Pioneer in Metallic 3D Printing in Aviation Acquires Airbus Spin-Off

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS

A German tier one supplier of metal components for Airbus aircraft recently acquired a 3D printing specialist which was founded as a spin-off of the Airbus Group.

APWORKS, located near Munich, Germany, was purchased from Airbus by Premium AEROTEC, which is located in Augsburg, Germany. This acquisition will allow APWORKS to focus on its objective to support clients in advancing in additive manufacturing-related areas, including prototyping, development, and distribution of the patented material Scalmalloy®, a high-strength aluminum alloy for additive manufacturing of components, and above all the development of qualified mass production applications.

Premium AEROTEC is a pioneer in the use of metallic 3D printing in aviation. As the first aviation supplier, the company has succeeded in integrating 3D printed titanium components into the aircraft structure.

“With the entry of Premium AEROTEC, we are taking a big step closer to our vision of industrial series production using AM technology,” said Joachim Zettler, managing director of APWORKS. “The goal is to combine APWORKS ‘highly dynamic approach to solving our customers’ AM issues with the decades of premium AEROTEC’s manufacturing experience to deliver the maximum value along the AM value chain to our customers across a broad range of industries.”

“Our investment creates a powerful link between Premium AEROTEC and APWORKS, which opens up all possibilities for additive manufacturing to current and future customers,” said Dr. Ing. Thomas Ehm, Chairman of the Board of Premium AEROTEC. “We want to actively promote APWORKS on its dynamic growth path. With our pioneering experience in metallic 3D printing and proven aerospace quality standards, we are the industrial reference for APWORKS ‘innovative ideas. ”

Through the merger of the two companies Premium AEROTEC and APWORKS, customers have access to currently eleven plants with a wide variety of materials, as well as the entire value-added chain for the reworking of components.

 

Photo Caption: Dr. Ing. Thomas Ehm, Chairman of Premium Aerotec’s Board of Directors, welcomes Joachim Zettler, CEO of APWorks, as a representative of the entire APWorks team. (L to R: Klaus-Peter Willsch MdB, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group Aerospace in the German Bundestag, Dr. Ing. Thomas Ehm, Franz-Josef Pschierer, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Joachim Zettler)

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Policy and Programs That Impact Manufacturers – What You Should Know

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

The ITPS and IFCS will bring together an impressive and diverse group of business leaders to help executives stay on top of the latest trends and innovations affecting their manufacturing operations. This two-day summit will feature two joint general sessions with a total of ten presentations addressing topics that appeal to all manufacturing executives, including:

TRUMP’s Washington: The New Normal?

Omar Nashashibi

Omar Nashashibi, Founder Partner, The Franklin Partnership

President Trump has kept his campaign promise to shake up Washington and it is anything but business as usual in the nation’s capital. Omar S. Nashashibi lobbies Congress, the White House, and federal agencies on behalf of manufacturing companies and other groups. This is your chance to hear directly from a Washington insider about the latest on trade, workforce training, regulations, and implementation of the new tax law, among other timely issues.

Manufacturing USA Initiatives: What They Are and How You Can Benefit

Thomas Kurfess, Ph.D., P.E.

Thomas Kurfess, Ph.D., P.E., HUSCO/Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid & Motion Control and Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Manufacturing USA is an initiative focused on coordinating public and private investments in emerging advanced manufacturing technologies that bring together industry, academia, and government partners to leverage existing resources, collaborate, and co-invest in advanced manufacturing innovation. Dr. Kurfess will provide an overview of these initiatives and how manufacturers can benefit from these efforts.

Why I’m Attending:

“ITPS gives me the opportunity to gather general high-level knowledge about the health and trends of my industry, combined with networking opportunities, in a nice atmosphere. I was satisfied with ITPS two years ago, and I’m looking forward to the event this year.”

