Solar Manufacturing

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

You don't want to miss out on the latest news from your fellow heat treaters, suppliers, or specialists! That's whereHeat Treat Today's News Chatter feature can come in handy, highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Personnel and Company Chatter

  • Edwards Vacuum, a leading manufacturer of vacuum and abatement solutions which offers heat treating, recently broke ground on a new 75,000 square foot Technology Innovation Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, to serve as the U.K.-based company's North American semiconductor headquarters.
  • A joint project between global steel producer The SMS Group and Arkansas Northeastern College will result in the opening of the Arkansas Steelmaking Academy (ASA), to be housed in the College's Center for Allied Technology, which is slated to open in August 2018 with ASA offerings to begin in 2019.
  • Mariya Trickett, who serves as senior vice president of Human Resources for Dana Corporation was recently honored as one of the Top 15 Business Women by the Ohio Diversity Council, recognizing outstanding women in leadership who are respected, successful leaders within their organization.

Equipment Chatter

  • A Tier 1 automotive supplier recently purchased batch ovens custom engineered for aging aluminum structural components. Epcon Industrial Systems manufactures indirect gas-fired aluminum aging oven systems for the automotive and aerospace parts manufacturers and supplied the units.
  • Lindberg/MPH announced the recent shipment of an electrically heated rod overbend atmosphere box furnace to the aerospace industry. The box furnace has a maximum temperature rating of 2000°F and work chamber dimensions of 24" wide x 36" deep x 24ʺ high and will perform a heat treatment on parts within the work chamber under a reducing atmosphere generated from a nitrogen methanol panel.
  • A Midwest U.S. titanium manufacturer and fabricator recently received shipment of a large horizontal front loading vacuum furnace designed for processing titanium alloys for the aerospace, medical, and other industries. Fully compliant to aerospace specification AMS2750E, the furnace, supplied by Solar Manufacturing, includes a molybdenum shielded hot zone and heating elements, with a work zone size of 54" (1.37m) wide x 54" (1.37m) high x 144" (3.66m) deep and a weight capacity of 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg), and is capable of precise temperature control up to 2400° F (1316° C).
  • A special universal air flow oven from Grieve Corporation, the No. 1043, a 500°F (260°C), has been delivered to a customer to be used to post-cure hose lengths. Workspace dimensions measure 12” W x 30” D x 12” H.

Kudos Chatter

  • Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. was named the 2018 Powertrain Supplier of the Year at the FCA US LLC Supplier of the Year awards at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit last month. Hitchiner was one of 16 companies recognized by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles at the annual awards for quality and excellence.
  • AK Steel Research and Innovation employees Yu-Wei Wang, Feng Zhu, Wei Wu, Panagiotis Makrygiannis, and Chao Pu were recognized with the Team Award by the Auto/Steel Partnership for their innovation and collaboration in developing pre-competitive solutions enabling steel execution in future vehicles. The award selections were based on project work completed in 2017 and were unanimously chosen by the Auto/Steel Partnership’s Joint Policy Council. Through the Auto/Steel Partnership, automakers and steel companies collaborate to drive improvements through projects focused on new steels, manufacturing processes and design challenges, including steel lightweighting solutions.
  • Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) announce that all four of its facilities (both Waterloo, Iowa locations, Monroe, MI, and Cullman, AL ) have recently gone through the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) 16949 automotive transition audit and have become IATF 16949 certified. IATF 16949 is the automotive Quality Management System developed by the “Big Three” automotive companies. It was recently updated from ISO/TS 16949 due to a change in the ISO 9001 Standard.

