The Future is Here. How Will it Impact Your Business?

/ HEAT TREAT ECONOMIC NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS

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A must-attend event for thermprocess and industrial finishing & coatings executives, ITPS/IFCS will provide a unique platform for industry intelligence and collaboration. This two-day Summit will feature two joint general sessions with a total of ten presentations addressing topics of crucial importance to all manufacturing leadership, including:

 

Factories of the Future: What Does the Future Workforce Look Like?
Dr. Irene Petrick, Market Innovation Director, Industrial Solutions Div./Internet of Things Group, Intel Corporation

Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things, the Fourth Manufacturing Revolution, Artificial Intelligence – these terms have quickly become standard manufacturing terminology, but exactly how do they impact your business and your workforce? Dr. Petrick will address what manufacturers can expect on the factory floor as well as changes to their workforce as these once-ideological concepts become today’s reality.

 

 

Trends in Additive Manufacturing
Todd Grimm, Founder and President, T.A. Grimm & Associates, Inc.

The hottest and likely fastest growing industrial technology over the past several years, Additive Manufacturing (AM) pops up in virtually every conversation about advanced manufacturing. AM expert Todd Grimm will offer insights on trends, metal and non-metal applications, and their impact on manufacturing that will assist thermprocessing and finishing business leaders in devising a strategy to leverage, or counter, AM’s impact.

 

 

 

Why I'm Attending: 
“This event is uniquely valuable in the thermal processing and finishing industries to C-level or equivalent people. I’ve found the 2-3 days to be an excellent opportunity to keep up with the latest “mega-trends” and as a refreshing time for thinking outside the box and making exceptionally valuable industry contacts.”

Doug Glenn, Publisher and Editor
Heat Treat Today

 

[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.
To register, or for complete Summit information, including hotel reservations and registration, visit www.itps-ifcs.com.
Please call 941-373-1830 with questions.

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The Pros and Cons of Gas and Ion (Plasma) Nitriding

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, NITRIDING TECHNICAL CONTENT

 

Source: AHTcorp.com

 

The compound zone acts as a ceramic skin protecting the metal underneath from corrosion. (Photo credit: Advanced Heat Treat Corp)

Engineers considering the advantages and disadvantages of surface treatments typically have a usable lifespan, surface hardness, and fatigue strength in mind. As a process, both gas and ion (plasma) nitriding avoid the issues involved with coatings and achieve similar metallurgical properties, and the compound zone increases corrosion resistance. But what are other areas in which the two processes can be compared, and what are their differences? It’s good to know, particularly since the latter could significantly make a direct impact on the end product.

Jacob McCann, a process metallurgist with AHT Corp., provides a specific list of pros and cons of gas nitriding and ion (plasma) nitriding in our Technical Tuesday feature for today.

 

Read more: “Gas and Ion (Plasma) Nitriding: What’s the Difference?”

Photo credit: Advanced Heat Treat Corp

 

 

The Pros and Cons of Gas and Ion (Plasma) Nitriding Read More »

PA Heat Treater Expands Production Capability with UBQ, UBT Furnaces

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

A precision parts heat treating company based in western Pennsylvania recently invested in a universal batch quench (UBQ) integral quench furnace and two 1400°F gas fired UBT temper furnaces for their headquarters facility.

Peters’ Heat Treating, Inc., located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, announced that the new furnace equipment, purchased from industrial furnace manufacturer AFC-Holcroft, will be integrated into an existing complete UBQ furnace line purchased previously from the Michigan-based Aichelin Group company. This equipment acquisition increases the gross load capacity of the existing line by an additional 3,500 pounds and will expand the company’s ability to service the aerospace, automotive, medical and energy sectors. Peters’ Heat Treating has also invested in a new 1400°F gas fired UBT temper furnace for one of their three locations in the tristate region, in McKean, Pennsylvania.

Historically known for their specialization in vacuum heat treating, the company has made significant investments in furnace technology to expand their production capability and gain entry into new markets. This latest UBQ furnace will interface with existing tempering furnaces, spray-dunk washer, automated transfer car and an EZ™ Series endothermic gas generator and other companion equipment. With the AFC-Holcroft equipment expansion, Peters’ has dramatically increased their capacity for oil hardening and carburizing. Processing capabilities include vacuum processing, neutral hardening, carburizing, gas nitriding, cryogenics, annealing, stress relieving, black oxide coating, induction processing, sandblasting, integrated straightening, and metallurgical testing.

