Aerospace
Automotive
Medical
Energy
Manufacturing
Source: Dry Coolers
“Just like your plant electrical system, telecommunications equipment, or data network infrastructure, a process cooling water failure can shut down a facility and may even involve safety issues. Let’s outline some of the steps you can take to minimize downtime.”
Read More: How to Keep Process Cooling Systems Running by Brian Russell
How to Keep Process Cooling Systems Running Read More »
Source: Global Heat Treatment Network
“Vacuum heat treatment tasks for AM manufactured parts is the same process as traditional subtractive manufacturing and its purpose is to assure AM parts has the correct physical and metallurgical properties for specific applications. In some cases, when a bidder is involved, the purpose of the heat treatment process is to deciding and sinter parts. Most vacuum furnaces use up to 800°C degrees to relieve stress and a higher temperature of up to 1800°C for other processes.
Vacuum furnaces with high vacuum levels are preferred to heat treatment equipment to process AM parts. AM parts made from Titanium, Cobalt, Aluminum require vacuum levels of up to 10-6 mbar with 99.9995 Argon purity. Argon is the preferred gas because of its neutrality and that it has no adverse reaction with the above alloy components. Creating an Alfa surface layer on titanium parts is not desirable and should be avoided.
The small parts and small production volume influences vacuum furnaces of small to medium size. The next challenge for the heat treatment industry is to integrate heat treatment process into the AM equipment in one continuous process.”
Vacuum Heat Treatment’s Role in Additive Manufacturing (AM) 3D Printing Read More »
Source: Thermal Processing for Gear Solutions
Read More: Quality Counts: Gas Nitriding by Jim Oakes
Quality Counts: Gas Nitriding Read More »
Source: Thermal Processing for Gear Solutions
“The coupling of CFD and heat treatment analyses provides a more robust application of computer modeling to predict the latent heat release, distortion, and residual stresses during the quench hardening process.”
Coupling CFD and Oil Quench Hardening Analysis of a Gear Component Read More »
Source: ETMM The Website
“One look at the back of the part told me it was filled with one sub-gate (see Figure 2). In the US at the time, we were trying to pack out this type of speaker grill with 12-drop systems, which resulted in poor fill and a lot of stress in the piece. In Japan, mouldmakers were using a mould material developed to enhance venting. This was a steel manufactured with interconnecting pores so the gas could pass through the seemingly solid piece of metal. To make this steel, powder metal was combined with metal fibers for added strength, cold-pressed into master blocks measuring 215 by 300 by 650 mm, sintered and heat-treated to 35 HRC. It was available with average pore diameter of either 7 or 20 microns; porosity averaged 25 percent of the mass of the block. Other materials available at the time ranged from porous ceramics to sintered porous vent buttons.”
Read More: The Potential of Enhanced Venting Materials by Tom Schade
Heat Treating Involved in Production of Speakers Read More »
Source: Heat Processing On-Line
Walking Beam Furnace Energy Savings: New Skid Pipe Insulation Concept Read More »
Source: MoldMaking Technology
“The process of building conformal cooling inserts can be generally broken up into four steps: 1) simulating the molding process, 2) insert design and optimization, 3) 3D direct metal laser melting, and 4) post processing. Simulation software in the first step allows tool designers to visualize flow capabilities and thermal properties that can cause mold deformation prior to actual production. Cavity block or core block inserts then can be designed with conformal water lines in place, based on simulation results. The layer-by-layer 3D-printing that comes next not only can be completed in a number of materials that match conventional tool steels, but the resulting built-in channels will exhibit outstanding geometric flexibility. Post-processing tasks include stress relief and heat treatment, using EDM to machine the part from its platform base, polishing the part surface, adding water lines, and inspection.”
Read More: Reshaping Moldmaking by Lou Young
Heat Treatment Used in Building Conformal Cooling Inserts Read More »
Moldmaking Technology – July 2016
“When it comes to steel selection, the standard grades and heat-treat cycles might need to be changed depending on the selected PVD coating. The moldmaker must ensure that the application temperature of the PVD process is lower than the heat-treatment cycle temperature that is used on the steel.
…..too often the customers allow the steel and heat treatment to determine the coating that can be considered. ”
Read More: PVD Coatings and Tool Steel Selection by Mark Falkingham
PVD Coatings and Tool Steel Selection Read More »
Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: STLD) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Vulcan Threaded Products, Inc. (“Vulcan”). Established in 1978, Vulcan is based outside of Birmingham, Alabama and is the nation’s largest manufacturer and supplier of threaded rod products, and also produces cold drawn and heat treated bar. Steel Dynamics plans to purchase Vulcan for $126 million, inclusive of $42 million in working capital, which is subject to typical post-closing adjustments. The purchase price will be paid in cash from available funds. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to 2016 earnings and cash flow per share.
“During 2015, we identified the pursuit of higher-margin downstream business opportunities that utilize our steel products in their manufacturing processes, as one of our target growth objectives,” stated Mark D. Millett, President and Chief Executive Officer. “A strategy intended to reduce volatility during both strong and weak market cycles, given steel raw material supply optionality. During weak steel demand environments these businesses could purchase steel internally from our own mills, thus increasing SDI’s steel mill utilization. As a consumer of special-bar-quality products currently produced at our Engineered Bar Products Division, Vulcan depicts this model perfectly and fits well within our core operating strengths.”
Vulcan has a diversified product line, evenly distributed amongst threaded steel rod, cold finished bar processing and heat treated bar. It shipped approximately 89,000 tons of these products during the trailing twelve month period ended March 31, 2016. Historically Vulcan has purchased nearly 20,000 tons of steel from the company’s Engineered Bar Products Division (“EBD”). Based on capabilities, Steel Dynamics believes this internal volume could grow in the near term to between 30,000 and 50,000 tons, or just under ten percent of EBD’s total 2015 shipments.
“Vulcan has been a valued customer of our Engineered Bar Products Division for over a decade. I congratulate Bill and Kent Upton on the creation of a tremendous company and team. We are looking forward to welcoming the employees and customers of Vulcan into the Steel Dynamics family. We are excited to add the quality of Vulcan’s brand and products to our portfolio,” concluded Millett.
The transaction is valued at approximately 5.0 times trailing twelve month March 31, 2016 EBITDA, excluding potential income tax-related benefits. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and receipt of regulatory approvals. Steel Dynamics expects to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals and complete the transaction by August 2016.
Steel Dynamics to Acquire Vulcan Threaded Products to Expand SBQ Finishing Capabilities Read More »
Bodycote, the world’s largest thermal processing services provider, is pleased to announce that its new heat treatment plant in Covington, GA is now open.
The brand new 60,0002ft facility, established to replace the existing Conyers plant, will primarily serve automotive and general industrial customers, offering all of the processes and capabilities which had been offered at the Conyers location as well as the addition of ferritic nitrocarburizing.
At more than double the size of the plant it replaces, the new Covington facility immediately increases the capacity available to serve the Georgia and Florida marketplaces with a wide range of heat treatment processes.
This investment is part of Bodycote’s further expansion in the Southeast USA. Bodycote is committed to offering world-class heat treating services and is investing in improvements as part of an ongoing strategy to provide the best possible capabilities, mix and geographical network to better serve customers.
Bodycote Opens New Georgia Heat Treatment Plant Read More »