Accurate Brazing, a full-service provider of specialized heat treating solutions, will add hot isostatic pressing to its thermal processing capabilities with the installation of a Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) from Quintus Technologies. The press, model QIH 122 M URC®, is equipped with Quintus' proprietary uniform rapid cooling (URC), a feature that improves material properties of parts designed for mission-critical applications, increasingly produced in the vibrant additive manufacturing (AM) environment.

"We chose Quintus equipment because of the advanced technology and the versatility of the design," comments Steven Francis, President, Accurate Brazing, a subsidiary of Netherlands-based Aalberts N.V., a major player in the global heat and surface treatment business, with more than 150 locations in 50 countries.

Advanced technology built into the press includes the proprietary Quintus URC feature, which combines HIP and heat treatment in a single process. High-Pressure Heat Treatment (HPHT) streamlines the steps involved in material densification and heat treatment. This innovative approach enables all processed components to cool uniformly, resulting in minimal thermal distortion and non-uniform grain growth for improved parts performance. The HIP's rapid cooling capability, at rates up to 390°F (200°C) per minute, enhances efficiency and dramatically reduces processing cost per unit.

"In today's manufacturing environment, service businesses like ours need to constantly improve our capabilities, especially when it comes to meeting the tight timelines of the aircraft and ground turbine industries. And the new Quintus press will allow us to expand our product offering and compress overall lead times for our customers," Mr. Francis notes.

Configured as a Quintus Modularized Solution, the press's space-saving and energy-saving profile reduces infrastructure investment. The HIPwill offer a work zone of 26.0 inches (660 mm) in diameter and 68.9 inches (1,750 mm) in height. It will operate at a maximum temperature of 2,552°F (1,400°C) and maximum pressure of 30,000 psi (2,070 bar).

The new press will join the state-of-the-art equipment line-up already operating in Accurate Brazing's newest facility, in Greenville S.C. The company's AS9100 quality management system and Nadcap accreditation attest to its ability to meet the stringent needs of the aerospace and power generation industries.

In addition to contracting with Quintus for full installation and commissioning, Accurate Brazing has enrolled in the Quintus® Careprogram, for safe, trouble-free press operation and optimized functionality at a fixed annual cost. Quintus Care also provides access to in-depth technical expertise to support successful customer applications.

The two companies have also entered into a marketing agreement that reflects a mutual commitment to work closely together to broaden the use of the HPHT process.

"Accurate Brazing was attracted to our ability to offer a complete partnership: the system itself, the Quintus Care program including application support, and the marketing agreement," says Jan Soderstrom, CEO of Quintus Technologies. "With this partnership, they are poised to enter the market in the best possible way."

Mr. Francis also adds, "Accurate Brazing is known for its unique expertise, capacity, and equipment to take new programs and get them into production quickly. The addition of the new Quintus press is a natural progression for our company to better serve our customers."