News Chatter

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

  • Roger Ross has been appointed the president of StandardAero‘s Airlines & Fleets division.  He will be located at the company’s Scottsdale, Arizona, headquarters office and be responsible for the largest division of StandardAero, with multiple sites in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, and Australia.
  • An automotive wheel manufacturer based in Paris, Kentucky, announced the groundbreaking on its facility expansion to support plans to increase the production capacity of aluminum wheels. These expansions will introduce “cutting-edge technology and realization of high-level on-site capabilities” at Central Motor Wheel of America‘s manufacturing operations.
  • Greg Jennings has been appointed to the position of President and CEO at Thermal Product Solutions, LLC (TPS), a global manufacturer of thermal processing equipment. Jennings has held the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at TPS since 2013. During his time as CFO, he was instrumental during the acquisition of Wisconsin Oven Corporation and Baker Furnace.
  • Work is now underway to expand the heat treatment capacity at Saar-Blankstahl to expand the annealing capacity of its subsidiary, Saarstahl AG is responding to an expected increase in worldwide demand for heat-treated bar material and higher-quality steels.

Equipment Chatter

  • Six Gruenberg cleanroom ovens were shipped to the medical industry from Thermal Product Solutions.
  • An electrically heated top flow conveyor oven was sold by Wisconsin Oven Corporation to a global manufacturer in the machinery industry. The furnace will be used for curing “CPIG” material on plastic housings for electronic components.
  • An innovative contract manufacturer recently invested in a new aluminum extrusion press. Alexandria Industries will be able to increase its aluminum extrusion capabilities, extrude more complex product features, and hold tighter tolerances, while utilizing a variety of alloys. The press is made by Presezzi Extrusion Group (Vimercate, MB-Italy). Alexandria Industries will gain an extra 30 percent in extrusion capacity.

  • Dr. Rod Martin, vice president of technology at Element, has been awarded the 2019 Leslie Holliday Prize from the British Composites Society (BCS). The prize is in recognition of Dr. Martin’s significant contribution to the field of composite materials.
  • BEAMIT SpA, Fornovo di Taro, Italy, has successfully passed a Nadcap audit for heat treating, receiving Nadcap accreditation as a result. The Additive Manufacturing bureau provides services for the AM of both metal and ceramic parts, and as of January 2018 had installed two high vacuum furnaces conforming to standard AMS2750.
  • Thinker Ventures recently completed a new website for Diablo Furnaces at diablofurnaces.com. The new site features a mobile-friendly responsive design that adapts for viewing on desktops, smartphones, and tablets. Diablo Furnaces is a heat treating solution provider that is able to complete custom furnace design.

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 »

A Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

A Dozen 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

  • Joyce Paliganoff (Midwest RSE), Patrick Heiser (Southeast RSE), and Larry Gomez (West/Northwest RSE) were recently hired by Ipsen USA as part of an initiative to double the number of Regional Sales Engineers (RSEs) by year-end.
  • A $9M investment provides needed space for capacity increases for Mercury Marine, which recently opened its 23,500 square foot expansion to its diecasting facility, where the company will manufacture complex blocks, driveshafts, and gearcases for Mercury outboards. In addition, Mercury will add another 4,500-ton die-cast machine giving the company two of the largest of its kind in North America.
  • SPIROL employees, company executives, board members, state representatives, and other honored guests gathered to celebrate the completion of the major expansion to SPIROL’s world headquarters and largest global manufacturing facility located in Northeastern Connecticut.
  • Digital manufacturing company, Protolabs has launched production capabilities for its metal 3D printing service. The new capabilities use secondary processes to improve the strength, dimensional accuracy, and cosmetic appearance of metal parts.

