Sandvik Group, a global engineering group based in Sweden, has acquired a manufacturer of high temperature furnace systems and metallic heating elements headquartered in North Carolina.
Sandvik, which offers products for industrial heating, has purchased Thermaltek, Inc., a producer of furnace systems for handling nonferrous alloys, including aluminum, magnesium, brass, and tin. They also design and create custom high-temperature furnaces and heating equipment for ceramic applications.
Göran Björkman, President of Sandvik Materials Technology
“Through this acquisition we add further strength to our leading position in industrial heating, a strategically important growth area for our Kanthal division within Sandvik Materials Technology,” says Göran Björkman, President, Sandvik Materials Technology.
Thermaltek will continue to go to market under its own brand.
Doncasters Group Ltd., based in Burton upon Trent, UK, has made financial changes to allow for increased focus on precision casting and superalloys production. They are implementing a “new operating model” and will organize into two geographic divisions led by two managing directors, Jason Mays in the U.S. and Simon Ward in Europe.
Jas Sahota, CEO of Doncasters Group Ltd.
“This is a significant positive development for Doncasters, our people, customers and suppliers. The agreement we have reached with our lenders will provide the necessary stable platform for DGL to deliver on its future strategy,” said CEO Jas Sahota of the agreement. Ownership of the group will transfer to the senior lenders, which is expected during Q1 2020.
Doncasters’ casting operations —including Certified Alloy Products, Doncasters Precision Castings – New England, and Doncasters Southern Tool, all in the U.S. — are investment casting plants producing aerospace and industrial gas turbine parts, aerospace structural castings, and more.
The superalloy business produces vacuum- and air-melted ferrous, nickel-base, and cobalt-base superalloy bar stock used to cast and fabricate turbine blades and vanes and other components for aerospace engines and land-based gas turbines, hot-end turbocharger wheels, medical prostheses, and other components requiring high metallurgical integrity.
NATO and Boeing have announced a $1 billion agreement to update and modernize the Alliance’s AWACS surveillance aircraft fleet.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the president of Boeing International, Sir Michael Arthur, met at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels to mark a major investment in the Alliance’s fleet of AWACS surveillance aircraft. NATO’s investment will ensure the surveillance aircraft continue to support the Alliance’s missions to 2035.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General
“NATO AWACS have been our eyes in the sky, supporting our operations for decades, from patrolling American skies after 9/11, to our operations in Afghanistan, and as part of the Global Coalition against ISIS,” said the Secretary General.
He welcomed the contract with Boeing, which will provide NATO’s 14 AWACS aircraft with sophisticated new communications and networking capabilities. 16 NATO Allies, on both sides of the Atlantic, are funding this modernization, and companies from Europe and North America are working together to provide high-tech capabilities.
Sir Michael Arthur, President of Boeing International
“NATO AWACS is a symbol of trans-Atlantic excellence, in terms of technology and partnership between Boeing, NATO and Europe. This modernisation programme will ensure the aircraft continue to thrive,” noted Sir Michael Arthur.
Bodycote, a leading provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, has entered into an agreement to acquire Ellison Surface Technologies, of Mason, Ohio, which will provide thermal spray and engineered coating surface technology services to the aerospace industry.
Combining Ellison’s thermal spray and engineered coating surface technology services with Bodycote’s services and global infrastructure will broaden their service offering to aerospace customers.
Stephen Harris, Group Chief Executive of Bodycote
Group Chief Executive of Bodycote Stephen Harris said, “Ellison’s business is one that we have long respected and is a perfect strategic fit for Bodycote’s aerospace and Specialist Technologies’ businesses. Ellison has been successful in winning new business in recent years and it will be very complementary to Bodycote’s existing surface technology business.”
Completion of the transaction is contingent on various regulatory filings’ processes; it is anticipated that the transaction will complete during the first quarter of 2020.
Canadian business jet manufacturer Bombardier recently announced that it will relocate its global aircraft final assembly plant to Mississauga, Ontario.
Bombardier signed a long-term lease agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to build its new state-of-the-art Global Manufacturing Centre located at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Preliminary site work is underway, and first production activities are set to begin in 2023, opening the way for final assembly operations for all global business jets, including the industry flagship Global 7500 business jet.
Alain Bellemare, president and CEO, Bombardier IncA rendering of Bombardier’s Global Manufacturing Centre at Toronto International Pearson
The one-million-square-foot facility will incorporate Bombardier’s advanced manufacturing technology, including a state-of-the-art automated positioning system that uses laser-guided measuring to ensure major aircraft structures, such as the wing and fuselage, are joined consistently and perfectly each time.
