MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

2200°F Conveyor Oven Supplied for Aquatic Heating Systems

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Baker Furnace, Inc. shipped a custom-built, high-temperature conveyor oven designed to heat treat rods used to manufacture commercial heating elements.  The process also requires a nitrogen purge to create a specific atmosphere.

At 35 ft long with an operating temperature of 1900°F, the engineering challenges for this unique application were a combination of the size and high temperature coupled with the fact that the application required four different heating zones with a nitrogen injection in every zone.

The electrically-powered conveyor oven was constructed as a modular system which allowed Baker Furnace to conduct a complete test on site and then break it down to ship and install in the most cost-effective manner.   The first two zones for heating measure 24”w x 16”h x 12’L while the two cooling sections measure 24”w x 16”h x 20’L, both with nitrogen injection supply lines to create an inert atmosphere. The oven is equipped with a 24” wide inconel wire woven belt supported by an internal inconel slider bed, which is driven with a gear reduction motor (speed controlled by Allen Bradley drives).  Using formed rod-style, Kanthal elements rated at 60kW for heating, the entire system is controlled with an Allen Bradley touch screen HMI and Allen Bradley PLC software.

“Designing a conveyor oven of this size and temperature is a challenge in itself, but our biggest hurdle came when we had to achieve a plus or minus 25°F heat uniformity within the multiple zones.  Each zone required different temperatures with a nitrogen injection.  We leaned on our past experience as well as testing several scenarios to come up with a design that the customer loves.”   Tim Bacon, Lead Project Manager at Baker Furnace.

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Commercial Metals Company Celebrates the Groundbreaking of New Micro Mill

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On April 29, 2016, Commercial Metals Company (NYSE: CMC), state, federal and local officials and their honored guests gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction of CMC’s second technologically advanced micro mill which will be located in Durant, OK.

Joe Alvarado, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of CMC, said, “This event marks another historic day for CMC, the State of Oklahoma, and the City of Durant.  We believe the addition of a second micro mill to CMC’s portfolio of highly efficient and customer focused production facilities will open new market opportunities and enhance CMC’s position as a leading supplier of long products in the U.S. market. Today would not have been possible without the support of the State of Oklahoma and the City of Durant and we look forward to many years of a very successful relationship.”

“This groundbreaking represents how local, state and tribal partnerships can bring together various entities to achieve great things for the State of Oklahoma,” said Governor Mary Fallin. “Not only will this mill produce high quality steel products that can be used by many Oklahoma industries, it will bring quality jobs to the Durant area, providing great opportunities for Oklahomans and further diversifying our economy.”

CMC’s innovative micro mill technology uses a continuous-continuous manufacturing process that melts, casts and rolls steel from a single uninterrupted strand, producing higher yields and lower energy consumption than the traditional minimill process.  The Oklahoma micro mill is expected to create approximately 300 jobs in the Durant area.

CMC expects the new Durant micro mill to be commissioned in the fall of 2017.

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Solar Manufacturing’s Vacuum Furnace Reference Series

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BOTW-50w Source:  Solar Manufacturing’s Vacuum Furnace Reference Series

This series includes eight releases with the following titles.

Release 1:  Critical Melting Points and Reference Data for Vacuum Heat Treating

Release 2:  Optimizing Procedures for Temperature Uniformity Surveying of Vacuum Furnaces

Release 3:  Operating a Vacuum Furnace Under Humid Conditions

Release 4:  Understanding PID Temperature Control as Applied to Vacuum Furnace     Performance

Release 5:  Understanding Power Losses in Vacuum Furnaces

Release 6:  Important Considerations when Purchasing a Vacuum Furnace

Release 7:  Important Considerations when Selecting a Vacuum Furnace Water Cooling System

Release 9:  Understanding Vacuum and Vacuum Measurement

Read More:  Solar Manufacturing’s Resources for Vacuum Heat Treating Releases 1 – 9

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

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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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Economist: Manufacturing Revives in 2016’s Second Half

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BOTW-50w Source:  SME Manufacturing Engineering

“We’re about out of the woods,” Alan Beaulieu, president of ITR Economics, said during a presentation at the MFG Meeting in Palm Desert, CA. “We are not looking at a recession in manufacturing in the United States.”

 

Read more:  Economist: Manufacturing Revives in 2016’s Second Half

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Universal High Pressure Quench Delivers Wide Range of Process Capabilities to Slovenia Commercial Heat Treater, MIHEU

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Slovenia commercial heat treater, MIHEU, is expanding their production capacity with the addition of a new Vector™ High Pressure Gas Quench vacuum furnace. Delivered in February 2016, the new installation will enable MIHEU to increase production capacity and expand their markets by offering a wide variety of processes with the installation of a single system.

According to Aleš Prikeržnik, Managing Director, „ We wanted to partner with a company with expertise in both emerging technologies as well as reliable standard solutions to expand our market base and continue to deliver a high quality product to our customers into the future. The SECO/WARWICK team provides more than good equipment, they have the technical and service support that we demand to keep our operation running smoothly.” Family owned for three generations, learn more about MIHEU at www.miheu.si/en/abous-us.html

Maciej Korecki, SECO/WARWICK Vacuum VP commented, „The VECTOR Universal High Pressure Quench is our signature technology in use by commercial heat treaters worldwide for over 20 years. We are pleased to work with MIHEU as a supplier-partner to provide them with the world’s best technology and technical services. ”

VECTOR™ Universal High Pressure Quench Vacuum Furnaces

The standard Universal VECTOR vacuum furnace is used for wide range of industrial heat treatment applications including gas quench hardening & tempering, degassing, annealing, solution heat treatment and brazing. Equipped with Data Portal™, the control system can connect to a configurable website that gives the user access to archive data using a web browser. This application can use an internal data recorder or it can work with other software. Recorded data is displayed in the form of web pages. Access, depending on the customer’s choice, can be through a local area network or via the Internet from anywhere.

The MIHEU Furnace main parameters include:

Useful dimensions: 600 x 600 x 900 mm (24” X 24” X 36”)

Maximum load gross weight: 600kgs (1,300 lbs.)

temperature: 1300°C (2400°F)

Quenching pressure: up to 10,0 bar abs.

The system was delivered complete with a water cooling system, load fixture, DataPortal™ software package, installation, start up and training.

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Apple’s Patent Pending 7000 Series Aluminum Invention Used in the New iPhone 6s Comes to Light

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[Best of the Web] Source: PatentlyApple.com

When Apple introduced the iPhone 6s on September 9, 2015 they pointed out in their press release and on their iPhone design page that they had upgraded the aluminum to that of the 7000 series aluminum, the same alloy used in the aerospace industry. Apple further noted that “It’s created from a unique composition of elements that make it the strongest alloy we’ve ever used in an iPhone.

Read more about Apples’ use of this aerospace aluminum alloy.

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