Aleris

A Dozen & a Half Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

A Dozen & a Half 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

  • Dustin Lawhon was recently promoted to Regional Sales Manager at Paulo, responsible for establishing relationships with new customers in the Great Lakes Region.
  • A manufacturer of metal components for the automotive industry recently inaugurated its new plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Gestamp‘s new plant for manufacturing chassis parts will be equipped with state-of-the-art machinery for hot stamping and hydroforming, among other technologies.
  • A large oil pipeline project in South America will have its nickel-based, flat-rolled products supplied by Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), with shipments beginning in second quarter 2019 and scheduled to be completed by year-end.
  • A company providing machine safeguarding solutions announced that it has launched a new Combustion Safety division that provides turnkey solutions for organizations that use thermal processes in their operations. Rockford Systems LLC‘s new expanded division will be led by Robert Sanderson P.E. who has been appointed to the position of Director of Business Development.
  • A mutual cooperation has been declared for the realization of a revolutionary concept for a significantly CO2-reduced steel production, commonly developed by two companies: Tenova–a company of the Techint Group specialized in innovative solutions for the metals and mining industries–and Salzgitter AG– among the leaders in innovative and sustainable steel and technology products. The name of the concept is SALCOS (SAlzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) and its aim is to undergo a stepwise transformation process of the integrated steelmaking route, moving from carbon-intensive steel production based on Blast-Furnaces towards a Direct Reduction and Electric Arc Furnace route, including the flexible incremental utilization of hydrogen. This concept is capable of reducing CO2 emissions up to 95% with respect to the entire steel production route.
  • Vacuum heat treating has been added to Paulo’s Monterrey Division plant which has been focusing on stress relieving and ferritic nitrocarburizing since startup. Since startup processing has been focused on stress relieving and ferritic nitrocarburizing.  Adding vacuum equipment is the first step to expanding critical aerospace brazing to include both argon and nitrogen quenching.  The working zone measures 48”x48”x48” with a 3500lb capacity and a maximum temperature of 2400F. The installation will include tempering and testing equipment to support both annealing and hardening processes for a variety of materials.
  • Timothy J. Harris will join ATI as Senior Vice President, Chief Digital and Information Officer, effective May 6, 2019.
  • A Cleveland-based distributor of heat treat furnaces, pumps, and products, Mountain Rep, has partnered with RÜBIG, an Austrian industrial furnace manufacturer.
  • Andrew Yazot will move from his position as International Sales Manager for Ipsen to Midwest Regional Sales Owner, effective immediately. In this position Yazot covers nine states in the Midwest, replacing former Midwest Regional Sales Owner Matt Clinite, who was promoted to Ipsen Customer Service Sales Manager last month. Yazot, who joined the company in 2009, holds a degree in mechanical engineering and has worked in technical sales for more than two decades.

Equipment Chatter

  • A 2200°F (1200°C) crucible furnace was shipped to a company in the energy industry by Lindberg/MPH. The crucible furnace may be used for a number of applications and processes, including annealing, ashing, carbon firing, ceramic firing, hardening, melting, metalizing, normalizing, sintering, solution treating, and stress relieving.
  • A southeastern US manufacturer of various items used in the production of heavy equipment and transportation devices has purchased a dual chamber heat treating furnace from L&L Special Furnace Co, Inc. The furnace will be used to heat treat the tooling used to manufacture these items.
  • A cooling chamber is currently being used for cooling oven trucks of steel parts at the customer’s facility. The No. 807 was supplied by Grieve Corporation.
  • A manufacturer in the composite industry has purchased a natural gas-fired heavy duty walk-in furnace from Wisconsin Oven Corporation.

Kudos Chatter

  • An aerospace maintenance and heat treatment manufacturer based in Elizabeth, Indiana, has launched a new website in order to reach clients across the U.S. and internationally. SAS-INC. is made up of Simpson Alloy Services Inc. and Simpson Aerospace Services.
  • GE Aviation was selected by Aviation Week & Space Technology as a winner of the 62nd annual Laureate Awards, honoring extraordinary achievements in aerospace.
  • PhoenixTM Ltd has been accredited in accordance with recognized International Standards ISO/IEC 17025:2017, general requirements for competence in testing or calibration laboratories.
  • Aleris has been recognized for the second consecutive year with the accredited supplier award by Airbus at a Supply Chain and Quality Improvement Program (SQIP) event in Toulouse, France.
  • Cambridge Heat Treating Inc. CFO Cheryl Mortimer is the recipient of the Women Entrepreneurship Fund and was recognized at an event with Ontario MP Bryan May. Cambridge Heat Treatment Inc. was selected to receive a contribution of up to $100,000 through the WEF program.

