Constellium

18 News Chatter To Keep You Current

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 18 news items.

Equipment

  • A Canadian automotive components manufacturer recently expanded its operations with an electrically heated small batch oven to be used for curing arts. The small batch oven was manufactured by Wisconsin Oven, designed to utilize combination airflow to maximum heating rates of 650°F and temperature uniformity.
  • With the successful conversion to a four-stand finishing mill, Henan Yirui New Materials Technology Co, Ltd, officially began production. SMS Group converted an existing hot rolling mill into a tandem finishing mill by adding three new finishing mill stands, developed for refurbishing and integrating components.
  • KALLER, a manufacturer of gas springs and gas hydraulic systems based in Sweden, recently launched its fully automated line of hardening furnaces for surface coatings on gas springs. The hardening systems were supplied by Ipsen International.
Electrically heated small batch oven to be used for curing arts at Canadian automotive components manufacturer.
Source: Wisconsin Oven
Fully automated line of hardening furnaces installed at Kaller
Source: LinkedIn
FAC Signing Ceremony
L-R: Rüdiger Roger Wiechmann, Project Manager at SMS group, with Zheng Guoqiang, Project Manager at Henan Mingtai Aluminium).
Source: SMS Group

Company & Personnel

  • Steve Fuller has joined the team at Nitrex HTS as the new plant general manager at their Michigan location. He brings 45 years of experience in commercial heat treating, machine tool manufacturing, fabrication, quality management, and more.
  • Bobby Boom, Tim Litchauer, and Wade Sholmire, have been added to the Superheat team as business development managers. Wade is the new National BDM, Tim will oversee the Greater Houston Area, and Bobby will manage the Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas regions.
  • Chris Martin has been promoted to regional sales manager for the Southeast by Ipsen. Chris will be responsible for leading a team of seven that includes six field service engineers and one service administrator.
  • Adam Woelber has been promoted to manager of aftermarket parts and service at AFC-Holcroft.
  • Ethan Castle has been appointed the St. Louis plant manager for Paulo Heat Treating, Brazing, and Metal Finishing, recognized for his leadership, technical capability, and mentoring role, in addition to representing the company within the North American Diecasting Association and National Tooling and Machining Association. Ethan has also been named to Heat Treat Today‘s 40 Under 40 Class of 2024.
  • Gary Doyon has stepped down from his role as CEO of Inductotherm Group, after 15 years in the position and 38 years with the company. Mick Nallen and Satyen Prabhu have taken as co‐leaders at the company, which provides thermal processing technologies. Mr. Doyon will remain actively involved with the company, assisting with specific operational needs of other businesses owned by the Rowan family and pursuing new business avenues and opportunities for the Inductotherm Group.
  • Ipsen USA has launched its Field Service Engineer Academy, designed to be a 20-week in-depth program with classroom training and experience in the field with veteran service technicians. Darci Johnson, program and transformation manager at the company, is leading the implementation of the FSE Academy. Content will focus on the fundamentals of vacuum furnace repair.
  • Industrial furnace equipment manufacturer Gasbarre welcomed Dan Hill as product development manager; he will be based at the company’s Livonia, Michigan, facility. A licensed professional engineer, Dan brings a diverse background in capital equipment, spanning material handling, control systems, boilers and furnaces, combustion systems, and industrial washing/deburring equipment.
  • The U.S. Navy recently selected StandardAero to serve as its engine depot-level repair prime contractor to perform Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A engine MRO services, supporting the Navy’s fleet of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The aerospace aftermarket service supplier has also announced that Turkish and European Boeing 737 Operator Corendon Airlines has extended its contract for the support of CFM LEAP-18 engines.
  • Ipsen USA recently announced the formal launch of its Service HUB model, marking a significant shift in how the company delivers customer service and support across the United States. The program has been under the direction of Geoffrey Somary, the company’s global CEO. Currently being led by John Dykstra, chief service officer, the HUBs now provide services across a large portion of the Midwest and Southeastern United States. Lu Chouraki, manager of business development, is leading the implementation of the HUBs.
Steve Fuller
Plant General Manager
Nitrex HTS
Source: Nitrex
Wade Sholmire
National Business Development Manager
Superheat
Source: Superheat
Tim Litchauer
Business Development Manager for the Greater Houston Area
Superheat
Source: Superheat
Bobby Boom
Business Development Manager for Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas
Superheat
Source: Superheat

