MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

Arconic Divests, Hydro Acquires Latin American Extrusions Plants

Svein Richard Brandtzæg, president and CEO

Lightweight metals engineering and manufacturing firm Arconic, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recently announced that a global integrated aluminum solutions company will acquire its Latin American extrusions business, located in Brazil, part of the company’s transportation and construction solutions segment.

Hydro Extruded Solutions AS, formerly Sapa, which produces extruded shapes (standard and custom), seamless and structural pipe & tube, and standard and specialty rod and bar, noted in a company release that the transaction will expand its capacity to provide solutions for its manufacturing sectors in Brazil. Arconic is divesting two extrusion plants in Utinga and Tubarão in southern Brazil as part of its strategy to streamline assets and production; the assets include one casthouse, seven extrusion presses ranging from 7 to 14 inches, and value-added capabilities.

“We believe in the integrated business model and Brazil is the country where Hydro’s entire value chain is present. From bauxite and alumina, via primary production to extruded solutions, this will strengthen our ability to serve our customers,” said Svein Richard Brandtzæg, president and CEO.

Completion of the transaction is subject to approval from relevant competition authorities in Brazil and is expected within the first half of 2018.

 

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Tenova To Supply TimkenSteel’s Analysis System, EAF Technology

TimkenSteel, a leading producer of carbon and alloyed steel including large diameter SBQ bars and seamless mechanical tubing, recently ordered a proprietary off-gas based technology package to install at its top charge EAF at its Faircrest plant in Canton, Ohio.

Tenova’s NextGen® off-gas analysis system, iEAF® dynamic process control technology, and Water Detection Technology®, will support TimkenSteel’s ca. 1 million net ingot tons per year, as well as provide  operational, safety, and environmental benefits such as reduced energy consumption, water leak detection, increased productivity and yield and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

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PA-Based Heat Treater Contracts with Zhongwang

A forged and cast rolls producer for steel and aluminum manufacturers was recently selected by a Chinese manufacturer of high-end aluminum flat-rolled products to supply rolls for a new hot rolling mill installation that services the transportation sector.

Rodney Scagline, President of Union Electric Steel

The western Pennsylvania-based Union Electric Steel Corporation, an operating subsidiary of Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation, announced that the $4.4M agreement with Zhongwang (Yingkou) High Precision Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd, includes forged finishing work rolls and forged roughing work rolls produced at one of the Union Electric Åkers heat treating facilities. The successful agreement follows several trials conducted at Zhongwang Aluminum’s facility in Wuqing District, Tianjin Province. Shipments are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018.

“The agreement adds another accredited, large new aluminum mill to our customer list,” said Rodney Scagline, president of Union Electric Steel. “Supplying the rolls needed for this new mill is an encouraging win for us, demonstrating our growing presence among major aluminum rolling mills around the world which require the most demanding, high-quality rolls. We look forward to serving this important customer and to meeting Zhongwang Aluminum’s needs as they evolve in the future.”

 

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Novelis Invests $4.5M in NE Ohio Facility, Pretreatment Applications

Global aluminum rolling producer Novelis Inc. recently announced a $4.5 million manufacturing investment at its facility in Warren, Ohio. The state-of-the-art technological advances will provide greater versatility for pretreatments, improve operational efficiency, and reduce costs over time. Novelis’ Warren facility has 75 employees dedicated to applying coating to rolled aluminum sheet. The sheet is then used for production of lids for the tops of aluminum beverage cans, producing enough for more than one billion beverage can lids each month.

Novelis supplies industry-leading beverage can materials to some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Coca-Cola, AB InBev, and PepsiCo.

The Warren expansion will include portions of the facility which has been involved in manufacturing for more than 100 years, including military support in World Wars I and II.

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Titanium Producer Boosts Melt Capabilities with New Furnaces

Frank Perryman, president and chief executive officer of Perryman Company

Perryman Company, a metal fabricator headquartered in Houston, Pennsylvania, recently announced it will more than double its current titanium melting capacity through the addition of two new furnaces, one electron beam (EB) and one vacuum arc remelt (VAR).

The integrated titanium producer from melting of ingot to finished products has existing melting facilities at its western Pennsylvania location which are utilized for projects in the commercial aircraft and medical sectors. The company expects the new furnaces to alleviate backlog and support demand for titanium products in these as well as other industrial, recreation, and infrastructure industries.

“Our aerospace forecast model indicates there will be a need for additional melting capacity. With the increased capacity we will be in position to pursue segments of the aerospace market where we have not yet been a participant. We believe there’s more opportunity for us to leverage our fully integrated capabilities,” stated Frank Perryman, president and chief executive officer of Perryman Company.

The added capacity will also support planned growth in medical, additive/3D and other emerging markets.

Installation of the new furnaces will begin in late 2018 and are expected to be fully operational by mid-2019. Once complete, the company’s total melt capacity will exceed 26 million pounds, placing Perryman among the world’s largest melters of aerospace quality titanium.

