Heat Treat Expansion Complete at McGinnis Rolled Rings

 McInnes Rolled Rings has completed an $8 million, 25,000-square-foot expansion to its current manufacturing facility.  The addition expands its present heat treat size capabilities by providing the ability to quench and temper forgings up to 144 inches in diameter. With separate high agitation water and polymer quench tanks, this new state-of-the-art bay will significantly expand the daily tonnage capacity to ensure the fastest delivery times available in the industry.

McInnes contracted with Can-Eng Furnaces Intl. Ltd. to design and install the most advanced technology to process large diameter product. The furnace & quench tank designs are augmented by a customized material handling system by Dango & Dienthal Hollerbach GmbH capable of processing loads up to 25 tons.  The system’s fast transfer from furnace to quench tank provides optimal and repeatable process controls.

“This new bay nearly doubles our quenched and tempered offerings to the power transmission industry and adds the ability to solution anneal large diameter stainless steel rings. Also, the addition of water quenching improves our ability to meet the high property demands of the custom flange markets,” said Shawn O’Brien, VP Sales & Marketing.

The expanded heat treat operation will officially begin service on March 1, 2016.

Heat Treat Expansion Complete at McGinnis Rolled Rings Read More »

Solar Manufacturing, Refrac Systems Partner to Build Furnace System

Refrac Systems of Chandler, Ariz., contracted Solar Manufacturing to design and build a large 100-ton-load gas fan quench vacuum hot press (GFQVHP) system for its aerospace diffusion-bonding operation. Refrac Systems, working with Solar’s engineering team, selected a derivative of Solar’s standard internally quenched 2-bar vacuum furnace as the base design of the system. The new system contains many new designs, as it needed to be both an automated vacuum hot press and be extra versatile for making super plastically formed and diffusion-bonded (SPFDB) aerospace structures. Solar Manufacturing expects to ship the GFQVHP unit in July.

The furnace chamber for this unit was built by Amity Industries of Douglassville, Pa.  Beckwood/Triform of St. Louis, Mo., was selected to build the large 100-ton four-post hydraulic press frame for the system. The control console unit was built by Optima-Stantron of Lawrenceville, Ga. Final assembly, testing and start-up of the system is projected for the fourth quarter of 2016 in Chandler.

Solar Manufacturing, Refrac Systems Partner to Build Furnace System Read More »

Norsk Titanium Achieves Aerospace Technology Readiness

OSLO – December 21, 2015 – Norsk Titanium AS announced today that the company has achieved Technology Readiness Level Eight (TRL 8) by concluding a test plan coordinated through the Federal Aviation Administration and launched in September, 2012. The results of Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research Inc.’s multi-year testing campaign demonstrate Norsk’s Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) titanium parts meet demanding aerospace requirements and can now be supplied to the world’s premier aerospace & defense manufacturers for final certification and airframe integration.

“Working closely with Westmoreland, we have concisely documented how our innovative technology lives up to the highest standards of performance and integration under aerospace certification testing,” said Norsk Titanium President & Chief Executive Officer Warren M. Boley, Jr. “We subjected 1,300 structural titanium aircraft samples to an unrelenting barrage of static and fatigue tests and the results confirm what we already knew—Norsk Titanium’s RPD™ process is ready for the rigors of commercial aviation.”

“This was a very exciting program for us to conduct,” said Westmoreland Vice President of Operations Mike Rossi. “Norsk Titanium has done a great job of creating and maturing a new manufacturing technology and successfully navigating their RPD™ process through tensile, compression, pin bearing, shear and numerous fatigue tests at our facility.”

The achievement of TRL8 status provides Norsk Titanium with the ability to deliver precision structural parts for aerospace & defense applications as early as 2016. The company is orchestrating the establishment of a global supply base to satisfy aerospace demand through expanded operations and strategic alliances in Europe and the upcoming groundbreaking of the world’s first industrial-scale additive manufacturing facility in the United States.

The company has recently announced new appointments of seasoned aviation and defense executives, technologists, and production experts in support of new part qualification demand and to meet the escalating needs of its current aerospace customers. Delivery of commercial aviation qualification parts is underway, with the first approvals expected in early 2016, leading to the full commercial production of titanium aerospace components by the second half of 2

About Norsk Titanium AS

Norsk Titanium AS is the world’s pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process that transforms titanium wire into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. The Norsk research and development team is committed to displacing the age old and inefficient forging process with a precision wire deposition technology embodying substantial savings for aerospace, defense, and commercial applications. www.norsktitanium.com

 

Norsk Titanium Achieves Aerospace Technology Readiness Read More »

HISTORIC VIDEO: Aluminum Heat Treatment

BOTW-62wHISTORIC VIDEO: Aluminum Heat Treatment (22 mins., Original circa 1945, Uploaded: 28 September 2015). Here’s a throwback in time. Take a look at this 1940s-1950s vintage video discussing the heat treatment of aluminum. For a more modern video on aluminum, search for “How Stuff Works: Aluminum TV Documentary” on this site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK80HCT_FIs

HISTORIC VIDEO: Aluminum Heat Treatment Read More »

Heat Treating – Topic: 54 Popular Heat Treating & Metal Videos

BOTW-62wHeat Treating – Topic: 54 Popular Heat Treating & Metal Videos. This YouTube generated playlist of 54 popular heat treating and metal videos might be a good resource. Please notice that many of the videos toward the bottom of the list are in Spanish. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrzT79fuCOBKCWUJQCBlcrT3KOjO9oqCj

Heat Treating – Topic: 54 Popular Heat Treating & Metal Videos Read More »

Materials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 6, Surface Finishing

BOTW-62wMaterials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 6, Surface Finishing. (19 mins., 24 March 2014). This is Part 6 of a 6-video series for mechanical engineers. The videos cover 1.stress & strain, 2. ductility & toughness, 3. corrosion, 4. hardening, 5. failure analysis, and 6. surface finishing. (NOTE: 7 videos are listed in an early side in Part 1 on stress & strain, but we were able to find only 6 videos. It does not appear that the seventh video on thermodynamics was uploaded.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtDU1Oov4so

Materials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 6, Surface Finishing Read More »

Materials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 5, Failure Analysis

BOTW-62wMaterials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 5, Failure Analysis. (35 mins., 20 February 2014). This is Part 5 of a 6-video series for mechanical engineers. The videos cover 1.stress & strain, 2. ductility & toughness, 3. corrosion, 4. hardening, 5. failure analysis, and 6. surface finishing. (NOTE: 7 videos are listed in an early side in Part 1 on stress & strain, but we were able to find only 6 videos. It does not appear that the seventh video on thermodynamics was uploaded.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85HxmnLEkwM

Materials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 5, Failure Analysis Read More »

Materials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 4, Heat Treatment/Hardening

BOTW-62wMaterials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 4, Heat Treatment/Hardening. (27 mins., 15 February 2014). This is Part 4 of a 6-video series for mechanical engineers. The videos cover 1.stress & strain, 2. ductility & toughness, 3. corrosion, 4. hardening, 5. failure analysis, and 6. surface finishing. (NOTE: 7 videos are listed in an early side in Part 1 on stress & strain, but we were able to find only 6 videos. It does not appear that the seventh video on thermodynamics was uploaded.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouMl5HaZ_HA

Materials 101 Series from Mega Mechatronics, Part 4, Heat Treatment/Hardening Read More »