Equipment Chatter

  • A manufacturer in the automotive industry recently purchased an electrically heated enhanced duty walk-in series oven from Wisconsin Oven Corporation. The batch oven will be used for pre-heating racks of plastic parts prior to painting.
  • A leading supplier of high-quality automotive parts commissioned a Brinell hardness testing specialist for a second bespoke system for the intricate inspection of automotive suspension components. The challenge that Foundrax faced was that the hardness test location as specified by the car manufacturer was in an extremely tight space, hemmed in on three sides by vertical sections and almost no test area to work with. As many of these parts are hollow, there is no other position which would be strong enough to allow for a reliable test.
  • A retort box furnace was shipped and installed at the facility of an aerospace components manufacturer based in the southern U.S by L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. The furnace is used to de-binder ceramic matrix composite components deployed in the aircraft industry. The main function of the furnace is to remove all organics and other materials used in the product prior to placing it in a high-fire vacuum chamber. This de-bindering process is extremely important and allows for a finished product that is not only very strong but also lightweight.
  • No. 824 is a 500°F (260°C), modified universal oven from Grieve, currently used for housing a vertical conveyor system at the customer’s facility. Grieve also shipped No. 797, a 260°F (127°C), clean room cabinet oven, to be used for drying coating on printed circuit boards at the customer’s facility. 
  • Qinghai Zhuofeng New Material Co., Ltd, based in China, recently received shipment of two continuous annealing and processing lines, each with an annual capacity of 110,000 tons, from technology Group ANDRITZ.

Kudos Chatter

  • In 1986, Dave Strand was hired by Wisconsin Oven Corporation as a shop worker. In 2019, he retires as President & CEO of Thermal Product Solutions, LLC, the parent company of Wisconsin Oven. Dave Strand has dedicated 33 years to the continued growth of Wisconsin Oven Corporation.

    Dave Strand 
  • During the HEAT TREAT 2019 conference, Fluxtrol Inc., in conjunction with the ASM Heat Treating Society, will be recognizing and awarding academic researchers and young scientists in the field of thermal processing. Two Fluxtrol/ASM awards will be given, the “Prof. Valentin S. Nemkov Academic Research Award,” and the “Fluxtrol Student Research Award”.
  • In an effort to continually improve the workplace environment for all Employee-Owners, the Pelican Wire leadership team recently announced a new, comprehensive “Paid Family Leave” benefit. This expanded paid-leave benefit includes maternity/paternity leave and leave for primary caregivers of immediate family members with a serious health condition requiring
    full-time care.

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

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

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

  • Thomas Persson recently joined Therma-Tron-X Inc. as their newest HTF (Heat Treat Furnace) sales engineer.
  • Chromalox has announced the opening of its new sales and operations office in Korea.
  • Thomas “Tucker” Hamling II was recently appointed to the position of sales manager with ZIRCAR Refractory Composites, Inc., responsible for domestic technical sales while also providing technical guidance to the company’s customers.
  • A definitive agreement has been reached between Tenaris S.A. and PAO TMK, a Russian company and manufacturer of steel pipe, to acquire 100% of the shares of PAO TMK’s wholly owned U.S. subsidiary IPSCO Tubulars, Inc.
  • Beaumont Machine has relocated to a new larger manufacturing facility, still in the Cincinnati area, to expand the machine line for components for new markets such as semiconductor materials processing and land-based power generation, particularly turbine blades.
  • The American Foundry Society is pleased to welcome Tom Dore as Technical Director. Formerly a vice president at AFS Corporate Member Alu-Bra Foundry, Dore has years of hands-on experience in foundry operations, including plant engineering, heat treating, sand casting, customer quality, and sales.
  • Mike Winkelmann, an industry veteran, has been appointed the new General Manager of the fast-growing Mechanical Services division of Plibrico Company, LLC.
  • Paulo recently announced three leadership changes to the Operations team. Kyle Moore has been promoted to Plant Manager of the St. Louis Division, Tim Mohr has been promoted to Director of Strategic Programs, and Tee Rassieur has been promoted to Vice President Operations.

 Equipment Chatter

  • A Tier 1 automotive manufacturer recently chose Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd to design and commission a high-capacity, heat-treatment system, providing T-6 and T-7 processing capabilities for lightweight aluminum High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) automotive components.
  • A medical device manufacturer required an oven to preheat an aluminum mold for a silicone part that was to be filled and cured in the next manufacturing step and contracted with Despatch. The company develops innovative products that improve patient outcomes by enabling minimally invasive surgery.
  • A company that requires the heat treating of automotive parts in baskets recently purchased the No. 1040, a 2200°F (1204°C), inert atmosphere pit furnace, from Grieve Corporation.

