Heat Treat Supplier News

India-Based Pipe Plant Expands with Heat Treatment Furnace

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International Heat Treat News

India-based Srikalahasti Pipes Ltd., formerly Lanco Industries Ltd., announces expansion plans that include the installation of a third annealing furnace, investing ₹45 crore ($7,307,000 US) to meet this and other expansion goals.

G.S Rathi, whole-time director of Srikalahasti Pipes Ltd., noted that the annealing furnace will be installed exclusively to produce ductile pipes of from 100 mm diameter to 400 mm diameter in order to reduce oil and gas consumption. It calls for an investment of ₹20 crore ($3,124,756 US) and it will be ready by September 2018.

“With the enhanced production of [a third] blast furnace, full utilization of ductile iron pipe plant capacity, and benefits from cost reduction measures, we will be able to bring down the impact of higher input costs. Right now, we have orders book for eight months,” G.S. Rathi, whole-time director, Srikalahasti Pipes Ltd., said. In addition, the first quarter of 2018-2019 should see the expansion of a coke oven battery and boiler and captive power plant.

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Vacuum Furnace Hot Zone Improvement Patent Awarded for Streamlined Manufacture Configuration

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An innovation in vacuum furnace hot zone design has landed a new U.S. Patent, No. 9,702,627, for a Souderton, Pennsylvania, vacuum heat treating and brazing furnaces supplier. This hot zone improvement centers on the configuration of heating element supports, providing for simpler, streamlined manufacture of the support assembly. The new design further provides for easy assembly and disassembly of heating elements, a significant improvement over prior designs.

Solar Manufacturing, Inc., recognizes inventors Robert Wilson, Solar Manufacturing’s VP of Engineering, and Mark Hughes, Senior Design Engineer.

Copies of U.S. Patent No. 9,702,627 B2 may be obtained by visiting www.uspto.gov or click here for a pdf of the patent.

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Bloom Reorganizes Sales Structure to Support Key Industries

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Bloom Engineering, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has reorganized its sales team into two industry focused teams in an effort to concentrate on key industry sectors of aluminum and steel.

Don Whipple and Scott Brown will head the aluminum and steel teams respectively. Each team will focus on its own area of expertise and will be able to provide better support to existing industry customers. Furthermore, it will be easier to coordinate efforts to capture more market share and to bring in new customers.

Mr. Whipple has spent his entire career in combustion with a particular focus on the aluminum industry and has designed, commissioned and fixed countless systems for all facets of aluminum production. Mr. Brown comes to Bloom from a furnace OEM, bringing a depth of knowledge and experience of steel making, with a particular focus on processing lines such as galvanizing and annealing.

Michael Black, Vice President of Sales, is excited about the possibilities. “Scott and Don bring a tremendous wealth of experience in their respective segments of steel and aluminum; [the new sales structure] should help us spread their specific application knowledge within the group, and more importantly to our customers.”

Matt Valancius has been promoted to Director of Marketing and Aftersales Support, including all spare parts sales and service support. Mr. Valancius has held various positions in Bloom over the past twelve years, ably leading the marketing group immediately prior to the promotion. His expanded role will allow for a cohesive approach to aftermarket activities for a smoother customer experience.

Bloom Engineering designs quality industrial burners and combustion systems supporting many markets worldwide. With experience in many industries, on-site research and development facilities, and customizable product lines, Bloom has provided solutions tailored to a customer’s specific needs for over eighty years.

 

(An image of Don Whipple was not available at the time of publication.)

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Novelis, Kobe Steel Join Forces with South Korea Heat-Treat Facility

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Novelis Inc. announced in May that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with Kobe Steel, Ltd., a producer of aluminum rolled products in Japan. The joint venture, to be named Ulsan Aluminum, Ltd., will be formed by Novelis selling Kobe Steel 50 percent of its ownership interest in its Ulsan, South Korea facility for US $315 million. Through the venture, Novelis and Kobe Steel will jointly own and operate the Ulsan facility, with each company remaining responsible for its metal supply and commercial relationships.

