On October 6, 2010, Nitrex and United Process Controls hosted a 'shave off' at Furnaces North America in Orlando, Florida in aid of the St. Baldrick's Foundation. The goal was to help spread awareness and make a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer. Together with our customers, sales representatives, friends and employees we raised over $6000. Although our fundrazor campaign has concluded, you can still make a donation till December 31 at www.stbaldricks.org/events/HEATTREATING. Together we can help ensure that MORE children and young people diagnosed with cancer are cured of their disease.

DID YOU KNOW? Every 3½ minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer, and every 4 hours a child loses their battle to cancer. The good news is that with current treatments approximately 75% of children diagnosed with cancer are expected to become long-term survivors.
When we at United Process Controls (UPC) and Nitrex Metal heard of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and its commitment to childhood cancer research, we wanted to share this incredible cause with the heat treat community, solicit your participation and make a difference in the lives of children with cancer.

HOW? Six people from UPC and Nitrex have volunteered to go “topless” this October at Furnaces North America in Orlando, Florida to raise awareness and money for children fighting cancer. They will shave their heads in exchange for donations towards research. Their goal is to raise at least $50,000 in support of the St. Baldrick’s foundation, and when certain dollar targets are reached one-by-one the following persons will proudly face the clipper:

$5,000 Pat Torok (UPC)
$10,000 Jack Kalucki (Nitrex)
$15,000 Nikola Dzepina (Nitrex)
$20,000 Eric Boltz (UPC)
$30,000 Paul Oleszkiewicz (UPC)
$50,000 Yvonne Boltz (UPC)


Please go to www.stbaldricks.org/events/HEATTREATING and pledge a donation or become a shavee yourself and raise money. Then join us at Furnaces North America in stands 515-519 for the clip off on October 5-6, 2010. Together we can help ensure that MORE children and young people diagnosed with cancer are cured of their disease.

Need to comply with AMS 2759/10A? Need to convert % dissociation (PD) to Nitriding Potential (Kn) and vice versa? A handy new calculator courtesy of Nitrex Metal is available free online at http://www.nitrex.com/english/DOWNLOADS/Downloads.asp. From this link, visitors can also download a printable pdf of our Hardness Conversion Chart.

Universal Alloy Europe Corp, a Division of Montana Tech Components AG, chose Nitrex Metal Inc. (www.nitrex.com) to supply a compact nitriding system for its greenfield extrusion facility in Dumbravita, Romania, which produces 7000 series hard-alloy aluminum extrusions for the aerospace market. The Nitrex nitriding system is designed for a small footprint surface that allows easy implementation in the customer’s facility. Despite its scale, the NX-412 has a deep chamber making it easy to load a large volume of dies weighing up to 880 lbs (400 kg). Additionally, the integrated automation and Nitreg® control technology programmed for die applications will ensure process reliability and improved manufacturing productivity.

Tamçelýk Heat Treatment Co., a commercial heat treater based in Istanbul, Turkey that specializes in traditional heat treating for the tooling industry, received shipment of a NX-815 nitriding system supplied by Nitrex Metal (www.nitrex.com). The turnkey system utilizes Nitreg®-C potential-controlled nitrocarburizing and ONC® post-nitriding in-process oxidation for meeting AMS 2759/12A specifications. The furnace has a usable work zone of Ø 31.5” by 59” H (800 mm x 1500 mm) and a gross loading capacity of 3300 lbs (1500 kg). This investment will open up greater market opportunities in Turkey for Tamçelýk by meeting consumer demand for controlled and environment-friendly process technologies. Installation and start up were completed in March 2009.

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Nitrex Metal Delivers System to New Greek Extruder - Dec.2008

Nitrex Metal has delivered and installed a turnkey gas nitriding system at a newly formed privately-held aluminum extrusion company based in Larissa, Greece, Cosmos S.A. The purchase was made to support production capacity for the growing demand of architectural profiles in the region. The Nitrex nitriding system will improve die reliability and help keep the extrusion process running at peak efficiency. Production with the new system started December 2008.

