10 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

10 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Personnel and Company Chatter

  • A Berwick, Pennsylvania, machining company which offers heat treating among its services was recently acquired by precision machining provider DPMS, based in Santa Clara, California. K-Fab Inc. operates a 22,000-sq.-ft. precision machine shop that manufactures parts for the aerospace, defense, and semiconductor sectors.
  • GKN Powder Metallurgy recently announced a strategic collaboration with HP Inc, becoming the first to deploy the just-launched HP Metal Jet, a groundbreaking binder jetting technology, into its factories to produce functional metal parts for auto and industrial leaders, including Volkswagen and Wilo, and for companies around the world.
  • Joshua Farrell recently took over the Operations Manager position at Mid-South Metallurgical, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Equipment Chatter

  • California-based Delta H Technologies, LLC, recently delivered a commissioned dual chamber aerospace heat treating system — the largest and most advanced to date — to a leading U.S. military aircraft manufacturer. Both chambers are certified for heating parts up to 1200°F and capable of solution heat treating, aging, annealing aluminum, stress relieving titanium and ferrous castings, weldments, and aging of PH stainless steel.
  • An auto parts manufacturer recently received shipment of a customized oxidation nitriding furnace, manufactured by JGEF Furnace, a vacuum heat treating  equipment supplier with U.S. offices in San Francisco, California. The pit furnace, which has useful dimensions of 43.3 inches (1,100 mm) in diameter x 70.9 inches (1,800 mm) high, has a maximum temperature rating of 1292°F (700°C). The goal for this project was to represent an advanced solution for metallic parts. The furnace includes an advanced oxidation system that ensures the workpieces are preheated in a controlled oxidizing atmosphere and guarantees corrosion resistance, which in turn facilitates nitrogen uptake and growth of the nitride compound layer.
  • A large capacity fastener hardening furnace system has been commissioned by a tier one automotive supplier based in Detroit, Michigan. CAN-ENG Furnaces International Ltd has been contracted to design and commission the system for the company, which offers heat treating among its services.
  • A large capacity SECO/Warwick vacuum furnace was delivered to U.K.-based Wallwork Heat Treatment company just before Christmas.

Kudos Chatter

  • America Makes recently announced the awardees of a Directed Project Opportunity on advancing additive manufacturing (AM) post-processing techniques (AAPT), funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division. Awardee #1 is Arizona State University, in conjunction with Quintus Technologies; Phoenix Heat Treating, Inc.; and Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc. Awardee #2 is ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE), a collaborative, which includes ASTM International, Auburn University, EWI, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wichita State University – National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), in conjunction with Quintus Technologies, Carpenter Technologies Corporation, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Rolls Royce Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, GE Aviation, and Raytheon.
  • Paulo recently announced the recent addition of the St. Louis Division to the approved heat treat sources list for General Motors High-Pressure Die Casting Die Insert Material. The approval list references AWQ49658 which includes the heat treatment specifications for Hot Work Tool Steels for GM High-Pressure Die Casting applications.  The St. Louis Division joins Paulo’s Nashville plant on the approval list, which includes only seven approved locations in the US. AWQ49657 covers approved material providers, heat treaters, and testing labs. Paulo is the only US source with two facilities on the list.
  • Nominations are open for the ASM HTS/Surface Combustion Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes an outstanding early-to-midcareer heat treating professional whose accomplishments exhibit exceptional achievements in the heat treating industry. The award was created in recognition of Surface Combustion’s 100-year anniversary in 2015. The winning young professional will best exemplify the ethics, education, ingenuity, and future leadership of our industry. Deadline for the nomination is February 1, 2019. Past winners include Olga Rowan of Caterpillar in 2015 and Lee Rothleutner of Timken in 2017. For nomination rules and forms, visit the Heat Treating Society website at hts.asminternational.org and click on Membership & Networking and Society Awards.

Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to the editor at editor@heattreattoday.com.

