Ajax TOCCO Acquires Assets of IQ Technologies

Ajax TOCCO Magnethermic acquired assets of IQ Technologies Inc. Cleveland, Ohio-based IQ Technologies has been commercializing an intensive quenching (IQ) process for steel parts in the U.S. and overseas for the past 20 years. The IQ process is an effective and alternative way of quenching steel parts. Developed by Dr. Kobasko of Ukraine in 1964, it presents a very rapid and uniform cooling of steel products in water with cooling rates several times greater than that of conventional quenching in agitated oil or polymer. The IQ process is interrupted at an optimal time when the surface compressive stresses reach their maximum value and the part hardened layer reaches its optimal depth. A proprietary computer program is used for determining an optimal dwell time for steel parts of different shapes and dimensions.

Combining Ajax TOCCO’s induction technology with the IQ process not only creates ideal part processing results, it uses less energy, creates cleaner parts and could possibly lower overall parts and material costs. Ajax TOCCO set up an IQ facility at its Detroit Development & Support Center that includes a single-part processing IQ unit and an induction heating station. The IQ unit is capable of processing gear products and shafts up to 8 inches in diameter and 15 inches long. The induction heating fixture consists of a pneumatic horizontal indexing heat station used for power supply load matching and inductor positioning.  The load-matching station can be fed by numerous power supplies capable of operating frequencies and power levels up to 600 kW.

The Detroit Development & Support Center also houses a large area for the manufacture and repair of induction tooling and a metallurgical lab with the equipment and staff necessary to support IQ process development. The metallurgical lab contains macro- and micro-hardness testers, cut-off wheels, polishing equipment and a metallograph for analyzing microstructures.

Image courtesy of Solar Atmospheres

Solar Atmospheres Vacuum Heat Treats Long Nickel-Alloy Tubes

Solar Atmospheres of Western PA successfully vacuum heat treated what it says is the largest and longest load of nickel-alloy tubing ever in a commercial vacuum furnace. The goal was to preserve the elements of brightness and cleanliness of the 45-foot-long seamless tubing while meeting stringent mechanical properties.

“We spent countless hours reviewing critical systems, such as triplicate pumping systems and redundant hot-zone controls, for any unforeseeable event that might arise during the over 100-hour run,” said Michael Johnson, Solar Atmospheres’ sales director. “We are also fortunate that we can rely on our furnace manufacturing division, Solar Manufacturing, for guidance should any issue arise. This successful run will ignite a production campaign for the next five years.”

Premier Thermal Solutions Sold

Z Capital Partners, the private-equity fund management arm of Z Capital Group (ZCG), entered into a definitive agreement to sell Premier Thermal Solutions LLC (PTS), a provider of metal-processing services, to an affiliate of Aalberts N.V. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year. PTS provides commercial metal-processing services to a variety of industries, including aerospace, defense, automotive, heavy truck, energy, heavy equipment and other industrial end markets. Since opening its first plant in Lansing, Mich., in 1978, the company has expanded to 10 plants across the Midwest.

PTS has more than 800,000 tons of installed heat-treating capacity, including annealing, ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC), normalizing and quench-and-temper processing. The company also shot-blast cleaning, cutting and testing. In October 2018, ZCG sourced and completed the transformational acquisition of Al-Fe Heat Treating, which significantly expanded PTS’ service capabilities and diversified its metal-treatment offering.

Busch Vacuum Solutions Acquires Vacuum Furnace Engineering

Busch (UK) Ltd., part of the global Busch Vacuum Solutions group, acquired Vacuum Furnace Engineering (VFE). The acquisition enables both VFE and Busch (UK) to strengthen their leading vacuum solutions and services for U.K. metallurgy and composites manufacturers. Since 1985, VFE has provided vacuum services, specialist equipment, control and calibration solutions to heat-treatment facilities and advanced material manufacturers in the U.K. Busch (UK) has 50 years of experience in providing individual and tailor-made vacuum solutions and services to companies in a wide range of market segments, including metallurgy.

VFE will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Busch (UK) under the VFE brand. Operationally, the VFE subsidiary will remain focused on the markets that benefit from its expertise in vacuum metallurgy.

Busch (UK) was established in 1971 as the first overseas subsidiary within Busch Group. Headquartered in Telford, the company also has service centers in Telford and East Kilbride. With the acquisition of VFE, joint capabilities now include an extended field-service team, specialist workshops, a training center and a UKAS-accredited laboratory with locations in Halesowen and Poole. Busch Vacuum Solutions is one of the world’s largest producers of vacuum pumps, vacuum systems, blowers and compressors.