Kudos Chatter

  • Dr. Valery Rudnev, FASM IFHTSE Fellow, the Director of Science & Technology at Inductoheat Inc., was recently appointed this year’s speaker at the Woodside Lecture of the Detroit Chapter of ASM. The Woodside Lecture is named for William P. Woodside, the founder of ASM in Detroit (1913). Dr. Rudnev will be discussing “Recent Theoretical and Practical Novelties in Induction Heat Treatment.”
  • Saint-Gobain recently announced that Neha Dave, business manager of Specialty Materials at Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, has been named a 2019 STEP Ahead Emerging Leader by The Manufacturing Institute. Additionally, the institute is recognizing Silham El Kasmi, operational director for Saint-Gobain Crystals in France, as a 2019 STEP Ahead Award Honoree. Dave and El Kasmi were recently honored during an Awards Dinner Gala in Washington, D.C.
  • The world’s largest wind-turbine blade—351 feet (107 meters) long—has been manufactured by LM Wind Power in Cherbourg, France, as part of a GE Renewable Energy Haliade-X 12-MW offshore turbine. The blade is comprised of multiple thin layers of glass-and-carbon fibers with wood, fused together with resin.
  • In addition, the largest rotary tilting furnace in the world has been manufactured and supplied by GHI Smart Furnaces, in a project subsidized by the Basque Government in which the company has worked together with Befesa and Tecnalia. This is the second time the company has reached a world record.
  • 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 »

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

  • Mike Woolery has recently joined Plibrico Company, LLC,  as its purchasing manager. Woolery will report directly to the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Rob Wasieleski.
  • The recent acquisition of the SME Group by Dana Incorporated, as well as the Drive Systems segment of Oerlikon Group, including the Graziano and Fairfield brands, has resulted in the addition of five facilities throughout China.
  • Gasbarre Industrial Furnace Systems is pleased to announce the promotion of Mike Harrison to Engineering Manager for Gasbarre (formerly J.L. Becker), in Plymouth, MI.
  • A global investment firm recently announced that it has closed its purchase of StandardAero. The Carlyle Group completed the purchase from Veritas Capital. StandardAero is a global provider of repair and maintenance services to the aviation industry.
  • R. Joseph Stratman, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President of Nucor Corporation, recently announced plans to retire on June 8, 2019, after more than 29 years of service with Nucor. Effective May 19, 2019, MaryEmily Slate will be promoted to Executive Vice President and will assume responsibilities for the Tubular Products Group, logistics and certain joint ventures.
  • Saint-Gobain Coating Solutions, Amherst, N.Y., has recently appointed Tim Vitorino, a member of the ASM Thermal Spray Society, to the position of Product Manager for Thermal Spray Powders. In this role, he will have global responsibility for the current TSP portfolio and for new product development.