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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10 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter 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

Equipment Chatter

  • Solar Atmospheres, Inc., in Souderton, PA, recently installed a 74″ diameter by 72″ deep horizontal internal quench vacuum furnace, designed by Solar Manufacturing, Inc., to quench with argon at 10-bar while utilizing a 600 horsepower motor running at 460 volts from a variable speed drive, and rear head moveable gas baffle doors. The goal of the massive quench system is to be able to quench larger batches of power generation castings by increasing the cooling rate and eliminating the supplemental use of helium and operating in 100% argon.
  • An electrically heated cyclone pit furnace was recently delivered by Lindberg/MPH to a steel heat treater to be used for a heat treating process on aircraft components. The maximum temperature rating for this electric pit furnace is 1250ºF. The work chamber has a 38″ diameter x 48″ depth and is constructed with an alloy liner backed with 7″ of block insulation.
  • Spanish supplier of aluminum sheets and coils Aludium has announced that the company will install a multi-chamber furnace to reduce metal costs and improve the sustainability of its operations. The new furnace will be installed in the Amorebieta cast house and will increase Aludium’s ability to melt lacquered scrap and is due to come onstream during 2019. The multi-chamber furnace selected is a Hertwich Ecomelt PS275, a proven technology and one of the largest shaft furnaces in the world.

Kudos Chatter

Proudly presenting the certificates are (l-r) Director Georg Anzer, Managing Partner Renate Keinath and Head of Training Michael Vieth.

  • PyroGenesis Canada Inc. has announced that it has received certification for the production of metal powders under a quality management system which complies with the requirements of ISO 9001:2008. This certification is an amendment to the company’s existing ISO certification, pertains specifically to metal powder production, and was received under the auspices of a major independent risk and standards company, SAI Global.
  • Family-owned global manufacturer of plastic processing machines Arburg, based in Loßburg, Germany, has recently been presented three certifications: LQW, ISO, and IHK recognition. The LQW certificate was presented to the machine manufacturer in January after the successful completion of the “Learner-oriented Quality Certification in Continuing Education and Training”. The company received the approval of DIN ISO 29990:2010 “Quality Management Systems for Learning services for Non-formal Education and Training” inspection in February. In late 2017, the manufacturer was recognized with the “1A Excellent Training Company” award presented by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) – Northern Black Forest region.
  • Countyline Tool, a Komet Service Partner based in East Peoria, Illinois, has attained ISO 9001:2015 certification. All Komet partners are currently working to obtain the ISO 9001:2015 certification, and Countyline Tool is the eighth partner to have completed the certification.

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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ASM International Developing Stronger Relationships

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ASM Leadership Visits Solar Atmospheres & Solar Manufacturing
Pictured left to right: Jim Nagy, President, Solar Manufacturing; Don Jordan, FASM, Vice President/Corporate Metallurgist, Solar Atmospheres; Bill Mahoney, Managing Director, ASM International; Fred Schmidt, Vice President, ASM; Ron Aderhold, Associate Managing Director and Chief Information Officer, ASM; Rachel Stewart, Student Board Trustee, ASM; Jamie Jones, VP of Operations, Solar Atmospheres; Roger Jones, Corporate President, Solar Atmospheres. Photo Courtesy: Solar Atmospheres

Souderton, PA – ASM International visited Solar Atmospheres on Wednesday, March 22 to renew stronger relationships with supporting companies, and to gain a better understanding of Solar’s commitment and involvement with ASM.  Managing Director, Bill Mahoney, along with Ron Aderhold, ASM Associate Managing Director and Chief Information Officer, Fred Schmidt, ASM Vice President, and Rachel Stewart, Student Board Trustee, met with representatives from Solar and toured the facility.

ASM presented firsthand information on the objectives and progress of the ASM renewal, spearheaded by Mahoney.  Some of the objectives are pursuing an easier renewal process, developing stronger relations with affiliate societies, improving professional development, and developing a culture of excellence within the headquarters at Materials Park, OH.

Solar Atmospheres came away from this meeting with a high level of confidence with the new team at ASM Materials Park, and we are encouraged with the early results from the renewal deployments, and Solar offers complete support of the program for the betterment of the society.

