High-strength, non-flammable nanostructured magnesium alloy

The U.S. Army and Missile Defense Agency will continue developing high-strength, non-flammable, nanostructured magnesium alloys for lightweighting applications with Terves LLC. Terves received Department of Defense (DOD) Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) support to enhance its cast and wrought magnesium alloys derived from oil and gas applications. With further development, these alloys potentially save at least 30% in structural weight by replacing cast and wrought 2000, 6000, and 7000 series aluminum alloys.

While replacing steel with aluminum can achieve about 40% weight savings, using magnesium instead of aluminum can further reduce weight by about 30%. According to consulting firm McKinsey’s report “Lightweight, Heavy Impact.” Lightweight materials in the automotive, aviation, and wind industries will increase in volume during the next two decades, creating a market impact of more than $400 billion.

The alloy series was developed based on long period stacking order (LPSO) nanostructured phases modified by using reduced rare earth content and further microalloying additions to control flammability, corrosion, and to strengthen the primary alpha phase, thereby producing a cast or wrought product with uniform high strength and ductility. www.army.mil; www.mda.mil; www.tervesinc.com

High pressure warm forming for process titanium parts

Quintus Technologies’ high pressure warm forming (HPWF) process combines high pressure with a moderately elevated temperature for more rapid, cost-effective, and precise forming of titanium parts.

The process paves the way for more widespread adoption of Ti-6Al-4V titanium that offers high strength, low weight, formability, and corrosion resistance.

“New passenger and freighter aircraft will consume less fuel and have a lighter environmental footprint,” says Sture Olsson, global business development manager, sheet metal forming, at Quintus Technologies, a member of Kobe Steel Group. “The lightweight properties of Ti-6Al-4V are integral to a fuel-efficient design strategy.”

The HPWF cycle, from heating and loading to forming and unloading, takes less than five minutes because forming at relatively low temperatures enables quick cooling. The process boosts production capacity for Ti-6Al-4V parts by 5x compared to traditional hot forming processes.

HPWF removes costly fabrication barriers that previously limited Ti-6Al-4V to specialty applications. Hot forming processes, which take place at temperatures hotter than 1,300°F, require an oxygen-free process atmosphere and entail several lengthy steps.

HPWF uses induction heating to warm the blank-and-tool package to approximately 520°F, well below the temperatures where a protective gas is required, just before entering the Quintus Flexform press. The press applies uniform high pressure (20,000psi/140MPa) to a flexible rubber diaphragm in conjunction with a single rigid tool half to form complex sheet metal parts to final shape. www.quintustechnologies.com

Prima Power Laserdyne appoints president

Prima Power Laserdyne LLC named Giovanni Zunino president for the Laserdyne product line. Prima Power Division CEO Ezio Basso announced Zunino’s appointment, succeeding Terry VanderWert, who retired from the company.

“Mr. Zunino will continue Prima Power Laserdyne’s track record of strong global growth. He brings an extensive and successful career track record to the company that will ensure our technology position continues to grow in both domestic and international markets,” Basso says.

Zunino previously held leadership positions with Comau and CNH Industrial. He also held posts in platform management, program management, sales and marketing, proposal management, purchasing, and general management in the U.S., Italy, and France. www.primapower.com

In memoriam: John “Jack” Ross Schirra

John "Jack" Ross Schirra, a longtime sales associate for GIE Media’s Aerospace Manufacturing and Design, Today’s Medical Developments, and Today’s Motor Vehicles, died earlier this year, following a prolonged illness. He was 81.

After graduating from high school in Baldwin, Pennsylvania, in 1955, Schirra applied his drafting and engineering skills to the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, producer of the first nuclear-powered submarine. In 1962, then 25-year-old Schirra began selling advertising for the Pittsburgh Yellow Pages, starting a 55-year career in publishing. Working mostly for industrial publications, he was executive vice president and group publisher of PennWell Publishing Co.’s oil and gas magazines.

Following his retirement from Penn-Well, he started his own publication in 2003. He later joined GIE Media as a regional director, working for longtime friend and then-group publisher Joe DiFranco, representing GIE industrial magazines throughout the West. GIE Manufacturing Group Publisher Mike DiFranco, Joe’s son, said of Schirra, “He will be greatly missed as he was not only a valuable member of our team but also a longtime friend of my dad’s and someone I looked up to for years."

Jack is survived by his wife of 60 years, Ellie Schirra, two children, and six grandchildren.

Large car bottom air furnace acquired by Solar Atmospheres of Western PA

Solar Atmospheres of Western PA invested in a 20ft car bottom air furnace, which will be surveyed in accordance with AMS2750 and is uniform within ±10°F (Class 2). The furnace has a 60" x 60" x 240" working zone and will handle a workload up to 30,000 lb. With a maximum operating temperature of 1,400°F, this furnace will accommodate tempering of large tool steel components and age hardening of 15-5 PH, 17-4 PH, and nickel-based alloys. It will offer the raw material customer an option, while being more price competitive than a vacuum environment.www.solaratm.com