A Pennsylvania company recently heat treated and quenched a fabricated 47,000-pound gear. In addition to this gear, about a month ago, its reverse image (with the helix in the opposite direction) was also heat treated. The halves will be matched when grinding is complete to make a complete gear to drive a rolling mill for a steel plant.
Mark Podob President Metlab Source: LinkedIn
The gear, the largest Metlab has ever treated, measured 12' in diameter and has a 30” face width. Material was 18CrNiMo6-7, and case depth required was a nominal 0.275” effective case depth with a surface hardness of HRC 58 – 62. Typical taper on a gear this size is about 0.030”. Carburizing time to achieve the required case depth is about 10 days in the furnace at 17250F. After lowering the temperature of the furnace and gear to 15500F, it is quenched in oil. The transfer time from the pit furnace into the quench tank is less than a minute.
After quench, the gear will be double tempered, sandblasted and prepared for shipment to the Midwest for final grinding. Mark Podob, president at Metlab, commented, "To our knowledge, the furnace used to heat treat this series of four gears is the largest pit carburizing furnace in the United States . . . . [T]he two 47,000 pound gears are the largest that Metlab has carburized and hardened in its 25 year history."
Photographs show the gear at 1550°F being lowered into the oil tank.
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“A heat of drill rods, each piece measuring 1 1/2 O.D. x 12’ long made from H-11 air hardening tool steel. Parts were carburized, and are being forced air cooled, and then will be tempered and straightened Parts are used in the mining industry and case hardening provides the surface hardness and toughness for superior performance in the application.”
Metlab was founded by Horace Knerr in 1928 in Philadelphia to service the airplane manufacturing business. Knerr introduced the first drop bottom gantry furnace for solution treating aluminum spars. In 1936, the company expanded its heat treating activities and moved from Philadelphia to the northern suburbs into a 125,000 square foot facility. As a strong contributor to the support of American manufacturing for the war effort, they had a staff of about 350 people and heat treated numerous components for airplanes, tanks, armaments, and other parts. In 2001, Metlab acquired the John V. Potero Company in Philadelphia, an 18-person heat treat company specializing in heat treating small parts and black oxide.
Today the company offers a full complement of thermal processes, heat treating both small and large parts, and also providing a local pickup and delivery service. They have a full range of capabilities, processing parts that weigh from a few ounces to up to 50,000 pounds. With the largest atmosphere-controlled pit furnaces in North America (measuring up to 15’ in diameter by 12’ deep or the two long furnaces, 6’ in diameter by 16’ deep), Metlab offers deep case carburizing of large gears, pinion shafts, bearings, and other components.
In addition, they have a complement of atmosphere controlled integral oil quench furnaces and a vertical furnace for nitriding parts up to 20’ long. An inhouse metallurgical laboratory is used for documenting hardness, microstructure, and mechanical properties to certify heat treatments and processes.
Nitriding is a core competency, with large submarine and destroyer gears weighing up to 25,000 pounds routinely heat treated. Other processes offered are hardening, tempering, annealing, spheroidize annealing, induction/flame hardening, protective atmosphere normalizing, nitriding, vacuum heat treating, cryogenic processing, stress relieving, and black oxide finishing. Major industries served with these capabilities include:
Aerospace
Agriculture: Heavy Equipment
Medical
Military
Mining
All of the processes offered by the company are aimed at changing the mechanical properties of the parts treated. Whether increasing the hardness (either on the surface or core to make the parts functional), softening the parts to allow them to be further processed, or black oxide finishing for decorative and corrosion resistance, the thermal treatments and/or finishing treatments are critical to the performance of the treated products.
A large gear, 10’ O.D. x 3’ F.W. used on a stand in a rolling mill line. The gear, made from 18CrNiMo6-7 was carburized to 0.250” case depth and hardened to HRC 58 – 62."
Metlab is a job shop, and the parts processed as well as each application addressed is unique. As an example, the company can carburize a 40,000-pound gear to 0.200” case depth and a surface hardness of HRC 58-60 for a steel plant mill stand and not see the same gear for heat treating for another 10 years. Each day brings new challenges. With three metallurgists on staff, they partner with their customers, acting as consultative heat treaters providing the company with the best solutions for any application.
Heat treating can take some interesting turns off the expected path. A few of those projects include working with students on SAE automotive racing teams at local universities. The teams build cars for competition, and Metlab provides, at no charge to the colleges, heat treating for their projects, enabling students to economically obtain heat treat services. Another fun venture was the heat treating of antique car and airplane parts: one-off pieces needed for a restoration. And the black oxide finishing of a suit of armor for a renaissance fair “Black Knight” reenactor was another unique opportunity.