Equipment Chatter

  • A modified shelf oven, No. 879 from Grieve Corporation, heats to 350°F (177°C) and is currently used for pre-heating bulk friction material in trays at the customer’s facility.
  • A continuous annealing and chemical pretreatment line for processing strip coils for the aluminum market has been contracted by Henan Tongren Aluminum Co. Ltd, which specializes in aluminum products. Tenova will deliver the new line, which will process automotive and aircraft aluminum alloys, family series 2XXX, 5XXX, 6XXX and 7XXX.
  • A new 12’ long car-bottom vacuum furnace with advanced pumping system and rapid cooling capability has been ordered for Solar Atmospheres’ Greenville, South Carolina, facility. The horizontal vacuum furnace has been manufactured by sister company Solar Manufacturing; installation is scheduled for early 2020.
  • Two CaseMaster Evolution® (CMe) vacuum furnaces have recently been delivered to an aerospace components manufacturer, and an additional CMefurnace has gone to a performance automotive manufacturer, from SECO/WARWICK Group.
  • A Gruenberg explosion resistant truck-in oven has been shipped to the defense security industry by Thermal Product Solutions.
  • An electrically heated horizontal solution treat system with a maximum oven operating temperature of 1,100°F and a chiller system has been shipped to a manufacturer in the aerospace industry by Wisconsin Oven Corporation. Guaranteed temperature uniformity of ±10°F at set points of 870°F, 920°F, & 985°F was documented with a twelve (12) point profile test in an empty oven chamber under static operating conditions and was performed in accordance with BAC 5621F specifications.
  • A 2012°F (1100°C) crucible furnace has been shipped to a research and development laboratory in the nuclear industry by Lindberg/MPH. This crucible furnace will be used for a wide variety of laboratory melting applications, including annealing, ashing, carbon firing, ceramic firing, hardening, melting, nitriding, normalizing, sintering, solution treating, and stress relieving.

 

Kudos Chatter

StandardAero recently celebrated the delivery of the company’s 500th CFM International CFM56-7B turbofan engine from its overhaul facility in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. This milestone engine powered a Boeing 737 Next Generation passenger jet operated by a major North American airline supported by StandardAero via offload agreements with its valued partner GE Aviation. StandardAero launched its CFM56-7B program in June 2009,

Precision Micro is now certified to ISO 13485 – the internationally recognized quality management system for medical device manufacturers. The accreditation was awarded following a successful site audit conducted by the British Standards Institution (BSI), the national standards body of the United Kingdom.

Stratolaunch Systems Corporation recently completed the first flight of the world’s largest all-composite aircraft, the Stratolaunch. With a dual fuselage design and wingspan greater than the length of an American football field, the Stratolaunch aircraft took flight at 0658 PDT from the Mojave Air and Space Port. Achieving a maximum speed of 189 miles per hour, the plane flew for 2.5 hours over the Mojave Desert at altitudes up to 17,000 feet. As part of the initial flight, the pilots evaluated aircraft performance and handling qualities before landing successfully back at the Mojave Air and Space Port.

JTEKT North America (JNA), a supplier of steering systems, driveline components and bearing technologies was recognized with an Excellent Award in Technology & Development from Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA) at its Annual Supplier Business Meeting (ABM) in March.

The leading producer of flat-rolled aluminum products recently hosted a ribbon cutting celebration to commemorate a $4.5 million investment at its facility in Warren, Ohio. Through this investment, Novelis, Inc., will provide greater versatility for pretreatments, improves operational efficiency and reduces costs over time.

 

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.

 

 

 

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

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.

 

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

A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

A Baker’s Dozen 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

  • Kestrel Company, an investment corporation founded by Shelby Ray, has purchased the remaining assets of Eagle Steel Products from Shirley Ohta, who founded Eagle in 1982. The new ownership, led by Ray, expects to maintain its woman- and minority-owned business status. Eagle operates a steel and metal products warehousing and distribution facility in Louisville, Kentucky.Kestrel Company will be doing business as Eagle Steel & Metal Products.
  • Jerram Dawes has recently joined Phoenix Temperature Measurement (PhoenixTM) as Sales Manager, bringing 20 years experience of working for a well-known temperature profiling equipment supplier.
  • Kimberly A. Fields recently joined Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI) as Executive Vice President with full P&L responsibility for the Flat-Rolled Products Group, succeeding Robert S. Wetherbee, who held this role until becoming ATI’s President and CEO. Ms. Fields brings 20 years of global experience with a focus on growth and operational excellence.
  • After almost 9 months away from the company, Ed Valykeo has recently returned to Pelican Wire as the company’s thermocouple specialist. With almost four decades of experience in the wire manufacturing space, Ed is recognized as an industry expert within the thermocouple wire manufacturing world. In his career, Ed has been an active member of ASTM for over twenty-five years and spent almost two decades in various technical positions at Hoskins Manufacturing, an industry pioneer.
  • American Posts LLC has acquired Ohio-Kentucky Steel, which provides slitting of steel and aluminum. American Posts, LLC was established in March 2005 and is the last manufacturer of steel u-posts in the United States.
  • Brelie Gear Co, Inc. has announced plans to build a new 36,800 sq. ft. facility on a recently purchased 4.3-acre site in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Brelie will be moving from their current plant in Milwaukee to the new, larger plant. The new larger space will continue to run as a full-service gear manufacturing facility that houses the latest in equipment technology and automation.
  • Sage Metals Private Ltd., a portfolio company of Delos Capital and a manufacturer of specialty metal products, has acquired Jayco Manufacturing. Based in Grand Prairie, Texas, Jayco is involved in the assembly, integration, and production of precision custom metal-formed components for a variety of industrial and consumer end markets.