“Today, I’m very excited to announce the relocation of our Global aircraft family production activities to a new, cutting-edge manufacturing facility at Toronto Pearson,” said Alain Bellemare, president and CEO, Bombardier Inc. “This is a strategic move for Bombardier and a strong commitment to Ontario’s aerospace industry. It will allow us to offer world-class career opportunities and continue fueling the economic development of the region for years to come.”
A global manufacturer of technically advanced specialty materials and complex components recently announced that it has reached an agreement on multiple new long-term contracts with an aircraft engine supplier to supply iso-thermal and hot-die forgings used in the manufacture of commercial jet engines.
Robert S. Wetherbee, ATI’s president and CEO
GE Aviation, headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, has contracted with Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI) for the development and production of materials and components for hotter-burning, more fuel-efficient jet engines.
“We are pleased to extend and expand our six-decade partnership with GE Aviation,” said Robert S. Wetherbee, ATI’s president and CEO. “These long-term agreements demonstrate the trust that GE Aviation places in ATI to deliver the highest quality materials and components to their production lines on-time.”
Michael J. Wagner, GE Aviation’s global sourcing general manager
“This is a great example of how we are developing key partnerships, like ATI, for the purpose of growing capability and capacity in the forging industry to ensure we can support our customers,” said Michael J. Wagner, GE Aviation’s global sourcing general manager.
Advanced large-capacity heat treating equipment and vacuum furnaces, as well as rare aerospace equipment, are listed among the items that were auctioned in December 2019, as part of the closure of an industrial facility belonging to a California-based rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer.
Paul Zimmer, CEO of Machinery Marketing International
Aerojet Rocketdyne began downsizing its operations and holdings in Rancho Cordova, California, in 2017 and expanding its manufacturing footprint in Arkansas. Machinery Marketing International (MMI), in collaboration with Hilco Industrial, was secured to partner with Aerojet in the downsizing of assets, and a large industrial auction of Aerojet Rocketdyne manufacturing equipment that occurred in December.
The auction of the 800,000-plus sq ft manufacturing facility features advanced large-capacity heat and vacuum treating, composite structure forming, CNC machining, quality assurance equipment, and more. Key assets falling under the auctioneer’s gavel include an Abar Ipsen HR-120x152VC 6-bar MetalMaster horizontal vacuum compression braze furnace and a Grieve HB-500 500°F electric oven.
“We are proud to have been selected as an asset disposition partner for this closure,” said Paul Zimmer, CEO of Machinery Marketing International. “This facility features rare aerospace equipment including vacuum furnaces and heat treatment machinery, composite manufacturing equipment, large scale turret lathes, and a wide selection of machine tools. The scale and quality of this equipment makes this auction a unique opportunity for buyers.”
The live auction will take place at 2001 Aerojet Road Rancho Cordova, California 95742 on Tuesday, December 10, at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time) with additional online webcast bidding hosted by Bidspotter. Lot preview and machinery inspection will occur Monday, December 9, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time), or earlier by appointment.
A company that manufactures custom magnetic shields, precision sheet metal fabrication, and Hydroforming recently commissioned its first-ever vacuum furnace to accommodate expansions to better serve the magnetic shielding industry by providing material designed to protect sensitive electronics from magnetic fields.
Jason Davidson, Solar Manufacturing’s northeast regional sales manager
MuShield Company of Londonderry, New Hampshire, commissioned Solar Manufacturing to design the furnace, built with a SolarVac® Polaris control system, fully compliant to AMS2750E pyrometric specification, operating at a vacuum level of 10-5 Torr with the capability of maximum temperatures up to 2400°F, and featuring an external quench system designed for pressures up to two bar.
“What this means for us is that we’ll be able to offer quicker turnaround times on heat-treated products, fit larger shields into our furnace, and eliminate outside vendor work,” notes MuShield’s website.
“MuShield was already aware of our excellent reputation in the industry, and they were impressed with our facility when they visited earlier this year,” said Jason Davidson, Solar Manufacturing’s northeast regional sales manager. “They were also impressed with results of testing performed for them by Solar Atmospheres, so we’re pleased they have placed confidence in Solar Manufacturing to provide their first vacuum furnace.”
The new vacuum furnace will also allow MuShield to perform stress relief annealing cycles on hydroformed parts made from non-shielding alloys, which is a manufacturing requirement on most materials that the company hydroforms.
