Memory foam mattresses and pillows ease millions of restless sleepers through rough nights; perhaps tires made from shape-memory alloy will provide NASA’s Curiosity robot an easier ride across the rough terrain of Mars.
After years of research, NASA recently created a tire made of heat-treated nickel-titanium alloy that results in a woven-mesh metal which “remembers” and returns to its shape.
Matt Sand, president of 3DEO, discusses the pros and cons of laser sintering and bulk sintering as applied to the 3D printing industry with a particular emphasis on sustainability and low-cost technologies.
A definitive agreement to manufacture battery-grade graphite products at commercial scale has been reached between a major minerals processing company and a heating equipment supplier, both based in New York.
Micronized flake graphite hit the retail market.
Great Lakes Graphite and Ashland Advanced Materials drafted the definitive agreement earlier in this quarter under which Ashland will provide Great Lakes with up to 10,000 tons per year of graphite purification capacity in the initial start-up phase. A requirement to scale up further, to 50,000 tons per year of graphite purification capacity, is anticipated for the subsequent phase. Further, Great Lakes Graphite and Graphene Laboratories executed a distribution agreement at the end of November which will boost the availability of high-quality carbon products to customers.
Along with product, process, and technology development efforts geared towards preparing for large-scale manufacture of advanced carbon materials, Great Lakes is partnering with Ashland Advanced Materials in the development of a continuous furnace design that will significantly increase the efficiency of the purification process. Ashland brings over thirty years of expertise in the thermal purification of graphite to this effort.
Great Lakes Graphite reports that it has conveyed the updated anticipated requirements to their Brazilian supply partner to ensure there will be adequate capacity along the supply chain to achieve targeted manufacturing levels.
Micronized graphite products are used by customers in a wide variety of industries for a wide variety of applications that include composite materials, electronics, batteries, lubricants, coatings and friction products.
A challenge has been issued by the Affordable Lightweight Automobiles (ALLIANCE) industry group to innovators to present affordable lightweighting solutions in two categories: materials and manufacturing.
Major European automakers, including Daimler, Volvo, Opel, Toyota, Volkswagen, and CRF–the Research Center for Fiat Cars, together with automotive suppliers (Thyssenkrupp, Novelis, Batz,Benteler) and knowledge partners (Swerea, Inspire, Fraunhofer LBF, RWTH-IKA, KIT-IPEK, University of Florence, Bax & Company, Ricardo) — all of which make up the ALLIANCE — invite innovators to participate in this competition.
A major engineering solutions group recently inaugurated a high-tech axle production facility in Toledo, Ohio, where the company will be able to provide support to automakers throughout the geographic region, but particularly those with light-vehicle programs, such as the Jeep Wrangler.
In addition to shoring up its passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway markets, Dana Incorporated expects the 300,000 sq. ft. facility to be supporting four vehicle programs and employing more than 350 people by 2020.
While the site of the new Dana facility was initially home to Willys-Overland Motors, which developed the original Jeep, the new Jeep Wrangler will be manufactured less than three miles away at FCA US LLC’s Toledo Assembly Complex.
“The investment in this new manufacturing facility supports Dana’s global growth and serves as the latest example of our commitment to the greater Toledo area, which has been our home for nearly 90 years,” said James Kamsickas, Dana president and CEO. “It is an honor for Dana to return manufacturing to the same historic site where Toledo’s automotive industry began more than a century ago.”
Bob Pyle, president, Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies
“Our new Toledo facility will integrate Dana’s best global manufacturing practices and advanced operating systems. The plant’s products will feature Dana’s latest technologies, and the location – in close proximity to our customers and our World Headquarters and Maumee Technology Center – will benefit our customers, employees, and shareholders,” said Bob Pyle, president, Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies.
Global aluminum producer Aleris recently announced the opening of its aluminum automotive body sheet production facility in Lewisport, Kentucky, which includes heat treatment and finishing capabilities, as well as a wide cold mill, and two continuous annealing lines. The company, which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, launched the project in 2014 in response to the automotive industry’s demand for broader aluminum use in the production of lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Lewisport facility began shipping automotive products to customers in November.
Lewisport is Aleris’s first site in North America that is equipped with aluminum auto body sheet finishing capabilities and houses an automotive innovation center, which includes a state-of-the-art research and development center in Detroit.
“The opening of our new automotive facility in Kentucky marks the completion of a significant piece of our strategic realignment, which includes expanding our capacity and capabilities to serve the automotive industry and other high-value end uses,” said Aleris Chairman and CEO Sean Stack. “As an experienced supplier to automotive manufacturers in Europe, we look forward to partnering with customers more closely now in North America to bring them the most advanced auto body sheet products in the industry.”
Due to an improper heat treating process at a supplier, Honda is recalling 5,404 model-year 2017 Civic 2-door and 4-door vehicles equipped with 1.5-liter engines and automatic (CVT) transmissions in the United States to inspect, and, if needed, replace the right driveshaft, free of charge. Honda has received no customer reports related to this issue, which was discovered during routine quality checks at the factory.
Tthe right driveshafts in these vehicles may break if they are from affected production lots. If a driveshaft breaks, the vehicle will lose drive power when driving or may roll away when parked without the parking brake engaged, each increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will inspect the driveshafts in the recalled vehicles to determine if they are from affected production lots, and, if so, replace them for free.