Chris Martin
Regional Service Manager for the Southeast
Ipsen
Source: Ipsen
Adam Woelber
Manager of Aftermarket Parts and Service
AFC-Holcroft
Source: AFC-Holcroft
Ethan Castle
St Louis Plant Manager

Source: Paulo
Gary Doyon
Retiring CEO
Inductotherm Group
Source: Inductotherm Group
The launch of Ipsen USA’s Field Service Engineer Academy
Source: Ipsen USA
Dan Hill
Product Development Manager
Gasbarre
Source: Gasbarre

Kudos

  • James Wellborn, gas nitride manager at Advanced Heat Treat Corp, celebrates 25 years with the company.
  • Patricia Miller, director of technical services at Uddeholm, has been named the Technical Committee Member of the Year by North American Die Casting Association (NADCA).
  • Denise Blaubach, who is known as the resident flow meter assembly expert at UPC-Marathon in Wisconsin, recently celebrated 35 years with the company.
  • Constellium today announced it has achieved Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard Certification for all its operations, and for its corporate office in Paris.
  • Sinosteel E&T and Tenova have successfully completed the performance test for the ENERGIRON DRI Plant at the Baosteel Zhanjiang site in China. The sustainable hydrogen-based 1,000,000 tonnes/year ENERGIRON Direct Reduction (DR) plant demonstrated the nominal production of DRI, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and marking a significant step in the green steel industry. 
James Wellborn
Gas Nitride Manager
Advanced Heat Treat Corp
Source: Advanced Heat Treat Corporation
Patricia Miller
Director of Technical Services
Uddeholm
Source: Uddeholm
Denise Blaubach celebrates 35 years at UPC-Marathon
Source: UPC-Marathon
ENERGIRON DRI Plant at the Baosteel Zhanjiang site in China where Sinosteel E&T and Tenova complete performance test
Source: Tenova

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News from Abroad: Safer Technologies and Carbon Cutting

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS, BURNERS COMBUSTION SYSTEM NEWS, FOUNDRY CASTING, FOUNDRY CASTING NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Today’s News from Abroad installment highlights more carbon-cutting trends from the steel industry, ranging from robots in the cast house to recycling best practices.  

Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe. 

Robots Bring Safety to Casting 

Primetals Technologies’ new customized LiquiRob robotics system in operation at Siam Yamato Steel’s Map Ta Phut plant Source: Primetals Technologies

“Thai steel producer Siam Yamato Steel has implemented a new robot concept from Primetals Technologies, including LiquiRob, at its steelworks in Map Ta Phut . . .. Thanks to the robotics solution, safety and occupational health in the steelworks have significantly improved. Previously, workers who manually operated the shadow tube had to stand directly next to the distributor and the stream of steel flowing out of the ladle. In the case of a so-called ‘frozen pan.’” 

READ MORE: “Primetals Technologies: New robotics concept for safer casting processes” at heat-processing.com

Carbon Cut with Induction Solution at High Heats

CELES EcoTransFlux™ brings green high heating abilities to the induction heating technology. Source: Furnaces International

“Nippon Steel Stainless Steel Corporation and Sojitz Group met with our induction team at Fives headquarters in Paris for a detailed design review of the transverse flux induction heating system. CELES EcoTransFlux™ is an induction heating technology with very high heating rates at extremely high temperatures, and a compact footprint. It also has a minimal environmental footprint, making it beneficial for steelmakers to improve their carbon, stainless or electrical steel production.” 

READ MORE: “Breakthrough technology for steelmakers” at furnaces-international.com

Standards To Maximize Can Recyclability

EAGP members signed an agreement to engage in a standardisation project for beverage cans. Source: Anrita1705/Pixabay

“Four leading flat-rolled aluminium manufacturers and members of the European Aluminium Packaging Group (EAPG), Constellium, Elval, Novelis and Speira, have signed an agreement to engage in a standardisation project to maximise the recycled content levels of the beverage can and thus substantially lower carbon emissions, focused on increased recyclability of the can end.” 

READ MORE: “European Aluminium Producers Agree on Standardisation Project for Cans” at heat-processing.com

Mini-Mill Investment Transforms Future for Swedish Metal Manufacturer

Fossil-free mini-mill Source: Furnaces International

“SSAB’s Board of Directors have taken the decision to proceed with the next step in SSABs transition, building a state-of-the-art fossil-free mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden. When completed SSAB will close the current blast furnace-based production system. This will reduce Sweden’s CO2 emissions with 7% in addition to the 3% from the Oxelösund mill conversion.” 