 

Equipment Chatter

  • A 2-zone indirect gas-fired heavy duty walk-in furnace was recently shipped to a global manufacturer in the composite industry. Wisconsin Oven Corporation announced that this project passed the stringent temperature uniformity requirements to meet BAC 5621 Class 1 Furnaces and Instrumentation Type D specifications.
  • A vacuum purge semi-continuous Active Only® CAB furnace was recently commissioned by SECO/WARWICK for a North American automotive aftermarket manufacturer.
  • Nucor Steel Marion, Inc., based in Marion, Ohio, granted SMS group the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) of the supplied walking beam furnace shortly after successful commissioning. The NOx content of this furnace is close to 25 parts per million. The furnace is designed according to innovative pre-fabrication methods and features proprietary SMS ZEROFlame burners.
  • Five Blue M Standard mechanical convection ovens were recently shipped to a global manufacturer of automotive parts by Thermal Product Solutions.

Kudos Chatter

  • The Powder Coating Institute (PCI) recently introduced the third video in the Powder Coating, A Better Kind of Paint consumer video series. Powder Coating: A Stronger Kind of Paint rounds out the “Stronger, Greener, Better” portion of the series. PCI also introduced a PCI Certification Program promotional video, which features three PCI certified companies sharing the benefits of certification and their experience with the process.
  • The HPC4Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) Program recently awarded nearly $3.8 million for thirteen projects designed to stimulate the use of high-performance supercomputing in U.S. manufacturing. These projects will address key challenges in U.S. manufacturing proposed in partnership with companies and improve energy efficiency across the manufacturing industry through applied research and development of energy technologies. Each of the thirteen newly selected projects will receive up to $300,000 to support work performed by the national lab partners and allow the partners to use HPC compute cycles. Awardees include: (1) Arconic Inc. will partner with ORNL to model rolling processes to observe the evolution of porosity in a project titled “Computational Modeling of Industrial Rolling Processes Incorporating Microstructure Evolution to Minimize Rework Energy Losses”. (2) United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) will partner with ORNL to understand microstructure evolution during heat treatment of additively manufactured parts in a project titled “Predictive Tools for Customizing Heat Treatment of Additively Manufactured Aerospace Components”. (3) Steel Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Consortium (SMSVC) and ArcelorMittal USA will partner with ANL to improve the efficiency of the reheat furnace process in steel manufacturing in a project titled “Application of High-Performance Computing (HPC) to Optimize Reheat Furnace Efficiency in Steel Manufacturing”.

 

 

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.

 

