Every manufacturing (or heat treat) plant has raw materials that come into the receiving dock and finished products that are sent out from the shipping dock. Between the receiving and shipping docks, transformation occurs. Transformation adds value to the materials in a step-by-step process, and energy is required. Evaluating the process transformation steps and energy inputs provides clues about where to look for energy savings.

It is widely known that graphite is used in the automobile and steel industries. Besides the classical markets, there are new and ever-growing markets, such as lithium-ion batteries, being driven by the megatrends of digitalization and the Internet of Things. Of global graphite production, 70% is being accumulated by China.

Air pollution is a hot topic globally and shows no signs of abating. According to EURACTIV, some 40 million people in the 115 largest cities of the EU are exposed to pollution exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline values (for at least one pollutant).

An estimated $64 billion worth of hydrogen is used worldwide in the production of metals, electronics, thin-film solar panels, edible oil processing and a variety of other applications.

Modern designing of mechanical components and tools should take under consideration their intrinsic stresses and surface condition.

Atmosphere thermal processing improves the properties of fabricated metals. Operations include annealing, brazing, sintering (for powdered metals, metal injection molding and additive manufacturing) and glass or ceramic-to-metal sealing.

In the past, the applications of metal additive manufacturing, otherwise known as 3D printing, have primarily been confined to prototyping.

Aluminum manufactured products of various sizes have been steadily replacing steel in industrial designs such as automobiles, airplanes, appliances and many more applications due to the light weight and flexibility of aluminum.

As our economy continues to strengthen and steel production increases in the U.S., several of the mills that have been idled for years are beginning to come back on line.

The amount of aluminum extruded has increased considerably in recent years due to the metal’s wide availability and relatively low cost.