Recent Activity at MagnaTech

For a year now MagnaTech has been working with Dawnbreaker to present our developed surface modification technology to Navy communities and to their prime contractors to advance the technology to the commercial level. In June the Navy Opportunity Forum was held and MagnaTech maintained a booth, spoke with key personnel in the Navy and prime contractors, and presented a paper describing the developed technology. The two and a half day conference was well attended, with key Naval personnel as well as representatives of prime contractors working on Navy projects.
As a result of these activities, MagnaTech has opportunities for several potential contracts for current needs that the Navy has identified. In addition, MagnaTech has emerged with contacts for support of research activities with several prime contractors as well.
In addition to the above, MagnaTech continues activities to identify a company that has strong commercial production potential to partner with to advance the current developed technology to satisfy the needs of current markets. Several companies are interested and MagnaTech is currently discussing possibilities with several of these companies.
Life also goes on, and the new buzz word common to the industry is Advanced Manufacturing. This technology is being sponsored by the government and has the direct endorsement of the President. It is currently being touted in several Universities. The technology was initially developed by NASA for space applications back in the 1990s. Recently German, Swedish and English companies have developed machines and powders using Three D computer programing to construct a part using either laser melting or electron beam melting, among other concepts, to produce solid geometric shapes of interest. One of the initial efforts was to replace expensive prototype shapes to construct forging dies and casting molds. Current efforts are to expand this concept into production of short run parts that are expensive to manufacture because the material costs are high and the parts are labor intensive to machine. MagnaTech is exploring how some of our concepts can be used in this new developing technology.
As you can see, MagnaTech currently has their plate full of new activities and opportunities. If your company has a materials or process development process problem, however, MagnaTech is always ready to assist you in resolving this problem. We are especially adept at surface modification to provide improved wear, corrosion and fatigue life while maintaining desired core properties for proper functioning of the part. We also participate in the magnetics field, where our expertise in powder metallurgy and magnetic theory and testing is of importance. Should you have current problems in these areas, MagnaTech would welcome the opportunity to discuss our concepts with you and offer timely service to assist you in resolving these costly problems.

MagnaTech Continues Search for Partner for Phase III Navy Contract

MagnaTech is still in the process of developing its patented carburizing and nitriding technology to secure a Phase III contract with the Navy to advance the technology to the production stage. To accomplish this objective MagnaTech would prefer to license the technology to  a current heat treating facility or  furnace manufacturer. Since the current work is supported under an SBIR contract awarded by NAVAIR, the licensee must be an American company, owing to ITAR law. MagnaTech has conversed with several interested parties, but has not yet found a licensee or partner.
MagnaTech is currently working with Dawnbreaker to identify potential candidates to advance the technology to the commercial stage. The Navy is employing Dawnbreaker to work with NAVY Phase II SBIR companies to accomplish this objective. In June Dawnbreaker will hold a Forum at which all consenting Phase II SBIR contractors will have an opportunity to present their technology to interested government agencies, prime defense contractors, and sub-contractors that could have interest in the developed technology. MagnaTech is devoting a major segment of their time to take advantage of this opportunity . In addition to the oral presentation of the technology, Magna Tech will be meeting with interested Navy communities that could benefit from the technology, and selected prime contractors that may have an interest in the technology. MagnaTech will also maintain an exhibit booth for a day and a half, exhibiting the highlights of what has been developed.  MagnaTech invites any interested invited parties reading this message to visit us at our booth to learn more about our patented processes.
In addition to this upcoming event, MagnaTech continues to seek possible parties that could benefit from our services and processes. Should you who happen to read this blog believe our technology would be of benefit to you, we are continually looking for these kinds of relationships. I was just reminded that MagnaTech is now entering into its 29th year as a research, consulting and service laboratory. During this time we have been proud to have developed many processes and to assist many other companies in their growth.