Honda is announcing this recall to encourage owners of affected vehicles to take them to an authorized dealer as soon as possible for inspection and potential repair. Mailed notification to owners of affected vehicles will occur in early-December 2017. Owners of 2017 Civics can also determine if their vehicles require repair now by visiting www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (888) 234-2138.
Multiple transactions involving the contracting, purchasing, selling, shipment and delivery of heat treat systems, equipment, or services have taken place over the past several weeks; here are some we hope will be of interest to Heat TreatToday readers.
(Automotive Heat Treat News) A Chinese steel manufacturer of parts for the automotive industry, Baosteel's Zhanjiang integrated steel production complex, opened with Fives' Stein Digiflex furnaces for a 700kt/yr continuous annealing line and a 270kt/yr galvanizing line for a 1,550mm wide cold rolling mill.
(Manufacturing Heat Treat News) Spanish heavy industry manufacturer Forjas Iraeta Heavy Industry, S.L. (GRI Group), contracted a 30 ton/hour walking beam furnace to add to an existing flange production mill. German metals SMS Group launched the project, which is to install furnace technology for proper and optimal reheating of a wide range of products: the charge will include blooms from 200 to 500 millimeters square and round blooms from 300 to 700 millimeters in diameter, in lengths between three and five meters.
The SMS-Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co Ltd project team at the contract signing ceremony for the new galvanizing line.
(Manufacturing Heat Treat News) In addition, SMS Group recently received a contract for a continuous hot-dip galvanizing line for high-strength steel grades to be supplied to Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., China. This is the sixth strip processing line to be installed in this works on Caofeidian Island, a man-made island offshore the Chinese province of Hebei. The line will produce 360,000 tons of hot-dip galvanized steel strip, including high-strength grades with tensile strengths of up to 1,350 MPa.
(Manufacturing Heat Treat News) Two electrically heated Pacemaker integral quench furnaces have been shipped by Lindberg/MPH, based in Riverside, Michigan, to be used for carburizing and hardening applications.
(Manufacturing Heat Treat News) Lindberg/MPH has also shipped to an electronic components manufacturer a 1200°F single-zone tube furnace to be used for annealing, ashing, carbon firing, ceramic firing, hardening, sintering, solution treating, stress relieving, and other heat treating applications.
(Aerospace Heat Treat News) Lindberg/MPH announced the shipment of an electrically heated gas nitriding pit furnace for a leading aerospace supplier. The pit furnace system performs a two-stage nitriding process to achieve high surface hardness on A11 and H13 steel parts.
(Manufacturing Heat Treat News) An electrically heated, steam atmosphere, pit furnace has been shipped by Lindberg/MPH to an engineered components manufacturer. The equipment will be used with a steam generator for steam treating tools steels.
(Automotive Heat Treat News) An automotive supplier is the recipient of a fourth Lindberg/MPH transaction, a multi-chamber, electrically heated hot stamping furnace to be used to preheat steel blanks for hot stamping structural automotive components.
(Automotive Heat Treat News) Can-Eng Furnaces recently completed commissioning an electrically heated furnace line addition to a leading bearing manufacturer’s existing production line. Responsible for producing planet shafts and pump vane products, the line now features a compact 1,000 lb/hr atmosphere temper and soluble oil system for rust prevention.
(Automotive Heat Treat News) A Montreal-based manufacturer of advanced plasma processes received an order for the sale of a second DROSRITE™ Furnace System to a North American automobile parts manufacturer. PyroGenesis Canada Inc. developed the patented salt-free, cost-effective, sustainable process for maximizing metal recovery from dross, a waste generated in the metallurgical industry.
Heat TreatToday finds the robust activity of heat treatment equipment sales and acquisitions an exciting topic to report on and would be interested in your supplier news tips. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to readers of Heat TreatToday to the editor at editor@heattreattoday.com.
Left to Right: Cristóbal Fuentes, CEO of North American Stainless; Bernardo Velázquez, CEO of Acerinox; Matt Bevin, Governor of Kentucky; Rafael Miranda, Acerinox Chairman of the Board
A Ghent, Kentucky, steel production facility recently welcomed a Spanish delegation and state officials to the launch of its 11th expansion since 1990. The project, which was announced in March 2015, includes a new $150 million bright annealing line and a cold rolling mill.
The first set of twin furnaces working on a single pumping station have recently been developed and commissioned to a leading designer and manufacturer of vacuum furnaces for the heat treatment of metal parts.
BMI, a Tenova company, headquartered in Lyon, France, commissioned the B54R-TWIN – vacuum furnaces for tempering – to meet the customer’s specific request for equipment that optimizes energy consumption.
During a heat treatment cycle of the B54R-TWIN, the pumping phase lasts only 30 minutes. Therefore, it is more efficient to use only one pumping group for two furnaces, working alternatively on one furnace or the other. This not only reduces electricity consumption but also minimizes the maintenance costs of the pumps.
Earlier in this quarter, Tenova announced key contracts from Chinese steel producers for six electrical arc furnaces (EAF) Consteel® Evolution in response to Chinese steelmaking industries converting their steel shops plants with EAF technology. In order to improve the reduction rate of CO2 emissions promoted by Chinese government, Chinese steelmakers are starting to increase the share of electrical steel production in comparison to manufacturing using blast or basic oxygen furnaces.
