Avure supplies hot isostatic press to boost large component production at Alcoa Howmet

Avure Technologies, the premier manufacturer of ultra-high pressure systems, will supply a Quintus® Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) to Alcoa Howmet, the Cleveland, Ohio-headquartered fabricator of components for the jet aircraft, gas turbine, and other advanced-technology industries.

Avure HIP systems produce parts with excellent isotropic material properties, offering the highest possible density of all available compaction methods. Quintus technology combines the highest level of pressure vessel safety with unmatched productivity.

The model QIH286 HIP to be installed at Alcoa Howmet will be equipped with Avure's patented Uniform Rapid Cooling (URC) technology, enabling increased productivity with optimal temperature control. The press operates at a pressure of 2000 bar (29,000 psi) and a temperature of 1250°C (2282°F). Its work zone of 1.6 meters (5.25 feet) in diameter and 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) in height will expand the fabricator's in-house capabilities to treat larger parts for the world's top-selling jet engines.

“Alcoa Howmet is well known for meeting the exacting demands of the aerospace and industrial markets with precision investment castings of superalloy, titanium, and aluminum alloys,” says Peter Henning, Business Unit Director of Advanced Material Densification at Avure Technologies. “When one of the most experienced and skillful HIP users in the world chooses our solution, it makes a strong quality statement for our Quintus technology.”

In addition to its contribution to improved material performance and accelerated production, Alcoa Howmet's new press will hold the distinction of being the largest- diameter HIP operating at 2000 bar to be deployed in the United States.