Info 1 2008 Engl - Buderus Edelstahl Gmbh

Engineering Steel
Fifth international
gear steel
symposium in
Wetzlar civic hall
120 material and heat treatment experts
made their way to the fi fth international
gear steel symposium in Wetzlar civic hall
from 10 – 11 May 2007. The symposium was
again organized by ALD Vacuum Technologies
GmbH located in Hanau, and Buderus
Edelstahl GmbH. The fi fth symposium again
focused on materials and heat treatment,
emphasising the issues of “material and
process developments” and “changing
dimensions and shapes”. One innovation of
the symposium that originated in 1987 at a
meeting of the Drive Technology Research
Association in Wetzlar, was a guest presentation
on cutting tools. Technical Director
Karl-Peter Johann greeted the guests, some
of whom had travelled from afar, and gave
a short presentation on trends in the steel
market and developments at Buderus Edelstahl
GmbH and its fellow subsidiaries at
the Wetzlar location. The company’s active
investment programme to increase capacity
and the clear commitment that the
forged engineering-steel sector was one of
the pillars of the company’s approach, was
received positively. Dr Reinhard Walter,
Chairman of the Management Board, welcomed
the guests as the representative of
Kai Chittka and Dr Hippenstiel on the podium
24
EDELSTAHL Info 1/2008
Kai Chittka, Martin Schulze, Dr Volker Heuer, Karl-Peter Johann, Dr Frank Hippenstiel, Karl Ritter,
Dr Klaus Löser (from left to right)
ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH. He outlined
developments at ALD Vacuum Technologies,
and briefl y presented the business
highlights since the last gear steel symposium.
The fi rst technical contribution was by
Kai Chittka from the Quality and Process
Engineering department at Buderus Edelstahl
GmbH. He reported on the “production
of case hardening steels, tempering
steels and roller bearing steels for greater
process reliability in treatment and machining”.
He described fundamental production
processes that ensure that these modern
special steel products constitute reliable
links in the supply chain. Kai Chittka used
practical examples such as program forging
and comparing mechanical values of steel
manufacturers and users to highlight the
uniformity of production of forged engineering
steel at Buderus Edelstahl. Karl Ritter,
European Sales Manager at ALD GmbH,
presented a paper on “experience with
vacuum heat treatment in series production
of gear units”, reporting on positive
experience with vacuum carburizing with
large components such as crown gears for
commercial vehicle rear axle gear units.
After the lunch break, that some delegates
used to discuss detailed questions in
Heinz Makovec of Böhler Edelstahl GmbH
gave a guest presentation Dr Hippenstiel giving his presentation