Aerospace
Automotive
Medical
Energy
Manufacturing
Source: Thermal Processing for Gear Solutions
“The coupling of CFD and heat treatment analyses provides a more robust application of computer modeling to predict the latent heat release, distortion, and residual stresses during the quench hardening process.”
Coupling CFD and Oil Quench Hardening Analysis of a Gear Component Read More »
Bodycote, the world’s largest thermal processing services provider, is pleased to announce that its new plant in Greenville, South Carolina is open for business. The facility is now ready to process metal and alloy parts that require brazing or vacuum heat treating services.
The new Greenville facility primarily serves the Southeast region’s manufacturers and their supply chains in the aerospace, defence, energy and medical industries. The plant is expected to receive Nadcap accreditation by the end of 2016, offering quality assurance based on stringent auditing standards for the aerospace and defence industries. Bodycote intends to offer additional services from the facility in the future in response to customer demand.
This investment is part of Bodycote’s further expansion in the Southeast USA. Bodycote is committed to offering world-class heat treating and specialist technology services and is investing in improvements as part of an ongoing strategy to provide the best possible capabilities, mix and geographical network to better serve customers.
Bodycote Greenville Open for Business Read More »
Source: ETMM The Website
“One look at the back of the part told me it was filled with one sub-gate (see Figure 2). In the US at the time, we were trying to pack out this type of speaker grill with 12-drop systems, which resulted in poor fill and a lot of stress in the piece. In Japan, mouldmakers were using a mould material developed to enhance venting. This was a steel manufactured with interconnecting pores so the gas could pass through the seemingly solid piece of metal. To make this steel, powder metal was combined with metal fibers for added strength, cold-pressed into master blocks measuring 215 by 300 by 650 mm, sintered and heat-treated to 35 HRC. It was available with average pore diameter of either 7 or 20 microns; porosity averaged 25 percent of the mass of the block. Other materials available at the time ranged from porous ceramics to sintered porous vent buttons.”
Read More: The Potential of Enhanced Venting Materials by Tom Schade
Heat Treating Involved in Production of Speakers Read More »
Source: Heat Processing
Enhancing Energy Efficiency of Thermochemical Vacuum-Processes and Systems Read More »
On July 12, 2016, the Austrian AICHELIN Group acquired US-based Atmosphere Group, holding company of AFC-Holcroft. The two groups are a perfect fit: Both are leading market players with a long-standing history and state-of-the-art technologies and services in the industrial area of heat treatment solutions. AICHELIN Group – with its manufacturing companies AICHELIN, EMA Indutec, SAFED, BOSIO and Noxmat – is a leading provider of high-quality plants and systems. AFC-Holcroft is the US market leader in the production of industrial furnace equipment for ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Other main companies of Atmosphere Group are Atmosphere Heat Treating and Austemper Inc. Until now, Atmosphere Group was privately held. The parties agreed not to disclose details and the price of the transaction.
The acquisition complements the geographic presence of AICHELIN Group and strengthens the Group’s overall market position as one of the leading global heat treatment groups. The AICHELIN Group is now the largest provider of Atmosphere furnaces world-wide. With a strong presence in Europe, North America and Asia, the joint annual turnover generated by 1,100 employees amounts to over EUR 195 million (2015). The group operates a network in 32 countries.
“This is a major step in AICHELIN Group’s strategy of building a global, dynamic group of companies specializing in heat treatment solutions”, says AICHELIN Group’s CEO Peter Schobesberger. “With AFC-Holcroft as a member of our Group, we further evolve into a truly global company with strong local roots in the most important markets. We have an excellent, complementary geographical footprint and will further strengthen our leading positions.” Bill Disler, CEO of AFC-Holcroft, adds: “AFC-Holcroft celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. With AICHELIN Group as our new owner, we are sure to combine our long-standing traditions with an innovative future. AFC-Holcroft will benefit from being embedded into a family of strong global companies and brands.”
Extended product portfolio and services for customers AICHELIN Group’s business model covers all stages of the lifecycle: From design, engineering, manufacturing and installation at customer sites to comprehensive maintenance and spare part services. By combining the networks of AICHELIN Group and AFC-Holcroft, customers will get the best of two worlds: An enlarged, high quality product portfolio as well as a process innovative, world-wide service network. “Together, we have an ideal position to service our customers in the best possible way. They can benefit from our extended project capabilities and the most reliable technology of three continents. Additionally, we will continue to focus on innovation and exploit all our joint possibilities”, says Schobesberger.
