Quintus Technologies received an order from China’s Tiangong International Company Ltd., the country’s largest producer of tool-and-die steel, for a hot isostatic press (HIP). The order marks the success of the company’s powder-metallurgy manufacturing program launched three years ago. Tiangong is expanding capacity and boosting productivity with the HIP, which is scheduled to be installed and put into service in August 2022 at its manufacturing facility in Danyang City, Jiangsu province. The press has a high-capacity work zone of 1,190 mm (46.8 inches) in diameter and 2,600 mm (102.4 inches) in height. It operates at a maximum temperature of 2552°F (1400°C) and a maximum pressure of 2,070 bar (30,000 psi).

Solar Atmospheres of Western PA and Neota Product Solutions, a custom metal injection molding (MIM) manufacturer located in Loveland, Colo., developed an exclusive sintering partnership. Neota provides comprehensive MIM solutions from early-stage prototyping to full-scale manufacturing. Solar and Neota developed a sintering thermal profile that not only densifies their complex geometric shapes but also controls shrinkage. This results in a solid and strong metallic part, with near 100% density, while maintaining the tight tolerances that are required in their precision components.

Thermal-processing companies around the world are feeling pressure to lower the environmental impact of their operations and make them more sustainable. These pressures are coming from both governmental regulations and societal expectations, resulting in increasingly stringent requirements that are expanding globally. Many companies are accelerating their own “green” initiatives and programs to leap ahead of these regulations and lead this transformation for their industry. Join this free webinar, sponsored by Honeywell, on June 3 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) to learn more about the solutions that are available today to help achieve your sustainability goals.

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems manufactured and shipped a high-temperature pusher furnace to a supplier of specialty tungsten alloy products in the eastern United States. The furnace, which has operating temperature capabilities up to 2750°F (1510°C), is designed for high-temperature sintering. It is electrically heated using molybdenum elements and utilizes the latest in refractory materials for efficient operation. The pusher system processes trays 8 inches wide x 12 inches long under 100% hydrogen atmosphere and includes an automated return conveyor for effective loading and unloading. 

SSI Sintered Specialties invested in a high-temperature refractory metal-lined vacuum furnace from Elnik Systems to expand its services into powder-metallurgy processes. The furnace, which is scheduled for installation in September 2021, will join a growing fleet of new equipment at SSI’s technology center in Janesville, Wis. Along with providing customers advanced powder-metallurgy processing, this investment positions SSI to immediately target the addition of metal 3D printing to its portfolio and the expansion of its current metal injection molding (MIM) operations. The furnace will also allow SSI to develop sintering profiles for both technologies.

GKN Powder Metallurgy launched a dedicated green hydrogen unit, GKN Hydrogen, on May 11 with a virtual market launch event. GKN Hydrogen is pioneering emission-free, safe and compact all-in-one renewable-energy storage solutions to drive global energy transition. The company’s secure systems generate green hydrogen from fluctuating renewable energy sources, storing it compactly and safely in metal hydride over long periods of time. When needed, the green hydrogen can be used directly or converted back into electricity and heat for a range of applications. The scalable system design allows for maximum versatility, from emergency power backup and off-grid energy supply to maritime transport and large-scale industry.

Hard lessons learned from the 2020 pandemic taught us that we needed to rebuild and re-establish our U.S. supply-chain ecosystem. The systemic shock to our global supply chains left us with bottlenecks, shortages and an acute awareness of our overdependence on imports.

A new line of powder products can be bundled with advanced engineering services to assist customers in achieving optimal results for specialty metal additive-manufacturing (AM) applications.

Swedish heating technology company Kanthal and metals research institute Swerim will invest in ultra-modern atomizing equipment. The investment is worth approximately $2.39 million. The new equipment is designed for research and development of both materials and the atomizing process in the area of powder metallurgy (PM). It allows for atomizing of powder batches up to about 187 pounds (85 kg), both for additive manufacturing (AM) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) applications. The unit has high material and process flexibility, which means great possibilities in development of materials and processes aiming toward both AM and PM.

Here is a complete list of all the feature articles – by topic – that appeared in Industrial Heating in 2020. The month each article appeared in is included. All articles are hyperlinked for your convenience.