An aerospace and medical part manufacturer in Southeast USA recently purchased 5 vacuum furnaces. They will be used primarily to sinter and stress relieve stainless steel components.
Dan Insogna Southeast Regional Sales Manager Solar Manufacturing (photo source: solarmfg.com)
The furnaces were provided by Solar Manufacturing and are part of their Mentor® vacuum furnace series. The model HFL-2018-2IQ furnaces feature a graphite-insulated hot zone, a load weight capacity of up to 250 lbs, and maximum operating temperature of 2400° F.
“Our customer worked directly with our R&D team at our sister company, Solar Atmospheres,” states Dan Insogna, Southeast Regional Sales Manager for SolarManufacturing. “The customer received a line of brand new Mentor® furnaces with their custom recipe preloaded and ready to go.”
"The global dental 3D printing market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period... Dental 3D printing is a form of modern dentistry and is considered to be wide-spreading in the dental industry. Dental 3D printing involves creating three dimensional solid dental models such as dentures, surgical guides, dental implants, crown, and bridges." From Market Research Future Report: Dental 3D Printing Market
For this Heat Treat TodayTechnical Tuesday, we are featuring a Best of the Web that highlights cutting edge applications of additive manufacturing (AM). For many in the world of heat treat, AM and 3D are things of the future, oftentimes foreign to the heat treater's processes. What this article reveals is that AM can be utilized in essential and beneficial ways within heat treating.
An excerpt: "...This research and development project managed to optimize the process of making a dental prosthesis using a vacuum furnace. The additive manufacturing allows to create shapes, weights and dimensions customized on different needs and with a precision that has no equal. Strengthened by these peculiarities, the research team worked to further refine and complete the process chain of dental prostheses. Let's see step by step how this process happened."
Winfried Schaller, Lincotek Group CEO (photo source: Lincotek.com)
An additive manufacturing (AM) solutions provider continued its global expansion. Initially, they had invested in an AM facility at their Memphis, Tennessee plant to support US medical customers. Then, they opened an Additive Innovation Center in Switzerland to focus on the IGT and aviation market.
Now, Lincotek Additive in Trento, Italy reports that it has completed development of its Additive Production Center for medical devices. The center was completed with the addition of a high-vacuum furnace and validated heat treatment process designed specifically for the post-processing of titanium additively manufactured parts, and is expected to triple the capacity for thermal treatment at the site.
“We’re delighted that so many OEMs are now taking advantage of our complete additive service offer,” stated Winfried Schaller, Lincotek Group CEO. “Our outstanding performance is based on a profound technical mastery of the AM process, building on R&D and validation capability, led by additive experts who support the OEMs in their serial AM needs...We are already working on the next step of growth, looking at expanding our AM capability in China too.”
In the wake of COVID-19, suppliers and manufacturers in the heat treat industry has found ways to educate and convene with one another using digital classes, seminars, conferences and more. This Heat Treat Learning article highlights some of the most prominent events which you can attend from your home or office. The list features events by date.
If you have attended or will be attending an online event, please consider emailing the editors at editor@heattreattoday.com or bethany@heattreattoday.com to share your impressions of the event value.
Classes and Webinars
Fractography and Fracture Analysis: History and Development: Tuesday July 28, 2020, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
(photo source: Wynn Pointaux from Pixabay.com)
This free webinar will explore the background of fractography and fracture analysis with Daniel Grice, P.E. Senior Engineer and Larry D. Hanke, P.E., FASM, Principal Engineer Materials Evaluation and Engineering Inc. The event, supported by ASM International, is intended to help anyone who is interested in learning more about material behavior. Read more and register here.
How Verification of Medical Device Surfaces in Production Eases Product Development: Wednesday July 29, 2020, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Operating in different time-zones and featuring a recording to any participant who signs up, this free webinar intends to help metallurgical technicians, engineers, quality control and laboratory managers better understand their surface coatings. The webinar, supported by Buehler, will mainly be focusing on preparation challenges and approaches to achieve good quality, efficient preparation, accurate measurement and correct evaluation of these coatings. Read more and register here.
