Engineered geometry increases strength, decreases stretch, and withstands thermal cycling.

Aerospace manufacturers using heat treatment – which can reach temperatures up to 2,400°F and vary from a few seconds to 60+ hours – need conveyor belting that can withstand the rigors of the process. However, traditional round balance weave wire belting has changed little in 100 years and often requires annual replacement, causing costly production downtime.

Heat treating is essential to improve the properties, performance, and durability of metals such as steel, iron, aluminum alloys, copper, nickel, magnesium, and titanium used in aerospace manufacturing. This can involve conveying to hardening, brazing, and soldering, as well as to sintering furnaces, carburizing furnaces, atmosphere tempering furnaces, and heat processing in annealing and quenching furnaces. Parts treated can range from bearings, gears, and fasteners, to saws, axes, and cutting tools.

Heat treat-grade balance weave belts – made of temperature-resistant stainless steel or other heat resistant alloys, suitable to be run on a conveyor with friction drive – can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the dimensions and quality. So, even though wear and premature replacement seems inevitable, such wire belting should not be considered a low-cost consumable. While many manufacturers using heat treating consider periodic replacement of wire belting simply a cost of doing business, today innovative alternatives have been developed that can significantly prolong its life and drive down operational cost.

Although heat resistant wire belting is available, repeated thermal cycling between heating, soaking, and cooling while carrying substantial loads can continually weaken its structure until it fails. The greater and more frequent the temperature fluctuations in heat treatment steps, the shorter the wire belt’s usable life becomes.

In addition, on conveyor belts, belt stretch accelerated by heat and dynamic loading forces on the belt is typically the main cause of breakage and failure.

Fortunately, industry innovation in the form of engineered, shaped wire belting has minimized these challenges. The design vastly prolongs usable life with increased strength and decreased stretch, which dramatically curtails replacement costs and production downtime.

This approach can also help to extend the longevity of wire belting used with increasingly popular powder metal parts, particularly sintered parts that may be heat treated to enhance strength, hardness, and other properties. In such cases, powder metal serves as a feed stock that can be processed into a net-shape without machining.

Resolving the core issues Although conventional round wire belt has been the industry standard for generations, the geometry of the wire itself contributes to the problem.

Traditional round wire belt and even top-flattened wire belting is prone to belt stretch and premature replacement, particularly under high heat treatment temperatures. In testing, typical round and top-flattened conveyor wire belts have been observed to stretch approximately 7%.

Even though many producers of conveyor wire belting simply import semi-finished product and finish it domestically, at least one U.S.-based manufacturer has gone to the root of the problem.

Shaped wire is designed to provide more strength in wire belt of a given diameter that can better withstand high heat processing conditions. This significantly prolongs its usable life, at least up to 8x longer.

As an example, one engineered wire belt, called Sidewinder by Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Lumsden Belting, a manufacturer of metal conveyor belts for industrial heat treatment, compresses and expands wire so it is taller than it is wide with flat sides.

First, the patented side flattened wire’s I-beam design provides 3x greater structural support for heat treated parts compared to standard round wire. The added height of the wire also provides a longer wear life without needing heavier wire. Together, the design limits belt stretch to 1% to 2%. This minimizes the potential for belt damage. Minimal belt stretch also helps the conveyor belt to track straighter, improving production throughput with less maintenance.

The innovative design is significantly extending the usable life of wire belt conveyors used in heat treat processes including hardening, brazing, soldering, sintering, carburizing, and in atmosphere tempering furnaces.

It’s also prolonging wire belt conveyor life in secondary powder metal processes used to improve hardness and other mechanical properties. For example, it can be used in a mesh belt sintering furnace where compacted parts are placed in a controlled atmosphere and heated. It could also be used in processes such as quench and temper, case carburizing, and induction hardening.

When heat treatment is used for hardening, followed by rapid cooling submerged in a medium such as oil, brine, or water, the shaped wire belt also enhances the open area for the same gauge wire. This reduces residue build up and eases cleaning, while minimizing drag.

Although the cost of the shaped wire belt is slightly more than traditional round wire, for aerospace manufacturers relying on heat treatment, the gains in lifespan and production uptime can provide a speedy return on investment (ROI).

 Conveyor belting for heat treating processLumsden Belting

August 31, 2021 at 12PM ET, Terry Wohlers will reveal the latest trends and provide insights about the opportunities available for your company.

Registration is open for Tuesday's webinar featuring Terry Wohlers discussing What's Next in Additive Manufacturing.

Before making big decisions associated with additive manufacturing (AM), it’s important to gain a realistic view of the technology and recognize what stands in the way of its acceptance. While adoption of AM in the aerospace and medical industries continues toward development, hurdles exist. It can be difficult to distinguish the hype, mistruths, and facts, so question and validate everything you read and hear. What are some recent developments in the industry moving AM ahead? How has the pandemic impacted the market? Terry Wohlers will reveal answers to these questions and more while providing insights about the opportunities available for your company.

Make sure to register today for the August 31, 12PM ET webinar.

Industry consultant, analyst, author, and speaker Terry Wohlers is president of Wohlers Associates Inc., an independent consulting firm he founded 34 years ago. The company provides technical and strategic consulting on the new developments and trends in rapid product development, additive manufacturing, and 3D printing. Through this company, Wohlers has provided consulting assistance to more than 275 organizations in 27 countries. He has also provided advice to 180 companies in the investment community, most being institutional investors that represent mutual funds, hedge funds, and private equity valued at billions of dollars.

Wohlers has been a featured speaker at the U.S. White House in 2012 and 2014 and has appeared on many television and radio news programs. He is a principal author of the Wohlers Report, the undisputed industry-leading report on additive manufacturing and 3D printing worldwide for 26 consecutive years.

