Nucor Steel has an extensive special bar quality (SBQ) steel program that dates back to the conversion of its plants in South Carolina, Tennessee and Nebraska to handle the product decades ago. In 2002, the company purchased an idled plant in Tennessee that was dedicated to SBQ production. Since then, Nucor has allocated staff and investment assets toward the continued development of its SBQ product lines.

Pulse-Plasma Nitriding Improves Forging-Die Performance

Pulse plasma offers significantly more precision in nitriding through the control of the mixture of gases, the controllability of glow-discharge intervals, the design of the pulsed signal and the use of a highly insulated hot-wall nitride furnace. Together with innovations in the design of the furnaces to streamline batch management in nitriding operations, forgers can benefit from dies with superior surface hardness, wear resistance, heat resistance and fatigue strength.

Back to the Future: Revisiting AM Predictions from 2012

Additive manufacturing (AM) has rapidly evolved since its inception, and investment in AM technology has flourished in both the public and private sectors. This article, the first of two parts, evaluates predictions made in FORGE in 2012 and illustrates some appropriate applications that could affect (or already have affected) forging processes and markets.

Carbonitriding of Fasteners

The carbonitriding of fasteners is of critical importance to their functionality and one of the most common case-hardening treatments. Studying how the process works in this application will shed a great deal of light on all carbonitriding processes.

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FEATURES

Editorial

Repatriation of Manufacturing
During his decades in business-to-business publishing, Dean Peters has borne sad witness to the gradual export of this country’s manufacturing sector and its many jobs to overseas sources. As a matter of national security, the repatriation of the manufacture of certain strategic goods should become an important agenda item for those who steer the economic and business policies of the United States.

Legal Ease

Trends in Business Law for 2021
As we enter the new year, we often look forward to business growth potential and resolutions to improve our professional and personal lives. Perhaps this year, more than any other in recent memory, we anticipate a great amount of change that may improve our health, economy and social interactions. Part of this anticipation can include examining present legal trends that may affect your forge in 2021.

Forge and Finance

Loan Covenants: Challenges and Options to Consider
A common concern with business loans is covenant compliance. Does my business loan have covenants? If so, what are the compliance requirements? Smaller loans under $100,000 may not require collateral and are usually free of any covenants. As businesses grow, however, so do their financing needs.