Quintus HIP installed at US-based Lake City Heat Treating
December 3, 2018
Lake City Heat Treating is installing the new HIP at its facility in Warsaw, Indiana (Courtesy Quintus Technologies)
A Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) produced by Quintus Technologies, Västerås, Sweden, is to be installed at heat treatment specialist Lake City Heat Treating (LCHT), Warsaw, Indiana, USA. The investment in the new press, according to LCHT, is intended to advance the company’s ability to meet demanding customer turnaround requirements by integrating the application of high pressure and heat treatment in a single system.
The combined materials densification processes produce parts with improved fatigue and ductile properties to satisfy the critical performance parameters of the aerospace and medical device industries. The QIH 122 URC® model press is the third Quintus HIP to be included in LCHT’s production portfolio, and its incorporated quenching capability, with controlled cooling rates up to 200°C per minute, is believed to make it the first of its kind to be installed in North America.
Jan Söderström, CEO of Quintus Technologies, stated, “Quintus HIPs are recognised as offering the best quality on the market. Our presses are the only systems that can combine traditional Hot Isostatic Pressing with heat treatment in the same cycle, in a process known as High Pressure Heat Treatment. With high-speed quench rates approximating those of vacuum cooling, this innovation increases throughput and lowers costs.”
The new Quintus HIP has a capacity of 900 kg (2,000 lb) per load, significantly larger than Lake City’s existing systems. Combined with the efficiencies of High Pressure Heat Treatment, this increased load could enable the service provider to offer its aerospace and medical customers shortened lead times while focusing on continued growth in production.
Lake City’s new HIP will be housed in a recently completed addition to its facility. The system features a work zone of 660 mm (26 in) in diameter and 1,750 mm (68.9 in) in height; an operating temperature of 1400°C (2552°F); and pressure of 2,070 bar (30,000 psi).
“Lake City has been using Quintus HIP systems for the last 25 years,” added Söderström. “The company has been a pioneer in using combined HIP and heat treatment cycles to maximise material properties. With the new QIH 122 equipped with quenching capabilities, Lake City will have exceptional possibilities to continue to supply the medical implant and aerospace industries with high quality parts.”
