HEAT TREAT NEWS

Dana to Supply Axles, Driveshafts for 2018 Isuzu Trucks

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS

Dana Incorporated announced that it will begin supplying axles and driveshafts for the 2018 Isuzu FTR from Isuzu Commercial Truck of America.  Production of this new Class 6 medium-duty truck will begin mid-2017.

The 2018 Isuzu FTR will be assembled with a Spicer® single-reduction drive axle, Spicer® E-Series steer axles, and a Spicer Life® Series driveshaft.

“We chose Spicer axles and driveshafts for the 2018 Isuzu FTR due to Dana’s dedication to quality and innovation,” said Shaun Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America.  “This truck represents our vision of the future for the medium-duty industry.  The truck of tomorrow needs to be fuel efficient, maneuverable, environmentally friendly, and offer a low cost of ownership.  Dana’s driveline components will help achieve all of those objectives.”

The 2018 Isuzu FTR is designed for city delivery applications, such as beverage, box, and refrigerated box trucks.  Like all Isuzu trucks, the 2018 Isuzu FTR will feature a low cab forward design for increased visibility and maneuverability, features that are crucial to these types of applications.  These trucks will be powered by a segment-first Isuzu 4HK1-TC 5.2 liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, and will also include an Allison 2000 Series automatic transmission.

Dana’s driveline components help to optimize the 2018 Isuzu FTR for durability and efficiency.  Spicer single-reduction drive axles have been engineered with stronger wheel differentials to absorb shock, providing maximum robustness for city delivery applications.  Spicer E-Series steer axles with a new lightweight beam design are the lightest weight solution on the market, weighing up to 69 pounds less than competitive offerings.  Spicer Life Series medium-duty driveshafts are the premier drivetrain offering for this market.  Precision balanced for reduced noise, vibration, and harshness and permanently lubricated with a sealed spline, these driveshafts have been designed for reduced maintenance and extended product life.

Dana has previously supplied driveline components and thermal technologies for Isuzu trucks in Japan and Thailand.

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Integrated Heat Treating Used in Making Steinway Pianos

/ FEATURED NEWS, HARDENING, HEAT TREAT NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

BOTW-50w  Source:  Modern Machine Shop

“The company wanted to develop a more streamlined machining method, including integrating a heat-treat process that was currently being performed on secondary equipment. If this could be achieved, it hoped to bring this machining process back to the United States to its foundry location in Springfield, Ohio. This will reduce shipping costs, streamline production, and speed delivery to customers throughout North America.”

Read More:  How Steinway Machines Its Pianos by Russ Willcutt

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Saudi Aramco Signs to Set Up High-End Forging & Casting Manufacturing Facility

/ ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS, FORGING NEWS, FOUNDRY CASTING NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Saudi Aramco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GE (NYSE: GE) and Cividale SpA of Italy to build the Middle East and North Africa’s first-of-its-kind high-end forging & casting manufacturing facility that will serve the region’s maritime and energy industries.

Marking a joint investment of over US$400 million (SAR1.5 billion), the new facility, to be located in Ras Al-Khair under the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu industrial area, aims to establish a high-value supply chain that boosts exports and economic competitiveness. Set to be operational in 2020, the plant will create 2,000 quality jobs in the Kingdom and catalyze the growth of Saudi small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The MoU follows a preliminary partnership between Saudi Aramco and Cividale, a leading European producer in the steel and cast iron sector, to conduct feasibility studies for forging and casting manufacturing services in the Kingdom. GE has come on board to extend its expertise and investment in developing the world-class manufacturing plant through a joint venture between the three entities.

The Forging & Casting Manufacturing Facility complements plans by Saudi Aramco to develop several industrial projects in the Kingdom including a maritime project focused on building, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of offshore platforms, jack-ups, offshore service vessels and commercial tankers.

Saudi Aramco is also working with its partners to develop an onshore rig manufacturing facility for providing new build and MRO services to onshore rigs and systems; an engine manufacturing project for the manufacturing, maintenance and repair of diesel engines, manufacturing and repair of marine pumps; and an Energy Industrial City to accelerate manufacturing industries in the oil and gas sector.

The Forging & Casting Manufacturing Facility will serve all these projects in addition to providing the best-in-class services and technologies to downstream & other industries across the region and global markets. It will also support the ongoing emphasis of the government, under Saudi Vision 2030, to develop the mining sector of the Kingdom by creating a domestic source-market for various raw materials & supplies that go into the production line.

Abdallah I. Al-Saadan, Senior Vice President, Finance, Strategy & Development, Saudi Aramco, said: “The MoU reflects our ambition to create a robust supply chain that builds positive synergies in the oil and gas manufacturing sector. This builds on our deep commitment to support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to promote economic and industrial diversification in the Kingdom and boost localized manufacturing.”

