SECAT News

Published on: May 16, 2017

Categories: Newsletter
Secat
Aluminum WrapUp
Vol 5, Issue 2      
May/June, 2017

In this issue… Click to jump to article

Secat News
Secat Website Has a New Look
 NewsLong
If you haven’t visited our website www.secat.net recently, it’s time to stop by the site to check out our redesign.  The site has a new look, more information than ever before and a new ease of navigation that will put information in your hands – on your computer screen or mobile device – efficiently and quickly!

Stop by soon, and let us know what you think!

#WeLoveAluminum
Aluminum: Wrapped Up

 

Secat, Inc. will hold another session of Aluminum Wrapped Up:  A Basic Understanding of Aluminum, at their facility in Lexington on June 28th. Make plans now to attend! SPACE IS LIMITED!  Use the link below to register.
Use this REGISTRATION link for more information and to register.

 

 

#WeWantYouToLoveAluminumToo
Anniversaries
Sherri Hackworth celebrated 15 years with Secat in April!

CONGRATULATIONS – KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
For more information, please contact Todd Boggess at tboggess@secat.net or (859) 514-4989.

Secat Makes a Difference
Participation in E-Day Provides Outreach to Students
DifferenceLong
Engineers Day or E-Day, which came at the end of Engineers Week, was a celebration of everything engineering had to offer. From building bridges to discovering new medications to writing the software that powers our cell phones, engineers and computer scientists do the things that make our 21st-century world work. This year’s E-Day was sponsored by a coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies dedicated to promoting math and science literacy and ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce. 

 

 

Engineers Day was perfect for school-aged children from elementary all the way through high school; especially those interested in learning more about the exciting things engineers and computer scientists do.

Secat/CAT was front and center and had its own booth in the Engineering Building on UK campus and the topic was “How Aluminum Products are Made”. Various  aluminum products were presented at the booth from daily used household foil, soda cans to automobile parts. Videos of aluminum manufacturing were also shown at the booth to demonstrate the production process. A play-doh set that simulated the aluminum extrusion process drew much attention from the school kids; many stopped and tried the set by themselves. At the booth the visitors were able to get a close look at how commonly used aluminum products were made including soda cans, foil, fry pans, etc.
 

Secat/CAT devotes itself to serving the general public through STEM education to K-12 students/teachers in order to increase the awareness of science and engineering.

For more information, please contact Todd Boggess tboggess@secat.net or (859) 514-4989.
#SecatLovesEngineers   #SecatLovesStudents

Featured Capabilities
Keyence

 

CapabilitiesLong

Secat recently added a Keyence VHX-5000 microscope to its laboratory. The all-in-one microscope incorporates observation, image capture, and measurement capabilities which complements and bridges the gap between optical microscopy and low magnification SEM. The lens offers high-resolution observation at general-purpose magnifications of 20x to 2000x in bright field, dark field and polarized lighting. This lens has been designed to optimize both depth-of-field and resolution. Functions such as HDR and glare-removal functions can improve the image quality better than traditional optical microscopes.  The 2D/3D stitching functionality adds a new realm of analysis to be easily accessible in the observations of grain structure, defects, and fractography.  Below are current examples of how the Keyence microscope is being utilized at Secat.
 

 

Grain Structure:
  • High definition and contrast images at higher magnifications allows for easier grain size analysis
  •  Stitching capability allows for grain structure inhomogeneity to be imaged in context to the size of the sample

 

Figure 1: Stitching of high definition grain size analysis.

 

 

Figures 2 and 3: Stitched full cross section image versus more traditional method of taking inhomogeneous structures individually for each area of interest.

 

Defect Analysis:

  • 3D analysis combined with stitching allows for measurement of defect size, shape, depth or protrusion, etc.
  •  Full depth is in focus showing features of defect in greater detail

 


Figure 4: Sheet defect profile

 

  

Fracture Characterization:
  • Stitching capability allows for large area of fracture surface to be analyzed and saved in relation to the whole surface
  • 3D analysis allows for feature depths to be determined
  • Both low magnification (20x – 200x) and high magnification (200x-2000x) work can be done with the same lens

Figure 5: 3D analysis on bolt fracture 

 

Figure 6: Low and high magnification of bolt fracture 

 

 
Measurements on Images:
  • Both 2D and 3D measurements can be made over large areas of samples
  • Specific geometric relations can be determined such as length, angle, radius, depth

Figure 7: Depth of field, and radius measurements on aluminum beverage can end


Figure 8: Depth of score measurement on aluminum beverage can end  

 