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Steelmakers Announce Investments of $5.6B in U.S. Steel Mills

 

Source: NWI Times

Two major international steel corporations recently announced plans to invest in existing steel mills in along the northwest Indiana lakeshore, as part of collective bargaining agreements reached with the United Steelworkers union.

ArcelorMittal, based in Luxembourg, and Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel together will invest $5.6 billion into their U.S. operations in an effort to ensure that the local mills remain sustainable, including Gary Works, U.S. Steel’s largest mill.

Main image caption: David Burritt, president and CEO of U.S. Steel Corp., announces a major investment in the company’s Gary Works plant (in August).

Steelmakers Announce Investments of $5.6B in U.S. Steel Mills Read More »

Heat Treat Today’s Meet the Consultants: George Totten

Heat Treat Today recently unveiled its Heat Treat Consultants page in the October 2018 print edition (available in digital format here) and at FNA in Indianapolis, Indiana. We offer this comprehensive listing of heat treat industry consultants as part of our efforts to help minimize the effects of heat treat “brain drain.” With so many heat treat brains growing older, the expertise that once used to reside inside of manufacturing operations is dwindling. Where, then, do manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments go when they need heat treat answers?

Turn to Heat Treat Today and our comprehensive list of heat treat industry consultants, which we will introduce to you one by one in this occasional feature, “Meet the Consultants”. There is no more comprehensive list of heat treat consultants. Learn more about George E. Totten of  G.E. Totten & Associates, and then click through to the page to read more details about each consultant. We are adding more regularly. Contact them directly, or call us and we’ll introduce you to them. Whether it’s a technical process question, a safety concern, a compliance issue, or a business related question, one of our heat treat consultants will be able to help. If you are a consultant and would like to be listed, please contact Doug Glenn


Name: George E. Totten
Company Name: G.E. Totten & Associates
Location: Seattle, Washington
Years In Industry: 30+
Consulting Specialties:

  • Heat Treating & Thermal Processes
  • Fluids & Lubricants
  • Advanced Quenching Technology & Engineering
  • Surface Engineering
  • Consulting & Contract Research

Send an email | Website | Phone: 206-788-0188

Briefly:

G. E. Totten & Associates LLC, a research and consulting firm specializing in thermal processing and industrial lubrication problems and related equipment supply, was founded by George E. Totten, Ph.D., FASM. Dr. Totten began with over 31 years of experience before launching his company, and he is widely known from his long-term experience in the heat treating and fluids/lubricants industry. The initial mission of G.E. Totten & Associates LLC was to make global experts in the fields of thermal process, fluids, and lubricants available to those with problems in these areas, regardless of location, through either a consulting or contract research (or both) basis. In time, the initial mission expanded to include providing global technical support in cooling curve analysis, furnaces and equipment, advanced quenching technology and engineering, hydraulic system equipment, and software.

Publications or Significant Accomplishments:

  1. Founder and president of G.E. Totten & Associates LLC (2001 to present).
  2. Research Professor, Portland State University — Portland, Oregon (2004-2015).
  3. Adjunct Professor, Polytechnic University of New York — New York, New York (2001).
  4. Visiting Scholar, Texas A&M University — College Station, Texas (2005-2006).
  5. Visiting Professor, Department of Engineering, Materials, Aeronautics and Automobile Technology, School of Engineering at São Carlos, University of São Paulo — São Carlos, Brazil (2006 to present).
  6. Associate Professor, Associação Instituto Internacional de Pesquisa — São Carlos, Brazil (2006 to present).
  7. Adjunct Professor, Texas A&M University — College Station, Texas (2006-2015).
  8. Associate Professor, Portland State University — Portland, Oregon (2015 to present).
  9. Completed Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry, Dissertation: “Substituted Neopentyl Systems via Silyl Ketene Acetal Chemistry and Acetolysis of Alkyl-Substituted Neopentyl Derivatives” (awarded 1989).
  10. President, International Federation for Heat Treatment & Surface Engineering (IFHTSE) (2002-2004); Fellow of IFHTSE (2005).
  11. Member of ASM International, Brazilian Association of Metallurgy and Materials, American Chemical Society, Society of Automotive Engineers, Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, American Society for Testing and Materials, serving on several committees; member-at-large, ASTM Committee D02 on Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels, and Lubricants.
  12. Recipient of sixteen U.S. patents.
  13. Recipient of American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Awards, including of Excellence (2000), Sydney D. Andrews Scroll of Achievement (2004), of Merit (2006), Outgoing Chairman Award (2006), Charles B. Dudley Award (2008).
  14. Recipient of ASM Eisenman Award (2017); Hephaestus Award (2016); Nitrex Hephaestus Award (2013); IFHTSE Medal (2011); SAE McFarland Award (2000).
  15. Established George E. Totten Symposium on Quenching — Heat Treating Society of ASM International (2007).
  16. Co-authored or edited 37 books and conference proceedings, including: Handbook of Residual Stress and Deformation of SteelEditor, ASM International (2002); Steel Heat Treatment Handbook (2 vol.), Editor, CRC Press (2006); Mechanical Tribology: Materials, Characterization, and Applications, Co-editor with Hong Liang, CRC Press (2004); Handbook of Hydraulic Fluid Technology, Co-author with Victor J. De Negri, CRC Press (2017, 2nd ed.); Handbook of Aluminum: Vol. 1: Physical Metallurgy and Processes and Vol. 2, Co-author with D. Scott MacKenzie, CRC Press (2003); Handbook of Quenchants and Quenching Technology, Co-author with C.E. Bates and N.A. Clinton, ASM International (1993); Manual 64, Intensive Quenching Systems: Engineering and Design, Co-author with Nikolai Kobasko, Ph.D., Michael Aronov, Ph.D., and Joseph Powell, ASTM (2010).
  17. Contributor to several articles published by Industrial Heating magazineASTM Standardization News magazine and over 100 technical papers for ASTM Technical Committee.
  18. Contributor to or Author or Editor of over 600 publications, including several ASTM publications.

Links to Heat Treat Today or Other Online Resources (a select list):

References (partial list, more available upon request):

Linked In  |  G.E. Totten & Associates  |  ASM International

 

Heat Treat Today’s Meet the Consultants: George Totten Read More »

Auto Parts Manufacturer to Increase Aluminum Production Capacity with Expansion, New Equipment

A global automotive parts manufacturer recently announced its plans to invest in the expansion of its Kentucky aluminum products plant.

Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. (KPEX), the U.S. subsidiary of Kobe Steel, Ltd., based in Japan, expects the expansion to increase the production capacity of its plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in response to the growing demand for automotive extrusions and fabricated products in the United States.

Hiroaki Matsubara, Kobe Steel senior managing executive officer

Established in April 2016, KPEX manufactures aluminum extruded products for use as bumper materials and car frame materials. In November 2018, KPEX began integrated production, ranging from melting and casting to the final manufacturing process of fabrication. Plans call for new equipment for melting, extrusion, and fabrication to go into mass production in the first half of 2020. When the expansion is completed, KPEX will have two melting furnaces and two extrusion presses. Production capacity will increase to 1,000 tons per month, from the current 500 tons per month.

“Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. was established in April 2016 using our technology from Japan, and with the cooperation of Kentucky officials, our customers, and all the employees working at Kobelco, we were able to successfully begin mass production here in the US,” said Hiroaki Matsubara, Kobe Steel senior managing executive officer. “And now, supported by even more robust demand for our products, we are proud to announce that we will be making our second major investment in our operations in less than two years. With that, our aim is to continue to make our contribution to the weight reduction of automobiles and to further develop our business footprint in the Bowling Green facility.”