Multi-billionaire Priven Reddy’s Leap Aerospace aims for a commercial 86-passenger supersonic jetliner to fly in 2029.

South African entrepreneur and mobile app company co-founder Priven Reddy has launched Dover, Delaware-based Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion (Leap) Aerospace to develop a new-generation supersonic transport.

The company’s LEAP EON-01 design has a twin-tailed, delta-wing configuration with at least four engines – in a layout reminiscent of the Anglo-French Concorde – and capacity for 65 to 88 passengers.

“We aim to develop a next-generation aircraft that will illustrate a net-zero emission of carbon and to rely on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” according to the company’s website. “Leap Aerospace is dedicated to innovating reliable, affordable, safer, and sustainable air travels solutions [and] will contain the issues of pollution, services accessibility, urban designs improving air mobility, and transportation. The vision of the organization is attainable with the help of numerous stakeholders.”

Leap Aerospace is starting on a self-funded basis. Leap Aerospace Founder Reddy, 37, has an estimated net worth of $55 billion.

According to Reddy, the aircraft will use “a hybrid system of traditional and novel components” that will aim to mute the sonic boom on technical grounds. Leap’s aircraft design is said to embrace aerodynamics in a vastly more efficient manner for minimizing shock waves, reducing drag, and increasing efficiency.

The 205ft-long aircraft is to function at speeds up to Mach 1.9, fly at an altitude of 60,000ft, and be up to 100x quieter than a helicopter. The low noise is generated with the help of small propellers for landing and takeoff.

The airplane will offer non-stop flights from New York to London in under 3 hours, and from Johannesburg to Beijing in about 3.5 hours.

Reddy adds the aircraft will feature a safe-landing mechanism, which in the event of a complete engine failure or malfunction, will allow the aircraft to safely land on ground or ocean, minimizing fatalities.

The team working on the design of Leap Aerospace is directed to launch an aviation solution that will be useful for air surveillance, air logistics, tourism, emergency air operations, and business travel.

The company plans to pre-sell its aircraft to cargo and transportation organizations – but not to private operators – by early 2022. Leap’s vision is to manufacture models for 70 or more passengers in its 2.0 aircraft series.

Leap is directed to minimize the complications of aircraft manufacturing. The aircraft design is complete, and now the goal is to generate a prototype and complete its certifications and accreditation by the European and the U.S. aviation organizations. It’s expected the certification will be completed approximately 3 years after establishment of a flying prototype.

Leap officials say their aircraft will be ready for a commercially sustainable supersonic flight service having the potential to carry 86 passengers in late 2029.

Increased production penetration in major accounts is driving sales, suggests a return to investment for the aviation sector.

Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Optomec, which provides additive manufacturing solutions for 3D metal printing and 3D printed electronics, recently received more than $7 million worth of new orders from its installed base. The orders include more than 10 new systems being added to increase capacity for existing users, together with a range of enabling software products and digital process recipes.

In one example, a major defense electronics OEM has added another two 3D printed electronics machines, bringing its total fleet to 10 Aerosol Jet systems, the majority of which are used in production for advanced semiconductor packaging applications. The order has a value of $500,000.

In another case, a top-tier supplier of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for gas turbine engines added a fifth production system for restoring turbine blades. This $1 million 3D metal printer suggests a return to investment for the aviation sector.

“We have seen a marked increase in business activity over the last few months,” said David Ramahi, CEO “and it seems only natural that the first movers making new investments are our long-time customers, many of whom have proven high ROIs on our production additive manufacturing equipment.”

Optomec is a privately held, rapidly growing supplier of additive manufacturing systems, including Optomec’s patented Aerosol Jet Systems for printed electronics and LENS* and Huffman brand 3D printers for metal components. Optomec has delivered more than 500 of its proprietary additive manufacturing systems to more than 200 marquee customers around the world, for production applications in the electronics, energy, life sciences, and aerospace industries.

*LENS is a registered trademark of Sandia National Labs

Brings the outstanding orders from Delta to a total of 155 A321neos.

Delta Air Lines has ordered 30 additional Airbus A321neo aircraft to help meet the airline’s future fleet requirements. The newly ordered aircraft are in addition to the airline’s existing orders for 125 of the type, bringing the outstanding orders from Delta to a total of 155 A321neos.

“Adding these aircraft strengthens Delta’s commitment to replacing older fleets with more sustainable, efficient jets, and offering the best customer experience in the industry,” said Mahendra Nair, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Fleet and TechOps Supply Chain. “Delta appreciates the extensive partnership with the Airbus team in support of our strategic growth plans, and we look forward to continuing to work together throughout the recovery and beyond.”

“As the industry looks to emerge from the pandemic, Delta is showing responsible leadership and casting a strong vote of confidence now in the A321neo,” noted Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. “With orders for 30 more of an aircraft that is in very high demand around the globe, our partners at Delta are underscoring the strategic role they see for the A321neo with its outstanding environmental performance for the airline’s renowned customer service and reliability for years into the future.”

Delta’s A321neos will be powered by next-generation Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofan engines that bring significant efficiency gains over Delta’s current, already-efficient A321 aircraft. Equipped with total seating for 194 customers with 20 in First Class, 42 in Delta Comfort+ and 132 in the Main Cabin, Delta’s A321neos will be deployed primarily across the airline’s extensive domestic network, complementing Delta’s current A321 fleet of more than 120 aircraft. The airline is slated to receive the first of its 155 A321neo aircraft early next year.

Many of Delta’s A321neos will be delivered from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama. The airline has taken delivery of 87 U.S.-manufactured Airbus aircraft since 2016.

As of the end of July, Delta’s fleet of Airbus aircraft numbered 358, including 50 A220 aircraft, 240 A320 family members, 53 A330 widebodies, and 15 A350 XWB aircraft.