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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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

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Personnel and Company Chatter

  • Heat treatment provider Bodycote PLC announced this week that its 2017 pretax profit rose 27 percent, due in part to a return to growth in general industrial markets following a multiyear negative trend. The pretax profit amounts to $161.6 million ((117 million pounds) in the year, compared with GBP91.9 million in 2016, the company said.
  • The UK-based specialist in thermal processing and hard coating of metals, Wallwork Group Ltd, announced that Tecvac Ltd, which supplies heat treatment and vacuum brazing to a variety of industries covering aerospace, automotive, biomedical, motorsport, and manufacturing sectors in the UK and Europe, will now operate as Wallwork Cambridge. Tecvac Ltd is BSI ISO 9001:2000 and NADCAP approved for PVD/CVD coatings and also holds various Aerospace Prime approvals. In addition, Metaltech, which was recently acquired by Wallwork, has been renamed Wallwork Newcastle.
  • Aeromet International, a leading supplier of airframe and aero engine components, recently agreed to the acquisition of the business and assets of the London-based aluminum and magnesium foundry, Stone Foundries Ltd, from Langham Industries, a UK engineering group serving particularly the marine and aerospace industries.
  • The Manufacturing Institute announced the recipients of the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award are Aleris leaders Helene Lagace and Brittany Kanz. The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory-floor to the C suite.

Equipment Chatter

  • North American heat treater Paulo has added a new precision controlled nitriding furnace.  Also known as vacuum nitriding the equipment is similar to a vacuum heat treatment

    Paulo adds precision controlled nitriding furnace

    furnace but operates at lower temperatures and without quenching capability, which produces minimal distortion. The recently installed furnace has a 6,000lb capacity and a work zone that measures 70"L x 47"W x 39"H. Process controls allow Paulo to meet specific requirements with respect to which nitride phases are formed and to what depth. This furnace is also capable of vacuum (protective atmosphere) tempering, which prevents oxidation during the tempering process.

Kudos Chatter

  • Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument (SDP/SI) has announced that the company meets all certification requirements of the new ISO 9001:2015 + AS9100D standard, maintaining processes that provide superior components and assemblies with detailed quality reporting. SDP/SI is a leader in providing mechanical based design, engineering, and manufacturing services for critical motion control and small power transmission applications for aerospace and defense.
  • ASTM International, based in West Conshohocken, Pa., announces F3301 - 18 Standard Specification for Thermal Post-Processing Metal Parts Made Via Powder Bed Fusion. This standard specifies the requirements for thermal post-processing of parts produced via metal powder-bed fusion to achieve the required material properties and microstructure to meet engineering requirements. This standard is intended to be referenced by Material Part Property specifications for powder-bed fusion. Currently, this standard includes thermal post-processing for the following materials: titanium alloys; cobalt 28 chromium 6 molybdenum; UNS N07718; UNS N06625; UNS 31603; and AlSi10Mg. This specification will be updated as new powder-bed fusion material heat treatments are developed.
  • Advanced Heat Treat of Waterloo, Iowa, has announced that their Burton Avenue location successfully transitioned from ISO/TS 16949:2009 to ISO 9001:2015 / IATF 16949:2016.
  • Toronto-based Innovation Metals Corp., which specializes in cost-effective processing solutions for critical metals, was recently awarded a research contract from Natural Resources Canada for work on the production of rare-earth-element ("REE") oxides and alloys. The contract was awarded as part of NRCan’s Rare Earth Elements and Chromite R&D Program. NRCan is the Canadian government department that oversees the responsible development and use of Canada’s natural resources and the competitiveness of Canada’s natural-resources products.
  • Pelican Wire was certified under ISO 9001:2015 standards by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The Naples, Florida-based company had previously earned certification under ISO 9001:2008 in 2010 and has been audited and registered since that time by DQS Inc.

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Aleris To Supply Aluminum Flat-Rolled Products for All Embraer Aircraft

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

Sean Stack, Aleris chairman and CEO

Aleris has signed a new multi-year contract with Embraer to supply aluminum flat-rolled products for use in the production of all of Embraer’s aircraft. The renewed contract agreement includes the supply of technically advanced alloys and extends the reach of products for aerospace and systems applications.