Kobelco’s Bowling Green plant expansion (PC: Kobelco)

Main image PC: Forging Magazine

Auto Parts Manufacturer to Increase Aluminum Production Capacity with Expansion, New Equipment Read More »

Merry Christmas from Heat Treat Today

Doug Glenn, Publisher, Heat Treat Today
Doug Glenn, Publisher, Heat Treat Today

A Holiday Wish from the Publisher

For a large percentage of the world’s population, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s gift of His Son to save a sinful world. That Gift is “the Reason for the season.” Although commercialism continues to grow, there are those diehard fans of Christmas who try to preserve the real meaning and significance of the holiday. Christmas is about giving. (Speaking of “die hard,” my son and I just finished watching Die Hard 1, the classic “Christmas” movie starring Bruce Willis. It may be “classic,” but it doesn’t appear to have anything to do with “the reason for the season.” Nonetheless, you might enjoy it . . . especially if you have teenage or 20-something men in your home.)

One of my favorite quotes about “giving” is from a Christian missionary named Jim Elliot. “He is no fool who gives [away] what he cannot keep,” said Elliot, “to gain what he cannot lose.” He was referring to giving away of one’s physical life (which you can’t keep) to gain eternal life (which you can’t lose). Mr. Elliot, at the young age of 28, did that exact thing — gave his physical life trying to share the Source of eternal life with others. You can read more about his story here.

Since “giving” characterizes the season, I’d like to give a “thank you” to some of the people who have helped Heat Treat Today grow to be a leading heat treat industry media brand in 2018.

First, thanks to all of the manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments, especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors who read our content or listen to our Heat Treat Radio podcasts. Our hope is that you’ll continue to find the content we provide more and more helpful in your work. You’re the ones we have in mind every time we prepare our content for publication. Please let us know if we can be more helpful.

Thanks also goes to the growing number of heat treat industry suppliers who are finding Heat Treat Today an effective way to get the word out about their products or services. It’s these industry suppliers who pay the bills and make this venture possible. Thank you, friends!

Finally, thank you to the people who make Heat Treat Today happen every day!

Thank you, Laura Miller, editor, for your faithful labors. You’re a joy to work with, and you deserve much more recognition than you receive.

Thank you, Brandon Glenn, web design manager and nephew (not son) of yours truly. Brandon, your help has been invaluable and your passion for the true Reason for the season is something I pray grows and grows. Thanks for all your help.

Thanks to Jonathan Lloyd for his work on Heat Treat Radio and CONGRATULATIONS for completing just days ago his undergraduate studies in audio/visual arts. Jonathan, you will be successful. Keep your eyes on the Reason for the season as you progress through life.

Heat Treat Today has added several other helpers this year including Meredith Egeland (formerly Meredith Glenn, my daughter) who helps with social media, Kelly Condon (mother of Jonathan Lloyd) who has helped with accounting and billing, and Michelle LaMay who recently joined us to help with editorial content.

Second to last and most cherished in my heart is the lovely and gracious Mrs. Glenn (Mary) who makes every day a joy. Thanks for your help!

Finally, thanks to the One who gives all of us on the Heat Treat Today team the ability to do anything worthwhile, Jesus Christ, the real Reason for Christmas.

Blessings to you and your families from the Heat Treat Today family.

Heat Treat Today will not publish content December 24–January 1. We’ll return with new and exciting content on January 2, 2019. Be safe.

Merry Christmas from Heat Treat Today Read More »

IHEA 2019 Annual Meeting To Coincide with 90th Anniversary

IHEA will celebrate its 90th anniversary at the 2019 Annual Meeting scheduled April 29-May 1 at the Lido Beach Resort in Sarasota, Florida. IHEA members look forward to the camaraderie created by the social events and the thought-provoking presentations the meeting offers. There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved with important industry-related developments while exploring new business contacts and growing relationships.

The IHEA Welcome Reception will kick off the event on the pool deck overlooking Lido Beach and the Gulf of Mexico. The program follows with relevant keynote sessions and committee meetings to discuss association business. Sprinkle in a more “laid back” annual president’s gala, a golf tournament and discovering local attractions, and it’s the perfect mix of business and pleasure. It’s a great way to keep current with industry trends and keep in touch with peers. A previous annual meeting attendee stated, “The IHEA Annual Meeting was thoughtfully structured; we learned a lot, made some new friends and business connections and had fun doing it!”