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Nitrex Receives Multiple Orders from Automotive OEM Suppliers - July.2008

Nitrex Metal Inc. supplied several turnkey nitriding systems earlier this year to four large automotive parts manufacturers. Pit and horizontal furnace installations were completed for Cimos Group’s manufacturing facility in Kikinda, Serbia for nitriding Honeywell turbocharger inserts. Nitrex similarly completed the start-up of a horizontal furnace at Groupe Streit in France, also a manufacturer of turbocharger inserts.
Teikoku Piston Ring Co. Ltd. and Scherdel Group have also taken delivery of Nitrex nitriding systems incorporating Nitreg®-S technology for nitriding stainless steels. Teikoku Piston Ring Co. Ltd. of Japan placed the order for a NX-1015 system through Nitrex’s local representative, Correns Corp. The furnace is now in full operation at the Okaya plant and is used for nitriding piston rings.
Scherdel Group ordered an identical system as a replacement to salt bath nitriding of flatform springs. According to the company, Nitreg®-S outperformed salt bath by reducing scrap rates and improving process stability and quality consistency.

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Nitrex Receives Reorders from Mahle Group - July.2008

MAHLE Group, a leader in the design and production of piston systems, has purchased two complete NX-1015 gas nitriding systems for its new plants in China and Mexico. These Nitrex systems will process piston rings using the Nitreg®-S controlled nitriding technology for stainless steels and enable Mahle to meet its requirements for high manufacturing and quality standards. This represents Mahle’s eighth and ninth systems for use in piston ring manufacturing. The decision to reorder was based on the success achieved with the equipment and technology previously supplied to the group’s operations in Brazil and Portugal. The orders are scheduled for installation during the 3rd quarter of the year at the facilities in Ying Kou, China and Aguascalientes, Mexico.

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NITREX METAL TO SUPPLY NITRIDING SYSTEM IN CHINA

An American automotive parts manufacturer has recommissioned Nitrex Metal (Montreal, Canada) to supply a fully automated gas nitriding system for their newly-constructed production facility in China. The company first ordered a Nitrex system for installation in their USA-based plant in 2006, and the follow-on order will help the company to meet increasing global demand for its automotive pump components. The furnace has a usable work zone of Ø 31.5” by 59” H (800 mm x 1500 mm) and a gross loading capacity of 3300 lbs (1500 kg). The system is supplied with a fully automated control system, Nitreg® nitriding control technology, and a pre-programmed recipe with optimized process parameters for greater consistency and repeatability. The system is scheduled for delivery in June 2007.

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Combustol Brazil Expands Nitriding Capacity

Combustol’s Sao Paulo, Brazil service center has expanded its commercial heat treatment capacity with the addition of a BTQ-669 horizontal batch nitriding furnace. The Nitrex engineered system, which has been on-stream since the start of the year, is equipped with the Nitreg®-C technology for nitrocarburizing pneumatic components for a major automotive supplier. The new furnace was installed alongside two existing Nitrex nitriding pit-type furnaces and will increase Combustol’s nitriding/nitrocarburizing capacity to approximately 7500 kg (16,500 lbs) per day.

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Nitrex Supplies Nitriding System for Extrusion Dies

Nitrex Metal Inc. has installed a turnkey nitriding system at Erbslöh Aluminium GmbH. The system is fully automated and preprogrammed with Nitreg® technology to accurately nitride aluminum extrusion dies. The equipment includes a 31.5” Ø by 43” H (800 mm by 1100 mm) furnace with vacuum purge, a water cooling system, an ammonia station, and an IN-65 effluent neutralizer. Erbslöh decision to move to in-house nitriding, previously outsourced, was fueled by the need for better quality and consistent results of treated dies. The new installation came on stream at the Velbert, Germany plant the third quarter of 2006.