Rami Qasem, President & CEO, GE Oil & Gas, Middle East, North Africa & Turkey said: “For the Forging & Casting Manufacturing Facility, we will leverage our already strong expertise in ‘Made in Saudi’ manufacturing. Together with our partners, we will actively engage Saudi SMEs to support the plant’s operations, and train & hire Saudi professionals, adding further value to the economy. By building a domestic forging and casting production unit, Saudi and regional customers can achieve greater operational efficiencies in product procurement, repair and service support.”

Antonio Valduga, President of Cividale, added: “The feasibility assessment study underlines the strong potential for a world-class manufacturing facility for forging and casting services in the Kingdom. Developing a full-fledged facility through the joint partnership will position Saudi Arabia as a technology and services hub for specialized equipment and services.”

The collaboration is a strong example of the public-private partnerships that the government fosters under Saudi Vision 2030 to develop local manufacturing capabilities that add significant value to the economy.

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Bodycote To Open New Heat Treatment Facility in Mexico

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS

Bodycote, the world’s largest thermal processing services provider, today announces the company will open a new, state-of-the-art heat treatment plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Mexico is one of the largest automotive manufacturing countries in the western hemisphere, with many of the world’s leading car manufacturers investing in manufacturing and assembly plants.

Bodycote’s latest investment, a 100,0002ft facility, established to serve the country’s extensive and growing automotive supply chain, will be capable of supporting large automotive projects and providing the necessary heat treatment services for technologically advanced components, such as complicated transmissions.

The plant, which will be TS 16949 certified as well as holding all required OEM quality approvals, will offer a wide range of heat treatment processes, including low pressure carburizing, ferritic nitrocarburizing, and Bodycote’s proprietary Corr-I-Dur® process.

In addition to the existing Silao and Empalme plants, the San Luis Potosi facility will be Bodycote’s third plant in Mexico and will be able to provide customers with complementary services and qualified backup to the existing sites, if needed. It is scheduled to be fully operational by fourth quarter.

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Solar Atmospheres Receives First Reaccreditation from MedAccred

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS

Solar Atmospheres, Inc. has announced that it has become the first company to receive MedAccred critical process reaccreditation.  Furthermore, Solar Atmospheres, Inc. successfully expanded its scope of accreditation to include Hardness Testing and Metallography & Microindentation Hardness.  MedAccred is an industry-managed critical process supply chain oversight program which was developed by leading medical device companies to improve device quality and most importantly enhance patient safety.

The effort to establish MedAccred began in 2010 when the Performance Review Institute (PRI) was asked to consider the development of a Nadcap-style special process supplier accreditation program for the medical device industry.  An industry roundtable was organized and convened in 2012 among interested medical device companies and PRI.  Following this roundtable meeting, briefings were held with the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s (CDRH) Office of Compliance and the FDA’s Office of Global Operations within the Office of the Commissioner. The program purpose and scope was discussed, along with the results of proof of concept audits which were conducted to demonstrate the program’s viability. The FDA provided positive feedback and strong encouragement to pursue the development of the program.

By 2014, several critical process Task Groups were operating on a formal basis, program documents were drafted, circulated and approved by the executives of the participating companies and audit criteria had been published in several critical process areas.  Solar Atmospheres, Inc. committed to hosting the first MedAccred audit.

In early 2015 the first MedAccred critical process accreditation was issued to Solar Atmospheres Inc. for Heat Treating.

Today’s functioning critical process Task Groups include Cable & Wire Harnesses, Heat Treating, Plastics Injection Molding, Printed Circuit Board Assemblies, Sterilization and Welding.  The industry managed task groups develop audit criteria, conduct audits, and award MedAccred Critical Process Accreditations to leading suppliers at all tiers in the Medical Device Supply Chain.  Many companies are seeking MedAccred Accreditation to demonstrate their commitment to quality and patient safety. Future MedAccred Task Groups under consideration for development include Material Testing Laboratories, Assemblies, PCBs, Batteries, Chemical Processing, NDT, Cleaning, Coating, Optics, Packaging, etc.  Active OEM and Contract Manufacturer participants include: Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Stryker, GE Healthcare, Medtronic, NYPRO Jabil, Steris, etc.  The list of participating suppliers is growing steadily.

Joe Pinto, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PRI explained the significance of Solar Atmospheres’ accomplishment: “Gaining a critical process accreditation from MedAccred is recognition of a company’s commitment to quality and the high standards of critical process manufacturing which they maintain.  The successful completion of a reaccreditation audit is a clear indication that a company is able to consistently uphold those extremely high standards over an extended period of time.   I would like to congratulate the whole team at Solar Atmospheres on this important achievement.”

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In-House Heat Treatment Process Works Too Well

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS

BOTW-75w Source:  Today’s Motor Vehicles

“We developed our own hot-stamping process to be cost competitive,” says Elie Mordovanaki, general manager of operations and engineering for Merit Technologies Worldwide, GNS America’s hot-stamping division. “However, mechanical trimming is not optimal after the heat treating process takes place.”

