Spectrum Thermal Processing Retrofits with Super System, Inc.

March 2, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Spectrum Thermal Processing of Cranston, RI continues to update their “State-Of-The-Art Heat Treat” with Super Systems Inc (SSI) control technology. Building on the technology path and a partnership with SSI, Spectrum recently retrofitted SSI’s Series 9220 Vacuum Controller on a CI Hayes Vacuum Oil Quench furnace.

The new controls provide an easy-to-operate interface that reduces operator error while providing the most sophisticated furnace cycles with complete process traceability. The standard vacuum retrofit package from SSI includes recipe control, digital data recording, remote configuration/recipe building, touch screen interface and electronic connectivity to the existing SuperDATA SCADA package.

“The vacuum oil quench furnaces are an important part of our operation,” said Richard Houghton of Spectrum. “SSi has been great to work with as we upgrade our equipment. Our focus is delivering quality and repeatability throughout all our processes, and maintaining the latest controls and data acquisition technology provides the foundation for making that happen. This is the ninth furnace that we have upgraded using SSi controls, which has vastly improved our ability to automatically control all parameters of the process.”

For the last decade, Super Systems Inc., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been developing and manufacturing products for the thermal processing industry. SSi’s products include probes, analyzers, controllers, software solutions and engineered systems. With over 100 years of combined experience, SSi continues to satisfy industry demands with innovative technology, enabling customers to be more efficient and to produce higher quality products.

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Automotive Industry Orders New Pit Furnace

March 1, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

No. 1040 is a 2200°F (1204°C), inert atmosphere pit furnace from Grieve, currently used for heat treating automotive parts in baskets at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions of this furnace measure 36” wide x 36” deep x 48” high. 78 KW are installed in heavy gauge, high temperature Kanthal AF alloy wire heating elements of rod overbend design and powered through a low voltage transformer to heat the workload.

This Grieve pit furnace has 11” thick insulated walls comprising 4 ½” thick 2600°F firebrick, 2 ½” thick 2300°F firebrick and 4” 1900°F block insulation, as well as an insulated floor comprising 7” of castable refactory and 4” block insulation. Other features include a ¼” plate steel exterior reinforced with structural steel and an air-operated, rear-hinged door. Inert atmosphere construction includes continuously welded outer shell, high temperature door gasket, sealed heater terminal boxes, inert atmosphere inlet, outlet, flow meter and manual gas valve.

Controls on the No. 1040 include a digital indicating temperature controller, manual reset excess temperature controller with separate contactors and an SCR power controller.

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Orion Engineered Carbons Expands in Sweden

February 27, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., a worldwide supplier of specialty and high-performance Carbon Black, recently announced that it will expand production capacity at its Norcarb Engineered Carbons AB plant in Malmö, Sweden. Debottlenecking of a line will provide additional specialty carbon black to supply the growing fibers, wire & cable and adhesives & sealants markets.

“The expansion of capacity in Malmö is one more step in Orion’s rapid realignment of our portfolio toward higher value added specialty and technical rubber applications,” said Jack Clem, Orion’s Chief Executive Officer. “Products from Malmö will primarily support our customers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. This action is a reflection of the high confidence of our customers in Orion’s products and technical support capabilities.”

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Ipsen Expands Controls Retrofit Options

February 20, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Steve Hartenberger – Ipsen

Ipsen is introducing a new, competitively priced option for controls retrofits in the form of CompuCore™. Available for installation on most brands of vacuum heat-treating systems, these newly enhanced controls reduce the potential for human error and maximize uptime, allowing users to achieve greater efficiencies.

This controls software package is a cost-effective option for those that want to automate their manual system with the latest technology. It helps users gain comprehensive control of all furnace functions while also achieving repeatable throughput and results. CompuCore features five main screens, which allow operators to monitor and control operations – including viewing and editing an entire recipe – while it monitors and controls vacuum levels and temperatures. Other key features include:

Capable of meeting applicable AMS 2750 requirements
Gain greater control over temperature uniformity with DigiTrim® and DigiPID™ heat zone control (five temperature ranges each)
Create, edit, store and execute process recipes with ease via a menu-driven screen that shows the entire recipe
A streamlined solution, the CompuCore controls upgrade helps companies increase their capabilities while maximizing their equipment’s potential. To learn more, contact Steve Hartenberger at Steve.Hartenberger@IpsenUSA.com, or visit www.IpsenUSA.com/CompuCore.