Daniel Llaguno, President, Nutec Bickley

[button link=”www.itps-ifcs.com” size=”default” icon=”Select a Icon” side=”right” target=”blank” color=”b70900″ textcolor=”ffffff”]Register Now[/button] Save 25% with discount code ED25C.

Registration discounts are available for IHEA, CCAI, MTI, CECOF, JIFMA, VDMA, Electrocoat Association, and WiM members.

For complete Summit information, including hotel reservations and to register, visit ITPS/IFCS. Call 941-373-1830 with questions.

Heat Treat Today is proud to be a co-sponsor of this event.

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Aluminum Caster Expands Facility, Technology Capabilities, Including Heat Treatment

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

An aluminum casting producer in New Hampton, Iowa, announced ongoing plans to expand its plant and technical capabilities, including space to house expanded heat treatment operations, to keep up with growing demand. ATEK Metal Technologies ships thousands of aluminum castings each day and has recently completed a significant expansion of its metal casting, heat treatment and finished machining capabilities. The major building expansion is expected to be completed in December of 2018.

“We need additional plant space to support growth,” said Tom Christie, president of ATEK Metal Technologies. “The new building will allow us to consolidate our warehousing and shipping areas and make room on the plant floor for ongoing expansion of operations.”

On the technical side, the new robotic de-gating and deburring of castings operations will be operational in July 2018.

Tom Christie, president of ATEK Metal Technologies

“We added 40 percent to our low-pressure permanent mold casting capacity to keep up with our accelerating growth,” said Christie. “We also have added state-of-the-art precision machining capabilities to be able to provide our customers with cast and machined finished components.”

ATEK Metal Technologies supplies aluminum castings that meet specifications for motorsports, recreation, transportation and industrial markets industries. The entire plant expansion is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2018.

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Mercedes Selects Aluminum Provider for CLS Panels, Fenders

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

A global aluminum producer based in The Netherlands announced recently that it will be the primary supplier of aluminum auto body sheet for the new Mercedes model, which was released at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show and which entered the market in March 2018.

Dieter Höll, Constellium’s vice president Global Automotive

Constellium will provide the coils for the outer trunk lid panels and fenders of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Constellium’s Surfalex®, which offers high surface quality as well as specific hemming and roping properties, was selected by Mercedes for its lightweighting value.

“Constellium is proud to contribute to the new Mercedes-Benz CLS with our Surfalex® aluminium solutions. This new program reflects the strong relationship established over the years with our customer as we deliver aluminum solutions to all main Mercedes-Benz auto lines. Our commitment to innovation enables us to develop new alloys and solutions from the original model design phase to the start of production,” said Dieter Höll, Constellium’s vice president Global Automotive.

 

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Binder Removal in Vacuum Sintering

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, SINTERING POWDER METAL NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

 

Source: TAV: The Vacuum Furnaces Blog

 

Andrea Alborghetti, Technical Manager of TAV Vacuum Furnaces

Heat Treat Today previously posted Parts 1 and 2 of this series on vacuum sintering. Part 1 focused on the two processing steps of debinding and sintering. Part 2 addressed primarily the vacuum sintering furnace itself. This installment analyzes the process and variables involved with binder removal.

Andrea Alborghetti, technical manager of TAV Vacuum Furnaces and contributor to the company’s blog, provides an analysis of burning vs capturing binders, addressing advantages as well as problems that may arise and how to execute control in the process, as in this example:

“One thing that is worth clarifying is that the flames usually seen on the outlet of kilns that use combustible gases (hydrogen, for example) as the process gas, were not originally designed to burn the binder disassociation residues to reduce emissions to the legal limits. Rather, it is solely for disposing of the emitted hydrogen safely, thus avoiding hazardous, potentially explosive atmospheric concentrations being created outside of the kiln.”

Read more for further analysis of binder removal, including discerning the type of residue found with your process: “Perfect Vacuum Sintering Step by Step #3”

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Brazing Seminars Announced for Fall 2018

/ BRAZING, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Three-day brazing training seminars have been announced for the fall of 2018, one taking place in Spartanburg, South Carolina, September 25-27, and the other in Simsbury, Connecticut, November 13-15.