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Laser Sintering vs. Bulk Sintering in a Furnace: Both Have a Place in 3D Metal Printing Industry

 

Source: 3DPrint.com

Matt Sand, president of 3DEO

Matt Sand, president of 3DEO, discusses the pros and cons of laser sintering and bulk sintering as applied to the 3D printing industry with a particular emphasis on sustainability and low-cost technologies.

Read more: “Metal 3D Printing: Laser Sintering vs. Bulk Sintering in a Furnace – Pros and Cons”

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Kentucky Steel Facility Inaugurates Bright Annealing Line, Cold Rolling Mill 

 

Source: Kentucky I-71 Connected.com

Left to Right: Cristóbal Fuentes, CEO of North American Stainless; Bernardo Velázquez, CEO of Acerinox; Matt Bevin, Governor of Kentucky; Rafael Miranda, Acerinox Chairman of the Board

 

A Ghent, Kentucky, steel production facility recently welcomed a Spanish delegation and state officials to the launch of its 11th expansion since 1990. The project, which was announced in March 2015, includes a new $150 million bright annealing line and a cold rolling mill.

Read more: “With Dedication of New Production Line, North American Stainless Celebrates Growth, Commitment and 36 New Jobs in Carroll County”

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Twin Vacuum Furnaces for Energy-Optimized Heat Treating

The first set of twin furnaces working on a single pumping station have recently been developed and commissioned to a leading designer and manufacturer of vacuum furnaces for the heat treatment of metal parts.

BMI, a Tenova company, headquartered in Lyon, France, commissioned the B54R-TWIN – vacuum furnaces for tempering – to meet the customer’s specific request for equipment that optimizes energy consumption.

During a heat treatment cycle of the B54R-TWIN, the pumping phase lasts only 30 minutes. Therefore, it is more efficient to use only one pumping group for two furnaces, working alternatively on one furnace or the other. This not only reduces electricity consumption but also minimizes the maintenance costs of the pumps.

Earlier in this quarter, Tenova announced key contracts from Chinese steel producers for six electrical arc furnaces (EAF) Consteel® Evolution in response to Chinese steelmaking industries converting their steel shops plants with EAF technology. In order to improve the reduction rate of CO2 emissions promoted by Chinese government, Chinese steelmakers are starting to increase the share of electrical steel production in comparison to manufacturing using blast or basic oxygen furnaces.

 

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No. American Steel Producer Announces Plans for Merchant Bar Mill, Rebar Micro Mill

A North American manufacturer of steel products recently announced that construction will begin on two new projects that will boost its capacity to meet demand for carbon and alloy steel products in its U.S. Midwestern and Plains markets.

Nucor Corporation, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, will build a full-range merchant bar quality (MBQ) mill at its existing bar steel mill located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The MBQ mill will have an annual capacity of 500,000 tons and is expected to cost $180 million. The project will take approximately two years to complete. This project will allow Nucor to fully utilize the company’s existing bar mill by optimizing its melt capacity and infrastructure that is already in place.

In addition, the steel producer will build a rebar micro mill in Sedalia, Missouri, about 90 miles east of Kansas City. The new micro mill project represents at least $250 million in new investments, with the expectation of creating 255 full-time jobs, and anticipates start-up in 2019 pending the final approval and award of state and local incentives as well as required permits and regulatory approvals.

Nucor will be able to take advantage of abundant scrap supply in both locations.

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Steel Production in UK Gets Boost from Global Investor

A leading global steel producer recently announced multiple projects as part of a series of planned investments in its UK business. Around £30 million is being earmarked to help secure the future of steelmaking in South Wales, UK.

Tata Steel, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, with steelmaking in the UK and Netherlands, and manufacturing plants across Europe, will replace a Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) vessel — weighing 500 tonnes – at its Port Talbot site. At the same time, the company is replacing the massive cranes in the steel plant and installing enhanced dust extraction hoods and energy-efficient drives to minimize emissions.

The 11-meter high BOS vessel is a steel cauldron used to convert iron into steel before it is further processed and delivered to customers making products like cars, innovative packaging, and energy-efficient buildings.

Earlier this year Tata Steel unveiled the UK’s most advanced robotic steel welding line which supplies material for car makers from its site in Wednesfield, UK.

Port Talbot produces high-quality steel which is further processed at Tata Steel’s steel mills around the UK for manufacturers in Britain, mainland Europe and other countries around the world. Once installed, the new steelmaking vessel will be able to convert 330 tonnes of iron into steel in each cycle. This is done by pumping oxygen through liquid iron at twice the speed of sound, removing unwanted carbon and allowing employees to produce critical grades of steel.

“We have two steelmaking vessels and they run 24/7 at temperatures of up to 1,700C, apart from short planned maintenance periods. Despite this, they last for around 20 years each and replacing them is an important part of ensuring reliable operations,” said Dave Murray, Project Manager.

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