The beautiful resort is located on one of Florida’s best beaches, featuring soft white sand that stretches for miles. The resort is close to world-famous Siesta Key beach, often voted the best beach in the U.S. The Lido Beach Resort is also just minutes from the very popular St. Armand’s Circle, filled with restaurants and shops and accessible by resort shuttle or a short five-minute walk.

Complete meeting details and registration information can be found at www.ihea.org in early 2019. We hope to see you in Sarasota next April.

 

IHEA 2019 Annual Meeting To Coincide with 90th Anniversary Read More »

IHEA Report Suggests Continued Growth in 2019 Even with Severe Political Divide

The monthly Executive Economic Summary published by the Industrial Heating Equipment Association showed slowing growth in November. Nonetheless, the report suggests that the economy will continue to grow steadily in 2019 despite a moderation of growth rates.

Here are a few highlights from the report which is made available in its entirety to IHEA members each month:

IHEA Credit Movement, November 2018
IHEA Credit Movement, November 2018

Indexes moving up included:

  • Car and light truck sales have increased slightly. This index was expected to drop significantly earlier this year and never did.
  • Housing starts continued to grow but more slowly than in previous months.
  • Steel consumption continues to be strong.
  • Metal prices also remain steady or increasing.
  • Capital investment — up.
  • Credit index — also up.
IHEA Transportation, November 2018
IHEA Transportation, November 2018

Those indices that retreated include:

  • Capacity utilization. Still slightly below 80 which is where economists like to see it. Nonetheless, this number is still quite high compared to recent months.
  • Purchasing managers index also slipped but continues to show significant growth.
  • Durable goods orders — down
  • Factory goods orders — down
  • Transportation index — down

Although a number of indexes were down, almost all continue to show growth or slight levels of economic contraction.

The 12-page report dives deeply into the above 11 indexes dedicating a complete page to each index.

Ann Goyer, Executive Director of IHEA
Ann Goyer, Executive Director of IHEA

The complete report is available to IHEA member companies. To obtain a copy of the report, please contact Anne Goyer, Executive Vice President of the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (www.ihea.org). You can email Anne by clicking here.

IHEA Report Suggests Continued Growth in 2019 Even with Severe Political Divide Read More »

Tracking Results from the Systems Accuracy Test

 

Source: Global Thermal Solutions

The System Accuracy Test is performed on-site to ensure the accuracy of furnace controls and recorders across control zones, comparing the furnace temperature against a separate test instrument.

"It is very important to track the results from these tests since the information changes over time. When conducted properly, this simple test helps the heat treaters to take preventive actions and maintain a reliable temperature system." ~ Victor Zacarias

The above infographic (reproduced below) demonstrates how often to perform the SAT on furnace controls for processing parts for aerospace applications.

 

 

Read more: "How Often Is the System Accuracy Test Required?"

Tracking Results from the Systems Accuracy Test Read More »

Gas Fan Quench-Cooled Vacuum Hot Press Installed for Aerospace Service Supplier

The world’s first 100-ton vacuum hot press with gas fan quench cooling capability for up to a 4,000 pound part has recently been installed and is in operation at a commercial and aerospace diffusion bonding operation in Chandler, Arizona.

Refrac Systems selected Solar Manufacturing, part of the Solar Atmospheres family of companies and based in Souderton, Pennsylvania, to perform the installation and startup of a large 100-ton force vacuum hot press that includes a 2-Bar Gas Fan Quench cooling system (GFQVHP). The furnace hot zone was modified to contain 100-ton on load hydraulic ram centered over the zone which is configured to diffusion bond parts up to 36″ wide x 48″ long x 30″ tall. Besides being specifically designed to diffusion bond large plastic injection molding dies, and concurrently quench hardening them, the system is finding applications in bonding advanced superalloy heat exchangers where the quench cooling offers a significant improvement on performance.

