SECO/WARWICK

VIM Furnace Enlisted in Purdue Project to Develop New Composite Material for Efficient Energy Use

/ ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

Purdue University recently turned to an integrated furnace manufacturer for equipment to be used in an innovative project developing a new material and manufacturing process that would use solar power — as heat energy — more efficient in generating electricity.

RETECH, a SECO/WARWICK company, has provided a vacuum induction melting (VIM) furnace for the project’s research to increase efficiency of solar-generated electricity. The furnace can easily handle a wide range of materials used in everything from automotive and consumer products to critical, high-value equiax, directionally solidified or single-crystal aerospace parts.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar power accounts for 1.3 percent of U.S. electricity. If the cost of electricity generation and energy storage for use on cloudy days and at nighttime were cheaper, the percentage of electricity generation by renewable energy sources – like solar power – would be higher.

 

See Retech’s video on the use of a new composite material that harnesses the sun’s heat for cheaper renewable energy: https://youtu.be/PMC3EE19ouw

VIM Furnace Enlisted in Purdue Project to Develop New Composite Material for Efficient Energy Use Read More »

Matrix Forgings Manufacturer Commissions Sealed Quench Chamber Furnace

/ ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, FORGING NEWS, QUENCHING NEWS

A Polish manufacturer of high-quality matrix forgings, construction connectors, and manual tools manufactured with their own forgings recently commissioned a multipurpose sealed quench chamber furnace to expand their current line of equipment.

Jarosław Talerzak, VP, Thermal Heat Treatment Furnace Systems at SECO/WARWICK

SECO/WARWICK will deliver the fully-automated furnace, a CaseMaster AFS, which is capable of a wide variety of processes but particularly carbonizing, gas carbonitriding and pure hardening, to KUŹNIA Sułkowicie S.A.. The equipment is intended for thermal and thermo-chemical treatment in a controlled endothermic atmosphere.

“We have been cooperating with SECO/WARWICK for more than 10 years. A decade ago, we purchased and implemented a process line for thermal and thermo-chemical treatment with a chamber furnace type CaseMaster AFS 10E,” said Marcin Szafrański, MSc. Ing., Commercial Director at “Kuźnia” Sułkowice S.A. The main customers for the products of KUŹNIA Sułkowice S.A. are the leading European and Polish manufacturers operating in the construction, automotive, power engineering, machinery, and mining industries.

“The appropriately selected production process guarantees the quality of forgings. Thanks to many years of experience in the production of heat treatment equipment, we perfectly understand our customers’ needs, which enables us to propose and help in selecting the most optimum solutions that meet market expectations,” said Jarosław Talerzak, VP, Thermal Heat Treatment Furnace Systems at SECO/WARWICK.

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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

  • John Hubbard, P.E., has been awarded the 2018 Distinguished Alumni of the year award from Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering, which has provided a tradition of high-quality undergraduate and graduate education in engineering and engineering technology. Hubbard recently joined Calvert Street to form Thermal Process Holdings to create a new North American heat treating group.
  • Paulo is pleased to announce the promotion of two employees to new roles in the company. Scott Herzing, a 20-year company veteran who most recently was Manager of Project Engineering, will take over as Vice President of Engineering. And Jessica Sickmeier, who had been Director of Human Resources Development, has been promoted to Vice President of Human Resources.
  • Contour Hardening, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is proud to announce the appointment of Ben Crawford as its new CEO and President. The appointment, which became official on July 30, 2018, follows the recent passing of Contour Hardening’s founder, CEO and President, John Storm.
  • The National Tooling and Machining Association, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has announced the appointment of Dean Bartles, PhD, as their new president, succeeding Dave Tilstone, who is retiring after serving as president since 2010. Bartles brings almost four decades of experience in the manufacturing sector, most recently as the director of the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at the University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH). Previously, Bartles served as a president of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, president of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute, founding executive director of the Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute, and founding chairman of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition.
  • Kristopher R. Westbrooks was recently named as executive vice president and chief financial officer to succeed current CFO Christopher J. Holding at TimkenSteel Corp., based in Canton, Ohio. Westbrooks joined the company in this new role on September 24, 2018.
  • Jim Feltner, vice president of sales and marketing with FPM Heat Treating, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, was recently honored with an Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the Daily Herald Business Ledger, nominated by Tom Merrick.