A Baker’s Dozen 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

  • Leroy M. Ball has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors at Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI). Ball, 50, is president and CEO of Koppers Holdings Inc.
  • Heat Treat Today 2018 40 Under 40 recipient Matt Clinite of Ipsen USA has recently been promoted from Midwest Regional Sales Owner to Customer Service Sales Manager, effective immediately. Clinite joined the company in June 2014 as a Sales Engineer.
  • Vesuvius plc recently announced that it has acquired CCPI Inc., a specialty refractories producer focused on tundish (steel continuous casting) applications and aluminum. Based in Ohio, CCPI will become part of Vesuvius’ Advanced Refractories business unit.
  • Gasbarre has announced that the company will no longer be using the J.L. Becker name, but instead, are transitioning to its new name, Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems. Thermal Processing Systems is one of the three new business units that now comprise Gasbarre Products, Inc. The other two units are Powder Compaction Solutions and Manufacturing Technologies.
  • Marisa A. Oeltjen has been added to the Bluestreak I Bright AM™  team as customer success support specialist. Ryan Wenzel, working from Bluestreak I Bright AM™’s Northeast Ohio location, serves as a database analyst and key member of the tech support group.
  • Howard Kimberley has joined Aeromet International as Chief Executive Officer. Kimberley has extensive experience in the aerospace industry including senior executive positions at GKN and Hampson Industries, and most recently as CEO of international aerospace group Shimtech since its formation in 2011.
  • Abbott Furnace Company recently announced it will be hosting its Fifth Annual Continuous Brazing Symposium in Mexico this spring in Puebla, Mexico from May 21 – 23, 2019.

  • Equipment Chatter

  • A European manufacturer of investment castings for the medical industry recently purchased a gas-fired pusher furnace from Armil CFS, Inc. The 2-row pusher furnace will be used for the burnout and pre-heating of investment casting molds.
  • A midwestern facility of a US-based manufacturer of safety-critical fasteners and assembly solutions has purchased a new MB48-120 mesh belt furnace from AFC-Holcroft, replacing an older AFC-Holcroft installation. The new mesh belt furnace will be used in the production of metal fasteners.
  • Several orders have been met by SECO/WARWICK for various equipment and systems: 1) An American manufacturer of flat rolled aluminum sheet recently added a new SECO/WARWICK sow and T-bar preheat furnace system 2) The main producer of forgings in Central Europe for strategic markets recently invested in a single-chamber furnace type PEK. 3) A manufacturer of high quality matrix forgings, construction connectors and manual tools purchased a CaseMaster AFS – a multipurpose Sealed Quench chamber furnace, intended for thermal and thermo-chemical treatment in a controlled endothermic atmosphere.  4) SECO/WARWICK provided an additional atmosphere generator system to a supplier of engineered carbon and graphite solutions for severe service lubrication applications in the aerospace, petrochemical, energy, industrial, and defense sectors. 5) The company updated and simultaneously extended a box furnace’s productive longevity for a leading international participant in the field of precious metals and advanced materials. 
  • Lindberg/MPH announced the shipment of a single-zone tube furnace to an engineering company in the nuclear power industry.

Kudos Chatter

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (PA) meets with Onex Inc and members of NWIRC
  • U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (PA) recently met with Onex Inc and members of NWIRC with the purpose of hearing firsthand from Onex employees about NIST MEP’s impact on Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry.
  • Dana Incorporated‘s motor and inverter joint venture, TM4, recently announced it has reached a major milestone with the production of its 12,000th TM4 SUMO™ electric powertrain for buses and commercial vehicles in China.
  • For the ninth time, The Timken Company, a world leader in engineered bearings and power transmission products, has been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. Ethisphere Institute is a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

 

Special Mention

On Valentine’s Day, Thermcraft lost its founder, Mr. Morris L. Crafton, at 93. In 1971, Mr. Crafton and his wife Clara founded Thermcraft on the principle of providing the best customer service available in the thermal processing industry.

Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr. Crafton grew up in North Carolina and served in the US Navy during WWII, and then after college, he was called again to serve his country during the Korean War. After his military service, Mr. Crafton  moved his family to Washington, PA, where he ran a popcorn business and, in time, became a partner in a business that manufactured replacement heating elements for industrial and laboratory furnaces.

After returning to North Carolina, he decided to start his own company. With the full support of his wife Clara, they secured a small warehouse in downtown Winston Salem and began making replacement heating elements for industrial and laboratory furnace applications.

Thermcraft was moved to its current facility in 1979, just a few miles south to the edge of Winston Salem. Through new product development and various acquisitions, the Craftons began to grow Thermcraft into the company it is today.