MagnaTech is currently in a phase of transition. We have sucessfully finished a Phase II SBIR contract where we have been awarded patents for carburizing or nitriding Navy parts, such as hook points and other rotating parts subject to wear and corrosion. We are currently working with a Navy contractor (Dawnbreaker) to transition the developed technology into a Phase III contract to for production of Defense and civilian applications that require wear and corrosion resistance. The advantage of the MagnaTech processes is that we can microalloy surfaces of ferrous alloys to create surfaces that are harder than 60 HRC for a required depth of hardness, and provide corrosion resistance equivalent to nickel base alloys without affecting required core properties. We can do this in one fifth the time required for carburization and nitriding processes in commercial use today. MagnaTech is currently encouraging furnace manufacturers, heat treating facilities and powder metallurgy parts fabricators to take advantage of these new processes and much more research that MagnaTech has to offer in the heat treating of commercial parts that require tight control to assure properties needed for the application. In particular,  MagnaTech specializes in thermal processing for stainless steel or magnetic alloys requiring stringent property control.
With all of the above, Magnatech is also starting to seek partners with whom to work  to use Additive Manufacturing technology that is currently coming on stream.MagnaTech is in the initial stages of development of several parts that lend themselves to this technology. MagnaTech is specifically interested in adapting the technology to electrical applications that would serve the community, while not being dependent on fossil fuels that contaminate the environment. Again, MagnaTech is seeking partners to advance the financial backing of these innovative ideas. MagnaTech is a research oriented company and we would appreciate the opportunity to explore with you the opportunity to improve technology in your sphere of interest through development of new materials and processing.

A New Year

            Last year was a good year for MagnaTech and the glass ball appears to promise more of the same for 2014. MagnaTech has just completed a two-year effort to develop a hard, wear and corrosion resistant surface on either martensitic or low alloy steels. The goal was to modify the surface to provide a hardness of greater than 60 HRC to a minimum depth of 0.040 inch. MagnaTech has done this in two hours, a much shorter time than is currently used in commercial practice. The intent is to replace hardfaced surfaces on hook points at lower cost, and with a surface that is more friendly to people and the environment. The application was for Navy aircraft that land on aircraft carriers. MagnaTech accomplished all of the technical objectives, demonstrated capability, provided more data than required, on time, and at significantly reduced cost. MagnaTech is currently requesting a continuation of the contract to do additional work to develop the technology further.

            In addition, MagnaTech has just submitted a proposal to the Air Force to use the technology we have developed to provide hard, wear and corrosion resistant surfaces to Air Force aircraft with landing gears having similar capability. MagnaTech currently has two patents issued to protect the technology and two more are pending.

            MagnaTech is also competing for a Phase III contract to advance the technology to commercial value. The Navy has contracted with Dawnbreaker in Rochester, New York, to assist MagnaTech with this process. MagnaTech is currently seeking partners, joint efforts and licensing to advance the technology. MagnaTech knows that it’s strength is in research, but would seek to join in a cooperative effort with a heat treater, a furnace manufacturer, or other, to establish licensing or preferably a plant where they control production, but MagnaTech would have access to the furnace for experimental purposes.

            MagnaTech is also investigating our first venture into 3 D printing. Currently a customer is exploring an application that requires large complex parts. The trick is to find a company that can handle the size required. The problems will be transporting the printed object to the debinding oven and the sintering furnace in a fragile state without causing damage to the plate or the detail contained therein. This should be a challenging but rewarding job.

            Last, MagnaTech continues to help MIM fabricators to develop parts with magnetic properties that are required by their customers. Contamination and porosity are always a problem when the customer requires fast response when action is required. So far we have not seen any parts that will come close to justify the cost and manufacturing required for fast reaction to occur. With all of this potential in progress, you can well understand that MagnaTech looks forward to another outstanding challenging year. If you have materials problems, we would welcome the opportunity to assist you in resolving these issues.