READ MORE: SSAB continues the transformation with a fossil-free mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden” at furnaces-international.com

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News from Abroad: Safer Technologies and Carbon Cutting Read More »

16 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

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

Personnel Chatter

  1. Earl Leach, safety champion and production manager at Paulo St. Louis, has been recognized by the Missouri Association of Manufacturers with this year’s Safety Excellence “Horizon” Award.
  2. The Plibrico Company, a global leader in monolithic refractory technology, announced Eric Downing as branch manager of the company’s Florida and Georgia locations following the announcement that current branch manager, Dale Johnson, would be retiring. Scott Forster has joined Plibrico as project manager, responsible for estimating, engineering, and managing projects in the company’s Buffalo, New York location.
  3. Dustin Lawhon and Alex Janeway have both accepted expanded responsibilities as national sales managers at Paulo.

Company Chatter

  1. AFC-Holcroft has announced the expansion of sales territory by their sales representative, Vectorr Industries LLC, to now include the Province of Ontario, Canada.
  2. Bodycote announced the opening of its new facility in Elgins, Illinois.
  3. HI-POWER, a Holtec International and Eos Energy Storage joint venture, formed a five-year partnering agreement with Solar Atmospheres of Western PA to provide an energy-efficient, non-lithium, long-duration energy storage solution using battery technology.
  4. Rockford Systems LLC dba Rockford Combustion Solutions launched a new website providing combustion safety and training solutions for organizations that work with fuel-fired equipment.
  5. The ECM USA Synergy Center located in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, showcases ECM equipment and provides pre-production testing. This fully functional test lab houses capabilities to perform many thermal processes across many markets.
  6. Tenova has signed a contract with the HBIS Group for the implementation of the Paradigm Project, a high tech hydrogen energy development and utilization plant. This will be the world’s first DRI production plant powered by hydrogen-enriched gas.
  7. Tenova introduced its TSX SmartBurner for reheating furnaces to be installed in industrial plants with potentially zero carbon dioxide emissions. It is the first flameless burner of the megawatt variety that has been tested successfully with 100% of hydrogen.
  8. Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, the largest steel subsidiary in the Salzgitter Group, has commissioned Tenova for the construction of μDRAL, a demonstration plant. The plant will produce Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), using up to 100% hydrogen as reducing agent

 

Kudos Chatter

  1. Northrop Grumman Defense Systems recognized Solar Atmospheres of Western PA as a top-performing supplier in 2020 with the Outstanding Customer Service Award.
  2. Lincotek has been named among the winners of the Eccellenze d’Impresa 2020 award in the category Innovation and Technology. The prize, now in its seventh year, recognizes Italian companies that excel in extraordinary performance and is organized by Eccellenze d’Impresa.
  3. Solar Atmospheres of Western PA achieved Nadcap AC7101/4 accreditation for their captive metallography laboratory and became an approved Boeing Process Source (D1-4426).
  4. Constellium’s facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky lowered carbon emissions and so received an award from the Tennessee Valley Authority for being an “exemplary environmental steward.”
  5. HT-MX has successfully increased its Nadcap scope to become Latin America’s first heat treat plant certified for HIPing steel and nickel alloys, and the heat treatment of stainless steel, aluminum, and carbon steel heat treatment.

 

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 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

  • Diane C. Creel was recently announced as independent Board Chair at Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI) upon the retirement of Executive Chairman Richard J. Harshman.
  • A global company specializing in the manufacture of flow measurement instrumentation was recently acquired by The TASI Group. Sierra Instruments is comprised of two divisions: FLOW, headquartered in Monterey, California, and AUTO, headquartered in Malvern, United Kingdom. The FLOW Division manufactures mass flow meters and flow controllers for gas, liquid, or steam application. The AUTO Division builds complex, custom, integrated test facilities, and world-class engine and vehicle test automation systems.
  • StandardAero Component Services facility, located in Prahova, Romania, expanded its manufacturing capacity from 32,000 sq. ft. to 43,000 sq. ft. and also recently exceeded over 200,000 gate valves processed with High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) coatings.
  • A multi-year contract has been signed between American privately-funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company, Blue Origin, and Constellium N.V., to support their launch vehicle programs. This contract is a new milestone in a successful collaboration between the two companies for the supply of high-performance Airware® products. Under this agreement, Constellium is to supply Airware® aluminum plates and sheets for Blue Origin’s massive orbital rocket, New Glenn.