 

PA Heat Treater Expands Production Capability with UBQ, UBT Furnaces Read More »

Casthouse Expansion in Czech Republic Includes Heat Treating Processes

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

An Amsterdam-based producer of aluminum semi-products recently expanded its casthouse capacity with the purchase of a continuous homogenizing plant, including a helical ultrasonic testing station and billet saw for aluminum extrusion billets.

Paul Warton, president of Constellium’s Automotive Structures and Industry business unit

Constellium Extrusions, which customizes aluminum extrusions primarily for automotive and industrial applications, placed the order for the new furnace for its Dĕčín, Czech Republic, facility with Hertwich Engineering, an SMS group company. With this added capacity, the plant will broaden its product portfolio to include sections for Crash Management Systems and for new aluminum applications for hybrid and electric vehicles.  With a capacity of nine tons per hour, the new homogenizing furnace is considerably larger and more powerful than the plant for three tons per hour delivered in 2016. It is scheduled to go into operation in the first half of 2019.

The Dĕčín plant is part of the multinational Constellium network and is one of the leading manufacturers of aluminum extrusion products in Europe. The plant is particularly important as an integrated manufacturer and processor of hard and soft alloys as well as a supplier of extruded, partially drawn tubes, bars, seamless and non-seamless profiles. The increasing demand, especially from the automotive industry, has prompted Constellium to expand the Dĕčín plant in several investment stages.

The new homogenizing capacities are part of the current program, which is aimed at expanding extrusion capacity. For this purpose, a further extrusion plant including a casthouse is planned, for which Hertwich will supply the entire heat treatment in the form of a continuous homogenizing furnace.

 “As the auto industry increasingly turns to lightweight, high-strength aluminum, Constellium’s expansion in Decin will support rising demand for hard and soft alloy profiles and bars from automotive customers across Europe,” said Paul Warton, president of Constellium’s Automotive Structures and Industry business unit. “This new activity is expected to increase Decin’s total extrusion capacity to 96,000 metric tons per year.”

Casthouse Expansion in Czech Republic Includes Heat Treating Processes Read More »

10 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

10 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

You don't want to miss out on the latest news from your fellow heat treaters, suppliers, or specialists! That's whereHeat Treat Today's News Chatter feature can come in handy, highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Personnel and Company Chatter

  • Edwards Vacuum, a leading manufacturer of vacuum and abatement solutions which offers heat treating, recently broke ground on a new 75,000 square foot Technology Innovation Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, to serve as the U.K.-based company's North American semiconductor headquarters.
  • A joint project between global steel producer The SMS Group and Arkansas Northeastern College will result in the opening of the Arkansas Steelmaking Academy (ASA), to be housed in the College's Center for Allied Technology, which is slated to open in August 2018 with ASA offerings to begin in 2019.
  • Mariya Trickett, who serves as senior vice president of Human Resources for Dana Corporation was recently honored as one of the Top 15 Business Women by the Ohio Diversity Council, recognizing outstanding women in leadership who are respected, successful leaders within their organization.

Equipment Chatter

  • A Tier 1 automotive supplier recently purchased batch ovens custom engineered for aging aluminum structural components. Epcon Industrial Systems manufactures indirect gas-fired aluminum aging oven systems for the automotive and aerospace parts manufacturers and supplied the units.
  • Lindberg/MPH announced the recent shipment of an electrically heated rod overbend atmosphere box furnace to the aerospace industry. The box furnace has a maximum temperature rating of 2000°F and work chamber dimensions of 24" wide x 36" deep x 24ʺ high and will perform a heat treatment on parts within the work chamber under a reducing atmosphere generated from a nitrogen methanol panel.
  • A Midwest U.S. titanium manufacturer and fabricator recently received shipment of a large horizontal front loading vacuum furnace designed for processing titanium alloys for the aerospace, medical, and other industries. Fully compliant to aerospace specification AMS2750E, the furnace, supplied by Solar Manufacturing, includes a molybdenum shielded hot zone and heating elements, with a work zone size of 54" (1.37m) wide x 54" (1.37m) high x 144" (3.66m) deep and a weight capacity of 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg), and is capable of precise temperature control up to 2400° F (1316° C).
  • A special universal air flow oven from Grieve Corporation, the No. 1043, a 500°F (260°C), has been delivered to a customer to be used to post-cure hose lengths. Workspace dimensions measure 12” W x 30” D x 12” H.