Mr. Crafton lost Clara to cancer in 1995. He eventually turned the reigns of Thermcraft over to his son Tom, but that didn’t stop Mr. Crafton from being involved in the day-to-day business. He continued to drive himself to work well into his 92nd year, making mail runs and performing various other tasks. He enjoyed a daily walk through the factory, talking to his employees and staying on top of what was going on within his company.

Mr. Crafton will be missed by all who knew him. He will be remembered as a strong leader who was kind and generous to those around him. He had a great sense-of-humor and often left those he met with the saying, “glad you got to see me.”

“We are certainly glad we had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Crafton,” is the sentiment of all at Thermcraft.

Heat Treat Today offers its condolences to the family of Mr. Morris Crafton and the team at Thermcraft.

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 »

15 Quick Heat Treat News 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 and Company Chatter

  • Roger Smith has recently been appointed Technical Manager at Plibrico Company, LLC.  Smith will be responsible for development of innovative refractory formulas, oversee product quality, and assist in identifying the best materials for refractory construction projects.
  • William “Bill” Cowell has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Operations at Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT). Cowell, who has been at AHT since 1999, will oversee operations for all AHT  facilities.
  • Wirco has announced the promotion of Aaron Fisher to Vice President of our Fabrication Division. Aaron has been with Wirco for 19 years. In addition, Wirco welcomes Marco Möser as the Vice President of our Foundry Division.
  • Thomas G. Gasbarre has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Gasbarre Products, Inc, a position he has held since his father George Gasbarre, the founder of the company, retired in 1990. Gasbarre also announced that Tom’s son, Alex Gasbarre, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and is now leading the development and execution of the company’s short- and long-term strategies. Heath Jenkins has been promoted and will succeed Alex as President, Press & Automation, and Manufacturing Technologies.
  • John C Plant has been appointed to serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Arconic Inc. The Board has also appointed Elmer L. Doty, a current Director, to serve as Chief Operating Officer, and Arthur D. Collins, Jr., a current Director, to serve as Lead Director. These appointments are effective immediately.
  • Xerox, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, has acquired metal additive manufacturing company Vader Systems, which will enable it to offer its customers access to low-cost metal additive manufacturing with a greater variety of metals. Based in Buffalo, New York, Vader Systems is a developer of liquid metal additive manufacturing technology.

Equipment Chatter

  • Several convection ovens were supplied to a manufacturer of small medical parts in the southern U.S. by Lucifer Furnaces. Model 42-B18 has a working chamber size of 9”H x 9”W x 18”L and heats to 1200°F.
  • A floor-standing furnace has been shipped by L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. to a worldwide leader of high tech ceramics and associated components located in the Northeastern United States. The furnace will be used for glass components along with fiber optics and research and development. It will also be used to fill in on various thermal projects and development.
  • A Treet-All™ Box Furnace has been shipped to a Japan-based global battery manufacturing company by Lindberg/MPH.  The maximum temperature rating of this light industrial box furnace is 2050°F and has work chamber dimensions of 18” wide x 36” deep x 18” high. The Treet-All™ Light Industrial Box Furnace is suited for multiple applications, including annealing, ashing, austempering, brazing, preheating, solution treating, stress relieving, and normalizing.
  • A supplier of the aerospace industry received shipment of a Electrically Heated Horizontal Quench Solution Treat System from Wisconsin Oven Corporation. The Horizontal Quench Solution Treat System has a maximum oven operating temperature of 1,200° F and work zone dimensions of 5’4″ wide x 5’6″ long x 5’4″ high (above the rollers).
  • Chromalox, a thermal technology provider, recently contracted with Sierra Monitor Corporation  to enable cloud system connectivity on their Heat Trace solution.
  • A cabinet oven is being used to finish batch loads of metal parts at a customer’s facility. The No. 828 is a 500°F (260°C) cabinet oven from Grieve Corporation.
  • A recycling and melting group has ordered for installation a Twin-Chamber Melting Furnace TCF® from Tenova LOI Thermprocess. Italy-based Fonderie Pandolfo specializes in processing of aluminum, mainly for extrusions. The casted billets are mainly extruded in the extrusion shops of the main European extruders.