How a Custom Designed Fixture and Hardness Testing Unit Solved a Major Aerospace Engine Manufacturer’s Hardness Testing Dilemma
Situation: A major aerospace engine manufacturer wanted to ensure the appropriate hardness of a specific section of a heat-treated engine housing. They wanted to non-destructive test the actual housing and not test shims. They wanted to do the test in-house so as to not stall production by having to ship the part out for testing. Another reason they did not want to ship the parts out for testing was the size of the parts. Some of the parts had a diameter as large as 40 inches (102 cm), 20 inches (51 cm) high, and 900 lbs (400 kg). The aerospace company also wanted an automated, full-proof system that reduced the chance of human error.
Figure 1
Solution: The solution came in the form of a custom-built hardness testing machine and an innovative fixture to hold the engine housing. As can be seen in Figure 1, AFFRI USA, located in Illinois, designed a fixture to hold both a custom-designed hardness testing machine as well as a fixture to hold the engine housing.
The Hardness Testing Machine
The specific hardness testing unit chosen for the job was DAKOMASTER 300. Typically, this unit is a tabletop unit as shown in Figure 2. For this specific aerospace application, the unit was modified so that it could be securely attached to the steel
Figure 2
construction holding fixture. Additionally, the custom-built unit was adapted so that the measuring head had a much greater vertical and horizontal range to accommodate varying height engine housings. The engine housings varied in size from as large as 110 inches (2.8m) in diameter and 39 inches (1m) high to the smallest being approximately 16 inches (400mm) in diameter and 9 inches (250mm) tall. The typical vertical working distance range on the tabletop unit is approximately 12 inches (300mm) while the custom unit has a vertical working distance range of 39 inches (100cm). The measuring and loading head of the unit was designed so that no misalignment would occur with the engine housing. If effective, the machine utilized what can be considered a self-clamping technology that structural deflection is absorbed ensuring an accurate and absolute reading in varying test conditions. Finally, to eliminate potential operator error, once in place, the test is initiated by a single button eliminating the need for operator engagement.
The Fixture Table
Since part and machine stability is critical for accurate hardness tests, providing a stable base for the large aerospace parts was a critical part of the solution. The company wished to execute multiple tests in multiple locations around the flange face of the engine housing. Some tests were to be conducted on the outer edge of the housing and some tests were to be conducted on the inner edge of the housing. To do this, the fixture holding the engine housing was designed so that the entire housing could move closer to or further away from the test machine. Additionally, the housing had to be rotated so that the machine could test completely around the perimeter of the housing flange face. To accomplish this, the part fixture was equipped with heavy-duty bearings so that the entire engine housing was able to be easily rotated. Once rotated to the desired location, the table would move closer to or further away from the test machine to pinpoint the exact spot for the test.
The Results
Simply stated, the results were excellent. Hundreds of tests have been run on a wide range of engine housing diameters, all with success – all well within the 1% tolerance. Being able to conduct in-house testing has helped smooth production. Having hardness testing equipment that is flexible enough to handily negotiate large or small engine housings saved the company money from needing to purchase several hardness testing machines and fixtures. Tests can be run quickly and simply by rotating the part fixture table and operator error has been virtually eliminated with the single push-button equipment. The hardness testing equipment provided for this aerospace company is capable of performing HRC, HRB, HRT, HRN measurements all in conformance with ASTM E-18. HTT
About the Author: AFFRI is an Italian-based international designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art hardness testing systems for over 60 years. The company’s North American headquarters is located in Wood Dale, Illinois. This article originally appeared in Heat TreatToday’sMarch 2019 Aerospace print edition and is published here with the author’s permission.
Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. recently announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire select assets of Bombardier aerostructures and aftermarket services businesses in Belfast, Northern Ireland (known as Short Brothers); Casablanca, Morocco; and Dallas, Texas.
Spirit AeroSystems president and CEO Tom Gentile
The opportunity to expand its operations into Northern Ireland and Morocco and the addition of the entire work package for the A220 wing and its technology is critical for the future of next-generation aircraft, says Spirit. In aerostructures and fabrication, Bombardier supplies composite and metallic wing components, nacelles, fuselages, and tail assemblies, along with high-value mechanical assemblies made out of aluminum, titanium, and steel.
“The Bombardier operations bring world-class engineering expertise to Spirit and add to a strong track record of innovation, especially in advanced composites,” said Spirit AeroSystems president and CEO Tom Gentile. “Belfast has developed an impressive position in business jet fuselage production, in addition to the world-acclaimed fully integrated A220 composite wing. This acquisition is in line with our growth strategy of increasing Airbus content, developing low-cost country footprint, and growing our aftermarket business.”
