AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT

Chinese Expansion To Double Capacity of Heat-Treated Aluminum for Automotive Industry

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The leading manufacturer of rolled aluminum products recently broke ground on the expansion of its automotive aluminum manufacturing facility in Changzhou, China, where the facility will double its capacity of heat-treated aluminum sheet.

Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco Industries, the parent company of Novelis Inc.

Novelis, Inc., hosted members of the community, customers and government officials in the groundbreaking ceremony launching the $180 million investment to increase capacity by 100,000 metric tons in order to better meet the growing demand for automotive aluminum in Asia. The facility will be equipped with a high-speed slitter and a fully automated packaging line. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2020 in order to align with key customer’s vehicle-launch plans.

“As market demand for lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles continues to grow, Novelis will play a critical role in supporting the next generation of automotive innovation and design,” said Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco Industries, the parent company of Novelis Inc. “This expansion reinforces our steadfast commitment to our customers and communities, and reaffirms our continued confidence in this ever-growing market.”

 

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Major U.S. Alum Heat Treater Acquired by Metal Services Provider

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The largest commercial aluminum heat treater in the United States was recently acquired by a leading provider of metal heat treating services.

Steve Wyatt, President of PTS

Al-Fe Heat Treating has been purchased by Premier Thermal Solutions (PTS), which provides commercial metal processing services to a variety of industries, including automotive, energy, and aviation, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Atmosphere Annealing and NitroSteel. PTS maintains five facilities in four locations across the Midwest.

“With the acquisition of Al-Fe, PTS has expanded its service offerings to include both ferrous and aluminum heat treating services. This is an important diversification of our portfolio as we expect to see substantial growth in the use of aluminum in the automotive industry as well as in a variety of other industries that we serve,” said Steve Wyatt, President of PTS. “In addition to its aluminum processing capabilities, Al-Fe is Nadcap certified which will allow PTS to enhance its service offerings in other end-markets such as aerospace and defense.”

Rahul Sawhney, Senior Managing Director of Z Capital

Al-Fe Heat Treating, which has plants in Defiance, Ohio; Saginaw, Michigan; Wadsworth, Indiana; and Wabash, Indiana, provides demanding heat treat applications including continuous or drop-bottom processing, precision air quench for distortion control, and hyperquench for aerospace specifications or testing/inspection services.

“We are thrilled to have closed this transaction and expect to announce incremental acquisitions over the next 12 months,” said Rahul Sawhney, Senior Managing Director of Z Capital. Premier Thermal Solutions was acquired by Z Capital Partners, LLC in 2017. “Not only does Al-Fe add incremental heat treating capabilities, but also further strengthens the collective talent at PTS, which will be instrumental in continuing to provide superior customer service.”

 

Photo credit: Al-Fe Heat Treating

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Metals Processing Company Doubles Its Kentucky Presence

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Source: Bowling Green Daily News

 

An Ohio-based metal processing plant recently announced plans to expand its Warren County facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the company processes, stores and delivers steel and aluminum to multiple industries, including automotive.

Precision Strip Inc. will increase its footprint by 80,000 square feet — doubling in size — in this $16.2 million expansion.

“After having been operational for only a year at our Bowling Green facility, it became clear that the south-central Kentucky region was continuing to see healthy growth and investment in the markets we serve,” said Joe Wolf, president of Precision Strip. “As a result, we feel the addition of a state-of-the-art slitting line will help us continue to best serve our customers who need metals toll processing. We greatly appreciate the ongoing support we receive from the Chamber and the Commonwealth of Kentucky on these projects that fuel economic growth.”

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Japanese Bearings Maker Opens New Plant with Heat Treating in TN

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Source: The Rogersville Review

 

Akitsohi Fujikawa, president of Miyake Forging North America Corporation

A Japanese bearing manufacturer which incorporates heat treating into its processing recently celebrated the opening of its new 48,000-sq-ft plant in Phipps Bend Industrial Park in Surgoinsville, Tennessee.

This is Miyake Forging’s first expansion into North America. The company currently operates in Japan and Thailand, producing bearings and components for bearing assemblies for the automotive industry. Bearing the name Miyake Forging North America, the facility was built to adapt to growth and allow for expansion.

“I have a great feeling about opening our new facility in Hawkins County. At Miyake, we are very happy to expand our business in the United States of America. We are extremely thankful to all of the people who helped make this happen.” ~ Akitsohi Fujikawa, president of Miyake Forging North America Corporation

 

Photo credit and caption: The Rogersville Review, Miyake Forging North America company officials and representatives after the ribbon-cutting.

 

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High Value Alloys Plant Powers On in UK

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A U.K. technology company with a solid-state process to produce valuable alloy powders is powering up the world’s first commercial plant at its Materials Manufacturing Centre in Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, U.K.

Since Metalysis’s mechanical completion of the Generation 4 (“Gen4”) project, it has undergone hot commissioning, trial runs, optimization and handover to operations. The handover signifies Metalysis’ transition into commercial production following more than a decade of phased technology development.

Dr. Dion Vaughan, chief executive officer, Metalysis

Gen4 is the first facility to take Metalysis’ solid-state, modular, electrochemical process to industrial scale and can produce tens-to-hundreds of tonnes per annum of high value, niche, and master alloys. It creates a new U.K. source of supply for global end-users in advanced manufacturing disciplines including aerospace, automotive, batteries, light-weighting, magnets, mining and 3D printing consumables.

Metalysis’ technology has multi-metal capability, which enables the company to produce a mix of titanium alloys — master alloy “recipes”, including Scandium-Aluminide, which continues to pose excellent launch product potential, as announced on 11 June 2018; compositionally complex alloys including High Entropy Alloys; magnet materials; high temperature materials; and Platinum Group Metal alloys.