Kudos Chatter

  • Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. was named the 2018 Powertrain Supplier of the Year at the FCA US LLC Supplier of the Year awards at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit last month. Hitchiner was one of 16 companies recognized by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles at the annual awards for quality and excellence.
  • AK Steel Research and Innovation employees Yu-Wei Wang, Feng Zhu, Wei Wu, Panagiotis Makrygiannis, and Chao Pu were recognized with the Team Award by the Auto/Steel Partnership for their innovation and collaboration in developing pre-competitive solutions enabling steel execution in future vehicles. The award selections were based on project work completed in 2017 and were unanimously chosen by the Auto/Steel Partnership’s Joint Policy Council. Through the Auto/Steel Partnership, automakers and steel companies collaborate to drive improvements through projects focused on new steels, manufacturing processes and design challenges, including steel lightweighting solutions.
  • Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) announce that all four of its facilities (both Waterloo, Iowa locations, Monroe, MI, and Cullman, AL ) have recently gone through the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) 16949 automotive transition audit and have become IATF 16949 certified. IATF 16949 is the automotive Quality Management System developed by the “Big Three” automotive companies. It was recently updated from ISO/TS 16949 due to a change in the ISO 9001 Standard.

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.

 

10 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current Read More »

World’s First Carbon-free Aluminum Smelting Process Developed in Joint Venture

/ ALUMINUM PROCESSING NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

An Australian-British metals and mining corporation based in London in conjunction with a Pittsburgh-based aluminum producer recently announced an innovative process to make aluminum that produces oxygen and eliminates all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional smelting process.

The new venture between Rio Tinto and Alcoa Corporation, known as Elysis, to develop the process and license the technology so that it can be used to retrofit existing smelters or build new facilities. Elysis will be headquartered in Montreal with a research facility in Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.

Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques

When fully developed and implemented, it will eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions from the smelting process and strengthen the closely integrated Canada-United States aluminum and manufacturing industry. The patent-protected technology, developed by Alcoa, is currently producing metal at the Alcoa Technical Center, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the process has been operating at different scales since 2009.

“This is a revolutionary smelting process that can deliver a significant reduction in carbon emissions. It builds on the key role aluminum has to play in driving human progress, by making products infinitely recyclable, stronger, lighter and more fuel efficient,” said Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques.

Vincent Christ, who brings more than 30 years’ experience at Rio Tinto Aluminium, has been named Chief Executive Officer of Elysis.

 

Photo credit and caption: Rio Tinto; employee at the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean works

World’s First Carbon-free Aluminum Smelting Process Developed in Joint Venture Read More »

UK Heat Treater Joins Trade Mission to Poland to Explore Aerospace Options

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

 

Source: BQLive.com

 

A group of aerospace firms or suppliers from the UK’s Midlands, including a heat treating company, recently traveled to Rzeszow, Poland, which has the largest aerospace cluster within the country, on a trade mission to tour local factories and explore potential partnerships.

 

Read more: “First Joint Aerospace Sector Trade Mission Visits Poland”

Photo credit: Express.com

UK Heat Treater Joins Trade Mission to Poland to Explore Aerospace Options Read More »

Heat Treatment Integral to New Alum Facility in Kentucky

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

Heat treatment processes are among the operations planned at an automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Kentucky, where a gathering of business and government officials celebrated a groundbreaking this week.

Steve Fisher, president & CEO, Novelis Inc.

Representatives from Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, were joined by local and state officials to recognize the investment of a 400,000 square foot, $305 million facility that will create approximately 125 jobs and produce annual nameplate capacity of 200,000 metric tons. The facility will include heat treatment and pre-treatment lines for use in vehicle parts such as body-in-white, hoods, doors, lift gates and fenders. Novelis will begin producing automotive aluminum at the site in 2020.