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Nitrex Supplies Nitriding System for Pump Components

Nitrex Metal Inc. installed a Nitreg® nitriding system at a large US manufacturer of automotive pump components. The furnace has a usable work zone of Ø 39.5” by 79” H (1000 mm x 2000 mm) and a gross loading capacity of 7500 lbs (3400 kg). The turnkey system is supplied with Nitreg®, a potential-controlled nitriding technology automated for process repeatability and tailored specifically to the application. Improved product quality and reduced processing time are key advantages of the new installation.

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Nitrex Receives Order for Small-Scale Nitriding System

Nitrex Metal Inc. sold its first small-scale nitriding furnace to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., an Indian manufacturer of aircraft, helicopters, aeroengines, accessories and avionics. The NX-406 is one of three models available in the series and has a work zone diameter and height of 400 mm by 600 mm (15 ¾” by 23 ½“), with a 200-kg (440-lb) capacity. The furnace is integrated with the control system and shares similar design features as our large-scale furnaces, such as light ceramic fiber insulation for efficient heating, a double-wall Inconel retort, a recirculation turbine for uniform temperature distribution, and an automatic lift cover mechanism. The equipment will be used for nitriding fuel injection components. Installation is scheduled for fall 2006.

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Nitrex Completes Two New Nitriding Installations for DANA Group

Nitrex Metal Inc. completed the start-up of a 6000-kg capacity nitriding system for processing ring gears at Dana in Arco, Italy, a facility that manufactures transmission boxes for off-road equipment. This project reflects an interesting technological shift from induction hardening to a lower-cost, high performance Nitreg® controlled nitriding process. Production with the new Nitrex system started in May 2006. The piston ring facility of Dana Automotive Systems Group in Brazil has also increased the nitriding capacity at its Gravataí location earlier this year. The additional 1.5-ton nitriding furnace is engineered to use Nitreg®-S, a special controlled nitriding technology designed for stainless steel applications. Nitreg®-S ensures the uniformity of nitrided case with no distortion following the treatment. The turnkey system also included the integration of an IN-65 effluent neutralizer to meet environmental emissions requirements. In addition to the new installation, Nitrex concurrently upgraded the operating software of the original nitriding system with NPC and NPM; the first is the newest version of the Nitrex Process and Furnace Control Program, the latter is a software utility that links the control system to a central interface at a remote location.

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Kęty S.A. Brings Nitriding Operations in-house

Nitrex Metal Inc. successfully completed the installation and commissioning of a Nitreg® nitriding system for Grupa Kety S.A., a Polish manufacturer of aluminium extrusion products in soft and hard alloys. The NX-1015E model has a work zone diameter and height of 39" by 59" (1000mm by 1500mm) and can handle a load capacity of 5,500-lb (2,500-kg). The integral process technology Nitreg® provides an increase of the die bearing hardness and wear resistance, resulting in improved die performance. The company’s nitriding was previously outsourced. By acquiring its own nitriding equipment, Kęty S.A. will now be equipped to manage die-handling operations under one roof with the added benefit of increased production capacity and flexibility. The project was completed in the first quarter of 2006.

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ASSAB STEEL TAIWAN expands Value-added Services to Include Nitrex Nitriding

Assab Steels (Taiwan) Co. Ltd, a full service supplier of tool steels offering fabrication as well as machining and heat treating options, has added nitriding to its range of commercial services. The company houses a Nitrex system that runs on Nitreg® and ONC® technologies: the first is a reliable nitriding process for improving the mechanical performance of treated parts, while the second is an in-process post-nitriding oxidation process that has the dual effect of enhancing wear and corrosion resistance. The furnace has a work zone diameter and height of 800 mm by 1500 mm (31.5” by 59”) and can handle a load capacity of 1,500-kg (3,300-lb). Production with the new equipment started in the final quarter of 2005 and is being used for processing extrusion, forging and die-casting dies as well as feed screws.