Elizabeth Kidd, Materials Scientist and Lucas Dillingham, Senior Applications Specialist at BTG Labs
This event targets medical device manufacturers concerned with verification of cleaning, coating, sealing, printing, or bonding. BTG Labs is making this webinar available for free. The speakers are Elizabeth Kidd, Materials Scientist and Lucas Dillingham, Senior Applications Specialist at BTG Labs. Read more and register here.
Heat Treatment 4.0 e-SEMINAR: Wednesday September 9, 2020, 3:00 – 6:00 P.M CET
This international event, conducted in English, features 9 hours of content over a 3 hour period with three topical meeting rooms. Recordings of the event will be made available to all participants for a short time following the event. The site claims that this will be the “first industry virtual meeting of international specialists” including both practitioners and scientists. Additionally, the seminar will serve as a platform to interchange ideas and technologies, share expert experience, and discuss industry in the current times. Hosting this event is SECO/WARWICK. For specific details on the event, read more and here.
ASM Virtual Classrooms: Continual
These online courses listings provide self-guided classes provide professional development opportunities to any students of metallurgy. With quizzes and a final examination, these courses provide certificates of completion for passing (80% or above) the course requirements. A few attributes that one may see in classes are flash animations, video of instructors teaching the course in a classroom, video segments from ASM's DVD series, and PDF's of instructor PowerPoints used in the instructor led trainings. Among course offerings are the Basics of Heat Treat, Component Failure Analysis, and short courses on topics like corrosion. For more details on how to enroll, read more and register here.
Online Opportunities
Not all learning has to be done in a cohort, although community does provide great motivation and a sense of accomplishment. Here is a selection of alternative digital information outlets to access while you are on the go or at home.
Blogs:For the readers
(photosource: tav-vacuumfurnaces.org)
TAV: The Vacuum Furnaces Blog - "Perfect Vacuum Sintering Step by Step [3/4]." Part of a larger series, you can find more via the referenced articles internally linked in this article.
Dan Herring's articles. Check out most heat treat news sources and you are sure to find them.
Ipsen's The Herald. Also, be sure to check out their white papers on their website.
Podcasts:For the drivers
Heat Treat Radio: Re-envisioning your international business? Interested in harnessing the research power of Worchester Polytechnic Institute? Here is just one outlet while you are on your daily drive.
Videos:For the entertainers
Heat Treat Marketing Minute: For advertisers, learn a new skill, hone your marketing technique, use more color in your advertising... all here at Heat Treat Today. Check in with Doug in his commentary on ROI.
MetallurgyData with Neil Hardy: You may remember the young producer of metallurgical content, Neil Hardy. Links to his YouTube and some background on the project can be accessed here.
Tom Ott's LinkedIn videos: Scan LinkedIn and you will find Tom Ott's videos, which come in handy for the tech savvy heat treater.
Magnetic Shields Ltd. of Kent, England, a producer of medical industry equipment, has ordered a new vacuum furnace for their facility, set to be one of the largest horizontal vacuum furnaces in the UK.
Solar HFL-7496-EQ Vacuum Furnace (photo source: Solar Manufacturing)
The new HFL-7496-EQ vacuum furnace, being built with a SolarVac® Polaris control system, will be designed to accommodate loads up to 48” wide x 48” high x 96” deep, (1220 x 1220 x 2440mm) with a maximum weight of 5,000 lbs (2270 kgs). Operating at a vacuum level of 10-5 Torr, the furnace will be able to reach temperatures up to 2400°F (1315°C). It will feature a partial pressure hydrogen gas process and an external quench system designed for negative pressure quenching.
Magnetic Shields Ltd. Director Colin Woolger (see image below) says, “Magnetic Shields is delighted to order our second vacuum furnace from Solar Manufacturing. The new furnace will enable us to more than double the maximum size of shields we can now produce in one piece and also increase the general heat treatment capacity for our growing company... We look forward to the new furnace arriving later this year.”
