A piece of folk wisdom is that if progress is at a standstill, it is really in reverse. We at PMTI agree with this notion, and we are constantly looking for ways, contracts, people and equipment that will move us forward. This section brings you new developments taking place at PMTI. We will also include things happening to our associates to give their progress visibility.

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• At the end of October 2005, PMTI recorded its 1655th melt on the Hereaus VAR. This unit was installed in the late 1950's. It has the ability to melt with AC or DC. The former has some unique advantages to PMTI and our customers. The oldest melt record is # 29 and its date was April 29, 1960. # 29 was a successful Nb-4V.
PMTI continues to look for ways to innovate the VAR melting process. We are exploring ways to more precisely align the electrode during the melt and have enlarged the melt mold capability to 6" diameter.


• PMTI, under Joe and JoAnn Giglio's ownership, reached the 10 year milestone on May 1, 2005. The company is still growing and accomplishing good things for its customer base.



• In August of 2005, PMTI was recognized as one of the fast-growing small companies in the Pittsburgh area.



• Vacuum Aluminum Brazing
- PMTI completed the installation of the PV/T Vacuum Aluminum Brazing (VAB) furnace in 2004. This brazing system includes a 150 KW furnace capable of 10-5 torr vacuum with a nominal 24" wide by 36" high by 48" deep hot zone. In addition to a single shelf for large parts, a two-tier shelf has been qualified and allows for small parts to be brazed in bulk.

The programmable control system uses 7 zones to deliver temperatures up to 1200° F. The system was designed for precisely controlled Aluminum brazing but can be used for brazing other alloys as well. The system, with its furnace wall pre-heating and computer control of the braze cycle, is designed for production brazing.

By November 2005, PMTI had done over 1,400 cold plate brazes. To supplement this capability, PMTI has added the ability to do UT of the braze joint, qualifying a Level I inspector. PMTI also qualified its Helium Leak Detection system to do leak testing on brazed assemblies.

• Nano Aluminum Alloy Processing - In a support of the University of California, Davis (UCD), PMTI has applied its processing and testing capabilities to a program by UCD to produce a high strength Aluminum alloy. The process mills an Al alloy in a liquid Nitrogen bath. The resultant powder is consolidated through cold isostatic pressing and high strain rate extrusion and forging into shapes. The consolidated material is two to three times the strength of the standard Al alloy. This process should be applicable to other metals and their alloys.
  
  PMTI has put into operation a batch cryo milling facility that has been used to mill Molybdenum powder. The milled Mo powder has the promise of delivering a finer grain once consolidated into metal. A second attritor is being installed to do Aluminum attriting on a circulating basis. PMTI has recently purchased two other attritors, which will be installed in 2006.

• New Furnace - In 2004, PMTI placed in operation a small heat treat furnace capable of 2200° C. This furnace can be operated in a vacuum (10-6 torr) or in an inert atmosphere including hydrogen. Below 2100° C, the furnace is programmable. Above 2100° C, optical pyrometry is used and operation is manual.

• Additions to Testing in 2005 - PMTI added two TestStar II automatic test control systems to its systems. In addition, we are applying a laser extensometer to the difficult task of measuring specimen extension at very high temperature.


In November 2005, PMTI replaced its Cambridge Instruments Stereoscan 240 SEM and PGT analog EDS system with a JEOL-840A SEM equipped with a new Oxford digital EDS system.

PMTI extended its Helium leak testing. For one customer, PMTI implemented a stringent He bubble leak test for pump casing. For another customer, PMTI was able to sense He through a concrete driveway. The warm water piping, installed for ice removal, had a leak and the contractor needed to avoid ripping up the ¼-mile driveway.

Stainless steel pump casings, used in acid pumping situations, require testing to assure casing integrity. PMTI has installed a tank with portholes to permit viewing the casing while submerged. The casing is filled with Helium at 25 psi and the exterior is inspected for Helium bubbles.