Quality, service, and competitive pricing are Metlab’s stock-in-trade. While they work in accordance with ISO and Nadcap, obtaining accreditation in the short term is a key goal. The addition of a second, larger capacity black oxide line is also underway. The company will continue to evaluate new processes and equipment and add to its arsenal of process and capabilities as markets evolve and applications demand change.
A hydroplane racing team located in Cinnaminson, NJ had three propeller blades heat treated to ensure parts were free of scale and keep the blades from shearing apart. The propellers will now withstand the RPM and torque conditions of racing without failing. Also, the hardening will protect the blades from impact with potential debris in the water.
This case study/press release from the heat treater, Metlab, goes into detail to describe the propellers and how heat treatment changed the material.
A modern unlimited hydroplane is the world’s fastest racing boat, capable of speeds greater than 200 mph. These boats represent the product of over 100 years of evolution in race boat design and materials with the most powerful engines, most advanced construction techniques, and the best safety systems available in boat racing today. A typical unlimited hydroplane can weigh a minimum of 6,750 pounds.
All unlimited hydroplanes are a “three-point” design, meaning they are designed only to touch the water at three points when racing – at the rear of the two front sponsons (the projections of the hull in front of the driver cockpit) and the propeller at the rear of the boat. Most of the unlimited class boats are powered by Chinook helicopter Lycoming T55 L7 turboprop engines, generating up to 3,000 HP.
Metlab, which is known for offering a wide variety of thermal processing solutions, had the opportunity to heat treat a series of propellers for a hydroplane racing team located in Cinnaminson, NJ.
The propellers must meet strict design criteria imposed by the Union Internationale Motonautique (or “UIM,” headquartered in Europe), not only for propellers but for the entire boat design. The propellers are typically 16″ in diameter and have three blades. Different pitch propellers are chosen for use based on course length, conditions, and starting position. It is not uncommon for a racing propeller to cost more than $15,000.
Propeller: Mercury Racing – T.E. Clever model
The propeller creates the distinctive “rooster tail” behind the boat, raising literally tons of water into the air for up to 300 feet behind the boat. They are made from several different materials, but the steel of choice is 17-4 PH stainless steel chosen for its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The propeller must support a significant portion of the boat’s weight while rotating up to 14,000 RPM.
Three propeller blades were heat treated for the client to the H-900 condition (900°F/ hours at heat). They were age hardened in a vacuum furnace to ensure parts were free of scale. The high tensile strength (200 KSI) produced by the heat treatment keeps the blades from shearing apart; the excellent ductility associated with the heat-treated material allows the propellers to withstand the RPM and torque conditions without failing. And a hardness of HRC 40 protects the blades from impact with potential debris in the water. 17-4 PH stainless steel properly heat treated also benefits from increasing torsional fatigue strength, a common cause of propeller failure.
Metlab provides heat treating solutions for highly technical parts and components. Consult with a metallurgical specialist at Metlab about your specifications and heat treating requirements.
15 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.
Personnel & Company Chatter
Professor Chris Sutcliffe, Director of Research and Development (R&D) at Renishaw‘s Additive Manufacturing Products Division (AMPD), was awarded a prestigious Silver Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), recognizing his role in driving the development of metal 3D printed implants for use in human and veterinary surgery and celebrating his successful commercialization of additive manufacturing products as part of his work with Renishaw, the University of Liverpool, Stryker Orthopaedics and Fusion Implants Ltd.
Michael Handscombe joins UK-based Phoenix Temperature Measurement as National and International Sales Manager to support PhoenixTM temperature monitoring solutions used in industrial heat treatment and furnace surveying and other industries.
One of five new vacuum furnaces, with an all-metal hotzone and 15 bar Argon quenching with an 8,000lb capacity, have been delivered to the Cleveland division of Pauloand will be ready for production late July. This represents the first step of a larger expansion that includes a new building.
Two large heat-treating furnaces were recently rebuilt and upgraded at Metlab, a heat treatment and surface enhancement company located in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. The furnaces, designated P-1 and P-2, are believed to be the largest atmosphere-controlled pit furnaces in North America and are used to neutral harden, carburize and harden, nitride, anneal, and stress relieve large components or multiple quantities of parts.
A 20-foot long car bottom air furnace capable of handling a workload up to 30,000 lbs will be installed at Solar Atmospheres of Western PA during July 2018 and surveyed in accordance with AMS2750. With a maximum operating temperature of 1400°F, this furnace will accommodate not only the tempering of large tool steel components but also age hardening of 15-5 PH, 17-4 PH, and nickel-based alloys. Although Solar is typically known as a “vacuum only” heat treater, the company notes the need for heat treating non-finished parts and materials in accordance with the same specifications (AMS, MIL, Boeing and Airbus) within different atmospheres where surface oxidation is permissible.