“In powering up and operating our industrial plant, Metalysis is poised to achieve its target to generate significant profits from our new South Yorkshire production facility,” said Dr. Dion Vaughan, chief executive officer. “Ours is a true British success story with international implications. Metalysis has grown from the ‘lightbulb moment’ at Cambridge University in the late-1990s, relocated to South Yorkshire to benefit from regional excellence in operational skillsets in the early-2000s, and now onwards towards a bright commercial future.”

 

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New Mercedes-Benz X-Class Pickup, Sprinter Van to Sport Customized Lightweight Propshafts

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A global engineering firm based in Maumee, Ohio, recently announced that it has been selected by a German multinational automotive corporation to supply front and rear propshafts to the all-new Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup truck and latest generation Sprinter van.

Bob Pyle, president of Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies

Dana Incorporated was awarded the Sprinter propshaft business for Daimler AG’s all-wheel-drive offerings in North America and Europe, as well as rear-wheel-drive offerings in North America and Argentina.  Dana customized its lightweight Spicer® propshaft to address these vehicles’ unique packaging constraints while ensuring it met the high durability, reliability, and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) requirements of the luxury vehicle segment.

“Dana delivers innovative driveline solutions that meet the individual needs of our customers – helping them launch new vehicles and improve upon global best-sellers,” said Bob Pyle, president of Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies.  “We are honored to work with Mercedes-Benz on the new X-Class pickup truck and Sprinter van, which have been recognized in the industry for connectivity, safety, and design.”

To accommodate the three different wheelbase configurations of the Sprinter, Dana engineered both two- and three-piece rear propshaft assemblies.  In the three-piece assembly for the longer wheelbase model, Dana designed a new direct pinion mount, which makes assembly and service easier and reduces weight.

Based on its extensive experience in advanced driveline technologies for pickup trucks, Dana was selected by Mercedes-Benz to deliver two-piece propshaft assemblies for the all-new X-Class, a versatile and rugged, all-terrain pickup.

This Mercedes-Benz business demonstrates Dana’s focus on supporting OEMs in producing next-generation vehicles equipped with the latest technologies for driving performance, comfort, safety, and connectivity.

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Fastener Maker for Auto Industry Commissions Large Heat Treating Line

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A leading supplier of fasteners to the automotive industry recently commissioned a cast link belt furnace for the refinement of high-strength steel screws and nuts.

AICHELIN, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, will deliver the heat treating plant by December 2018 to fastener-maker Bulten’s Swedish Hallstahamar site. This is the second industrial furnace plant for this facility. The plant line, produced in Austria, measures over 260 feet (80 m) long and weighs nearly 40,000 pounds (over 50,000 counting liquids and components).

The electrically heated high-temperature hardening furnace and the protective-gas-tight tempering furnace will be delivered with oil or emulsion hardening baths. Measuring and switching systems are included, as well as the process control system FOCOS 4.0 for the new plant (as well as an update of the data acquisition of the existing plant) and a protective gas generator.

 

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Innovative Technology Eliminates Limitations for Hot Stamping Furnaces

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Source: heat-processing.com

 

A Spanish manufacturer of industrial furnaces recently announced a new concept of an intelligent hot stamping furnace developed with its own innovative technology in patent process. The technology, which has gone through testing and validation, moves blanks through the furnace using a double mechanism system for forward movement and elevation.

“The new heating furnace . . . eliminates the limitations that are usually found with traditional hot stamping equipment, such as low availability and high costs of maintenance. The process of hot stamping is a process increasingly used in the automotive industry because it allows the production of structural parts of hardened steel of ultra high resistance. This results in lighter vehicles and more fuel efficient consumption; it also increases the resistance against shocks and therefore results in higher safety standards.” ~ heat-processing.com

 

Read more: “GHI Smart Furnaces Presents Innovative Technology for Hot Stamping”

 

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Steel Hardening/Heat Treating Firm Relocates, Relaunches Manufacturing

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Source: Sudbury.com

 

A Canadian steel hardening firm recently relocated its operations to a 54,000-sq ft complex as part of a business relaunch that includes hiring new staff and the startup of active manufacturing.

Northern Heat Treat Ltd , based in Sudbury, Ontario, is in the early stages of full operational capacity since the upgrade and moving of equipment, which will include the purchase of larger heat treating furnaces.

 

Read more: “Steel Hardening Business Breathes Life Into Capreol Industrial Shops”

 

Photo caption: George Sidun Jr. and George Sidun Sr. standing in front of Northern Heat Treat Ltd in Sudbury, Ontario/The delivery of a new furnace.

Photo credit: Sudbury.com

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Powertrain Manufacturer Expands in Barcelona

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David C. Dauch, AAM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

A global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of automotive driveline and powertrain components will expand operations in the industrial area of Viladecans, Spain, with a 160,000 square ft facility.

American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (AAM), headquartered in Detriot, plans to open the plant south of Barcelona in January 2019, consolidating two smaller facilities in nearby Gavà. AAM Barcelona will produce, among others, damped gears for Ford, BMW, and PSA, PV bonded dampers for Audi, Mercedes, and FCA, isolation pulleys for Renault and in-mould bonded dampers for Mercedes, Ford, and Porsche.

“As AAM continues to diversify and expand our global customer base and product mix, our new Barcelona facility will be an integral part of our European manufacturing footprint,” said David C. Dauch, AAM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The new facility will help AAM meet customer demand for products that help reduce noise and vibrations from downsized engines.”

Greg Deveson, President, AAM Powertrain

“As automakers continue to downsize engines, especially with the increased number of hybrid applications, demand for products like damped gears and isolation pulleys will increase,” said Greg Deveson, President, AAM Powertrain. “This new facility will help AAM continue to meet and exceed our customers’ performance and quality expectations.”

 

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