For more information, please contact Todd Boggess at tboggess@secat.net or (859) 514-4989
 

 

Person of Interest

 

Chris Devadas, VP of Technology, Hydro Aluminum/Secat, Inc. Board Member

PersonLong

Chris has been in the Aluminum Industry since 1989 and with Hydro Aluminum since 1997. He describes his career objective and history as follows;

“To promote Aluminum as the most versatile material for the demands of the next generation of
challenges, especially the Auto-sectors demand for novel solutions for light weighting and superior
performance. Held positions in management of technology, research & development, and industrial implementation of new solutions, utilizing proven manufacturing management techniques and
experiences, relentless drive towards performance improvement and customer satisfaction and focus towards margin and bottom-line management. My focus has been in aluminum casting and extrusion processes, quality control and project management. In depth experiences also in technical customer service, sales and marketing areas.”

What brought you to the Board of Directors of Secat?

I have been involved in the field of Aluminum Application research and technology for the last 25

years. From the inception of Secat I have been directly or indirectly involved with Secat activities,
participating in consortium R & D programs headed by Secat.

In your opinion, what makes Secat unique/special in the industry?

Secat is located in the middle of the Aluminum Belt. Most of the major producers and consumers of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys are located with a distance of less than 200 miles from Secat. This provides Secat a unique opportunity to support the needs and requests of these aluminum
companies in terms of lab support, technical support and R&D partnership. There is virtually very few stand alone lab and technical support organization in North America that can fill the void of downsizing of technical/metallurgical resources that has taken place in Aluminum industries, while Secat stands out as the only one that can fill this void.
Secat has built up impressive Aluminum metallurgical competence and state of the art equipment to provide high level support to the industry.

What is the most important/exciting development you see in the future for Secat?

The Auto industry has been a prime mover in increasing the usage of Aluminum this has led to
increased demand for new and better performing Aluminum products. Since Secat has
demonstrated capabilities to provide high level technical support to its customers, I see tremendous demand for the services that Secat offers to the industry and possibilities for forming or participating in R & D partnerships that support Auto industry demands.

Tell us something about yourself that people may not know and anything else you would like to

share.

I have had the unique opportunity to live and work in 4 different continents, and several different
cultures. This has enabled me to appreciate and savor diversity and the experience that it provides
to think in both local and global terms.
My introduction to the US was through Louisville Kentucky and hence I am a strong supporter of the Kentucky and Louisville college teams.

 
 #ChrisLovesAluminum

“Accidental” Aluminum Art
Wonderful Weaving
ArtLong
Wendy Bernard and James Mosier weave aluminum to create stunning wall sculptures, baskets and vessels – like the one featured here that hangs in the Secat, Inc. office entryway. Their woven works of art are showcased at art shows around the country and they have been commissioned to weave large- scale pieces for both residential and corporate clients.
“We have been professional craftspeople since 1981 when we began weaving baskets. Initially the baskets were of  traditional shapes using only natural materials. In time, the baskets evolved into more contemporary shapes using nontraditional materials. In 1992, we started using aluminum in our basketry and also began to weave some wall sculptures. Now all of our vessels and wall sculptures are woven with aluminum over wooden frames. We use sheets of aluminum which are painted with acrylics. The sheets are then cut into thin strips on a bench shear. The framework of each piece is constructed of wooden rings and arches with wooden dowels for the “ribs.”  The strips of aluminum are then woven over the forms.

Find more of Wendy and James’ work at www.metalweavings.com and on Facebook.

 

 

Do you have a piece of Aluminum Art you’d like to share?  Contact us at info@secat.net
#WeLoveAluminumArt
Don’t Forget to Connect with
Secat on Social Media!

 

 

  SocialLong

CONNECT with Secat’s Company Profile on LinkedIn.
LIKE us on
FACEBOOK.
FOLLOW us on TWITTER: @SecatAluminum, #WeLoveAluminum
Check out our

 

 
We are talking about ALUMINUM, everyday! Join in the conversation!

 

#WeLoveAluminum

 

 

#WeLoveAluminum
Having a problem with your aluminum manufacturing? 
 

 

Contact Secat – let us be your R&D resource. 
Call Todd Boggess at  
Stay Tuned for the next issue of 

Aluminum WrapUp,

 due out August, 2017

 

 

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Secat is a metallurgical research laboratory specializing in aluminum product and process technologies with ISO 17025:2017 certification. Secat has technical and marketing capabilities to serve various aluminum product sectors including: automotive, marine, aerospace, packaging, building & construction, electrical, and recycling.