An international manufacturer of industrial furnaces, ovens, ceramic kilns, and combustion systems, based in Monterrey, Mexico, recently announced the key asset acquisition of a Pennsylvania-based supplier of industrial furnace and process-heat treating equipment, broadening its offerings to the steel, aluminum, and alloy industries, and ultimately user industries such as steel, heat treatment, aerospace, automotive, and oil and gas.
Nutec Bickley expands its operations by bringing on board Olson Industries’ line of equipment to secure access to larger projects for the Metals Business Unit and consolidating its position in the North American market. As part of the transaction, Bryan Kraus (President and Owner of Olson Industries), will be engaged in Nutec Bickley’s Metals BU, providing guidance and assistance in related activities such as technical sales and engineering.
“We are very excited about Olson Industries and Bryan Kraus joining the Nutec Bickley family,” said Nutec Bickley President, Daniel Llaguno. “Applications such as large rotary-hearth furnaces, and peripheral equipment such as quenching systems, manipulators, robots, and conveyors will now be a standard offering from us,” confirmed Daniel Llaguno. “If you couple that with Nutec Bickley’s state-of-the-art facilities, highly experienced staff, and constant focus on customer satisfaction, you can see that there is indeed a very powerful value proposition on offer to both existing and new customers.”
Heating by means of electromagnetic induction is a topic of major significance. In the recently published (Sept. 2017) Handbook of Induction Heating (2nd Ed.), a comprehensive resource on induction heating and heat treating processes, the authors focus on addressing the intricacies of electromagnetic induction heating for the induction thermal community, providing numerous case studies, ready-to-use tables and simplified formulas and graphs.
The new edition (the first edition was originally published in 2002 and maintained a spot on the publisher’s “bestseller” list for the first 10 years) reflects numerous innovations that have taken place over the last decade in the practice and science of induction heating and heat treating, computer modeling, power supplies, failure analysis, quality assurance, and process technology. This technical resource promises to continue to be a synthesis of information, discoveries, and novelties that have been accumulated in industry and academia providing practical, comprehensive knowledge, technical insights, and guidelines.
Dr. Valery Rudnev, FASM, is the Director of Science & Technology, Inductoheat Inc., and a co-author of Handbook of Induction Heating (2nd ed.)
New Content, Case Studies, and Updated Graphics
The majority of content presented in the first edition has been completely rewritten for the second, and a significant amount of new material has been added. This includes
· Up-to-date content is provided for the following: metallurgical specifics of induction hardening of plain carbon and low alloy steels; process parameters selection for hardening cast irons vs. martensitic stainless steels vs. bearing steels vs. powder metallurgy components; the effect of rapid heating on the kinetics of austenite formation; subtleties of quenching techniques applied in induction hardening; the impact of prior microstructure, its heterogeneity, and the presence of the residuals on hardening results.
· A number of innovative induction technologies specifically developed for automotive, aerospace, off-road machinery, energy, construction, and other industries, have been reviewed, emphasizing equipment designs that maximize metallurgical quality, process robustness, machine flexibility and energy efficiency, while minimizing excessive part distortion and probability of cracking; subtleties of induction hardening and tempering of variety of critical powertrain and engine parts, including gears and gear-like components, stepped shafts, parts with geometrical irregularities (such as holes, shoulders, keyways, undercuts, etc.); a comparison of single frequency vs. simultaneous dual frequency vs. variable frequency on obtaining contour hardening.
· Aspects of components failure analysis and problems associated with reaching excessive temperatures, the occurrence of grain boundary liquation (incipient melting), grain coarsening, and other metallurgical factors are reviewed; simple solutions for typical heat treat challenges and a “fishbone” diagram of cracking are provided; transient and residual stresses are discussed.
Handbook of Induction Heating (2nd ed.), by Valery Rudnev, Don Loveless and Raymond L. Cook, 2017, CRC Press
· Inventions and innovations related to inductor designs have been reviewed: for example, in single-shot hardening of shaft-like components, a unique inductor design allows the extension of its life more than sixteen-fold compared to the industry standard as verified by the tool-room tags of the users; aspects related to the failure analysis of hardening inductors and induction coils used in different applications and prevention of their premature failures have been examined.
