Industrial Batch Ovens to Automotive Supplier

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREATING EQUIPMENT, OVENS-HIGH-TEMPERATURE

Wisconsin Oven Corporation announced the shipment of two (2) direct gas fired batch ovens to a leading automotive supplier for tempering tire molds. The tempering process of the molds results in a longer mold life. This industrial oven was designed with the load capacity of 6,000 pounds and provides easy access of loading and unloading of tire molds by fork truck.

Each tempering batch oven has a maximum operating temperature rating of 800°F, work chamber dimensions of 5’0”W x 5’0”L x 8’0”H, and a 6” reinforced insulated floor. The recirculation system utilizes combination airflow which provides both horizontal and vertical upward airflow to maximize heating rates and temperature uniformity of the product. The batch oven is equipped with a 10,850 CFM @ 15 HP belt-driven blower. Supply air is delivered through fully adjustable boxed ducts and side-mounted along the length on each side of the work chambers. The heating system features an industrial air heat burner rated at 850,000 BTU per hour.

“Designing a solution for our customers that improves their production process is always a top priority. Improved work flow and ease of loading/unloading was a focus for this project to increase production efficiencies.” Tom Trueman, Senior Application Engineer, Wisconsin Oven Corporation

Unique features of these tempering batch ovens include:

  • Load capacity to 6,000 pounds
  • 575-volt electrical capacity
  • Operating temperatures to 800° F
  • 3/16” plate construction for durability
  • High volume of air flow; 10,850 CFM
  • Motorized dampers for quick cool down
  • Natural gas fired
  • Programmable controller
  • Meets all Canadian requirements – CUL, CSA TSSA
  • Field inspection provided by a trained factory technician
  • Temperature triggered door locks with safety pull cord

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Economist: Manufacturing Revives in 2016’s Second Half

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

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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Heat Treating Opportunities Available in Medical Industry

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT ECONOMIC NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS

BOTW-62w Source: Q1 Productions

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Performance Review Institute (PRI)

“2016 is going to be a milestone year in terms of MedAccred’s development. The program has established itself in 6 critical process areas (PCBAs, Cable & Wire Harnesses, Heat Treating, Sterilization, Plastics and Welding) and numerous companies are now stepping forward to participate in the audit process and gain accreditation.”

Read More: 3rd Annual Medical Device Supplier Quality Conference: Speaker Interview – Joseph Pinto/Performance Review Institute

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Heat Treating A Critical Process for MedAccred

/ MEDICAL HEAT TREAT, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS

Synergy Health in Alajuela, Costa Rica has become the first company to receive MedAccred sterilization accreditation, on January 5, 2016.

This follows the successful development of the MedAccred Audit Criteria for Sterilization by the MedAccred Sterilization Task Group (AC8113, AC8113/1 and AC8113/2). The audit criteria include Radiation (Electron Beam and Gamma) and Ethylene Oxide.  The members of the Task Group come from companies including Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Stryker, Baxter Healthcare, Becton, Dickinson & Co., DSM Biotech, Synergy Health and Flex. The Sterilization audit criteria draw from Industry Standards as well as the most common customer specifications.

Wendy Gould, VP Regulatory Affairs & Quality at Synergy Health said “We look forward to making it easier for our customers to do business with us, leveraging the MedAccred program will reduce their costs and improve audit consistency”.

MedAccred is an industry managed supply chain oversight program that bolsters patient safety.  It does this through clarification of requirements and better identifying how they apply to critical processes used in the production of medical devices.

“Achieving MedAccred status is not easy: it is one of the ways in which the medical device manufacturing industry identifies those suppliers capable of providing superior critical process manufacturing to the Device industry. Synergy Health has worked hard to obtain this status and they should be justifiably proud of it,” said Joe Pinto, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Performance Review Institute. “PRI is proud to support continual improvement in the medical device manufacturing industry by helping companies such as Synergy Health be successful and we look forward to continuing to assist the industry moving forward. I would like to add my personal congratulations to everyone at Synergy Health, as the company has been actively involved in the MedAccred program for some time now, and volunteered to pioneer this process. Their positivity and diligence has paid off and I am delighted to award them the first ever MedAccred sterilization certificate.”