“Our continued investment in growing our technical capabilities has enabled us to further expand our relationship with Embraer, and we look forward to working with them to achieve their aircraft manufacturing and design goals,” said Sean Stack, Aleris chairman and CEO. “With a world-class aerospace aluminum plate facility in Asia Pacific, we are also uniquely positioned to help them meet aerospace demand in the region which is projected to experience the most significant growth.”

The contract includes the supply of material from the company’s facilities in Koblenz, Germany, and Zhenjiang, China.

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Aleris Opens Kentucky Plant, Includes Heat Treatment, Annealing Capabilities

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

Sean Stack , Aleris Chairman and CEO

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.”

 

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Auto, Aerospace Demand for Aluminum Favors Hindalco Bid

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

 

Source: Moneycontrol.com

 

Aluminum manufacturer Hindalco Industries Ltd is considering a bid to acquire a U.S. maker of aluminum rolled products as a move to advance the India-based company’s efforts to expand its reach into the automotive and aerospace sectors.

The private equity owners of Aleris Corporation, located in Cleveland, Ohio, ended talks with China Zhongwang Holdings last month due to heightened U.S. national security concerns and now find the company courted by Hindalco, through its U.S.-based subsidiary Novelis, as well as several other firms, including Norsk Hydro of Norway, Japan’s UACJ Corp., and Arconic (formerly Alcoa). Aleris Corporation is valued at approximately $2.5B, although a bidding war could escalate that figure to greater than $3B.

Read more: “Hindalco Eyes Aleris Corp. to Tap Growing Aluminium Demand”

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Aleris To Be Acquired By Zhongwang USA LLC

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

Aleris Corporation, a global aluminum rolled products producer, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Zhongwang USA LLC, a company majority-owned and led by Mr. Liu Zhongtian, founder of China Zhongwang Holdings Limited (“China Zhongwang”, HKEX code: 01333).  The aggregate value of Aleris amounts to $2.33 billion, comprising $1.11 billion in cash for the equity to be paid by Zhongwang USA, plus $1.22 billion in net debt.

Aleris will continue to be headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and will be operated as an independent entity. The Aleris management team will remain in place, providing continuity for Aleris employees and customers and supporting the continued implementation of the Aleris strategy.

Aleris will retain its name and continue to serve its customers with no changes to current operations, contracts or commitments.  It will continue with the implementation of all strategic growth projects, including its major expansion project in Lewisport, Kentucky, which will enable Aleris to meet the North American automotive industry’s growing demand for aluminum auto body sheet.

“We are excited about this transition to strategic ownership as it will allow us to accelerate our strategy to expand our capabilities to support the production of high-value advanced materials for the global automotive and aerospace markets, while maintaining our position as a leading supplier to critical regional markets like building and construction,” said Sean Stack, President and CEO of Aleris.  “We expect the transition to be seamless for our employees and customers, and that the new strategic shareholder will provide us with greater financial flexibility to continue to anticipate and meet the needs of our customers well into the future.”

The acquisition of Aleris reflects Mr. Liu’s commitment to disciplined operating investments over the long-term in an industry to which he has been committed for two decades.  In addition to his role at Zhongwang USA, Mr. Liu is also the chairman and founder of China Zhongwang, the second largest aluminum extrusions product developer and manufacturer in the world and the largest in Asia.  With the acquisition of Aleris, Mr. Liu will now oversee companies that have complementary geographic footprints and capabilities.

“This acquisition is an international expansion to establish a complementary business foothold, as I strongly believe in the potential and prospects of Aleris and the aluminum industry as a whole,” Mr. Liu said.  “Aleris has a strong management team, talented employees and industry-leading capabilities with a complementary geographic footprint.  As the company enters the final phase of its Lewisport automotive project, I believe Aleris is well-positioned to capitalize on the positive demand trends we see globally, and I look forward to supporting the Aleris management team in implementing their growth strategies and pursuing continued success with expanded resources and financial and operational flexibility.”

Since 2010, Aleris has been owned and controlled by a group led by certain investment funds of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., with affiliates of Apollo Management, L.P., and Sankaty Advisors, LLC owning minority interests.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017 following the customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

Credit Suisse acted as financial advisor to Aleris.  Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson, LLP acted as legal advisors.  Moelis & Co. advised the Aleris Board on certain aspects of this transaction. Paul, Weiss, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal advisors to Oaktree Capital Management.

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