 Equipment Chatter

  • A state-of-the-art hot isostatic press (HIP) with Uniform Rapid Quenching (URQ®) will introduce a new quality benchmark for the FIT Additive Manufacturing Group. Coming online in September 2019 in FIT’s main facility in Lupburg, Germany, the press from Quintus Technologies will enable the additive manufacturing (AM) specialist to boost productivity while responding to the heightened industrial requirements for 3D printed metal series parts.
  • A global manufacturer of cutting tools has purchased an additional vacuum temper furnace from Pennsylvania-based SECO/VACUUM, for its North American manufacturing operations. The new furnace, which will be used for tempering and stress relieving metal parts, is part of the company’s growing manufacturing expansion and complements another commissioned earlier in 2019 at this facility.

Kudos Chatter

  • Electro Tech Machining – Carbon and Graphite Innovation, which serves the heat treating industry among others, recently announced the launch of its new website: http://www.etmgraphite.com
  • Dana Incorporated has been named Outstanding Thermal Management Solutions Supplier of the Year by the China Decision Makers Consultancy (CDMC) for its work in 2018.
  • AMETEK SMP Superior Tube, a leading manufacturer of small diameter precision metal tubing for the aerospace and defense industries as well as other sectors, has announced two successful reaccreditations from Nadcap. Superior Tube met all Nadcap’s requirements based on the exacting standards around heat treating and welding/brazing.
  • Franck Adjogble and Wolfgang Spies, both SMS group engineers, received the AIST James Farrington Award 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for their work entitled “Holistic Approach of High Quality Flat Steel Production – Dynamic Production Scheduling in Respect to Process Quality, Control System and Plant Condition”.

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 »

15 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

15 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

  • Mike Paponetti recently accepted the position of Sales Manager at Solar Atmospheres South Carolina. Prior to accepting this position, Mike was the Regional Sales Manager at Solar’s Hermitage, Pennsylvania, facility.
  • Alliance Steel LLC has announced plans to relocate the company from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, to Gary, Indiana, where a new plant will allow the company to consolidate its multi-structure facility into a single-structure facility.
  • William M. Brown, Harris Corporation Chairman, President, and CEO, has been named chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors for 2019. He succeeds outgoing AIA Chairman Tom Kennedy, chairman and CEO of Raytheon.
  • A new 107000-square-foot facility will focus on additive manufacturing, advanced composites, assembly, and industry 4.0 processes for aerospace design and manufacturing. GKN Aerospace’s new Global Technology Centre in Bristol, United Kingdom, has received support through the UK Governments Aerospace Technology Institute.
  • A provider of heat treatments and specialist thermal processing services held an official opening ceremony last week at its brand new facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), Rotherham, Yorkshire. Bodycote‘s new advanced heat treatment center, now fully operational and supporting customer requirements, offers a range of heat treatment services and has been established to support the aerospace and power generation markets in the UK and Europe.
  • An Iowa-based foundry recently sold its operating assets to its Galesburg, Illinois-based sister company, Aluminum Castings Company, an aluminum sand castings foundry. The transition will include the relocation of the ALCAST Midwest Works LLC‘s heat treating and grinding operations back to the Fairfield facility from their Clarence, Missouri, facility.
  • A supplier of live tooling for the North American machine tool industry, Prospect Heights, Illinois-based Heimatec Inc., has become part of a new corporation, Platinum Tooling Technologies Inc.
  • German car maker Porsche AG and Schuler, Inc., a Canton, MI-based provider of metalforming technologies and products announced plans to build an innovative press shop together for the car factory of the future. The objective of Schuler and Porsche’s joint venture is to create a so-called Smart Press Shop as part of a networked Industry 4.0 approach. The new press shop’s pioneering technologies will enable the highly flexible production of complex car body parts; whereby the focus will be on aluminum body panels and small batch production.
  • Constellium contracted with Tri-Arrows Aluminum Holding Inc. (TAAH) for the supply of cold coils from its Logan plant in Kentucky for up to five years as part of its agreement with UACJ Corporation and TAAH, its U.S. subsidiary, to acquire TAAH’s 49% stake in Constellium-UACJ ABS, LLC. Constellium’s plant in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, will continue to ramp-up its Auto Body Sheet substrate capability to gradually become Bowling Green’s sole supplier of cold coils.

