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June 26, 2007 - Volume 3 Issue 6 |
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Industry Trends & Events . . .
Metals Shortage Could Crimp Technology Development
Scarce metals used in everything from electronics to pollution-reducing automotive catalytic converters are being consumed at such rates that supplies could be exhausted in a decade. According to an article in Automotive Design Line magazine, even "common" elements, such as zinc and copper, are subject to shortages in large part due to burgeoning growth in the economies of India and China. At the very least, metals scarcity will drive up the cost of technology development, particularly advanced microelectronics, flat screen TVs and computer monitors, and alternate energy sources, including solar electric panels. No synthetic replacements are available for these chemical elements.
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CMF Industries, Inc.
Custom Manufacturing
CMF specializes in custom parts to customer drawings. We work with commercial, industrial, and OEM's that are at the high-end of their market and leaders in design.We have the capabilities for all types of metals, plastics, finishes, and processes. CMF takes the headaches out of overseas sourcing.
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Bellman-Melcor Inc.
Silver Brazing Alloys
Bellman-Melcor offers the widest variety of silver brazing alloy:
- Cadmium Free — For most applications.
- Cadmium Containing — For unique application including many government jobs.
- Laminated Plymetal — For carbide applications.
- Vacuum Grade — For high purity requirements (aerospace).
- Custom Preforms — Every conceivable shape and size.
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GSP — A Division of ThyssenKrupp Steel North America, Inc.
Extruded Carbon and Stainless Steel Shapes and Profile
GSP engineered special carbon and stainless steel extruded profiles are cost-effective. Engineered shapes are complete solutions to your design needs.
Engineered
Steel shapes and profiles provide predictable quality, safety, and
production economy for all types of industrial and architectural
applications, including material handling, aerospace, automotive, machine construction, and railroad.
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ASM International
Worldwide Guide to Equivalent Irons and Steels 5th Edition
This must-have volume covers standard designations from worldwide standards for cast irons and steels, wrought carbon and alloy steels, high strength steels, and tool steels. Over 5,000 entries have been updated, and more than 3,000 are brand new additions. Buy this book as a great addition to your technical library.
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Clean Steel Can Compete
The latest Key to Steel article on clean steel notes that controlling and reducing the number of non-metallic inclusions in steel keep the metal competitive with other structural materials. 'Clean' is a relative term, because even steel with only 1 ppm each of oxygen and sulfide still contains 109-1012 non-metallic inclusions per ton.
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China Spurs Stainless Rebound
The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) notes steel production growth last year was seen globally. A 17% improvement in production (at 28.4-million tons) was boosted by a huge 68% jump in China's production of stainless steel. Last year China passed Japan as leading Asian producer (5.3 million tons, versus 4.1 million tons).
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Metal Ductility Criteria for Auto Safety
An Innovations Report article says that metal ductility characteristics have to be specifically assessed regarding formability in automotive and other safety-critical uses. Guidelines today are mainly qualitative. Quantitative criteria, for instance, could permit compensation of local strain peaks in adjacent material, relieving stress concentrations. Better design guidelines may also require fewer costly physical product tests.
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Antimony-Free Prototype Means Cleaner
Castings
An antimony-free Protocast resin creates alloy casting honeycomb patterns with less regard for degraded metal surface properties. When this resin casting shell is 'burned out' after the part is cast, it reduces the ash or oxide residue consisting mostly of antimony in previous resins — decreasing blemishes and rework by 80%.
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Profiles, Inc.
Precision Cold Rolled and Drawn Shapes
We are the world leader for Sprag. Profiles will cold draw and cold roll a variety of metals into precision, geometric shapes with remarkably tight tolerances. We produce cost-effective precision parts that can be further processed with heat treating, annealing, and a variety of finishing operations with virtually no waste and a zero rejection rate.
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Futura Industries
Custom Aluminum Extrusions
Futura Industries has been extruding custom aluminum profiles for 60 years, helping customers optimize designs and minimize costs. Our lead-times are short and very consistent. Futura manufactures a complete line of modular aluminum framing system products called TSLOTS. Learn more about Futura Industries and TSLOTS here.