In addition to controls upgrades and retrofits, the ICS (Ipsen Customer Service) Team also facilitates system installations and provides expert training, startup assistance and 360° support throughout the entire life span of the equipment for any brand.

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Novel Carburizing Method with Endocarb System Has Patent Awarded

February 16, 2017 / CARBURIZING TECHNICAL CONTENT, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

On January 10, 2017, the United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded patent number 9,540,721 to George Barbour, President of Heavy Carbon Company for a Method of Carburizing which allows a carburizing process in a furnace at high temperatures in a protective atmosphere. The primary function of this carburizing method is soot control with an atmosphere flow providing a constant low CH4 to produce a strong reaction for a high quality atmosphere regardless of carbon potential set point.

This new method carburizes at a carbon potential well into the soot range while maintaining a controllable carbon potential with a stable CH4. This stability maintains a constant reaction, cracking an air/gas mix in a self heated retort to a temperature of 1825f before entry into the furnace. The high carbon potential penetrates the steel surface at a rate up to 30% faster saving time and money while producing higher quality parts.

In addition to the speed at a higher carbon potential at high temperatures, the atmosphere will also penetrate lower grade steels at lower temperatures without using ammonia to raise the HRC. The air/gas mix is cracked in a retort outside the furnace to form the atmosphere and is heated at the same high temperature of 1825f before entry into the furnace. In this manner, the low furnace temperature does not hinder the reaction that must take place in the furnace.

Soot control takes place simultaneously while the carburizing cycle is in operation therefore no time is lost to clean soot from the furnace, instead of using furnace time to remove soot and clean the furnace, loads can be run instead. Time is money and soot burn out takes time. Because less time is required per load less gas and power is used resulting in more cost savings.

The Heavy Carbon Company manufactures the patented system which is known as the Endocarb System. The Endocarb System can be added to existing furnaces or built into a furnace at the time of manufacture.

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Textron Aviation Selects Triumph for Cessna Components

February 15, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Rick Rosenjack - Triumph — Rick Rosenjack – Executive VP for Triumph Precision Components

Textron Aviation Inc. selected Triumph Group, Inc. to supply aluminum machined parts for the new Cessna Citation Longitude super-midsize aircraft. Triumph Precision Components’ Complex High Speed Center of Excellence based in Wichita will produce the aluminum spars and wing skins for the Longitude program.

To add manufacturing capacity, Triumph invested in a new Makino A6 5-axis horizontal machining center that became operational in August 2016. The A6 machine is built specifically for high-efficiency machining of complex aluminum monolithic parts of up to six meters in length.

“We are pleased to see our relationship with Textron Aviation continue with the Longitude program,” said Rick Rosenjack, executive vice president for Triumph Precision Components. “Our focus on performance coupled with our investment in new technology provided us with this opportunity to further demonstrate our capability in high- speed, complex monolithic machining.”

The new agreement continues a long-standing relationship between Triumph and Textron Aviation. Triumph currently provides a number of structural components and systems for Textron Aviation, including stringers, bulkheads, frames and spar caps.

This agreement will contribute to organic growth for Triumph. Delivering on customer commitments, becoming predictably profitable, and driving organic growth are fundamental to the company’s long-term strategy.

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Solar Atmospheres Greenville, SC Facility Is Now Boeing Approved

February 10, 2017 / AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Steve Prout – President of Solar Atmospheres Southeast

After completing an intensive three day audit, Solar Atmospheres Southeast is pleased to announce its addition to the Boeing approved processor listing. The Greenville facility joins a group of suppliers in the thermal processing industry and will have an approved scope of processing that will include the following specifications:

BAC 5613 – Heat Treatment of Titanium and Titanium Alloys
BAC 5616 – Heat Treatment of Nickel-Base and Cobalt-Base Alloys
BAC 5619 – Heat Treatment of Corrosion Resistant Steel

Steve Prout, President of Solar Atmospheres Southeast states: “We are proud to be a part of the Boeing supplier network and look forward to working with suppliers in the Southeast region in support of Boeing. We are excited that once again we are able to offer the Southeast US another regional option for aerospace processing that did not exist previously.”

With thermal processing in furnaces ranging from those suited for small lots and development cycles to a 6-1/2 foot diameter by 24 foot long vacuum chamber capable of processing up to 50,000 lb loads with a maximum temperature of 2400°F, Solar Atmospheres is backed by AS9100 and Nadcap quality systems to provide aerospace customers confidence that their product is being processed appropriately.