Equipment Chatter

  • A Warrington, PA, furnace manufacturer recently delivered a large dual chamber unit to a metal stamping manufacturer in the Midwest. Lucifer Furnaces built Model HL82-P24, a hardening furnace over tempering oven, as a space-saving combination for multipurpose heat treating. The upper hardening chamber heats to 2300°F with 6.5” multilayer insulation throughout the chamber.
  • A vacuum furnace heat exchanger cleaning process has been developed by Souderton, PA, company Solar Atmospheres, involving a 12-hour soak submerged in a suitable tub using a water base cleaning agent. Recirculated forced water jets wash out the accumulated dirt from deep inside the heat exchanger. It is then pressure washed and blown dry with nitrogen gas. The heat exchanger is cleaned to an as new condition and then returned to the user.
  • A global manufacturer recently purchased a second vacuum furnace from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK company, for its US-based manufacturing operations. This second furnace, a vacuum temper furnace for tempering and stress relieving metal parts, is part of the company’s new US-based manufacturing expansion and becomes a centerpiece in a new processing line for the company.
  • An electrically heated annealing furnace was recently shipped to a firearms manufacturer to be used for annealing an assortment of brass and bronze firearm caps. Wisconsin Oven Corporation provided this conveyor furnace with a maximum temperature rating of 1,400° F (760° C) and a normal operating temperature of 572° to 1,202° F (300° to 650° C).

 

Kudos Chatter

  • On 24 September, at the Grand Gala of the Business Leader 2018, SECO/WARWICK was awarded for the second time the statuette in recognition of the company’s strong market position. Katarzyna Sawka, Marketing Director of SECO/WARWICK Group, collected the award on behalf of the Company. “Business Leader” is the award that recognizes the best companies in Western Poland who conduct their business in a transparent and honest manner and their success is a regional trademark.
  • Pelican Wire was named Manufacturer of the Year in the Small Business category at the 2018 Manufacturers Association of Florida “MAF Exchange” conference and awards banquet. Selected from over fifty nominees spanning numerous industries and cities throughout the State of Florida, Pelican Wire also received this award in 2014.
  • Ohio Star Forge, a steel firm with heat treating, cold roll forming, and CNC machining capabilities, recently held a ribbon cutting for its expansion and celebrated its 30th anniversary at the company’s location in Youngstown, Ohio. Ohio Star Forge was originally a joint venture of Copperweld Steel and Japanese company Daido Steel.

 

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

  • ThermTech of Waukesha, Wisconsin, celebrates the groundbreaking of a 10,500-square-foot manufacturing addition. Construction is expected to be completed in December 2018. 
  • An Ohio-based engineering firm, Dana Incorporated, announced a new series of Brevini™ heavy-duty winch drives for marine and offshore applications.  This new series of lightweight winch drives have been engineered with a sealing system designed to withstand harsh marine environments, and with improved power density, housing made from either cast iron or steel, and high-radial load bearings to deliver reliable lifting performance for heavy loads.
  • Brunel University London opened its Advanced Metal Processing Centre (AMPC) at the Brunel Center for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), which will enable R&D activity to enable innovations, such as lightweight car parts, to make the leap from the lab to full-scale industrial trials. The 1,500 sq m AMPC facility includes industrial and pilot-scale equipment for processing and fabrication of extruded metals (novel bending processes, machining, and advanced joining); additional casting processes (gravity die casting and sand casting, etc.), and supporting materials characterization technologies (strength and fatigue testing and 3D x-ray tomography).
  • A global leader in manufacturing and overhauling aerospace structures, systems, and components, Triumph Group, Inc., based in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, recently announced that its Aerospace Structures business has been awarded a multi-year airframe component contract for Lockheed Martin’s C130J Super Hercules program. Under initial terms of the contract, Triumph Fabrications in San Diego, California will provide 108 different part numbers for the C130J program. The parts include fabricated sheet metal structures made from a combination of aluminum, steel and titanium materials that will be fitted to the nacelle, wing and fuselage sections of the aircraft.
  • Aerospace equipment manufacturer Liebherr Aerospace has been awarded another contract from Boeing Commercial Airplanes for their 777 and 777X programs. Liebherr-Aerospace will deliver two electronic components of the main gear steering system for the two wide-bodies: the main gear steering control unit and the nose gear steering position transducer.
  • Engineered bearings and power transmission manufacturer, The Timken Company, based in Canton, Ohio, recently completed the acquisition of Rollon Group, a leader in engineered linear motion products. Rollon specializes in the design and manufacture of engineered linear guides, telescopic rails and linear actuators used in a wide range of industries such as passenger rail, aerospace, packaging and logistics, medical and automation.
  • Gear Motions, which has divisional offices in central New York, recently appointed to executive positions: Dan Bartelli to Director of Operations of Nixon Gear, a division of Gear Motions, and Anna Pastore to Corporate Controller. Bartelli, who began his career as a machinist, also recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with Nixon Gear, a division of Gear Motions. He is responsible for all Nixon Gear Division Operations including Manufacturing, Quality, and Engineering. Pastore previously served as Director of Finance for Cascade & Maverik Lacrosse, and Vice President of Finance of the Produce and Technology Division at Agway.
  • Worthington Industries, a metals manufacturing firm based in Columbus, Ohio, announced today that Mark Russell, president and COO is retiring. Andy Rose has been named president and will continue as chief financial officer (CFO). Geoff Gilmore has been named vice president and chief operating officer (COO) and will also continue to lead the Pressure Cylinders business.