A Dan Kay Brazing Seminar in Maryland

These identical hands-on 3-day brazing-training programs sponsored by Kay & Associates and taught by Dan Kay will provide intensive training for both the novice and the veteran in all aspects of brazing, including correct brazing of aluminum, titanium, steels, super-alloys, as well as metals-to-ceramics, and will cover furnace, torch, induction, and dip brazing, and all BFMs (nickel, gold, silver, aluminum, titanium, and copper-based).

The 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. programs provide over twenty hours of intensive training and the opportunity for one-on-one applications support. Many samples are investigated in the hands-on training seminar, actual brazing demos are done in which each person can participate, and case-studies are presented and solved via group-interaction.

The seminars are targeted for anyone who impacts brazing operations, such as designers, owners and managers, engineers and supervisors, and production personnel.

Dan Kay (BMetEng, MBA), operates his own brazing consulting/training company and has been involved full-time in brazing for 45-years. He regularly consults in areas of vacuum and atmosphere brazing, as well as in torch (flame) and induction brazing.

To read more or to register, go here: www.kaybrazing.com.

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Aircraft Gearbox Manufacturer Expansion Includes Heat Treatment

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

A commercial and military aircraft gearbox manufacturer recently completed a 24,000 sq.ft. expansion at its site in Windsor, Connecticut, including vacuum carburized and hardened heat treatment capabilities, super finishing, balancing, and non-destructive testing.

Aero Gear, a global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of gears and gearbox assemblies for the aerospace industry, specializes in fixed and rotary wing aircraft, utilizing a proprietary Flow Line concept based on providing the best quality, shortest lead time, and reasonable cost by eliminating waste. The majority of the Lean Flow processing is conducted within a modern, climate controlled 69,000 sq.ft. facility; the new space will have a total of 100,000 sq.ft. with 175 employees, plus provide a lobby, conference room, offices, and manufacturing space for several new programs.

Doug Rose, founder of Aero Gear. (Photo Credit: Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer)
“In trying to meet the increased orders from our customers, it became obvious that additional people and machines were necessary, and the only way to accommodate this was through enlarging our physical space,” said Doug Rose, founder of Aero Gear. “Although we have clients around the world, the expansion demonstrates that we are committed to the long-haul in Connecticut.”

Rose points to the simultaneous growth of the commercial and military defense industries and their need for assembled gearboxes as an impetus for increased production. The power drive gear systems that Aero Gear makes for fixed and rotary wing aircraft require the highest quality precision engineering and manufacturing.

Aero Gear also is creating skilled employees through its training program. The company actively works with state community colleges to customize a curriculum to put graduates in the field immediately after graduation.

“Our goal is to utilize knowledge-based expertise to practical benefit so as masters of our trade, we are able to offer superior product development and support service whether for gearbox assemblies or individual gears,” said Rose. “This is an unprecedented era of growth for our industry and we are incredibly proud to be a key contributor.”

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Coatings Reduce Surface Temps, Firing Times for Kilns and Furnaces Alike

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

 

ThomasNet.com

 

Today’s best of the web features a video demonstration from the Crafts Center of North Carolina State University (NCUS), which recently released the results of the trial application of high-temperature ceramic coatings to the linings of kilns used at the center.

Cone 10 Gas Reduction Car Kiln at North Carolina State University Crafts Center

Jennifer Siegel Clay, studio manager at NCUS Crafts Center, summarizes the process of lining two kilns with coatings from ITC Coatings, which produces high-temperature ceramic coatings for kilns, forges, furnaces, ovens and metal equipment, first developed in 1980 in Alliance, Ohio, by Feriz Delkic, a ceramic engineer who was running his own pottery business at the time. ITC Coatings provides solutions to problems faced by industries with heat treatment processes such as steel, power generation, and petrochemical, as well as ceramic artists and home hobbyists all over the world.