Read More:  Laser Cutting Supports Hot Stamping

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Norsk Titanium Achieves Aerospace Technology Readiness

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, TITANIUM PROCESSING NEWS

OSLO – December 21, 2015 – Norsk Titanium AS announced today that the company has achieved Technology Readiness Level Eight (TRL 8) by concluding a test plan coordinated through the Federal Aviation Administration and launched in September, 2012. The results of Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research Inc.’s multi-year testing campaign demonstrate Norsk’s Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) titanium parts meet demanding aerospace requirements and can now be supplied to the world’s premier aerospace & defense manufacturers for final certification and airframe integration.

“Working closely with Westmoreland, we have concisely documented how our innovative technology lives up to the highest standards of performance and integration under aerospace certification testing,” said Norsk Titanium President & Chief Executive Officer Warren M. Boley, Jr. “We subjected 1,300 structural titanium aircraft samples to an unrelenting barrage of static and fatigue tests and the results confirm what we already knew—Norsk Titanium’s RPD™ process is ready for the rigors of commercial aviation.”

“This was a very exciting program for us to conduct,” said Westmoreland Vice President of Operations Mike Rossi. “Norsk Titanium has done a great job of creating and maturing a new manufacturing technology and successfully navigating their RPD™ process through tensile, compression, pin bearing, shear and numerous fatigue tests at our facility.”

The achievement of TRL8 status provides Norsk Titanium with the ability to deliver precision structural parts for aerospace & defense applications as early as 2016. The company is orchestrating the establishment of a global supply base to satisfy aerospace demand through expanded operations and strategic alliances in Europe and the upcoming groundbreaking of the world’s first industrial-scale additive manufacturing facility in the United States.

The company has recently announced new appointments of seasoned aviation and defense executives, technologists, and production experts in support of new part qualification demand and to meet the escalating needs of its current aerospace customers. Delivery of commercial aviation qualification parts is underway, with the first approvals expected in early 2016, leading to the full commercial production of titanium aerospace components by the second half of 2

About Norsk Titanium AS

Norsk Titanium AS is the world’s pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process that transforms titanium wire into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. The Norsk research and development team is committed to displacing the age old and inefficient forging process with a precision wire deposition technology embodying substantial savings for aerospace, defense, and commercial applications. www.norsktitanium.com

 

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Heat Treating Oven Part of Norsk Titanium’s Ultra Lean Manufacturing Line

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, TITANIUM PROCESSING NEWS

Norsk Titanium AS, the world’s leading provider of aerospace-grade, titanium additive manufacturing technology, today announced the groundbreaking of a new European assembly and test center outside Oslo, Norway.

Norsk Titanium Chief Commercial Officer Chet Fuller, Chief Executive Officer Warren M. Boley Jr., and Senior Vice President of Operations Chris Bohlmann were on hand to kick off construction of the new facility, which is scheduled to be completed October 2016.

“Customer demand for our additive manufacturing technology is growing to the point where we need significantly more space to assemble and test our MERKE IV™ RPD™ machines prior to worldwide shipment,” said Senior Vice President of Operations Chris Bohlmann. “This new factory will enable us to better serve our manufacturing partners and aerospace customers while expanding our footprint in this innovative region of Norway.”

Norsk Titanium also plans to install the world’s first end-to-end aerospace Ultra Lean Manufacturing line in the facility. A MERKE IV™ Rapid Plasma Deposition™ machine paired with a heat treating oven and a multi-axis CNC machining center will demonstrate the conversion of titanium wire into finished aerospace parts in a production line length of approximately 30 meters.

“The new Ultra Lean Manufacturing line allows our customers to do hands-on development of new part programs on the same campus as our worldwide technology center,” said CEO Warren M. Boley Jr. “Titanium wire comes in one end, the CAD drawing is input, and finished aerospace parts that are fully tested, heat treated and ready for installation are produced in a matter of days. RPD™ truly is a game-changer in terms of cost reduction, speed to market and production line efficiency.”

About Norsk Titanium AS

Norsk Titanium AS is the world’s pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process that transforms titanium wire into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. The Norsk Titanium research and development team is committed to displacing the inefficient forging process with a precision wire deposition technology embodying substantial savings for aerospace, defense and commercial applications. www.norsktitanium.com

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Heat Treating Opportunities Available in Medical Industry

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BOTW-62w Source: Q1 Productions

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Performance Review Institute (PRI)

“2016 is going to be a milestone year in terms of MedAccred’s development. The program has established itself in 6 critical process areas (PCBAs, Cable & Wire Harnesses, Heat Treating, Sterilization, Plastics and Welding) and numerous companies are now stepping forward to participate in the audit process and gain accreditation.”

Read More: 3rd Annual Medical Device Supplier Quality Conference: Speaker Interview – Joseph Pinto/Performance Review Institute

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