Robrecht Himpe retired from his position as CEO of ArcelorMittal North America and CEO of AM/NS Calvert on July 1, as well as his duties with ArcelorMittal’s executive management team. He has been with the group for 37 years and will be succeeded as ArcelorMittal North America CEO by Brad Davey, who has been serving as chief marketing officer of ArcelorMittal North America and head of global automotive.
Team, Inc., an industrial services company based in Houston, Texas, recently announced that Arthur F. Victorson, President of the Inspection and Heat Treating segment, will retire from the company on September 30, 2018. In connection with his retirement, Mr. Victorson will transition from his current role, effective July 15, 2018, and serve as a special advisor to Amerino Gatti, Team’s Chief Executive Officer, to ensure a seamless transition. Team anticipates naming a successor to Mr. Victorson in the near future.
A partnership has been formed between Plibrico, based in Northbrook, Illinois, and Upstate Refractory Services, headquartered in Newark, New York.
John Hynes has been promoted at Pauloto Director of Information Systems from his previous role as Manager of Information Technology. John has been with Paulo for just over one year, strengthening the company’s IT position.
Chris Sutcliffe, Renishaw
Michael Handscombe, PhoenixTM
One of 5 new furnaces at Paulo
New equipment at Metlab
Solar Atmospheres installs car bottom air furnace.
Robrecht Himpe retires as CEO of ArcelorMittal North America.
New partnership between Plibrico and Upstate Refractory Services
John Hynes promoted at Paulo to Director of Information Systems.
Equipment Chatter
A natural gas-fired, enhanced-duty, walk-in oven was recently shipped to the technology industry by Wisconsin Oven Corporation for use in post-curing refractory material. With a maximum operating temperature of 300°F, the oven was designed with the capacity to heat 8,000 pounds of steel and 4,000 pounds of refractory material from 70° to 150° F within 180 minutes.
A 1400°F electric, inert atmosphere tempering furnace from Grieve Corporation, No. 885, is currently being used for heat treating weldments at a customer’s facility.
An India-based conglomerate recently commissioned an aluminum automotive casting heat treatment system from CAN-ENG Furnaces International Limited for its new greenfield North American expansion in South Carolina.
CAN-ENG Furnaces, aluminum automotive casting heat treatment system
Kudos Chatter
The F-35 Joint Program Office of The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin delivered the 300th production F-35 aircraft, a US Air Force F-35A, to be delivered to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. “The F-35 weapons system is a key enabler of our National Defense Strategy and is providing our warfighters the combat-proven, advanced capabilities they need to meet mission requirements,” said Vice Admiral Mat Winter, program executive officer for the F-35 Joint Program Office. The first 300 F-35s include 197 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants, 75 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variants, and 28 F-35C carrier variants (CV) and have been delivered to U.S. and international customers. More than 620 pilots and 5,600 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 140,000 cumulative flight hours.
The first Future Aluminum Forum was held on 8th & 9th May 2018 in Milan, Italy, with more than 150 delegates from across the aluminum manufacturing and processing industries gathering to hear from technical experts and uncover the myths behind Industry 4.0 and what this means for the manufacturing value chain. An Advisory Board was established to develop a strategic approach towards integrating Industry 4.0 across the aluminum manufacturing and processing sectors.
A center for aerospace air management systems, Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS, in Toulouse, France, recently obtained accreditation from the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) for its materials testing laboratory. This accreditation follows an audit conducted in early March 2018 by the Performance Review Institute (PRI), which focused on both the overall quality system of the laboratory and the practice of static and dynamic mechanical tests.
Lockheed Martin and Pentagon deliver 300th aircraft.
Future Aluminum Board meets in Milan, Italy.
Liebherr-Toulouse obtains Nadcap Approval.
Heat Treat Today celebrates with our heat treatment industry partners by highlighting their accomplishments and announcements 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.
Combining the ancient craft of blacksmithing with heat treating processes, artisan Robert (Mac) McPherson obtained the finish he wanted for a suit of armor designed after a late 15th-century statue of the patron saint of firefighters. The suit was fashioned with 125 hand-formed, then hardened and tempered metal plates.
Nitriding and carburizing are the two most common heat treatment practices for surface hardening functional components. The main difference is that in nitriding, nitrogen atoms are made to diffuse into the surface of the parts being processed, whereas in carburizing, carbon is used. There are advantages and disadvantages to both processes.
This excellent blog post by Metlab in the Philadelphia area is a great primer for both processes.
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