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Micro-MIM Makes Bio-Replacement Parts
Micro metal powder injection molding (micro-MIM) can be used to produce metal parts for bio-replacements, such as titanium inner-ear bones, that would be complex and time-consuming with previous etching or milling methods. Many metals can be used, precluding only stainless steels. Injection molding with very fine metal powder enables replicating tiny structures.
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Nano-Molybdenum Particles Promote Uses
Nano-particle uses of metal powder molybdenum include: lubricants, ceramics, nuclear reactor fuel (low enriched uranium), propylene production, high temperature grease, optical fibers, plasma televisions, pigment coatings, and fuel cells. Hollow sphere Nano-molybdenum particles increase the effectiveness in bonding of de-sulfurization catalysts for industrial processes because of their high surface area.
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Metal Seals Take the Heat (and Loads)
Metal alloy seals have resiliency, allowing them to spring back. They are not subject to out-gassing, age deterioration, or incompatibility with environmental conditions as are many organic materials. They can be used with liquids and gases, at temperatures up to 1,100°C, and at pressures from vacuum to 3,450 bar.
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Silicon Metal Boosts Solar Cells and Aluminum
Silicon metal is smelted from quartz. Polysilicon is obtained from metallurgical grade silicon and used for semiconductors, silicon wafers, and solar cells. The addition of silicon metal improves aluminum casting and minimizes shrinkage and cracking. In finished aluminum, silicon metal increases corrosion resistance, hardness, tensile strength, and improves wear.
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Fosbel, Inc.
Fosbel Refractory Services
In addition to Coke Batteries, Fosbel's applications in the Steel industry include Furnaces in Anneal, Hot Strip Reheat and Galvanize Lines and Energy Boilers. Fosbel's service offering to the Steel industry includes a wide range of refractory services, including Refractory Installation, Hot Refractory Repairs, Inspection Services, and Critical Path Outage Planning.
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All Metals & Forge, LLC, Forging Division
Specialty Steel Warehouse Products
All Metals & Forge is an ISO-9002/AS9100 supplier of Specialty Steels, Stainless Steels, Cobalt, Titanium, Aluminum, Magnesium, Tungsten, Molybdenum, Tool Steels, Alloy and Carbon Steels in mill forms, Forgings, and Rolled Seamless Rings. Additionally, Inconel wrought-alloys, aluminum alloy plate and aluminum mold plate, nickel, and corrosion-resistant materials. More info...
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Interplex Etch Logic, LLC
Continuous Reel-to-Reel Chemical Etching
Interplex Etch Logic possesses a unique technology that can etch metal components on continuous reels in practically any material, on pitch. Benefits of this process are, the ability to hold very close tolerances, extremely high levels of repeatability, true position, and "half-etching" of various geometries that provide useful 3D features.
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Ashtabula Rubber Company
Custom Rubber to Metal Bonding
Ashtabula Rubber Company has bonded a wide variety of elastomers, including fluorocarbons and silicone, to steel, stainless steel, Monel, brass, plastic, lead, and aluminum. Should you have an upcoming project that may require sealing, flow control, and/or damping, contact them.
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Dice
A Better Job Search by Design
DiceEngineering.com offers thousands of quality engineering jobs at top technology and engineering companies. Find jobs in your area of expertise. Search now.
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Matriculate in Medical Metals
 ASM International offers a seminar series around the U.S. on various aspects of material and metals design for the medical market. Topics include: Basic Metallurgy for the Medical Device Engineer; Failure Analysis; Fracture, Fatigue & Corrosion for Device Validation; and Metallographic Interpretation. The next session is in Minneapolis, July 9-13, 2007.
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Sony Sued Over Blu-ray Disc Coating
Target Technology (Irvine, CA) is suing three Sony units over the metal coating used on the media company's Blu-ray high-definition video discs. Target claims its founder, Han Nee, developed the silver-alloy based, semi-reflective coating that fights corrosion on the discs and is in use on most DVDs produced today. Stay tuned.
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