The first kiln, a 50 cubic foot Cone 10 gas reduction car kiln was coated with ITC 100HT. The outside surface temp was reduced by 30+ dF and the firing time was reduced by 1 hour (28 hour firing). The second kiln, a Barrel Raku kiln, was coated with ITC 296A. The outside surface temperature was reduced by 50+ degrees F, firing time was reduced by half, and gas consumption was reduced by greater than one third. Siegel Clay refers to it as “armor for your kilns.”

 

Read more: “ITC Technical Ceramic Coatings Announces Data Results from North Carolina State University Product Installation” and “Kiln Application Results: Gas Consumption Reduced by More Than 30%”

Watch the video:

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15 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

15 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

  • D. Scott MacKenzie, PhD., Senior Research Scientist–Metallurgy at Houghton International, was elected by the International Federation of Heat Treating and Surface Engineering (IFHTSE) to serve as president for a two-year term. Dr. MacKenzie has been the ASM representative to IFHTSE Executive Committee since 2015 and was awarded ASM Fellow in 2007; he has also published over 150 publications and books, mainly in the field of heat treating and quenching.
  • A new generation of leadership takes over at Michigan-based, flat-rolled steel distributor Grand Steel Products Inc. Jim Barnett, retiring as president and COO, announced that his son, Michael Barnett, has assumed those roles, having started with the company in 2006 and overseeing growth through the purchase of an operations building in 2008, purchase and installation of a slitting line in 2011, and office renovations and additions in 2014. Michael also assisted in the formation of Barnett Industrial Properties and Grand Steel Transport, where he is a Partner. This year, Jim and Michael also added a new company within the same property of Grand Steel Products’ by adding Steel Testing Laboratory (STL).
  • ASM International recently announced that member John Storm, president and CEO of Contour Hardening Inc. (CHI), passed away on May 13, 2018, at the age of 63. "John helped pioneer work with dual frequency induction hardening to strengthen gears and shafts by creating a uniform hardened case pattern. In 1986 . . . he ventured out to co-found CHI with the goal of supplying the industry with innovative induction hardening systems. . . He holds over 200 U.S. and International patents on a variety of processes and applications."
  • The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) announced that R. Scott Kelley, president and CEO of Service Center Metals in Prince George, Virginia, was elected to serve as chairman of the Aluminum Extruders Council.  Mr. Kelley has been a member of the AEC Board of Directors since 2013 when he served as an Independent Extruder Director until he was elected to the Executive Committee in 2016 as Vice Chairman of the Council.
  • Gervais Jacques, Managing Director--Atlantic at Rio Tinto Aluminum, has been appointed Chair of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). As IAI Chair he succeeds Hilde Merete Aasheim, executive vice president of Hydro's Aluminum Metal business, at the end of her two-year tenure.
  • Mary Pernacciaro has been named Director of Quality Management Systems at Illinois-baesd ADVANCED Heat Treating Inc, overseeing maintenance and improvements within the company’s quality systems.
  • Gerdau S.A. recently announced that Chia Yuan Wang, currently the Supply Chain Vice-President in North America, was appointed as the new president for its North American Long Steel Operation, succeeding the CEO of Gerdau, Gustavo Werneck, who was temporarily serving in the position during the last three months. Wang has almost 30 years of experience at Gerdau and held several positions in Brazil, Canada, China, and the United States.
  • Germany’s leading engine manufacturer, MTU Aero Engines AG, recently announced the formation of a separate department, Additive Manufacturing, to explore conceptual designs of applications and constructions from a bionics viewpoint, push the development of the production technology forward, and industrialize the entire process chain. Dr. Jürgen Kraus has assembled a team of around 30 professionals from various technical disciplines: design engineers, structural mechanics engineers, process specialists, and operations scheduling experts.
  • GE Additive recently released an update to its Concept Laser M2 cusing and M2 cusing Multilaser machines to provide aerospace, automotive, medical customers with an increased level of productivity and reliability. The upgrades include a new gas flow system and a higher build chamber with a z-axis of 350 mm and newly designed heating.

