EcoTitanium is the first titanium-producing plant in Europe to make titanium ingots with scrap from aircraft manufacturers and their subcontractors.

Retech, a Ukiah, California-based company that is part of Seco/Warwick Group, Poland, has announced it is the main supplier of vacuum metal technology for the EcoTitanium plant in France.

Located in Saint-Georges-de-Mons, Auvergne, in France, EcoTitanium is a European recycling and refining plant for titanium alloys focused on aviation. This is the first titanium-producing plant in Europe to make titanium ingots with scrap from major manufacturers of aircraft and their subcontractors.

“EcoTitanium is a €48 million ($56 million) investment that will lead to the creation of more than 60 direct jobs as well as a significant number of indirect jobs. The plant started up industrially in the first half of 2017 with the launch of accreditation phases. Production will begin in 2018,” the project’s website states.

The inaugural ceremony was held by the plant’s shareholders, UKAD, a joint venture by Aubert & Duval (a subsidiary of Eramet) and the Kazakh group UKTMP International; the French environment and energy management agency ADEME; and the regional bank Crédit Agricole Center. They were joined by Benjamin Griveaux, secretary of state for economics and finance; and Christel Bories, president and CEO of Eramet, a French multinational mining and metallurgy company; Pawel Wyrzykowski, president of Seco/Warwick Group; Artur Wiechczynski, melting furnace department director; Earl Good, managing director of Retech Systems USA; and Nathaniel Slinker, product director of vacuum arc remelt (VAR).

As highlighted by EcoTitanium, the inauguration is the final step in creating the first integrated titanium source in Europe that opens the door of the aerospace industry to new options that are independent of existing American and Russian suppliers.

“With our complete and tailor-made solutions, our partners, including EcoTitanium, are gaining competitive advantage in the industry,” says Wyrzykowski, president of Seco/Warwick Group. “It’s all thanks to our modern technologies and equipment in the field of vacuum metallurgy. This knowledge and experience enables us to meet the strictest requirements, passion and drive for innovation on the other hand—allow finding individual and optimal solutions.”

Earl Good, managing director of Retech, says, “Active and long-standing cooperation with representatives of various market sectors has allowed us to learn and understand their specific needs and requirements. As a result, we know how to best meet their expectations. At the same time, as the most integrated furnace manufacturer in the world, we give our customers access to a wide range of custom solutions including technology, material and process.”

Good continues, “The device that our EcoTitanium partner has been equipped with consists of three metallurgical units: a plasma arc melting (PAM) furnace for melting plasma or plasma gas inert gas, and two VAR arc furnaces for titanium melting. At the moment, the first arc furnace is installed. Construction and delivery of the second is planned in the next stage.”

For 50 years Retech has designed and implemented vacuum metallurgy, conducted research and development (R&D) projects, and constructed, built and tested equipment for customers in the global markets.

The Seco/Warwick Group provides equipment and technologies to the world’s leading aerospace, automotive and power companies, enabling the production of lightweight and durable components. The company says benefits of using vacuum metallurgy include, high efficiency, process reproducibility, process automation, modern control system with monitoring of each parameter and precise feed system.

Almeria, Spain, gets two additional collection centers, doubling those available in the province.

In response to the commitments made with the agricultural association COAG Almeria, Cicloagro has opened two new collection centers for agricultural plastics in the province of Almeria, Spain. Nijar and La Mojonera are the sites for the new collection centers. El Ejido is already home to two collection centers.

Cicloagro, the only management system authorized by the Andalusian government for used agricultural plastics nonpackaging agricultural plastics, says it has responded to its commitments with the agricultural organization COAG Almeria to boost the collection of all kind of plastics films, in particular, plastic film used for mulching.

The new collection sites for this material are Reciclados Nijar in the Nijar area and Acoem in La Mojonera. The existing collection sites are Hermanos Mancha and Ibacplast, in the area of El Ejido. Cicloagro accepts all kinds of agricultural plastic films at these authorized centers. These plastic films (thin and thick, mulching and greenhouses) are recycled by specialized companies into new pellets.

Cicloagro has been organizing the collection and recycling of agricultural plastics in Andalusia since 2013. In 2016 it processed 39,668 metric tons of material, 15,076 metric tons of which were mulching plastics. In 2017, Cicloagro has been collecting and recycling similar amounts of material. The organization says the collection of mulching thin plastic film has risen by 27 percent during the last four years.

For more information on collection points and farmers' obligations, Cicloagro has an information line (606168397) to answer questions about depositing and recycling agricultural plastics. Plastics must be deposited in compliance with basic rules and be free of plant residues, with maximum sand or organic material. Different plastic types must be separated. Cicloagro welcomes greenhouse plastic thick and thin films (solarization and mulching) for recycling.

Cicloagro is a nonprofit association established by agricultural plastic manufacturers. It has been offering collection, receipt and recycling of plastic films for greenhouses, mulching, tapes and nets to farmers since 2013.

The KT-100S can be used in more difficult applications, especially for the analysis and separation of most nonferrous alloys, the company says.

Rigaku Analytical Devices, Wilmington, Massachusetts, says its previously released handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) metal analyzer has been improved and is faster than before.