Magnetic Shields Ltd. of Kent, England began its relationship with their seller, Solar Manufacturing of Sellersville, PA, in 2016 when Magnetic Shields Ltd. bought a vacuum furnace from the heat treating furnaces provider.
Rick Jones, VP of International Sales at Solar Manufacturing also adds, “Solar Manufacturing is very pleased to be selected as the supplier to further support Magnetic Shields in leading the production of equipment for the medical industry and other high technology applications, specifically, high performance large magnetic shields and low field shielded rooms.”
Read more about Magnetic Shields Ltd.'s first vacuum furnace from Solar Manufacturing in this press release.
To read more about the 2017 Magnetic Shields Ltd.'s reception of their first Solar Vacuum Furnace, click here. Pictured on the left is Colin Woolger, Chairman of the company, Suzie McKay, Rob Latter. (Photo source: magnetshields.co.uk)
Thomas Wingens, Wingens International Industry Consultancy
Heat Treat Today’sMedical and Heat Treating December 2019 issue featured an article on medical alloys.Heat Treat Todaytalked with respected industry expert, Thomas Wingens of Wingens International Industry Consultancy, about current medical alloy trends. Here are some of his thoughts.
Heat Treat Today: Who is the new kid on the block in medical metals?
Thomas Wingens: Magnesium. While magnesium is a light metal used in the automotive industry, in the last five years it has become a player within the medical industry. Magnesium occurs naturally in our bodies and because our bodies can absorb it, magnesium is being engineered to last for two years and then it will deteriorate back into the body.
HTT: What are the top metals and alloys that are being used today in medical procedures and why are they beneficial to the patient?
TW: Titanium is one of the top metals because it is neutral due to the titanium oxide on the surface which makes it biocompatible.
One of the most used metals is cobalt chromium, which is highly regarded in joint and dental implants because of its outstanding osseointegration, strength, and wear resistance.
Nitinol is another top alloy. It is composed of nickel and titanium. Nickel by itself is not good for the body as it can cause headaches, however, when paired with titanium, it is a balanced alloy that is used in the spine and to produce stents for the heart. It is also a memory shape alloy that I use in STEM presentations to show students how nitinol can be twisted yet, when heated, will return to its original form.
HTT: What are your thoughts on the market forecast of medical heat treating?
TW: When taking into consideration the components of implants, tooling, and equipment, studies have shown a consistent market growth of 5-6% each year. The top joint replacements are hips with the knees, being a more complicated procedure, coming in second. Couple these with prothesis implants and x-ray tubes with copper coils, and business continues to climb.
HTT: What do you see as an exciting or disruptive heat treating technology or material in the medical field?
TW: DISRUPTION is taking place in personalized medicine. There are a bunch of very small devices for sensors and analytical devices for home use, as well for drug delivery.
A Quick Guide to Alloys and Their Applications
Titanium
Catheter Wire (Image source: Medical Design Briefs)
Implants
Neurostimulators
Orthopedic Rods
Pins and Plates
Heart Valve Housings
Prosthetic Eyes
Surgical Instruments
Drills
Forceps
Retractors
Scissors
Needles
Cobalt Chromium
Bearing Surfaces Hip/Knee Replacements
Pacemaker Parts (Image source: Medical Design Briefs)
Purdue University may have developed a solution that helps address the issue of certain viruses lingering for up to several days on metal surfaces. According to a recent press release, the university’s engineers have created a laser treatment method that intends to morph metal surfaces from bacteria carriers to bacteria killers.
The approach uses a one-step laser texturing technique that changes the texture of a surface’s finish. In the first study, the group used copper, which is apparently well known for its bacteria-killing properties. But what traditionally would take hours is now an instantaneous process, and researchers actually demonstrated this by observing the texturing process’s ability to instantly kill a superbug like MRSA.