Equipment Chatter

  • An electric box furnace has been supplied to a plant located in Louisiana that is a global supplier of large industrial valves for various industries. L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc., shipped this furnace, which is the fifth supplied by the company to this facility. The furnace is used to both heat treat and temper various rings and seals deployed in the manufacturing of valves used in the power-generation field. It is also used for general heat treating of various steels prior to machining.
  • Two furnaces have recently been shipped to customers from Grieve Corporation. No. 1040 is a 2200°F (1204°C), inert atmosphere pit furnace, currently used for heat treating automotive parts in baskets at the customer’s facility. No. 989 is an electrically heated, 2,000°F (1,093°C) inert atmosphere furnace from Grieve, used to process fabricated parts at the customer’s facility.
  • A leader in the technology industry recently purchased an electrically heated enhanced duty walk-in oven from Wisconsin Oven Corporation to be used for composite curing small parts. The batch oven has the capability to heat 16,000 pounds of a composite material from 70° F to 350° F within 6-7 hours.

Kudos Chatter

  • Akron Steel Treating celebrated its 75th anniversary August 31, 2018, with guests, officials, employees, customers, and suppliers in attendance, as well as the deputy mayor for economic development, Samuel D. DeShazior, who presented AST president Joseph Powell with a letter of congratulations from Mayor Daniel Horrigan. Joe’s grandfather, Prosper P. Powell, founded the company in 1943, and his daughter, Christina Somogye, recently purchased a 10% interest in ASTC and is an integral part of the succession plan.
  • For the second year in a row, GKN Aerospace has received a supplier award from Spirit AeroSystems. Spirit recognized GKN Aerospace with a Collaboration Values Partner award for superior performance at the 2018 Spirit AeroSystems supplier recognition banquet in Wichita, Kansas. In addition, GKN Aerospace also recently announced via Stratasys that the company is improving production times and removing design constraints for multiple tooling applications since integrating additive manufacturing at its Filton manufacturing site in the UK.
  • Retech Systems, a SECO/WARWICK company based in Mendocino County, California, recently won North Bay Maker Award for “best manufacturing process innovation”.
  • Induction heating company Ambrell Corporation is the honoree for the Global Advancement Award and Ambrell President Tony Mazzullo is a finalist for CEO of the Year at the Technology and Manufacturing Awards, created by the Rochester Business Journal and Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association. The Global Advancement Award is given to a company that demonstrates dynamic growth through expansion of export opportunities and participation in new global markets. The CEO of the Year demonstrates leadership in the industry, commitment to staff development, and dedication to the Greater Rochester/Finger Lakes Region. Tony Mazzullo is one of two finalists and the winner will be announced on October 23rd.