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Furnace Builders Compare Operational Benchmarks

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Heat treat industry veterans Wally Bamford, Chairman of HARPER INTERNATIONAL and founding partner of CAN-ENG,  along with William R. Jones, CEO of the Solar Atmospheres group of companies, discussed a cooperative exchange of business benchmarks between Can-Eng, Harper International, and Solar Manufacturing, Inc. The purpose of this innovative business data exchange was to review operating parameters such as cost of materials, engineering and manufacturing labor rates, sales, marketing, R&D, and other cost centers.  Since each of the companies is in the furnace manufacturing business, yet not competitors, it was agreed that an exchange of information would be helpful in improving each companies’ operations and identifying efficiencies.  The most recent management team meeting took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, where the photo associated with this release was taken.

Photo Courtesy of Solar Manufacturing, Inc.

Harper, Can-Eng, Solar Management Teams
L to R: Michael Klauck, President, Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd.; James Nagy, President, Solar Manufacturing, Inc.; Scott Jacoby, Controller, Solar Manufacturing; Diane Weller, Controller, Can-Eng; Mark Young, Vice President, Purchasing and Procurement, Can-Eng; Wally Bamford, Chairman, Harper International; and William R. Jones, CEO, Solar Atmospheres Group of Companies.

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Heat Treat TV: 48′ Vacuum Furnace Installed in Western Pennsylvania

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, ANNEALING, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, TITANIUM PROCESSING, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Take a look at this fascinating time-lapse video of a 48 foot vacuum furnace being installed at a leading commercial heat treat shop in western Pennsylvania. The furnace was manufactured by Solar Manufacturing and will be used for vacuum processing very large, long, and/or heavy aerospace, automotive and energy sector parts. Watch it now by clicking here or on the image below.

Solar Atmospheres' 48' Vacuum Furnace 2

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Solar Manufacturing Business Agreement with Graphite Machining, Inc.

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

Graphite Machining, Inc. (GMI) of Topton, PA and Solar Manufacturing of Souderton, PA have been cooperating for the past year on the development and testing of a new graphite board material and its application for vacuum furnace hot zones. This new graphite board material has undergone extensive thermal and vacuum testing to prove its improved thermal efficiency and excellent vacuum performance compared to prior or present graphite board designs.

GMI intends to market this new graphite board under the name of HEATGUARD insulation while Solar Manufacturing will incorporate this new material into its vacuum furnace hot zones under the trade name of HEFVAC™ (High Efficiency Vacuum).

Frank C. Schoch president of GMI states “After extensive testing against our existing and competitive insulating materials, Solar Manufacturing and Graphite Machining combined our respective experience and created this new thermally efficient graphite board insulation material.”

Incorporating this new HEFVAC™ board insulation, Solar Manufacturing has now developed a proven more thermally efficient vacuum furnace hot zone design that is capable of achieving faster and better vacuum levels because of the HEFVAC™ sealed and low moisture absorption structure.

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Solar Manufacturing, Refrac Systems Partner to Build Furnace System

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Refrac Systems of Chandler, Ariz., contracted Solar Manufacturing to design and build a large 100-ton-load gas fan quench vacuum hot press (GFQVHP) system for its aerospace diffusion-bonding operation. Refrac Systems, working with Solar’s engineering team, selected a derivative of Solar’s standard internally quenched 2-bar vacuum furnace as the base design of the system. The new system contains many new designs, as it needed to be both an automated vacuum hot press and be extra versatile for making super plastically formed and diffusion-bonded (SPFDB) aerospace structures. Solar Manufacturing expects to ship the GFQVHP unit in July.

The furnace chamber for this unit was built by Amity Industries of Douglassville, Pa.  Beckwood/Triform of St. Louis, Mo., was selected to build the large 100-ton four-post hydraulic press frame for the system. The control console unit was built by Optima-Stantron of Lawrenceville, Ga. Final assembly, testing and start-up of the system is projected for the fourth quarter of 2016 in Chandler.

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