Page 16 - MetalForming June 2013

Materials & Coatings
Sandvik to Open Next-Gen Materials Lab in China
Sandvik Materials Technology, Sandviken, Sweden, announced plans to open a new research and development center in China, adjacent to its manufacturing facilities in Zhenjiang. The 1440-sq.-m facility, scheduled to open early in 2014, will accom- modate laboratories equipped with analytical equipment including scanning electron microscopes and advanced mechanical-testing equipment, as well as a learning cen- ter, offices and an exhibition area.
Datasheet Matches Powder Coatings to Architectural Performance Specs
PPG Industries’ industrial coatings business, Pittsburgh, PA, has published a new datasheet that categorizes PPG architectural powder coatings according to Amer- ican Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) performance standards. The datasheet details formulations and suggested applications for four PPG pow- der coatings—Envirocron Durable, Envirocron Ultradurable, Coraflon and Duranar coatings—and classifies them according to AAMA 2603, 2604 or 2605 perform- ance specifications.
Envirocron Durable powder coatings are formulated to meet the specifications of AAMA 2603, the least rigorous of the standards and typically associated with coat- ings for low-rise and residential buildings. Envirocron Ultradurable powder coatings are designed to meet AAMA 2604 specifications and are favored for high-traffic envi- ronments in buildings such as schools, hospitals and retail stores. High-end Dura- nar and Coraflon powder coatings most often are specified for curtain walls, store- fronts and other highly visible monumental applications because they meet the most demanding criteria for durability and long-term colorfastness.
The datasheet also features a table that enables architects, specifiers and build- ing-product manufacturers to compare PPG architectural powder coatings by warranty, performance testing standards, gloss levels and other criteria.
PPG Industries: www.ppg.com
Software Allows Designers to Compare Material Specs for Automotive Applications
WorldAutoSteel and the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, have unveiled a new software tool that enables vehicle designers to quickly and accurately evaluate material-selection trade- offs. The Design Advisor software, developed by Dr. Don Malen of the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering, will help engineers understand how material deci- sions affect vehicle mass, cost, fuel economy and environmental impact.
“Since these criteria are not easily combined as a single objective number, the engineer must be presented with potential effects on mass, cost and emissions so that appropriate tradeoffs can be evaluated and selected,” says Malen. “Design Advi- sor provides the ability to evaluate various materials at a vehicle-system level.”
Since material decisions often are made early in the vehicle-design cycle, the software is configured to operate with only the information available in the vehicle- planning stage. The mathematical mod- els used in Design Advisor draw from the research and findings of several projects supported by SMDI, the Auto/Steel Part- nership, WorldAutoSteel and United States Automotive Materials Partner- ship LLC.
Along with a complete version of Design Advisor, engineers may down- load a user guide and case-study exam- ples demonstrating the software’s func- tionality and use. One case study we spied on the WorldAutoSteel website compares seat frames of stamped steel and die-cast magnesium. View that case study, and download the Design Advisor software, at www.worldautosteel.org/pro- jects/design-advisor.
EDM Blanks Pre- Machined, Pre-Hardened
Diehl Steel, Cincinnati, OH, has intro- duced Ready-Block EDM blanks for EDM applications. The ready-to-use blanks are pre-hardened, squared and ground
inhouse, eliminating the need for cus- tomers to machine and heattreat them prior to use.
The blanks come in several tool-steel grades including A2 and D2. Each block is precision machined to a specific thick- ness, width and length, within +0.010- in./0.020-in. tolerance. They then are hardened and tempered to a standard hardness; a starter hole is included at the customer’s request.
Diehl Steel: 513/242-8900; www.diehlsteel.com
14 MetalForming/June 2013
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