Located in the industrial hub of Korea, Novelis’ Ulsan facility currently focuses on the production of rolled aluminum sheet for a variety of markets in Asia. The plant recently completed a major expansion, adding a new three-stand hot finishing mill as well as a pusher furnace and annealing furnaces.

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Foundry Sector’s Expectations

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BOTW-50w  Source:  Foundry Gate

“India is the third largest manufacturer of metal castings globally, producing approx 10 million tonnes of castings in various metals.

The Institute of Indian Foundrymen (IIF) is the apex industry body promoting the competitiveness of India’s foundry industry. There are about 5,000 foundries in India largely in the MSME category.

The foundry or metal casting industry is a key component feeder for the various sectors such as auto, auto components, railways, agro, tractors, textile, cement making, electrical machinery, earthmoving machinery, power equipment, defence equipment, and aero and space industry its sustainable growth has become more important today than ever before given the emphasis of the government on “Make in India”.

Read More:  Foundry Sector’s Expectations

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Schuler Acquires Leading Die Manufacturer AWEBA

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Schuler AG, the market leader in forming equipment, is to take over the die construction specialist AWEBA and thus greatly expand its activities in this business field. Based in Aue, Germany, the AWEBA Group is one of the world’s leading full-service providers of dies and fixtures. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Schuler will acquire a 100 percent stake in AWEBA Werkzeugbau GmbH Aue.

The transaction is still subject to the approval of the relevant anti-trust authorities. AWEBA Werkzeugbau GmbH was previously held by private and institutional investors. The parties have agreed not to disclose any details about the purchase agreement.

AWEBA was founded in 1882 as “Bernhard Hiltmann Spezialfabrik für Schnitt und Stanzwerkzeug”. The company today supplies international customers in the automotive and electrical industries, as well as machine and plant manufacturers. The product portfolio includes forming, cutting, hydroforming, and die-casting dies, as well as fixtures and a comprehensive range of services.
In fiscal year 2015, the AWEBA Group generated sales revenue of around € 60 million.

Schuler CEO Stefan Klebert commented: “We are delighted to add a successfully managed company like AWEBA to our Group. With its high level of expertise in research and development and excellent engineering know-how, the company is a perfect fit for Schuler. The acquisition is part of our growth strategy. AWEBA complements our product portfolio in forming technology in line with market requirements and will expand and strengthen our existing activities in die construction.”

The AWEBA Group employs around 600 people, including almost 200 highly skilled engineers and toolmakers. The company owns 40 valuable patents in the field of die manufacturing.

AWEBA CEO Udo Binder stated: “Becoming a member of the Schuler Group opens up tremendous opportunities for the further expansion of AWEBA. Schuler’s global market standing will enable us to quickly grow our international presence and enhance our profile as a global system supplier. This gives AWEBA growth opportunities which would not have been achievable without Schuler.”

The AWEBA takeover is Schuler’s second major acquisition in the last twelve months. Last year, the company acquired a majority stake in the Chinese press manufacturer Yadon with annual sales of around € 110 million.

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Largest Commercial Vacuum Furnace Nearing Completion

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Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania and Solar Manufacturing, Inc. have been very busy these days building the largest vacuum furnace anywhere in the world.  The working hot zone of this high vacuum (three 35 inch Varian diffusion pumps) furnace is 80 inch diameter X 48 feet long with a maximum operating temperature of 2400°F.  Thirty five points of temperature will be surveyed to within +/- 10°F per the stringent AMS 2750E specification. The robust US Patented dual load car design will have the capacity to transfer up to 150,000 pounds of material in and out of the furnace.  For dimensionally critical, near net shaped jobs, the dual load car design will also have the capability to maintain the critical support needed at elevated temperatures to keep parts flat to within .030 inches.

All of the major components have been delivered and installed.  The gas and water systems are in place.  The remaining installation of all the electrical components and wiring will occur over the next several weeks.  This multi-million dollar project is expected to be completed in June with the commissioning of the furnace into production in July of 2016.  This unique piece of equipment will not only open up new production opportunities within the North American vacuum heat treating markets, but also internationally.

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