As the next step, a process will start to integrate AFC-Holcroft and its sister companies into AICHELIN Group’s network in the coming months. AFC-Holcroft’s headquarters will remain in Wixom, Michigan. The current top management stays in place and most customers will keep their key account managers.
“We want to play an active role in the consolidation of the heat treatment market. We aim at joint growth and a sustainable profitability, for the benefit of our customers, stakeholders and employees”, closes CEO Schobesberger.
AICHELIN Group Acquires AFC-Holcroft, a US Market Leader in Heat Treatment Solutions Read More »
Source: Heat Processing On-Line
Walking Beam Furnace Energy Savings: New Skid Pipe Insulation Concept Read More »
“Lightweight metals leader Alcoa (NYSE:AA) today announced a long-term contract with Embraer – the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats – valued at approximately $470 million. Under the multiyear agreement, Alcoa will supply aluminum sheet and plate for Embraer’s new E2s, the second generation of its E-Jets family of commercial aircraft, a narrow-body medium-range jet airliner. The Embraer E-Jets E2 were launched at the Paris Airshow in 2013 and are scheduled to enter into service in 2018.
“Our partnership with Embraer is rooted in constant innovation and this contract is further proof of that strength,” said Mark Vrablec, President of Alcoa’s Aerospace & Automotive Products business. “Our patented alloys enable us to support our customer’s game-changing E2 program, and we’re proud that Alcoa will fly with Embraer.”
Embraer chose Alcoa’s proprietary alloys for the E2 due to the combination of strength, corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance that they offer.
“Alcoa offers a good combination of technical expertise and industry leading material and capabilities,” said Fernando Queiroz, Embraer Vice President, Supply Chain. “Embraer designed the E-Jets E2 commercial aircraft to be the best in its segment and to do that, we needed the best material in the business, and Alcoa offers the best solution.”
According to Embraer, the market segment that the new E2 program was designed to serve is projected to require 6,350 new aircraft over the next 20 years. In addition, Embraer also stated that it has more than 50 percent market share by orders with the current E-Jet and expects to maintain similar levels with the new E-Jets E2 aircraft.
The long-term agreement makes Alcoa sole supplier to Embraer for proprietary wing skins and fuselage sheet on the E2 line of jets. Other Alcoa plate products, used in key applications such as wing ribs, fuselage frames and other structural parts of the aircraft, are also part of the contract and will be featured on the E2 as well as Embraer’s KC-390 military transport aircraft and executive jets.
Alcoa has developed most of the aluminum aerospace alloys to ever take flight, and every major new aircraft program incorporates Alcoa’s product innovations. The Alcoa/Embraer partnership draws on the aerospace manufacturing capabilities of Alcoa’s Global Rolled Products business, supplying Embraer from its plants in Davenport, Iowa, and Kitts Green, United Kingdom.
Alcoa products can also be found on other parts of the E2 aircraft: the state-of-the-art Pratt & Whitney PurePower® engine. Alcoa already supplies key parts for the PurePower® engines, including the forging for the first ever aluminum fan blade.”
Alcoa Awarded Multi-year, $470 Million Contract with Embraer Read More »
Source: mdtmag.com
Heat treatment standards are stricter in the aerospace industry than in the medical industry where lives are on the line. This doesn’t make sense and something is being done about it.
Click here to read more about how Bob Hill, President of Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania believes the medical industry could benefit from adopting quality standards from the aerospace industry.
Author: Bob Hill, President, Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania
What the Medical Industry Can Learn from the Aerospace Industry Read More »
Source: MoldMaking Technology
“The process of building conformal cooling inserts can be generally broken up into four steps: 1) simulating the molding process, 2) insert design and optimization, 3) 3D direct metal laser melting, and 4) post processing. Simulation software in the first step allows tool designers to visualize flow capabilities and thermal properties that can cause mold deformation prior to actual production. Cavity block or core block inserts then can be designed with conformal water lines in place, based on simulation results. The layer-by-layer 3D-printing that comes next not only can be completed in a number of materials that match conventional tool steels, but the resulting built-in channels will exhibit outstanding geometric flexibility. Post-processing tasks include stress relief and heat treatment, using EDM to machine the part from its platform base, polishing the part surface, adding water lines, and inspection.”
Read More: Reshaping Moldmaking by Lou Young
Heat Treatment Used in Building Conformal Cooling Inserts Read More »
Source: Stratasys Direct Manufacturing
Heat Treat Enhances Density of DMLS 3D Tools Read More »