Kudos Chatter

  • Buehler, an ITW Company, and ASM International are celebrating 75 of continuous partnership in 2019. Buehler has continuously supported of the ASM World Training Center in Novelty, Ohio, through its innovations for metallography and hardness testing, solutions for the newest materials and participation in ASM International activities.
  • Pennsylvania-based Onex Inc recently completed a forge furnace refractory reline in one week.

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 »

A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

A Baker’s Dozen 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

  • Peters’ Heat Treating, Inc. recently announces that Andrew S. Wilkosz has been named president of the company. Wilkosz, who has been with Peters’ Heat Treating, Inc. for nearly four years, was previously acting as the Vice President of Operations, overseeing the day to day operations of the company across all three facilities. Wilkosz is also a principal in Laser Hard, Inc., specializing in robotic laser heat treating and cladding. He is also a Heat Treat Today 2018 40 Under 40 recipient.
  • Geoffrey Somary has been appointed to CEO of Ipsen Group worldwide, taking over the position after former CEO Thorsten Kruger moved to the Advisory Board of the company.
  • Jake Verdoux has recently been promoted to the position of Manufacturing Manager for Plymouth, Michigan-based, Gasbarre Industrial Furnace Systems (IFS) (formerly known as J.L. Becker).
  • A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark the completion and opening of a 15,000-square foot building expansion at the corporate headquarters of Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), located in Waterloo, Iowa.
  • Braidy Industries has alerted potential investors that the aluminum mill it plans to build in northeast Kentucky will open in 2021, not in 2020 as previously projected, a change due to a “minor adjustment to the construction schedule.”
  • Multiple industries have recently purchased and installed equipment in SECO/WARWICK’s Vector® vacuum furnace line, including an international electric motor producer, an emissions control device manufacturer, a forging company, a defense contractor, an automotive manufacturer, and an aircraft components manufacturer.
  • Kandil Steel, headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, recently commissioned bell annealer technology from EBNER. Kandil, which is celebrating its 150 anniversary, is expanding the EBNER HICON/H2® bell annealer located at Galva Metal by four work bases to a total of fourteen. The facility is scheduled to start production in 2020.
  • A 2000°F (1093°C), inert atmosphere, heavy-duty furnace, No. 1039, was recently purchased for heat treating turbine components at a customer’s facility. The workspace dimensions of the Grieve Corporation furnace measure 36” W x 60” D x 36” H. 73.
  • A medical device company recently acquired the assets of Options Medical LLC, a Florida-based medical device distributor. Orthofix Medical Inc., which manufactures musculoskeletal products and therapies, is purchasing the distributor of bone growth therapies devices.
  • A U.S.-based orthopedic and spinal medical device manufacturer and developer recently agreed to sell major assets related to its artificial joint, trauma and spinal product businesses to Kyocera International Inc., based in San Diego, Calif.  The assets of Renovis Surgical Technologies Inc. will be transferred into a new California-based company, wholly owned by Kyocera International Inc., to be named Kyocera Medical Technologies Inc.

  • Buehler, an ITW Company, and ASM International are celebrating 75 of continuous partnership in 2019. The pinnacle of this relationship is Buehler’s continuous support of the ASM World Training Center in Novelty, Ohio, through its innovations for metallography and hardness testing, solutions for the newest materials and participation in ASM International activities.
  • APMI International has named Joseph Tunick Strauss and John L. Johnson. as the organization’s 2019 Fellows. APMI International’s most prestigious award recognizes APMI members for their significant contributions to the goals, purpose, and mission of the organization as well as for a high level of expertise in the technology, practice, or business of the industry.
  • Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) recently announced its first Women in Finishing FORUM which will be held at the Embassy Suites South Bend at Notre Dame from May 9-11, 2019. CCAI began its Women in Finishing initiative with a networking reception at FABTECH 2017 in Chicago. The response exceeded expectations, leading to the official establishment of Women in Finishing (WiF) under CCAI. 2019 will feature the expansion of WiF programming, including the Women in Finishing FORUM.

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.

A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current Read More »

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