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 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

  • A partnership was recently formed between C3 Data LLC and CCPI Europe Ltd. for distribution of furnace software compliance products throughout the UK and Europe. C3 Data’s innovative software solutions are now available for streamlining furnace compliance processes for Nadcap, AMS2750, and CQI-9 for the UK & European aerospace and automotive industries.
  • The NextGenAM collaborative project, formed to establish the basis for a future system for series production using 3D printing technologies, has launched its pilot facility at Premium AEROTEC’s technology center in the German city of  Varel. Premium AEROTEC, EOS, and Daimler partnered in this project, and the project team has been working on assessing the additive manufacturing process to see what kind of potential it holds for automation.
  • Industry leaders and executives gathered in Atlanta from July 30 – August 1 for the second ITPS (International ThermProcess Summit). Anne Goyer, IHEA’s Executive Vice President, noted that attendee evaluations showed executives felt the speakers and their presentations were very valuable. “I have been involved in organizing conferences and summits for more than 35 years. This year’s ITPS was one of the highest evaluated events we’ve ever produced.”
  • Heat Treatment Australia’s North American operations (HTA-Los Angeles) recently moved into a new facility in Santa Fe Springs, California, as part of an ongoing improvement program to increase available services to N.A. industries. The company also reports an impending order of an age hardening furnace (12-ft) which will be delivered in January. “The new facility provides much-needed resources required to run the new equipment,” said Karen Stanton, referring to the availability of power and gas. The new address is 10140 Romandel Avenue, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, not far from the previous location.

Equipment Chatter

  • A Pennsylvania-based company that provides custom engineering and manufacturing of power equipment recently shipped a 360KVA, three-phase, 60HZ transformer for use in wire annealing. Magnetic Specialties produced a transformer that features an extended primary winding with multiple taps to adjust the output voltage of the high current secondary.  The tap can easily be changed via the three phase tap switch mounted to the front of the enclosure.  The delta connected secondary winding is designed for line currents up to 6,500 ARMS.  The delta connection was made with large aluminum bus bars due to the high secondary current. The core and coil, along with the custom NEMA 1 enclosure, were designed using Solidworks 3D modeling.
  • A tool and equipment manufacturer recently received shipment of an electrically heated, standard two-zone, belt conveyor oven to be used to temper steel parts. The furnace, shipped by Wisconsin Oven Company, has the capability to heat 1,800 pounds of steel from 70° F to 425° F within a 1-hour time period. The tempering oven has work chamber dimensions of 3’0″ wide x 34’0″ long and 1’6″ high and a maximum operating temperature of 500° F.
  • A North American heat treater recently expanded its capabilities by adding a new ZeroFlow® precision gas nitriding vacuum furnace. The horizontal, front-loading furnace joins another SECO/WARWICK gas nitriding furnace already in production at the customer’s facility.

Kudos Chatter

  • Professor Jerzy Michalski has been recognized as the 2018 Hephaestus Award. Organizers Nitrex Metal and United Process Controls announced the specialist in the design of gas nitriding processes and modeling of nitriding atmospheres as this year’s recipient. The award is bestowed upon individuals in the field of heat treating whose contributions have had an impact on surface engineering, materials science, and industrial processes or production techniques. The award will be presented to Prof. Michalski during the 3rd Novatherm Seminar, taking place October 3-5, 2018, in Poland.
  • Richard Sisson Jr. has been named a fellow of two materials science professional societies, the International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering (IFHTSE), and the American Ceramic Society (ACerS). The George F. Fuller Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Manufacturing and Materials Science and Engineering programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), who directs the Center for Heat Treating Excellence, part of WPI’s Metal Processing Institute, received the IFHTSE fellowship at the 4th International Conference on HTSE in Automotive Applications in Spartanburg, S.C., in June, where he also delivered one of the conference’s three keynote addresses.
  • Nevada Heat Treating (NHT), based in Carson City, Nevada, was recently awarded a two year merit on their Nadcap heat treat accreditation.
  • FPM Heat Treating, a leading provider of heat treat processes in the Greater Midwest Region recently announced the successful re-certification of Nadcap accreditation. FPM also reported that all three of the company’s commercial heat treating locations upgraded to the new ISO 9001-2015 certification standards.
  • Solar Atmospheres announced that all four of the company’s facilities have recently obtained certifications to AS9100 Revision D and ISO9001:2015. Solar has held AS and ISO quality management systems registration certificates since 2001. These latest releases are the most demanding international standards required of suppliers to the aviation, space, defense and medical industries.

