Piper Aircraft Inc. installed a high-pressure Flexform press from Quintus Technologies in its manufacturing facility in Vero Beach, Fla. The addition of the press reflects the growing market for new trainer aircraft. The fluid cell press applies flexible forming technology to the production of sheet-metal parts across the entire Piper line of eight aircraft models. With a work area of 27.6 x 73 inches (700 mm x 1,800 mm), the press introduces production efficiencies by eliminating forming operations, intermediate heat treatments, and manual pre- and post-forming operations.

Tenova, a Techint Group company, received a contract from Nippon Steel for the supply of an electric-arc furnace (EAF). The furnace is the first one for Nippon Steel in Japan. It will be installed at its Hirohata works. Production is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2022. According to Tenova, the new installation will save the steelmaker approximately 400,000 tons/year of CO₂ emissions.

Andritz received an order from Hyundai Steel to supply a direct-fired furnace (DFF) for the existing continuous galvanizing line at its Dangjin plant. The scope of supply includes engineering, delivery, supervision of erection work and commissioning. The project will be executed during the fourth quarter of 2020. By replacing the existing direct-fired furnace with an Andritz Selas DFF, current issues such as formation of soot and cracks in the burner nozzle will be eliminated. This modernization will enable Hyundai Steel to produce value-added products for the automotive market.

North Star BlueScope Steel will add a melt shop to its steelmaking facility in Delta, Ohio. Danieli will supply a 195-ton electric-arc furnace (EAF), two ladle metallurgy furnaces (LMFs) and Pulse-Jet fume-treatment plant. The EAF will be equipped with Danieli’s Q-Melt heat suite for adaptive melting process control. It will also include pressurized water-cooled roof and panels and injection technology. The first heat at the melt shop is expected by the end of 2021.

BrazeLet 9007/9017 water-based pastes are flux-free, contain low polymer content and prevent oxidation of the filler metal.

Aluminum brazing is a growing industry around the world today, and I teach a lot about this topic in each of my brazing training seminars. This article discusses dealing with the oxide as well as brazing aluminum to stainless steel.

Wall Colmonoy will offer a spring session of its Modern Furnace Brazing School May 12-14 at its Aerobraze Brazing Engineering Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Engineers, technicians, quality managers, production managers and others will participate in hands-on practical applications while learning about brazing technology from experienced engineers.

SMS group will supply a replacement 320-ton KOBM converter and gear drive for ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s (AMD) steelmaking plant in Hamilton, Ontario. According to AMD, it is the largest basic oxygen converter in North America. SMS group will replace the existing equipment, which is approaching its end of life, with new equipment incorporating the latest technological developments. One featured technology is SMS group’s electro-hydraulic torque compensator, which is a system that actively reduces the resultant forces generated by highly dynamic bottom blown converters. This will reduce the dynamic loading on the entire system, with resulting increases in availability and life.

The Swedish Energy Agency has granted a project that will evaluate the potential of replacing gas-fired furnaces with electrically heated furnaces for material heating. The goal is to reduce CO₂ emissions through better energy efficiency and reduced loss of material. Jernkontoret is the Swedish steel producers’ association and will host the project, which has the potential to create a competitive advantage for Swedish steel companies on the global market. Members in the project are Kanthal, SSAB, Outokumpu, Uddeholms, Ovako and Linde.

Tokai Carbon GE LLC, a manufacturer of graphite electrodes for the U.S. steel industry, plans to create up to 15 full-time jobs with a $25 million investment in its facility in Hickman, Ky. The investment would cover the cost to install new equipment, which will allow the company to increase production to better serve customers throughout the U.S. Tokai Carbon GE LLC is a subsidiary of Tokai Carbon Co., which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Tokai Carbon purchased the U.S.-based graphite electrode business of SGL Carbon in November 2017 and operates production facilities in Hickman and Ozark, Ark. The Tokai Carbon Hickman site currently employs 50 people.