Equipment Chatter

  •  A Japanese customer has placed an order with EBNER to expand an existing HICON/H2® bell annealer facility. The facility, which spheroidizes and recrystallizes coils of steel strip, will be upgraded with two additional gas-fired heating bells.
  • A natural gas-fired conveyor oven was shipped to a supplier of the oil and gas industry by Wisconsin Oven Corporation. This conveyor oven will be used for the preheating and powder coating of couplings. This conveyor oven has sufficient capability to heat 1,000 pounds per hour of steel parts from 70° F to 1000° F. In addition, Wisconsin Oven Corporation announced the shipment of a natural gas-fired conveyor oven to a leader in the forging industry. This conveyor oven will be used as a preheating oven for aluminum billets.
  • A Gruenberg truck-in-oven was recently shipped to the oil and gas industry by Thermal Product Solutions. The truck in oven will be used to test parts used for downhole drilling.

Kudos Chatter

  • Alloy Engineering Company, an industry leader in the design and manufacture of alloy equipment for high-temperature and corrosive industrial applications, celebrated its 75th anniversary in the month of November. The Berea, Ohio, company’s equipment is used for both commercial and in-house heat treating, and for processes such as annealing, hardening, carbo-nitriding, carburizing, nitriding, tempering, brazing, and sintering.

    SMS Group has won the German Design Award in 2018.
  • Paulo is celebrating its milestone 75th year in business. The company was founded in 1943 in St. Louis, conceived originally as Paulo Products Company was originally conceived as a manufacturer with heat treatment provided as a secondary service. Helping customers succeed by offering thermal processing solutions is where the company excelled. Founders husband and wife Ben and Pauline Rassieur had previously worked for Central Mine Equipment Company. Pauline, after whom Paulo is named, was one of the first women to earn an engineering degree from the University of Missouri.
  • SMS Group has won the German Design Award 2019 in the category “Industry” for the additively manufactured 3D spray header. The component for which plant and mechanical engineering company SMS group has received the German Design Award 2019 in the category “Industry” is a spray head used to cool dies in forging presses.

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 sector to the editor at editor@heattreattoday.com.

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

Audi Extends Partnership for High-Tech Crash Absorption Alloy Components

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

The primary supplier of automotive body sheets for both closures and inner parts of the new Audi A6 model recently announced the extension of the partnership to provide a high-tech crash absorption alloy for the hood of this model.

Dieter Höll, Vice President of Global Automotive at Constellium

Constellium produces components, such as doors and trunks, for its partner Audi to achieve its lightweighting, design and safety targets, specifically Surfalex® with high surface quality and particular hemming and roping properties. This highly formable alloy has been designed to fulfill the most demanding pedestrian safety requirements.

 “Constellium is proud to extend its long-term partnership with Audi and to accompany them in their mission to build high-quality automobiles. To do so, Constellium supports Audi in solutions not only for closures but also for body-in-white parts requiring specific crash and mechanical performance such as the ones offered by Securalex®,” said Dieter Höll, Vice President of Global Automotive at Constellium.

Audi Extends Partnership for High-Tech Crash Absorption Alloy Components Read More »

15 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

15 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

  • Tracy Dougherty has been named Vice President of Sales at AFC-Holcroft. Dougherty has been with AFC-Holcroft since 2008 and served in several sales-related roles, most recently as the company’s Sales Manager. As Vice President of Sales, Dougherty will now have a number of added responsibilities, including overseeing the company’s activities in Europe.
  • Retech Systems, which has been manufacturing vacuum melting systems in Northern California, will transition much of the manufacturing and assembly to facilities in Świebodzin, Poland. All of the future work done at the SECO/Warwick facilities in Poland will be per the established Retech standards with the focus on maintaining all expectations associated with the Retech brand. The Ukiah office will be downsized and will retain engineers, technical directors, technologists, and service staff. Retech’s unique R&D Center will continue to be built up, maintaining a west coast office along with the recently opened east coast office in Buffalo, NY.
  • Philip Wrisley, Project Manager at Plibrico‘s Salem, Ohio, office, is the recipient of an API STD 936 Refractory Personnel Certification from the American Petroleum Institute (API). This internationally recognized certification verifies Wrisley’s knowledge of API Refractory Installation Quality Control Guidelines for field-testing of monolithic refractory materials, as well as best practices in the installation and repair of refractory linings.
  • A new 57,500 square foot building dedicated to vacuum furnace manufacturing is under construction at Solar Manufacturing‘s campus in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. As can be seen in the photo below, the four bridge cranes are in place, the full plant and office roof is complete, and much of the concrete floor poured.
  • A thermal technology company recently announced the opening of its new sales and operations office in Norway. Chromalox, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, manufactures process heating and heat tracing products.
  • A global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling recently announced an expansion at the company’s Pindamonhangaba, Brazil, plant. This $175 million investment of its flagship facility in South America will bolster Novelis‘s capacity with 100 kilotonnes of additional rolling production and 60 kilotonnes of increased recycling and bring total capacity of the Pindamonhangaba facility to approximately 680 kilotonnes per year of aluminum sheet and 450 kilotonnes annually of recycled metal.
  • Nucor Corporation has announced that it is acquiring Corporacion POK, S.A. de C.V. (POK), a fully integrated precision castings company with a facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. POK produces complex castings and precision machined products used by the oil and gas, mining and sugar processing industries.
  • A new automotive structures facility opened in Zilina, Slovakia, dedicated to the production of aluminum crash management systems and body structure components. Constellium‘s 5,200 square meter facility in Zilina features advanced technologies for forming, machining, welding, and heat-treating aluminum automotive components, along with a state-of-the-art quality lab to ensure products meet customer specifications. Constellium plans to expand its facility to 15,000 square meters by mid-2019.