Sterilization is just one area for MedAccred: there is also activity in other critical process areas such as Cable and Wire Harness, Heat Treating, Plastics, Printed Circuit Board Assemblies, and Welding.

Benefits of MedAccred:

  • Provides consistent/standardized critical process accreditation accepted by leaders in the Medical Device Industry resulting in fewer redundant onsite audits by multiple OEMs
  • Conducts in-depth critical process audits that are compliant and consistent to accepted industry/technical standards and conducted by Subject Matter Experts
  • Provides greater visibility of the supply chain to all levels and sub-tiers that provide critical processes, consistent with regulatory requirements (e.g. FDA, ISO 13485, MDD, etc.)
  • Improves flow down of OEM requirements to sub-tier suppliers

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New Metallurgical Department in Czech Republic

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, ENERGY HEAT TREAT

Global testing group Exova has made a series of investments at its laboratory in Plzeň, Czech Republic to extend its range of capabilities for customers within the global aerospace market, and further grow its presence in Mainland Europe.

Central to the laboratory’s investment is a new metallurgical department with increased capacity. This includes modifications to the facility and the acquisition of new state of the art equipment such as optical microscopy and precision cutting machinery to meet the growing demand from the aerospace industry. In addition to the new equipment, the lab has invested in its computer-based operating systems to increase efficiency at each stage of testing, improving both operations and reporting.

As well as a broad scope of mechanical testing, the Plzeň laboratory provides metallurgical assessment, including macro assessment and mapping and a range of micro examinations, along with corrosion resistance testing. Its customers work predominantly in the aerospace sector, but the laboratory conducts testing on forgings and welding, so can work across the automotive, power generation and general engineering sectors as well.

Jiri Fidransky, general manager of the Plzeň laboratory, said: “These upgrades have streamlined our day-to-day operations and reflect the growth we are seeing in the aerospace sector. Exova’s continued strong growth in the sector is driven by our highly technical and efficient service provision, and through these investments our customers will benefit from improved turnaround times and increased capacity, as well as advances in testing capabilities.”

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StrikoWestofen Furnace Systems to be Installed in the USA for the First Time

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

For its new project in Michigan (USA), the Chinese automotive wheel manufacturer CITIC Dicastal has decided on StrikoMelter melting furnaces built by StrikoWestofen Asia (Taicang). The highly global orientation of the Gummersbach subsidiary had a crucial role to play in this decision: the interaction of modern technology from Germany, efficient production in China and reliable on-site service in the USA was a convincing proposition for the leading manufacturer worldwide of aluminium wheels. With this large-scale contract, StrikoWestofen was able to assert itself against the Japanese, Chinese and American competition. It means that StrikoWestofen systems manufactured in China will be taken into operation in the USA for the first time in 2016.

International call for tenders: in its search for modern thermal process technology, the Chinese wheel manufacturer CITIC Dicastal made high technical demands on the bidders. The leading manufacturer worldwide of aluminium wheels was in search of especially energy-efficient melting systems with low metal loss for a new project in Michigan (USA). Here StrikoWestofen Asia (Taicang) was able to assert itself against the Japanese, Chinese and American competition.

Melting and recycling efficiently

CITIC Dicastal Wheel Manufacturing supplies companies from the automotive sector such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Ford and Toyota, making it one of the leading suppliers of cast aluminium components worldwide. Since as early as 2013, the company has based production at its site in Ningbo (Zhèjiāng Province) on the reliable performance of six StrikoMelter melting furnaces built by StrikoWestofen Asia. In the current call for tenders, too, the high-quality systems and the comprehensive range of services offered by the Asian subsidiary of StrikoWestofen (Gummersbach) were a convincing proposition for the Chinese supplier: the three new StrikoMelter which CITIC Dicastal is ordering for the USA provide the option of chip recycling. “The main factors influencing the decision were the efficient use of energy, the minimal metal loss and the extremely low emission values,” explains Rainer Erdmann, Managing Director of StrikoWestofen Asia. The high system availability convinced the wheel manufacturer too. Also, the option of independently recycling aluminium chips additionally provides for maximum metal yield and a highly economical mode of operation.