Crossroads or New Opportunities

Thanksgiving has now come and gone and MagnaTech has had much to be thankful for this year.We are now a little over a month away from successfully completing our Phase II NAVAIR contract to develop carburizing, nitriding and carbonitriding processes for wear and corrosion applications. MagnaTech is now in preparation mode to continue this work through participation in a Phase III contract with the Navy. We are doing this through the guidance of a company engaged by the Navy to make the transition most probable. More recently, in preparing for the transition, MagnaTech has initiated a very informative study regarding the requirements of furnaces that MagnaTech believes must be carefully considered if the processes are to be commercialized. Each furnace studied is different and each has its own attributes to provide the best surface quality and the best return on investment. MagnaTech believes the continuation of this study is part of the future yet to come. MagnaTech is quite excited about the potential of this work. Also MagnaTech is always looking for new customers to assist, and to establish new relationships to MagnaTech and the customer's mutual advantage. In this respect, MagnaTech has never abandoned their strength and expertise in the powder metallurgy and magnetic arenas. MagnaTech currently is doing precision testing of Permaloy cores required for the most demanding magnetic applications. In the past MagnaTech personnel wrote the magnetic specifications for the magnetic properties of powder metallurgy iron alloys, ferritic stainless steels and 50 nickel/50 iron alloys. MagnaTech now has an opportunity to work with a metal injection molding company to develop and improve the magnetic properties required of their products. MagnaTech is anxious to begin this new phase in our customer's development effort. MagnaTech's mission is always to use the latest technology to develop and improve new materials and processes to improve the quality of the customers' products, and hence the life of our future generations. With the new year fast approaching, perhaps you too could benefit through the expertise of MagnaTech personnel in either improving or launching your new material or process.

Carburizing and Nitriding Furnaces

MagnaTech is now well into attempting to qualify for a Phase III SBIR contract. Phase III means that the technology that has been developed is ready to transfer from the research stage and the pilot stage into production. MagnaTech has entered into a program with Dawnbreaker to obtain this status. In the process of satisfying the Phase I and the Phase II requirements of the SBIR contract, MagnaTech has been awarded two patents and has several more pending. For a Phase III contract, MagnaTech has several options. One is to buy a furnace and enter into production. MagnaTech is exploring this possibility. In addition, MagnaTech has the option of licensing the technology that has been developed. MagnaTech has started to price furnaces that will satisfy customers' carburizing and nitriding requirements. MagnaTech believes that four serious furnace producers specialize in construction of partial pressure furnaces capable of satisfying these requirements. MagnaTech is in the early stages of obtaining quotations from all four producers, and has maintained conversations with all during the early decision process. MagnaTech has done most of the experimental development using two furnaces located at one facility. More recently MagnaTech visited a competing furnace manufacturer to simulate a production run of 160 parts, and also to determine whether the quench rate could be improved using a 20 bar quench. Experimental work is in progress to determine whether there is an advantage to using the higher quench process. MagnaTech also recently visited another furnace producer to determine their capability. Within the next month MagnaTech anticipates doing test trials in each of the two additional furnace manufacturers' facilities to determine which furnace will best satisfy MagnaTech's exacting requirements.

Moyer Attends Heat Treating Conference

In my last blog I commented on the fact that students emerging into the industrial world were weak in basic training in math and science because they relied on their computer and their calculator to think for them. Last week I attended the ASM International Heat Treating Conference, and once again my suspicion was justified. A good portion of the conference was devoted to the modeling of heat treating processes. This is all well and good if the engineer has a full understanding of the process that is being modeled. However, once again a hugh volume of data is attained, but which of the solutions is of importance. It is at this point that knowing the fundamentals or the basic formlas and theory are required. Even so, experimentation is now required to prove that the method selected is the right solution. The point continues to be "garbage-in-garbage-out". Someone requires a basic knowledge of the material or device, or else a bundle of money has been spent and no product becomes apparent. The point being made is that, like the calculator and the computer, modeling is a tool. Sure, it can do things faster than a human performing the experimentation. In the long run, however, it boils down to yes, you can replace a lot of people with computer solutions; but in the end, you had better have in place a human who understands the fundamentals and can do the experimentation, or elso the computer can spit out data forever with no improvement in productivity--just a bunch of numbers that might be totally misleading. Therefore, think long and hard before you terminate your experienced people. The replacement just may be a pile of paper lying on the floor, of no or little use.