. Sonny Bal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amedica. “The addition of a highly-differentiated silicon nitride and metal product line to CTL Medical’s complete offering of spine surgery implants and instruments will benefit both companies, as well as our surgeon customers. Amedica’s products and scientific data have established that silicon nitride resists bacteria, promotes bone healing, and has superior clinical outcomes. CTL Medical is best positioned to profitably leverage these advantages in the retail spine market.”

CTL Medical produces a full line of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar products (hence “CTL”) at its manufacturing headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

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Qatar Extrusion Supplier Switches to Gas Nitriding System

A gas nitriding system configured for treating various sized flat and hollow dies used in the production of aluminum extruded profiles for the construction and transportation markets was installed in January 2018 for a Qatar-based company that manufactures and supplies mill finished and powder coated aluminum extruded products.

Qatar Aluminum Extrusion Company (Qalex) awarded a contract to Nitrex Metals, a nitrding/nitrocarburizing technologies and solutions supplier based in Québec, for the supply and installation of an NX-1015 potential-controlled gas nitriding system which Qalex sought to adopt new technological innovations in nitriding when equipment and die quality requirements could not be met with the existing fluidized bed nitrider.

The NX-1015 furnace has a load capacity of 4400 lbs (2000 kg), and while this is slightly larger than current production needs, the additional capacity will accommodate future growth, when Qalex adds a second extrusion press. The precise interaction between the furnace and advanced control system allows the atmosphere to be adjusted automatically, according to the recipe and parameters entered. Integral to the system operation, Nitreg® technology is customized and pre-tested for extrusion dies to ensure optimum results of the nitrided layer, as well as to obtain repeatable results and higher throughput per die.

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Korean Auto Parts Manufacturer Brings Nitriding In-House

A Korean automotive parts manufacturer recently had an NX-1230 potential-controlled nitriding system installed for processing automotive springs.

Previously directing its nitriding processes to outside suppliers, Daewon, Corp., commissioned the system from Nitrex Metal, recognizing that its interests would be better served by performing the nitriding in-house. Daewon supplies automotive parts to Hyundai, Kia Motors, GM, Chrysler, Volkswagen, and other global automakers.

Nitreg® nitriding of springs allows fatigue resistance for longer service life in automotive use. The technology also maintains tight dimensional tolerances (no distortion), uniformity from part to part, and repeatability between production runs. The system is capable of processing a load capacity up to 11,570-pound (5250-kg) and complies with the nitriding requirements laid out by AMS2759/10A.

 

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Automotive Drivetrain Market to Benefit from New Gas Nitriding Furnaces

Two NitroTherm ® Vacuum Purged Gas Nitriding furnaces will be  deployed into the North American automotive drivetrain market through ALD Vacuum Systems, Inc of Wixom, MI. These
NitroTherm systems will be the first entering into the NAFTA region. The expert control systems provided enable multiple processes including Nitriding, Nitro – Carburizing, Oxi-nitriding, Pre-oxidation, Post Oxidation and Vacuum Tempering. These are stand – alone, horizontally oriented units which are loaded/unloaded via a fork loader. This configuration eliminates the disruption and additional capital investments for floor pits and overhead cranes. These systems take advantage of the largest standard VPGN configuration of 1200mm x 1200mm x 1800mm (48“x48“x72“) and include a hearth rating of 2500 kg (5500 lbs).
ALD’s product line expanded late in 2016 with the North American introduction of NitroTherm which includes both Vacuum Purged Gas Nitriding (VPGN) and Active Screen Plasma Nitriding (ASPN). Both are offered in a variety of standard configuration but can also be provided for custom applications based on a customers specific needs.

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Bodycote Acquires Nitrex Metal Technologies

Dan McCurdy, Bodycote
Dan McCurdy, President of Bodycote Automotive and General Industrial Heat Treating in North America and Asia

Bodycote, the world’s largest thermal processing services provider, announced today that it has acquired Nitrex Metal Technologies. Nitrex Metal Technologies specializes in precision gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing in both batch and continuous forms. Continuous gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing are unique in the industry and are particularly suited to high-volume automotive work. The addition of Nitrex Metal Technologies to the Bodycote Group broadens the range of thermal processing services that Bodycote offers, which already range from conventional atmosphere heat treatments like batch IQ, vacuum, and induction to more exotic specialty technologies like LPC, BoroCote®, and Corr-I-Dur®.

Dan McCurdy, President of Bodycote Automotive and General Industrial Heat Treating in North America and Asia, commented that “Nitrex Metal Technologies is a great addition to the Bodycote Group. Along with the rest of Bodycote’s existing service offerings, this acquisition really cements our position as the go-to expert source for all things nitriding”.

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Nitrex Expands, Adds Three Nitriding Systems

Nitrex Metal supplied three supersized nitriding heat treatment systems to US commercial heat treater Nitrex Inc., which recently completed phase one of a 12,000 square foot (1115 m2) expansion at its facility in Aurora, Illinois, a town on the outskirts of Chicago.  The expansion has increased the plant’s nitriding capacities to accommodate parts up to 177” (4.5 meters) long and loads of up to 25,000 pounds (11,300 kg). All systems are equipped with NITREG® nitriding/nitrocarburizing technology, making it possible to meet AMS 2759/10 specifications for nitriding and AMS 2759/12 for ferritic nitrocarburizing. Additionally ONC® technology is available for in-process post-nitriding and -nitrocarburizing oxidation to enhance the corrosion resistance of an already treated part.

According to Tom Copper, General Manager of Nitrex Inc. – Chicago Operations, the primary motivation for the capital upgrades at his plant was that “Nitriding large diameter parts and gears had been limited to furnaces in captive heat treat shops. The same is true for long parts, tubes or shafts. Our new nitriders provide a solution to this underserved market segment.” Along with the new furnaces, phase one of the expansion involved the addition of a new two-story office building and an upgraded metallurgical laboratory.

In the second phase of expansion, the Illinois facility will add another large nitriding system from Nitrex Metal, with a working envelope of 137” Ø by 98” height (3.5 m Ø x 2.5 m H), and a load capacity of 55,000 pounds (25,000 kg). This furnace will offer the same NITREG® process capabilities and will be equipped to meet aerospace standards. The furnace is expected to commence production by January 2017.

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