Equipment Chatter

  • A Japanese manufacturer of precision tool steels components recently commissioned a precision vacuum furnace system from SECO/WARWICK. This specialized system reduces energy consumption through power optimization and cycle time reduction, customized to work within the tight physical space limitations.
  • In addition, an American manufacturer which produces transportation components recently ordered a new precision gas nitriding furnace with ZeroFlow® from SECO/VACUUM (SVT), a SECO/WARWICK Group company.
  • L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc., has supplied a custom designed and manufactured oil quench tank to a metal stamping manufacturer in the Midwest. The quench tank is specifically used to quench metal stamping dies that are heated to 1,550°F.
  • Advanced Heat Treat Corp recently posted to Facebook a video of the installation of one of three new nitriding vessels delivered to the company’s MidPort Blvd location as part of an ongoing building expansion.
  • An international heat treating equipment manufacturer with a location in California, JGEF Furnace, recently sold 6 furnaces to a Japanese heat treating company. Four nitriding horizontal furnaces are front-loading and designed specifically for precision gas nitriding in a retort style with vacuum purge, and two tempering horizontal furnaces are designed to temper workloads after hardening.

Kudos Chatter

  • Hydro Extruded Solutions Hoogezand B.V. (Netherlands), which produces aluminum profiles as well as anodized and painted components, has become the first aluminum extrusion company to be certified with ASI’s Performance Standard for environmental, social and governance performance.
  • SECO/WARWICK was recently awarded the Honorary Badge for Meritorious Performance in the area of innovation in a badge award ceremony held at the Royal Castle as part of the celebrations of the 100-year anniversary of the Patent Office and industrial property protection system in Poland. The badge, given to entities and organizations having outstanding achievements in their pro-development activities, was received by Bartosz Klinowski, Managing Director (Europe), Member of the Management Board of SECO/WARWICK.

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.

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

Aerospace Giant Signs Multi-Year Contract for Aluminum Solutions

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS

Ingrid Joerg, President of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation

A European provider of aluminum products and solutions announced recently that it has signed a multi-year agreement with The Boeing Company to support its leading commercial airplane programs. With this agreement, Constellium, based in The Netherlands, will supply Boeing with a broad range of advanced aluminum-rolled products coming mostly from its plant in Ravenswood, West Virginia.

“This new contract reflects the strong relationship established over the years with Boeing,” said Ingrid Joerg, President of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit. “We look forward to continuing to support Boeing in its commercial airplane programs.”

 

Aerospace Giant Signs Multi-Year Contract for Aluminum Solutions Read More »

Mercedes Selects Aluminum Provider for CLS Panels, Fenders

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

A global aluminum producer based in The Netherlands announced recently that it will be the primary supplier of aluminum auto body sheet for the new Mercedes model, which was released at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show and which entered the market in March 2018.

Dieter Höll, Constellium’s vice president Global Automotive

Constellium will provide the coils for the outer trunk lid panels and fenders of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Constellium’s Surfalex®, which offers high surface quality as well as specific hemming and roping properties, was selected by Mercedes for its lightweighting value.

“Constellium is proud to contribute to the new Mercedes-Benz CLS with our Surfalex® aluminium solutions. This new program reflects the strong relationship established over the years with our customer as we deliver aluminum solutions to all main Mercedes-Benz auto lines. Our commitment to innovation enables us to develop new alloys and solutions from the original model design phase to the start of production,” said Dieter Höll, Constellium’s vice president Global Automotive.

 

Mercedes Selects Aluminum Provider for CLS Panels, Fenders 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.”

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