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Nitrex Hot Testing LPC and Vacuum System in Illinois

Nitrex’s Aurora, Ill., commercial heat-treatment facility is now in the hot-testing phase of its newly installed low-pressure carburizing (LPC) and vacuum system, which is expected to start production in September 2021. The company announced in April 2020 that it was expanding production at its Aurora plant, located just west of Chicago. The investment focused on adding a fourth building on the property to house a new LPC system and secondary heat-treating equipment. According to Nitrex, the installation allows it to perform a wider variety of tool-steel projects.

As Nitrex’s biggest North American carburizing, hardening and carbonitriding facility, the Aurora plant needed to expand its carburizing capacity. The expansion and new equipment aim at increasing production capacity and modernizing the facility’s heat treatments. The new furnace system uses transfer shuttles to maximize the use of the two quench options (oil quench and high-pressure 20-bar gas quench). Advantages of the LPC system include the fact that there is no intergranular oxidation and no surface decarburization. The system’s higher temperatures will lead to shorter cycle times, making the carburizing process faster, more exacting and cost-competitive.

Image courtesy of Nitrex

French Steel Producer Adds Heat-Treat Line

Aubert & Duval, a French producer of superalloys, high-performance steels, aluminum and titanium alloys in the form of bars, powders and forgings, created a new heat-treatment line. The line, which will completely replace the company’s current heat-treatment line 3, has been designed to achieve the following objectives: reduction of safety risks and improvement of working conditions; process and quality control; productivity and flexibility; and reduction of environmental footprint. Almost all the parts produced at Aubert & Duval’s Pamiers’ facility undergo heat treatment. Mastering these processes is central to the company’s industrial mission, which involves working on the most demanding projects in the aerospace, energy and defense industries.

Burloak Technologies Opens Metal AM Facility in California

Burloak Technologies Inc., a division of Samuel, Son & Co. Ltd., established an additive-manufacturing center in Camarillo, Calif. With the addition of this facility, the company becomes North America’s first multi-site AM services provider. The new 25,000-square-foot facility bolsters the manufacturing capacity available at Burloak’s 65,000-square-foot Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Oakville, Ontario. Between the two facilities, the company offers laser powder-bed fusion, electron-beam powder bed, metal binder jet, and powder and wire DED technologies. In addition, Burloak offers post-production services including design, engineering, CNC machining, heat treatment and finishing.

Formerly operating as CalRAM, the facility, assets and equipment have been acquired from Carpenter Technology Corp. In addition to this transaction, Burloak and Carpenter Technology have formed an agreement to collaborate on future product design and development opportunities, and Carpenter Technology will become the preferred powdered-metals supplier for certain projects led by Burloak.

U.K. Heat Treater Adds Plasma Nitriding Capacity

U.K.-based Wallwork Group invested approximately $900,000 to purchase two Rübig plasma nitriding furnaces for the heat treatment of new and replacement components in the aerospace and automotive industries. The first furnace is scheduled to be installed in Wallwork’s Cambridge plasma nitriding center in August. The company is also adding a dedicated area for inspection of case depth, structure and other quality aspects of the nitriding process at the facility, which will have six operational plasma nitriders.

The Micropuls Everest offers several advantages, including three heating and cooling zones with the temperature measured directly at the component. A blast chiller shortens process times, while optimized filling and increased energy efficiency reduce running costs. In the Rübig nitrider, molecular nitrogen is cracked in plasma to obtain active nitrogen, which then penetrates the component’s surface. The process meets differing needs because the depth and properties of the case-hardened layer can be finely controlled.

Nucor to Acquire Steel Racking Manufacturer

Nucor Corp. entered into an agreement to purchase Hannibal Industries Inc. for $370 million. The company provides racking solutions to warehouses and serves the e-commerce, industrial, food-storage and retail segments. Hannibal Industries has manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles and Houston, as well as three distribution centers. It utilizes sheet and bar steel, as well as steel decking, wire deck and fasteners to produce its racking solutions. In addition to manufacturing racking solutions, Hannibal Industries offers turnkey services such as installation, procurement and facility integration.

According to Nucor, the acquisition broadens its offering to the fast-growing warehouse channel and complements its current product capabilities, including beams, joists and deck, metal buildings and insulated metal panels.

INDUSTRIALHEATING.COM | 90th ANNIVERSARY | SEPTEMBER 2021