Heat Treater Moves Up “HIP” Installation
Over the years “The Monty Heat Treat News” has had the chance to visit commercial heat treater “Wallwork Heat Treatment” in the UK several times-everything you ever wanted to know about the company can be found at “Wallwork Group. Bury, UK”
Today we have this press release from the company stating that they were so overwhelmed by customer demand for their first “Hot Isostatic Press” that they have moved up installation of their second system as can be read below;
“Wallwork Heat Treatment have announced their second Quintus Technologies hot isostatic press will soon be fully operational. Currently going through its final phases of testing, the company brought forward the investment by two years. This makes a total of £20 million now invested in the Wallwork HIP Centre.
“The demand for HIP has blown us away. We expected it from the UK. Now we are also servicing customers across Europe in France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and further afield. Advanced hot isostatic pressing technology offered on the Quintus HIPs is driving demand. Typical is uniform rapid cooling. This enables component manufacturers to push their product designs to the next level. In Wallwork they find an experienced partner, available 24/7 and with the knowhow to apply the HIP process to best effect.” explained Howard Maher, Wallwork HIP Centre and group sales manager.
“The second HIP is identical to the first one supplied by Quintus in 2023. Besides doubling capacity, this has many advantages. It allows the use of interchangeable rigging and mantles. It provides redundancy contingency planning during scheduled maintenance. And also ensures repeatable processes across both units. The Wallwork HIP Centre is now Nadcap and EN9100 accredited,” added, James Bailey, site director.
Like the first HIP, the new one can reach pressures from 40 to 207 MPa (5,800 to 30,000 psi). Temperatures range up to 1250°C, and it has the latest uniform rapid cooling technology. Increased cycle pressures at elevated temperatures, complements engineering advances in metal 3D printing. It is also suited to processing castings, near-net shape powder metallurgy and more. User industries include aerospace, automotive, autosports, medical devices and other precision high-value manufacturers.
Wallwork has four UK sites offering over 117 heat treatment processes, vacuum brazing, a range of standard and bespoke PVD coatings.
“This is not the end of our journey of investment in hot isostatic pressing. Discussions are in progress for ring-fencing further funds for a third HIP. We are looking into what this should be. How it will expand the depth of HIP services we can offer customers. It might be something quite specialized,” hinted group director, Simeon Collins.”
Want to know more about “Wallwork“-follow these really cool links provided by “The Monty”, including a daredevil motorbike rider on top of the furnaces:
