In today’s News from Abroadinstallment, we highlight several major global developments — from furnace installations to energy agreements to automation upgrades and additive manufacturing advances — underscoring continued investment in reliability, material innovation, and production efficiency across the global metals processing landscape.
Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe, and heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets.
Annealing Systems Back Expansion of High-Grade Steel
“Fives has signed a major contract with Yongfeng Group for three annealing furnaces of new strip processing lines. Yongfeng Group is building a new facility in Linyi, Shandong province of China to produce a wide variety of high-grade steel products, including exposed and non-exposed automotive sheets and advanced high-strength steels.”
“The new vertical annealing furnaces will be equipped with the latest generation of the AdvanTek combustion system, characterized by energy efficiency, fuel flexibility, and low emissions, as well as a FlashCooling rapid cooling system. The FlashCooling system is a unique cooling technology capable of using high hydrogen gas, offering operational flexibility in cooling rate control, temperature cycle control, and uniformity of cooling.”
Read more: “Fives delivers annealing furnaces for high-end steel lines” at furnaces-international.com.
Power Deal Secures Long-Term Future of Aluminum Smelter
“The future of the Boyne aluminium smelter in Gladstone, Australia, has been secured until at least 2040. Rio Tinto, the Queensland Government, and the Commonwealth Government have struck a partnership to secure a long-term future for the smelter and ensure it remains internationally cost-competitive beyond its current power contract.”
“Rio Tinto Aluminium & Lithium Chief Executive Jérôme Pécresse said: ‘As fossil fuels become increasingly expensive, this investment, combined with the power purchase agreements we have already signed, positions Boyne to be among the world’s first aluminium smelters underpinned by solar and wind power. It also ensures heavy manufacturing like aluminium smelting can continue in Gladstone for the long term and preserves one of the few fully integrated aluminium value chains in the world — from bauxite mining to alumina refining to aluminium smelting all in Queensland — as demand for aluminium continues to grow with the energy transition.’”
Read more: “Boyne aluminium smelter secures power contract” at furnaces-international.com.
Updated Control Systems Boost Reliability at Hot Strip Mill
“Primetals Technologies has received the final acceptance certificate (FAC) from a Turkish steel producer after successfully completing a phased upgrade of its hot-strip mill.”
“Phase 1 focused on upgrading the process automation system, while Phase 2 included modernizing the basic automation system and implementing advanced profile and flatness control. Primetals Technologies also installed the ALEX condition monitoring system. The hot-strip mill was restarted as scheduled following installation and commissioning.”
Read more: “Primetals Technologies’ Modernization of Automation Systems Boosts Reliability at Hot-Strip Mill” at heat processing.
New Metal Powder Supports Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace Components
“Outokumpu, a supplier of sustainable stainless steels, has achieved significant progress in additive metal powder manufacturing in collaboration with MT Aerospace. As a result of the partnership, a modified 316L stainless steel powder was developed, specifically designed for aerospace applications.”
“The product development project, “Modified 316L powder for aerospace [1157],” was carried out at Outokumpu’s Metal Powder Research Center in Krefeld, Germany. The focus was on precise chemical adjustments within the ASTM F3184 standard and optimization of process parameters during powder production. The result is a modified version of the 316L powder, which allows MT Aerospace to achieve the desired mechanical properties in components using the powder bed laser melting process and meets the precision and performance requirements of the aerospace industry.”
Read more: “Outokumpu and MT Aerospace are advancing additive manufacturing for aerospace applications” at heat processing.