· The discussion of the causes for crack initiation and the propagation during rapid heating and intense quenching and means to control or eliminate cracking has been greatly expanded. Innovative inductor design made achieving almost undetectable distortion when hardening camshafts possible, allowing the elimination of the necessity of a subsequent straightening operation.
· The modular design concept in induction heating of ferrous and non-ferrous (e.g., Al, Cu, Mg, etc.) metallic materials prior to forging, extrusion, rolling, and upsetting is included, as well as efficient induction heating of billets, bars, rods and tubular workpieces; concept of true temperature control and ways to avoid surface and subsurface overheating and billet sticking (fusing) problems.
· Modern low-, medium- and high-frequency power supplies for various needs of induction heating and heat treating are discussed. This includes novel semiconductor inverter technologies, simultaneous dual frequency power supplies, as well as inverters that allow controlling independently and instantly frequency and power (IFP-Technology) during scan hardening. Topology, applicability, troubleshooting and maintenance, and other aspects of typical induction power supplies have been reviewed. Engineering procedures assuring a proper “coil-to-power supply” load-matching characteristics are provided.
· The use of induction heating in brazing, soldering, bonding, shrink fitting, sealing, coating, and other applications is discussed.
· Common misassumptions and misleading postulations associated with the theory and practice of induction heating are clarified in the 2nd edition.
· Best practices and recommendations for equipment maintenance and safety principles are provided. Do’s and Dont’s items are reviewed, along with discussion on the direct and indirect effects of electromagnetic field exposure on health, passive and active medical implants, hypersensitivity, etc. Awareness programs regarding non-ionizing radiation and evaluation of the health risks associated with external field exposure and ways to monitor and control them are included.
· Crucial tips executives must know regarding computer modeling of induction heating processes.
“Three World-Class Experts on Staff”
Jon D. Tirpak, PE, FASM; Executive Director, Forging Defense Manufacturing Consortium, and Past President, ASM International (2015-2016)
The 2nd edition Handbook of Induction Heating is intended to reach a wide variety of readers including practitioners, students, engineers, metallurgists, managers, and scientists.
Jon D. Tirpak, PE, FASM; Executive Director, Forging Defense Manufacturing Consortium, and Past President, ASM International (2015-2016) says the following about Handbook of Induction Heating:
“The 2nd Edition of the Handbook for Induction Heating is equivalent to having 3 world class experts on staff without paying high priced consulting fees. For your seasoned, and probably more importantly, your new and emerging manufacturing and process engineers, this comprehensive guide provides the details your company needs to compete around the world. Significant technical achievements have occurred since 2002 with the last edition. Rudnev, Loveless, and Cook have compiled an indispensable, world-class text replete with the basics and advanced concepts of induction heating. The case studies also illustrate and inspire the design and deployment of innovative concepts which transform theory into application. If you are not reading and using this tour de force, it is safe to say that your competitors have read and marked up their copies.”
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Dr. Valery Rudnev, FASM, is the Director of Science & Technology, Inductoheat Inc., and a co-author of Handbook of Induction Heating (2nd ed.), along with Don Loveless and Raymond L. Cook. The Handbook of Induction Heating, 2nd ed., is published by CRC Press.
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The U.S. Army upgrade at its manufacturing center at Watervliet, New York, will include heat treatment facilities to position the Arsenal to better support the emerging readiness needs of U.S. and foreign militaries.
Arsenal Commander Col. Joseph Morrow said the Arsenal has received more than $100 million in new orders over what it had at this same point in time last year.
“This is not the same Arsenal that it was when I took command in July 2016,” said Morrow. “Due to a significant and recent rise in sustainment and modernization readiness needs of our Army and of our allies, we must nearly double our current manufacturing capacity in the next four years.”
Recent Arsenal commanders have raised the issue of aging plant equipment to the Army’s senior leaders and, as a result, various Army weapon program managers have stepped in to augment the Arsenal’s limited-funded CIP activity by paying for equipment upgrades or for new machines. The Arsenal team was well prepared for the day when additional funding would come in by already having an established list of priorities for capability and capacity upgrades, said James Kardas, an Arsenal industrial engineer.