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 »

New Vacuum Furnace to Stress Test Defense Vessel Parts

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

 

A new vacuum furnace will be tasked to stress test parts for the LM2500 turbine, which is used by the U.S. Navy to power Spruance and Kidd-class destroyers, Olive Hazard Perry-class frigates, Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

Ashleigh Burke-class destroyer

Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) commissioned the $1.9 million furnace from SECO/Warwick Group, which manufactured the 2,800°F unit to specification for technicians to test the engine’s components after the heat treat process. It will not be used for the heat treating or plating of LM2500 parts.

“The furnace was custom made for our use and took almost a year to manufacture,” said Martha Hoffman, project manager for FRCSW’s Capital Investment Program (CIP), which invests in new technologies and equipment to improve production efficiencies. “The equipment arrived May 15, and the sign off (acceptance) was July 2.”

The new unit replaces a model that was more than 50 years old with a four-year history of sporadic operation. Difficulty in maintenance and increasingly obsolete replacement parts often resulted in a 60-80 percent down time, causing some LM2500 work to be contracted out.

Sailors check a gas turbine engine. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian M. Brooks/Released via Wikimedia)

Hoffman said that the new unit will save the command about six months in turn-around time per part vice contracted workload and that 12-15 components will be tested weekly.

FRCSW is scheduled to overhaul about 15 LM2500 engines annually.

 

Photo caption:

FRCSW teammates who were instrumental in the procurement, installation and acceptance of the Seco/Warwick Group furnace are, from left, materials engineers Michael Schutt and Jessica Porras, CIP project manager Martha Hoffman, metrology calibration Hung Pham, and material engineers David Arenas and Blake Whitmee. (U.S. Navy photo)

New Vacuum Furnace to Stress Test Defense Vessel Parts 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

  • Construction on an expansion recently broke ground for Premier Furnace/BeaverMatic's plant 1 facility in Farmington Hills, Michigan. This expansion will provide space for a state of the art testing and training facility, additional manufacturing capabilities, as well as increased office space to allow Premier/BeaverMatic to accommodate business growth and customer needs. The additional 22,000-square foot space is expected to be completed by fall 2018.
  • Paul Banks as plant manager for Novelis Inc.'s recently announced $300 million automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Kentucky. Banks assumes the role of plant manager after previously serving as unit manager at Logan Aluminum, a Novelis joint venture in nearby Logan, Kentucky.
  • Electroplating and heat treating specialists Electro-Spec, headquartered in Franklin, Indiana, is expanding its operations with a new plating facility in Lexington, South Carolina, that will serve the automotive, aerospace, telecommunication, military, radio frequency and microwave, and medical markets in the southeast U.S.
  • A heat treating company based in Lima, Ohio, recently expanded its capacity with a new draw furnace and quench tank. Heat Treating Technologies expects the $3 million investment to boost the company's thermal processing offerings in carburizing, carbonitriding, annealing, hardening, normalizing, and carbon restoration.
  • An industrial oven manufacturer based near Williamsport, Pennsylvania, recently added a second manufacturing facility to its operation. JPW Industrial Ovens and Furnaces' Plant 2, will produce the company’s expanding line of standard industrial ovens. Plant 1, located in Trout Run, will continue to craft custom-made industrial ovens and serve as the company’s headquarters. The new plant is expected to create 25 new jobs within the next two years.