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Combustion Systems Focus of Bloom Engineering Expansion

February 7, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Michael Binni, Vice President of the Project Management Department, Bloom Engineering

Responding to a growing number of complete combustion system package orders, Bloom Engineering recently announced the expansion of their Project Management Department. The newly expanded department will be lead by former Vice President of Sales, Mr. Michael Binni.

Binni explains his vision for the Project Management Department: “When fully implemented, I expect the Project Management Department will be able to manage significant numbers of complex projects through the project life cycle, including planning, execution, monitoring and closure.” Bloom anticipates improved customer relations as projects will be completed smoothly for both Bloom and for its customers.

Mr. Binni has spent his entire career at Bloom Engineering and has ably filled roles in the Research and Development, Applications, Engineering, and Direct Sales departments before becoming Vice President of Sales. Under his leadership, Bloom’s sales team has shown significant quarter by quarter growth over the past year. Michael holds an engineering degree from Pennsylvania State University, as well as a Pennsylvania PE (professional Engineer) license.

Michael Black - Bloom Engineering — Michael Black, Newly Appointed VP of Sales & Marketing, Bloom Engineering

To fill the Vice President of Sales & Marketing position, Bloom Engineering announced the appointment of Mr. Michael Black. Mr. Black has worked for several divisions of Instron (domestically and internationally) over the last 20-plus years. He brings a wealth of experience in sales, marketing, and management to his new role. Michael holds a business degree from Grove City College and an MBA from Open University Business School.

Bloom Engineering designs quality industrial burners and combustion systems supporting many markets worldwide. With extensive experience in many industries, on-site research and development facilities, and customizable product lines, Bloom Engineering has provided solutions tailored to a customer’s specific needs for over eighty years. Bloom’s products can be used for a variety of applications and can be operated with a wide array of fuels and capacity ranges.

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Solar Atmospheres Invests with Confidence In America

February 3, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

In order to honor newly inaugurated, President Trump, Solar Atmospheres, Souderton, Pennsylvania, placed an order on January 20, 2017, Inauguration Day, for a large horizontal loading 10 bar vacuum furnace with advanced cooling technology, to be built by sister company, Solar Manufacturing, Inc. The furnace will have a 6-foot diameter, 6-foot deep graphite and CFC hot-zone and will be utilized for the heat treatment of gas turbine blades for the power generation industry at the company’s flagship plant just north of Philadelphia in Souderton, Pennsylvania. “This shows the confidence we have in improved business conditions going forward and not looking backward. This investment and installation will approach $2,000,000,” stated William R. Jones, CEO, FASM.

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Flame Treating Systems Orders Tempering Oven

January 20, 2017 / FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, TEMPERING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Flame Treating Systems Inc in Durham, NC has purchased one natural gas fired draw batch oven from Wisconsin Oven to be used for tempering various steel parts. Flame Treating Systems Inc. provides customized flame hardening systems to customers along with in house flame hardening services. The addition of this tempering oven allows them to efficiently temper their customers’ parts in house.

The tempering oven has a maximum temperature of 1250°F and basket dimensions of 4’ W X 3’ H X 4’ L. Steel parts are loaded into the draw batch oven in the basket on two (2) stainless steel pier rails with the load capacity of 2,000 pounds gross. The recirculation system features a combination air flow arrangement that utilizes a 7,000 CFM @ 10 HP plug mounted blower. The combination airflow arrangement provides both horizontal and vertical upward airflow which maximizes heating rates and temperature uniformity of the product.

“We’re so glad to be able to temper parts in our own facility. We are starting to do a significant amount of flame hardening for customers in our shop now, so we needed a better solution than sending parts out for tempering. We installed the oven in the warehouse room adjacent to our 2000-lb. capacity spin flame hardening machine. Five days later it was in production, tempering batches of 800 lb. sprockets. That pretty much tells you what you need to know about the ease of installation. We’re looking forward to continuing to expand our services in the mid-Atlantic region for both localized hardening and tempering. Thanks, Wisconsin Oven.” Mark Sirrine, President – Flame Treating Systems Inc.

Unique features of this tempering batch oven include:

7,000 CFM / 10 HP recirculation system
Stainless steel pier rail hearth rated for 2,000 pounds
Industrial air heat burner rated at 450,000 BTU per hour
Motorized, modulating gas control valve
Flame detector and relay with alarm horn
Digital process timer
Digital temperature controller and high limit controller

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