Although funding has arrived, due to the complexity of some of the larger machines and the challenges of preparing foundations to support the new machines, the final machine from this funding may not be on line until 2020. Nevertheless, some of the smaller, less complex machines may arrive in 2018.
The Watervliet Arsenal, an Army-owned-and-operated manufacturing facility located in Watervliet, New York, is the oldest, continuously active arsenal in the United States, having begun operations during the War of 1812.
A Swedish producer of metal powders announced recently that it has launched commercial production of the industry’s first high precision binder jetting 3D metal printer, resulting in smaller and more intricate components than any previous technology, and because heat treatment occurs after printing, the process is adaptable for a variety of materials.
Digital Metal®, a Höganäs Group company, developed the DM P2500, which continuously prints in 42 µm layers at 100 cc/hr without the need for any support structures. It has 2500 cm3 print volume available. This makes it possible to manufacture small objects in high quantities (up to 50,000 parts in one print run), comprising shapes, geometries
Ralf Carlström, General Manager, Digital Metal
and internal and external finishes never before achieved. The DM P2500 delivers a resolution of 35 µm and an average surface roughness of Ra 6 µm before additional finishing processes are applied.
Powder removed before sintering is reused for subsequent jobs, resulting in high yield and low scrap rates, meaning downtime is kept to a minimum, and there is no de-generation of the powder that other AM processes experience.
“The Digital Metal business has doubled year on year since its inception,” said Ralf Carlström, General Manager, Digital Metal. “However we’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of the potential this technology offers for designers and engineers. We’ve seen relatively small (but previously unachievable) changes to the internal structure of components result in a 30 percent improvement in overall product efficiency, which would have been impossible to produce using conventional methods. As the design and engineering community begin to explore and understand what our highly repeatable and reliable technology enables, we believe we will see huge demand for this technology.
Don Godfrey, Engineering Fellow – Additive Manufacturing, Honeywell Aerospace
By making the printers commercially available we hope to facilitate and fuel that demand.”
The second DM P2500 outside Digital Metal was installed in June 2017 and licensed to Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques (CETIM), France’s benchmark institute and technological innovation hub for mechanical engineering. The machine started production just two days later and is already showing consistent results. The first printer is confidentially licensed to a global leader in fashion design and will see its new serial production items available at the end of this year.
Luxury watch start-up Montfort approached Digital Metal to print the dials for its watches inspired by the Swiss Alps. The binder jetting technique was the only solution that allowed Montfort the creative freedom to make watch dials with a design and finish that resembles the mineral, crystalline structure of rocks.
Additionally, in the U.S., Honeywell Aerospace and Digital Metal are exploring a number of joint 3D printing projects that will merge Honeywell’s expertise in aerospace engineering with Digital Metal’s leadership in additive manufacturing.
“The binder jetting technology Digital Metal uses to print small metal parts has the potential for various applications within the Honeywell Aerospace program,” said Don Godfrey, Engineering Fellow – Additive Manufacturing, Honeywell Aerospace. “We believe this will also be critical to applications in other key areas of the broader aerospace industry.”
A producer of monolithic refractory products, an employee-owned company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has expanded its manufacturing presence in the southeast through the recent acquisition of an Alabama refractory products supplier.
Jon Tabor, Chairman and CEO, Allied Mineral Products. Photo credit: Janet Adams/BizJournals
Allied Mineral Products, Inc., with twelve manufacturing facilities in eight countries, three precast shapes facilities, and two research and technology centers, has purchased family-owned and -operated Riverside Refractories, Inc, adding taphole clay to its line of industry-leading refractory products and extending a reach into the steel industry, including international operations. The sale includes Riverside’s Pell City, Alabama, manufacturing operation, monolithic and pre-cast refractory shapes products, refractory coatings and mortars and high-alumina and anhydrous taphole clay products.
“Riverside is a natural to join the Allied family,” said Jon R. Tabor, chairman and CEO of Allied. “They have outstanding products, expertise in the manufacture of taphole clays, a skilled workforce, and an employee-driven culture that is a perfect fit with Allied’s. After our recent acquisition of Pryor Giggey Co., which included a facility in Anniston, Alabama, Allied is poised for a significant manufacturing presence in the Southeast.”