“The increased adoption of aluminum in cars, trucks and SUVs, coupled with more automotive manufacturing plants in the southeast makes Guthrie a strategic location to serve our customers,” said Steve Fisher, president and CEO, Novelis Inc. “With the strong, highly-skilled workforce in Kentucky, we believe our culture and commitment to building a sustainable world together will have a lasting and positive impact on this community.”

The significant positive impact of tax reform in the U.S. reinforces Novelis’ decision to expand at this time. A favorable economic environment has enabled Novelis to recently finalize key contracts totaling approximately $60 million for engineering plans, site preparation and state-of-the-art equipment for the greenfield facility. Senator Rand Paul, Congressman James Comer, Governor Matt Bevin and Senator Mitch McConnell’s staff were present at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Paul Banks, a 25-year veteran of the aluminum rolling industry, will oversee the project as Plant Manager, having previously served as Unit Manager at Logan Aluminum, a Novelis joint venture in nearby Russellville, Kentucky.

Heat Treatment Integral to New Alum Facility in Kentucky Read More »

Tester Detects, Determines Temperature Boundaries for Heat-Treated NiTi Martensite-to-Austenite

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

A new testing device has been introduced by an Israeli precision laser specialist group that can determine the Start and Finish Af (martensite-to-austenite transformation) temperatures for each of several devices, of different shapes at the same time.

The noncontact Af tester (NCAT), a novel bent and free-recovery device, was recently unveiled by ANV Laser of Petah Tikva, Israel.

The NCAT’s proprietary image processing software automatically detects the boundary of each of the fully annealed or heat-treated nickel titanium items placed in the chilled test tray.

Prior to the testing process, the nickel-titanium test specimen is cooled to its nominally fully martensitic phase, then is deformed by bending, and finally is heated to its fully austenitic phase while the motion (recovery) of the specimen is measured and plotted against the temperature.

The NCAT’s proprietary image processing software automatically detects the boundary of each of the fully annealed or heat-treated nickel titanium items placed in the chilled test tray. In the user-friendly graphic interface, the tester easily deletes any non-item artifacts that were detected, and then chooses – per object — the area detection method for the test, such as inscribed or described circle, parallel lines, object boundary, and so on.

The tester then defines, for each object, the minimum and maximum boundaries for Area (to be plotted on the Y axis) and Temp (to be plotted on the X axis). The tester can also determine the rate of heating that will be generated by the NCAT’s unique heating mechanism. When satisfied with all parameters, the tester initiates the test and an Area/Temp graph is plotted for each object.

When the temperature reaches the user-defined end-temperature, the test stops automatically. The test plot for each item can be saved as a report that shows its Area/Temp graph and the calculated StartAF and FinishAF temperatures.

 

Tester Detects, Determines Temperature Boundaries for Heat-Treated NiTi Martensite-to-Austenite Read More »

A Heat Treater’s Primer on Getter Materials

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

 

Source: VAC AERO International

 

A common dilemma for operators of vacuum systems is to protect the integrity and maintain the life expectancy of components when the presence of unwanted gaseous contaminates threatens to destroy the sensitive materials in the processing environment. Getter materials are the MVPs that step up to the plate to protect work in a low-pressure vacuum environment.

Table 1 [1] Getter Capacity of Common Materials
The folks at VAC AERO International have provided a primer on getter materials which answers the heat treater’s questions, such as:

  • What is a getter?
  • What are the properties of getter materials?
  • What materials are best as getters for most heat-treating applications? What about for more sophisticated applications?
  • What are non-evaporative getters, and what role do they play?

“For heat treaters, getters are often considered a last resort to help keep parts ‘bright and clean’. In point of fact, they play an important role in successful vacuum processing of many highly sophisticated products and materials. As a result, we need to do a better job of understanding their role; how and where they can help.”

 

Photo Credit and caption: Titanium Discs used as a Getter Material in Brazing of Oxidation Sensitive Components – (Photograph Courtesy of California Brazing, Newark, CA)

A Heat Treater’s Primer on Getter Materials Read More »