“We really drew on the extensive engineering experience base that Solar Manufacturing has for building large gas fan quench cooled vacuum furnaces coupled with our own vacuum hot pressing experience to build this very unique hot press system,” said Norm Hubele, President of Refrac Systems. “Solar’s engineering team really helped out with a lot of great design ideas and manufacturing experience, and the system really contains the most robust and reliable furnace engineering content that both companies could muster.”

“Norm put together a team of engineers to design and build this state-of-the-art GFQVHP, and it contains many innovations,” said William Jones, CEO of Solar Atmospheres. “Throughout the entire process, Norm personally reviewed all aspects of the design and added considerable insight to the development of this unique vacuum furnace system.”

Gas Fan Quench-Cooled Vacuum Hot Press Installed for Aerospace Service Supplier Read More »

Heat Treat Tips: Quenching

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 Today101 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.

In today’s Technical Tuesday, we continue an intermittent series of posts drawn from the 101 tips. The category for this post is Quenching, and today’s tips–#8, #38, and #81–are from three different sources: Dan Herring,  “The Heat Treat Doctor®”, of The Herring Group; Combustion Innovations; and Super Systems, Inc. 


Heat Treat Tip #8

14 Quench Oil Selection Tips

Dan Herring,  “The Heat Treat Doctor®”, of The Herring Group

Here are a few of the important factors to consider when selecting a quench oil. 

  1. Part Material – chemistry & hardenability 
  2. Part loading – fixturing, girds, baskets, part spacing, etc. 
  3. Part geometry and mass – thin parts, thick parts, large changes in section size 
  4. Distortion characteristics of the part (as a function of loading) 
  5. Stress state from prior (manufacturing) operations 
  6. Oil type – characteristics, cooling curve data 
  7. Oil speed – fast, medium, slow, or marquench  
  8. Oil temperature and maximum rate of rise 
  9. Agitation – agitators (fixed or variable speed) or pumps 
  10. Effective quench tank volume 
  11. Quench tank design factors, including number of agitators or pumps, location of agitators, size of agitators, propellor size (diameter, clearance in draft tube), internal tank baffling (draft tubes, directional flow vanes, etc.), flow direction, quench elevator design (flow restrictions), volume of oil, type of agitator (fixed v. 2 speed v. variable speed), maximum (design) temperature rise, and heat exchanger type, size, heat removal rate in BTU/hr & instantaneous BTU/minute.
  12. Height of oil over the load 
  13. Required flow velocity through the workload 
  14. Post heat treat operations (if any) 

Submitted by Dan Herring,  “The Heat Treat Doctor®”, of The Herring Group.

Heat Treat Tip #38

Oil and Water Don’t Mix

Keep water out of your oil quench. A few pounds of water at the bottom of an IQ quench tank can cause a major fire. Be hyper-vigilant that no one attempts to recycle fluids that collect on the charge car.

Submitted by Combustion Innovations

Heat Treat Tip #81

Quench Oil Troubles

According to Super Systems, Inc., there are one of three problems to consider if your quench is just not cutting it. Although SSI focuses more on atmosphere control systems, when parts come out soft, the problem isn’t always the atmosphere – sometimes it’s the quench. Here are three things to consider regarding your quench:

  • First, check the composition of the quench media. Is it up to spec? Does it need to be refreshed?
  • Is the quench receiving adequate agitation to thoroughly quench the load?
  • Is the quench at the right temperature? If the bath is too warm when the load enters, quenching won’t go well!

Submitted by Super Systems, Inc.

 

Photo credit: Heat Treat Today FNA 2018; Super Systems, Inc.


If you have any questions, feel free to contact the expert who submitted the Tip or contact Heat Treat Today directly. If you have a heat treat tip that you’d like to share, please send to the editor, and we’ll put it in the queue for our next Heat Treat Tips issue. 

Heat Treat Tips: Quenching Read More »