Global all-round service

However, the international orientation of the StrikoWestofen Group also had a special role to play in the investment decision of CITIC Dicastal. The optimum cooperation between the various locations – StrikoWestofen (Germany), StrikoWestofen Asia (China) and StrikoDynarad (Michigan, USA) – combines the best from three continents: modern technology from Germany, efficient production in China and reliable installation and on-site service in the USA. Thanks to the company’s local presence in Michigan, Dicastal permanently benefits from the extended service and spare parts program in OEM quality offered by StrikoWestofen. Original spare parts and the company’s own technicians are available at short notice at all times. The new StrikoMelter are to be delivered in summer 2016. “Then StrikoWestofen furnace systems manufactured in China will be put to work in the USA for the first time,” Erdmann adds. This intercontinental cooperation of one manufacturer therefore has an especially pioneering role for the entire automotive supply industry.

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Bonnell Aluminum to Invest $18 Million, Expand Automotive and Specialty Markets

/ ALUMINUM PROCESSING NEWS, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

Bonnell Aluminum, a subsidiary of Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG), announced it will be investing approximately $18 million over the next 12 months to fund an expansion project which will include the purchase of a new state-of-the-art aluminum extrusion line at its AACOA facility in Niles, Michigan. Planned startup is the second quarter 2017.

“With continued growing demand from our customers, it is exciting to invest in this additional capacity, knowing that we will satisfy these opportunities with the high quality products and services that AACOA is known for in the industry,” commented Brook Hamilton, President and General Manager for Bonnell Aluminum. “Our facility in Niles is ideally suited for this project, with a well-run operation and a great team in place.” “AACOA has a solid market reputation and is highly regarded as a leader in the markets it serves, primarily consumer durables and machinery and equipment. The facility also serves the automotive market due to its regional location,” added Ira Endres, Vice President Sales and Marketing. “It makes sense to increase the capacity in Niles based on demand from our customers.”

The new line will be comprised of a state-of-the-art 3600-ton extrusion press, housing a 9-inch container, handling systems and ancillary equipment. Capacity is estimated at approximately 16 million pounds. The project also includes additional floor space to accommodate future value-added fabrication capacity.

This announcement marks another important investment made by the Company in recent years and confirms once again Bonnell’s full commitment to its business. “The addition of this new line will provide new and broader product line capabilities for our customers,” added Hamilton.

Bonnell Aluminum is a subsidiary of Richmond Va., based Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG). The company produces soft and medium-strength alloy aluminum extrusions for building and construction, automotive, machinery and equipment, consumer durables, transportation, electrical and distribution markets. On October 1, 2012, Bonnell Aluminum acquired AACOA, a world-class manufacturer, fabricator and anodizer of aluminum extrusions with operations in Niles, MI, and Elkhart, IN.

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Cost of Failure: Thermal Treatments Reduce Medical Device Liability

/ MEDICAL HEAT TREAT, TITANIUM PROCESSING
Medical device industry expert witness, John McCloy, founder of Engineered Assurance, discusses what medical device manufacturers need to do to help minimize liability. Thermal processes are among the items discussed.

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TMK-ARTROM Orders Austenitizing Tube Heat-Treatment Line

/ ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

SMS group received an order from Romania’s TMK-ARTROM for a heat-treatment line for tubes. The line will consist of an austenitizing furnace with walking-beam transport system, quenching head, quenching tank, walking-beam tempering furnace and cooling bed. It will allow various process steps, such as quenching, tempering and normalizing. The line, which will be able to treat tubes up to a wall thickness of 60 mm (2.4 inches), is scheduled to start up in the second quarter of 2017.

TMK-ARTROM’s plant in Slatina produces seamless tubes, OCTG pipes and high-strength tubes for mechanical applications. It has an annual capacity of 160,000 tons. This heat-treatment line, which also includes eco-friendly recuperative burners in the furnaces, will strengthen TMK-ARTROM’s presence in the market for tubes for oil and gas exploration

 

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

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREATING EQUIPMENT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, QUENCHING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

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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