Purdue says the process isn’t exactly tailored for specific viruses like COVID-19 at this point, but they have been testing the process on new metals and polymers. The other benefit to this specific approach is that it’s not toxic like other antibacterial coatings can be. They also say that the simplicity and scalability of the technique has allowed researchers to believe that it could make its way into existing medical device manufacturing processes.
Roger Jones, FASM–CEO Emeritus, Solar Atmospheres (source: Solar Atmospheres)
Heat Treat Today’s Medical and Heat Treating December 2019 issue featured an article on medical alloys.Heat Treat Today asked Roger Jones, CEO Emeritus of Solar Atmospheres, Inc., to comment on how specialty medical metals are heat treated. These include titanium, niobium, tantalum, nitinol, and copper, to name a few, which in turn are used to create such standard medical devices and equipment as diagnostic guide wires, miniscule screws for implants, complex surgical tools that are operated robotically, and more. Read to see how Roger describes the hot zone and conditions under which medical device alloys are heat treated.
Vacuum furnace chambers processing titanium, niobium, chrome cobalt, and other medical device alloys are typically constructed from stainless steel. The hot zones are comprised entirely of metal (moly); graphite materials are never used in the construction of the hot zone or in fixturing parts. These furnaces process medical device alloys exclusively to avoid cross-contamination of the hot zone or the medical parts being treated.
Ultimate vacuum levels should be 1 X 10-6 Torr or better, with leak rates no greater than 2 microns Hg per hour. Gas system isolation valves aid in achieving tight vacuum, as they eliminate constant pumping on the quench system. Vacuum furnace leak up procedures are performed weekly, as well as a bake out at 2400 °F for one hour.
Horizontal, front-loading vacuum furnace with all-metal hot zone in a cleanroom setting typically used for heat treatment of medical alloys and devices (source: Solar Atmosphere)
Because of the alloys processed, cooling gases are mainly high purity argon from a liquid source. Very seldom is nitrogen used for cooling. Either type K or type N Inconel clad work thermocouples are imbedded in the loads for precise temperature readouts at +/- 10 °F or better. Processes include vacuum annealing, aging, stress relieving, solution treating, hardening, tempering, and other special processing. All furnaces are approved to the MedAccred quality standard, are surveyed to AMS 2750E, and comply with AS9100D in their processing parameters. Because the alloys are thermally treated, the vacuum furnaces operate in an air conditioned clean room with controlled temperatures and humidity levels.
Three batch steam treaters were recently shipped to the medical and automotive industries. Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems recently received three separate orders for batch steam treating equipment. The batch steam treaters produce an oxide layer that promotes corrosion and wear resistance properties and provides an attractive surface finish. The three unique orders range in size from 18” to 30” in diameter and 12” to 48” deep. The gross load weight capacity ranges from 300lbs to 1800lbs with Gasbarre supplying the production tooling. The equipment is electrically heated and has a maximum operating temperature rating of 1400℉.
Steam treating processes are used in many different industries. As such, these orders will be shipped to companies that provide products to the medical, additive manufacturing, automotive and consumer products industries.
Stryker Hero JR Hip Replacement Source: Stryker.com
A furnace manufacturer based in Pennsylvania, USA, has shipped a floor standing forging furnace for use in hot forming of medical implant parts along with a floor standing tempering furnace to a manufacturer of medical implant components located in the Northeastern United States.
The FWE422 forging furnace
The forging furnace is a L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. model FWE422 with working dimensions of 48” wide by 24” high by 24” deep and heats to a temperature of 1,800°F. The furnace features a vertical door with adjustable stops. These stops allow the door to be stopped at a predetermined location during the heating process for minimal heat loss.
The tempering furnace is model XLE3636 with a vertical door and 12” diameter, air-cooled convection fan and roller hearth. It has an effective work zone of 34” wide by 30” high by 32” deep. The furnace is used to temper hot formed parts and other thermal processing duties.
An aerospace and medical part manufacturer in Southeast USA recently purchased 5 vacuum furnaces. They will be used primarily to sinter and stress relieve stainless steel components.