Equipment Chatter

  • Three natural gas-fired box furnaces were recently shipped to a parts manufacturer for the oil and gas industry by Lindberg/MPH, to be used to develop process control requirements for heat-treating and stress relieving of underground mining/drill heads. The goal is to double the life of the tooling through research which would revolutionize industry standards. The maximum operating temperature rating for the stress relieving box furnaces is 2050°F and work chamber dimensions are 36" wide x 20" deep x 24" high. The box furnaces were designed to meet a temperature uniformity of +/-15°F at 1700°F and 2050°F per the requirements of AMS 2750E, Class 3 furnaces and Instrumentation D.
  • An aluminum casting company recently received shipment of an electrically heated horizontal quench system to be used for solution treating aluminum castings for the aerospace and automotive industries. The solution treating furnace was designed and manufactured by Wisconsin Oven Corporation to heat a 2,500-pound load of aluminum, plus basket and work grid to an operating temperature of 1,020°F. The maximum temperature rating for this horizontal quench system is 1,250°F, sized for a 5'0" wide x 5'0" long x 5'0" high basket. The horizontal quench system was designed to meet AMS2750E (Class 2, Instrumentation Type C) and with reporting to meet AMS 2771E requirements.
  • A heat treating equipment manufacturer recently shipped ten furnaces to companies in California, Georgia, Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin, and also to one location in Asia. This equipment will be used to process parts for companies in the aerospace, commercial heat treating, and medical industries. Ipsen USA shipped: two TITAN® furnaces – one H2 12-bar with a 18" x 24" x 18" (457 mm x 610 mm x 457 mm) work zone and one vertical 2-bar furnace; two MetalMaster® furnaces – one vertical 6-bar with a 96" D x 96" H (2,438 mm x 2,438 mm) work zone and 10,000 pound (4,500 kg) load capacity, and one horizontal 10-bar with a 96" x 84" x 96" (2,438 mm x 2,134 mm x 2,438 mm) work zone; one VFS® horizontal internal quench 10-bar vacuum heat-treating and brazing furnace; and several custom-built atmosphere furnaces that will process parts for the aerospace industry.
  • A retort furnace was recently shipped by L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc., to a northeastern US manufacturer of motor laminations to be deployed on motors primarily for government-based aerospace products. The furnace has a work zone of 17" square with a typical load weight of 250 pounds and is built in accordance with ASTM standards. Annealing of silicon iron and similar laminations are treated in a pure dry hydrogen atmosphere. A pure dry hydrogen atmosphere is provided to balance strength and magnetics in these laminations. There is also an oxidization process that can provide a thin oxide coating layer for improved durability and resistance.
  • A global manufacturer of environmental testing equipment announced the shipment of three fast change rate automotive test chambers. These test chambers, built by Tenney Environmental, will be used for temperature and humidity testing of automotive parts. The maximum temperature rating of the automotive test chambers is 180°C and the operating temperature range is -68°C to 180°C. The work chamber dimensions are 30” W X 28.8” D X 36” H. The fast change rate test chambers can transition the air temperature in remote chambers from 20°C to -40°C with a 30-minute transition rate.

Kudos Chatter

  • Sintavia, LLC, a leading Tier One metal additive manufacturer, announced that it has achieved National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) approval for its laser and electron beam powder bed fusion applications. The NADCAP accreditation is the latest quality certification achieved by the company and resulted from a year-long application process.
  • AIM Aerospace has earned Nadcap Merit Status at their Orange City, Iowa, facility, for AC7118 Composites Processing.  The company processes structural carbon fiber composites for key aerospace customers.
  • Plastics Extrusion has been added to the growing list of audit opportunities available through MedAccred, the medical device industry’s collective approach to critical process supply chain oversight. This newest opportunity comprises audit criteria which covers Tubing/Profile, Sheet, Film, Blown Film, Over-Jacketing, Co-Extrusion and Ram Extrusion. The audit criteria are developed by leaders in the medical device industry who are part of the MedAccred program and are focused on improving product quality and patient safety.
  • Sunlite Plastics of Germantown, Wisconsin, has become the first manufacturing facility in the world to achieve MedAccred Plastics Extrusion Accreditation, with a Scope of Accreditation covering Tubing/Profile Extrusion. Following the MedAccred audit, technical experts from leading medical device companies reviewed the audit findings and corrective actions before voting on granting each MedAccred Accreditation.
  • Medical tools manufacturers increasingly commission SECO/WARWICK technologies for product quality and strict standards compliance, according to a recent company report. For example, a U.K. company installed a 6 Bar vacuum furnace for the production of medical tools such as those used for heart bypass procedures.