The KT-100S is an upgrade to the KT-100 LIBS analyzer, which was released in September 2015. The KT-100S expands the use of handheld LIBS to more difficult applications, such as recycling, fabrication, aerospace, automotive and refineries, especially for the analysis and separation of most nonferrous alloys, according to Rigaku.

The company says its KT Series analyzers enable accurate alloy identification in industrial environments. The analyzers will be demonstrated at the FABTECH Expo, Nov. 6-8, 2017, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Designed to fill the performance and feature gaps of traditional analysis methods, such as handheld X-ray fluorescence, Rigaku says the KT-100S offers more convenient, on-the-spot identification of the most difficult alloys. By incorporating a second-generation spectrometer that produces higher throughput and better resolution, the user can expect better detection limits and the ability to analyze more alloys. This includes better precision for low alloy steels, stainless steels, as well as high-temperature alloys and the added detection of lithium (Li), according to the company.

Another major benefit to the user is that because the KT Series of handheld LIBS analyzers uses a laser excitation source, minimal to no regulatory licensing is required.

“We are committed to continuously improving our handheld analytical capabilities,” says Bree Allen, President at Rigaku Analytical Devices. “We built a solid reputation for handheld LIBS with the launch of our KT-100 analyzer in 2015, and now the KT-100S will exemplify the same innovation and quality the Rigaku brand is known for.”

Rigaku says key features of the KT-100S include:

More information on the KT-100S is available at www.rigaku.com/KT100S. 

Roger Williams joins Maren Engineering as regional sales manager.

Williams South Holland, Illinois-based Maren Engineering Inc. has announced that Roger Williams has joined the company as its new western regional sales manager.

Williams is a 27-year veteran of the recycling equipment industry, having previously worked for Georgetown, South Carolina-based Coastal Wire and Bellevue, Ohio-based American Baler Co.

At Coastal Wire, Williams was Midwest regional sales manager. He worked in positions of increasing responsibility at American Baler, including as West Coast regional sales manager and as vice president of sales.

In addition to his direct employment responsibilities, Williams has served in voluntary industry roles, including as a vendor liaison for the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) from 2002 to 2004. He also has served as an involved member of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), and WASTEC, an association that was part of the former Environmental Industries Association (now the National Waste & Recycling Association).

"Roger Williams is an exciting addition to our team," says Todd Wondrow, president of Maren Engineering. "His technical knowledge of balers and systems couldn't fit better with the Propak series of equipment Maren continues to develop. And no less important, Roger's customer focus and reputation for integrity parallel what we at Maren promise to our customers."

In his new role with Maren Engineering, Williams can be reached at rwilliams@marenengineering.com. 

Company sees year-over-year improvements in all three of its operating segments relative to first nine months of 2016.

Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corp. has reported third quarter 2017 net earnings of $147 million, or 83 cents per diluted share. Adjusted net earnings were $161 million, or 92 cents per diluted share, which excluded a gain of $21 million, or 11 cents per diluted share, related to equity affiliate transactions, primarily because of the sale of its ownership interest in Tilden Mining Co. LC, and a debt extinguishment loss and other related costs of $35 million, 20 cents per diluted share. Third quarter 2016 net earnings were $51 million, or 32 per diluted share.

President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Burritt says, “Our third quarter results were modestly better than we expected, with stable operating performance at each of our segments, and our tubular segment producing positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) in the quarter. Our results for the first nine months of 2017 improved over the first nine months of 2016, with all three of our segments improving compared with 2016.”

U.S. Steel’s operating segments are flat-rolled, U.S. Steel Europe and tubular.

The company’s net debt decreased by $200 million in the third quarter to $1.2 billion, while its total liquidity also increased during the quarter. The company says it is well-positioned to continue the implementation of its asset revitalization program.

In addition to the increased focus on its operations, U.S. Steel says it also continues to develop the next generation of steel products. “Our Generation 3 steels will provide superior formability and high-strength properties while using a low-alloyed approach for robust weldability,” the company says in a news release announcing its financial results. “To expand our capabilities in Generation 3 steels, we announced last month that a new continuous galvanizing line will be constructed at our PRO-TEC Coating Co. joint venture, which will allow PRO-TEC to produce these Generation 3 steels with a hot-dipped zinc coating.”

The company says this line will be the first of its kind, using proprietary technology capable of producing “high-quality, cutting-edge advanced high-strength steels that will meet our automotive customers’ needs and solve some of their most pressing challenges.”

Regarding U.S. Steel’s outlook for 2017, Burritt says, "We remain focused on our operations, revitalizing our assets and developing our talent. We are seeing operating improvements in the assets in which we are investing. This increases our confidence that we will achieve the 2020 improvement targets we have disclosed. We believe the attention to our assets and employees, with continued focus on improving safety, quality, delivery and cost, will result in improved operating reliability and enable us to remain a strong business partner for our customers."

If market conditions remain at their current levels, U.S. Steel says it expects 2017 net earnings of approximately $323 million, or $1.83 per share; 2017 adjusted net earnings of approximately $300 million, or $1.70 per share; and consolidated adjusted EBITDA of approximately $1.08 billion.