John Morris, President of Riverside
“As the marketplace continues to be more competitive, [Riverside] realized we needed to align with a strong company to ensure we could continue to serve our customers and provide security for our employees,” said John Morris, president of Riverside. “With this sale, we know our customers and employees will benefit and that was very important to us. We are excited that Allied’s global manufacturing network and worldwide sales presence will provide a platform to market the Riverside product lines internationally. We could not be in better hands.”
“The Morris family has been a force in the refractory industry for over 60 years,” added Tabor. “We have great respect for what they have achieved at Riverside. There is great value in the brand and in the name, and we look forward to carrying on their tradition of great products and customer service.”
Riverside’s production facility in Pell City, Alabama, joins Allied’s existing U.S. manufacturing operations in Columbus, Ohio; Brownsville, Texas; Chehalis, Washington; and Anniston, Alabama.
Fourteen vacuum furnaces have recently been shipped to various clients in the additive manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and commercial heat treating industries, distributed across seven states as well as Indonesia and Japan.
Ipsen USA delivered the following during the third quarter 2017:
A vertical (bottom-loading) MetalMaster® vacuum furnace with an 84″ (2,100 mm) diameter work zone and 8,000-pound (3,600 kg) load capacity;
four standard TITAN® vacuum furnaces with options ranging from spare parts kits and a thermocouple upgrade to the PdMetrics® predictive maintenance software platform;
three HIQ (horizontal internal quench) and HEQ (horizontal external quench) furnaces from the VFS® product line that will process parts for aerospace and commercial heat treating industries;
several custom-built, horizontal MetalMaster® and TurboTreater® vacuum furnaces.
A 1500°C box furnace was recently shipped to a university, designed for testing, research and development, and laboratory applications and with capability for ease of mobility within the facility.
The heavy-duty furnace, supplied by Lindberg/MPH, is suited for multiple applications such as annealing, ashing, carbon firing, ceramic firing, hardening, sintering, solution treating, and stress relieving, and has locking casters to allow it to be moved to different locations.
Steelmaker ArcelorMittal recently ordered a 290-ton ladle furnace to control chemical composition and temperature of liquid steel and slag for its integrated steel plant in Temirtau, Kazakhstan.
The furnace will be supplied by SMS Group, and commissioning will include the engineering, mechanical and electrical equipment, and supervision of erection, and commissioning of the new ladle furnace, gas cleaning plant, additives handling system and water treatment plant. ArcelorMittal’s Kazakhstan facility has an annual capacity of 4 million tons of crude steel and produces hot and cold rolled steel, tin plates, galvanized steel and polymer-coated coils, welded pipes, coke, and chemical by-products. plant
Commissioning is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.
A U.S.-based aerospace and firearms parts company, which has been manufacturing bolt carrier groups for the AR-15 and M16 rifles since 1991, offers precision manufacturing of the .223/5.56 bolts and bolt carriers to buyers of a high quality .308 bolt carrier assembly for the AR-10 rifle.
The .308 bolt, made by Young Manufacturing from SAE 9310 steel, is precision ground in three critical areas after heat treating to military specifications (mil-spec). This removes the distortion that occurs during heat treat and provides the most accurate fit possible on the center support ring and the bolt tail. Grinding the back of the lugs true to the bolt face produces a bolt that locks up true and square to the center of the bore. Bolts are magnetic particle inspected to detect any stress fractures that might occur during the heat treat process.
.308 carriers follow the same strict process as the .223 bolt assembly components, starting with 8620 steel heat treated to mil-spec, followed by precision grinding the inside bores and outside diameter to ensure they run concentric to each other and again remove the distortion from heat treat. The manufacturer adds additional surface or contact area near the front of the carrier for a tighter fit and support when the carrier is in the battery.
Global industrial fastener manufacturer Trifast PLC has announced the expansion of its heat treatment capabilities as part of the company’s response to positive gains in the first half of 2017.
“This substantial expansion allows us to access further the growth market sectors within Europe,” stated the company in a recent release, pointing to the installation of a £1 million new heat treatment plant at their TR Vic location in Italy. In addition, more complex value-add components will be supported by new automated inspection and packing machines at the production facility.