 

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 »

10 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter Items to Keep You Current

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

Personnel and Company Chatter

  • The Grieve Corporation mourns the loss of its longtime president, P.J. “Pat” Calabrese, who died on February 17, 2018, in Lake Forest, Illinois, at the age of 90. Pat was president of Grieve from 1958 until his retirement in 2008, having worked closely with the company’s founder, Price Grieve. Pat was born in Chicago, graduated in 1949 from the University of Illinois with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and was awarded that school’s prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001. He also held a number of positions with various industrial, business, and Catholic charitable organizations. Pat began his career at Grieve in 1958 as National Sales Manager, becoming President in 1968 and finally Chairman in 2006, following the death of Mr. Grieve. During his tenure as President, the company grew steadily to become a global supplier of heat processing equipment for virtually every industry in every industrialized country in the world.
  • Advanced Heat Treat Corp (AHT), recently announced the appointment of Chad Clark as plant manager of the Monroe, Michigan, facility. He is well-versed in many aspects of AHT’s business, having been with the company for 15 years. Clark will lead all Monroe, Michigan, operations and guide the strategic direction of the plant. He will also be actively communicating with customers and leading the facility’s project management.
  • The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced that Devinder Ahuja, senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), Novelis Inc., has been named to the NAM Board of Directors. Founded in 1895, the NAM is the largest industrial trade association in the United States with 14,000 members. “I am honored to join the NAM Board to advocate policies that will ensure our continued growth and success as manufacturers,” said Ahuja. “Policymakers need to understand how their actions affect the more than 12 million men and women employed in manufacturing.”

Equipment Chatter

  • An inert atmosphere floor furnace was recently built to specifications by The Grieve Corporation. The No. 854 is a special high-temperature, 2200°F electrically-heated, inert atmosphere floor furnace being used for various heat treating applications at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions measure 24” wide x 48” deep x 24” high. Special inert atmosphere construction on No. 854 includes a continuously welded outer shell, high-temperature door gasket, sealed heater terminal boxes, inert atmosphere inlet, outlet, and flowmeter.
  • An India-based conglomerate recently awarded a contract to Can-Eng Furnaces International Limited to design, manufacture, install, and commission an aluminum automotive casting heat treatment system for their new green field North American expansion in South Carolina, chosen largely due to specific demands of the company’s new line of die-cast, lightweight aluminum automotive components.
  • An auto parts manufacturer has ordered a continuous controlled atmosphere brazing line for battery coolers from SECO/WARWICK. This is RAAL S.C.’s third line purchased from western Pennsylvania-based vacuum furnace supplier. RAAL is a manufacturer of complete cooling systems and brazed heat exchangers made of aluminum alloys and stainless steel: radiators, oil coolers, air coolers, condensers and evaporators, designed for agricultural, construction, industrial equipment and automotive applications.
  • An American commercial heat treating plant recently purchased a horizontal, high-pressure vacuum furnace from REMIX of Poland. P&L Heat Treating, Inc., of Youngstown, Ohio, began production with the furnace, enhancing the company’s capabilities in the heat treatment of aluminum extrusion dies used in the automotive industry, as well as parts for aviation, nuclear, and other industries. A unique design feature of the REMIX Vacuum is its four-zone system of cooling nozzles which facilitates precise control of cooling gases into the work zone. and allows optimized positive pressure quenching of all load sizes.
  • A general purpose box furnace was recently delivered to a manufacturer of precision metal stampings in the U.S. Midwest. Model HL7-M24, built and sold by Lucifer Furnaces, has chamber dimensions of 12”H x 18”W x 24”D and heats to 2300°F. The furnace, which is part of Lucifer’s standard, general purpose, Series 7000 box furnace lines, will be used to heat treat D2 and A2 steel under air atmosphere.
  • A Greek aluminum producer recently ordered a four-stand aluminum tandem hot finishing mill for its plant near Athens. ElvalHalcor S.A., the newly merged business of Elval Hellenic Aluminium Industry S.A. and Halcor Metal Works S.A., will boost its output of prime aluminum flat-rolled products at its Oinofyta facility with the new line from SMS Group. This investment allows for the increase of ElvalHalcor’s supply for industrial, transportation and architectural applications and sets the base for expansion in the automotive and aerospace sectors. Start of production of the new hot rolling line will be in 2020.

Kudos Chatter

  • Deltech Furnaces, Inc. recently announced that it has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification for the quality management system implemented at its Denver, Colo., location. The scope of Deltech’s certification includes the “design and manufacture of electric laboratory and production scale furnaces and related control systems.

 

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.

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