Equipment Chatter

  • A two-zone walk-in temperature humidity cycling room was recently shipped by Tenney Environmental announced the shipment of a two- zone walk-in temperature humidity cycling room to replicate negative pressure housing conditions to test door locks during the design phase. In addition, Tenney announced shipment of a vacuum temperature space simulation system for the manufacturer of laser guidance modules for satellites and other space equipment that is used to assure precise locations of equipment while they are docking together.
  • A manufacturer of recreational vehicles recently received shipment of a gas-fired aluminum stack melting and holding furnace from Lindberg/MPH to provide additional melting capacity and efficiency for a new die casting machine installation. Lindbergh/MPH also recently announced shipment of a box furnace with retort to a laboratory in Canada to be used to test parts in a hydrogen atmosphere. The temperature range is 212°F to approximately 2200°F and the customer will run it at a maximum temperature of 1922°F.
  • A natural gas-fired enhanced duty walk-in furnace was recently manufactured for a transportation technology company by Wisconsin Oven Company to be used for heat treating baskets of aluminum parts. The heat-treating equipment has a maximum temperature rating of 600°F (315°C) and has sufficient capacity to heat 1,312 pounds (5,952 kg) of aluminum from 70°F (21°C) to 482°F (250°C) within 120 minutes when loaded into an ambient oven. Wisconsin Oven Company also manufactured a custom electrically heated enhanced duty walk-in oven for an aerospace parts manufacturer to be used for curing composites. The maximum operating temperature of this composite curing oven is 500°F.
  • An order for advanced tubes has been received by Sandvik Materials Technology from a company related to the energy segment.

Kudos Chatter

  • The Buehler Wilson® Reference Block Laboratory in Binghamton, New York, has achieved accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 by A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) for Rockwell, Knoop, Vickers, and Brinell hardness test blocks and indenters. A2LA is in full conformance with the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC), including ISO/IEC 17025. Buehler markets the reference blocks along with the Wilson hardness testers and DiaMet software globally.
  • The world’s largest independent Pratt & Whitney Canada authorized PT6A Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) with distribution rights on certain engine models, StandardAero, is celebrating its second anniversary as a chosen supplier of PT6A engine maintenance to business aircraft manufacturers Textron Aviation.

 

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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Indiana Steel Operations Changing Hands, Includes Galvanizing Line

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

An Indiana steelmaker recently acquired the flat roll operations of steel producer of hot roll coils, located in Terre Haute, Indiana, including the company’s continuous pickle line, a cold mill, and a galvanizing line.

Mark D. Millett, Steel Dynamics’ chief executive officer

Steel Dynamics, based in Fort Wayne, entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Companhia Siderurgica Nacional, LLC (“Heartland”) from CSN Steel, S.L.U., a whole owned subsidiary of Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN), which expands Steel Dynamics’ annual flat roll steel shipping capacity to 8.4 million tons. Future plans are to utilize the full capacity of the facility, providing high-quality cold roll, pickle and oil, and galvanized products.  The geographic proximity to Steel Dynamics’ other flat-roll operations and certain fabrication locations provide opportunities related to logistics and production efficiencies throughout the supply chain and customer network.

“In combination with our current operations, Heartland brings a tremendous amount of operating flexibility and optionality,” said Mark D. Millett, Steel Dynamics’ chief executive officer. “We look forward to welcoming the Heartland employees and customers into the Steel Dynamics family and working with them to drive future growth and success.”

Steel Dynamics produces steel products, including hot roll, cold roll, and coated sheet steel, structural steel beams and shapes, rail, engineered special-bar-quality steel, cold finished steel, merchant bar products, specialty steel sections and steel joists and deck.  In addition, the company produces liquid pig iron and processes and sells ferrous and nonferrous scrap.

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