INDUSTRY
Erector set feature of General Eleotric's new metals and ceramics lab building allows structural members to be assembled quickly and altered as the pilot plant processes a r e developed and perfected. Here engineers examine one of the adjustable corner columns
Latest Merger: Metals a n d Ceramics N e w G e n e r a l Electric $ 5 million research facility puts metallurgy and ceramics side by side in "factory" SCrïENECTADY.-"This is what our scientists wanted a n d this is what the company has given them." These words were echoed by J. C . Holloman, manager of General Electric's metallurgy and ceramic research, in describing the new metals and ceramics laboratory scheduled for dedication this week. Representing $5 million of a planned $ 1 3 million over-all GE lab expansion program, the n e w facility is claimed to b e the world's most complete processing lab of its kind. Located on the grounds of General Electric's research center, T h e Knolls, the n e w building is claimed to b e one of t h e most unusual laboratories ever designed. Measuring 288 by 130 feet, the facility looks more like a factory than a laboratory. L a r g e hammers, vacuum furnaces, rolling mills, and a gigantic extrusion press adorn the main operating floor. T h e r e is, however, one major difference between the new lab a n d a plant—complete freedom from production schedules. All equipment is operated under laboratory condiVOLUME
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tions, with emphasis on measurement and control. Why α "Factory Size" Lab? Ideas for new materials and processing fre quently come "pencil a n d paper" a n d "test tube" work in basic research. Often times research workers must know h o w n e w materials will b e h a v e under actual industrial conditions. T o do this, new products and processes must b e tested on a large scale. I n t h e case of metals and ceramics, a building capable of duplicating or simulating commercial applications, necessarily must b e of factory size. Also, in a laboratory of this type, p i lot operations are transitory. Ideas b e ing studied either prove their merits i n test programs and are then forwarded to production plants, or are sent back t o basic research for further investigation. Hence, a versatile building, one readily adaptable to a variety of unpredictable projects, is needed. Lab Is Giant "Erector S e t . " Flexi bility in handling various projects is gained from the internal structure of
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this lab. Resembling a giant "erector set," the building was constructed to enable rapid assembly and alteration of equipment when necessary. Bolting holes, aligned throughout the building, from floor to roof, provide desired ver satility. Traveling cranes can lift new structural members into place or move heavy equipment about on short notice. Besides structural diversification, ad ditional flexibility is gained through the power and service facilities distributed throughout the building. These in clude compressed air, high and low pressure steam, vacuum, and distilled water. Also available are nitrogen, oxygen, standard hydrogen, dried hy drogen (dew point —90° C ) , cooling water, and hot and cold tap water. Other Labs Too. Heart of the met als and ceramics building is the main operating floor. Operations carried out here are believed by G E to be un usual in scope and equipment. Divided into seven laboratories, the main floor contains equipment such as the arc-melting furnace, vacuum fur naces, an extrusion press, hot slabbing and rod mills, a hot strip mill, and 2500 pound hammers. This equipment is distributed among the following labs: foundry; vacuum and inert arc-melting; vacuum induction; fabrication; heat treatment; powders, and coatings. Aside from the above labs, support ing facilities have been placed in a wing of the main building. These include the chemical analysis lab, elementary metallographic equipment area rooms, and a mechanical properties laboratory. Also, there is a magnetic, dielectric, and ferroelectric testing lab and a general purpose room for small scale experi mental work by the technical staff. Necessary administrative and clerical offices are located in the second story of the main building wing. What Will Be Accomplished Here? Since the studies are closely allied, ce ramic and metallurgical facilities have been placed side by side. Both metals and ceramics are crystalline solids and the laws governing their behavior are identical. GE hopes that putting these sciences under the same roof will de velop close liaison and interchange or information among the technical staffs. GE believes information interchange will be invaluable in converting re search finds to practical applications. Although somewhat noncommittal about exact future plans, G E has de fined specific objectives for the new fa cility. These are: ( 1 ) development of new metal and ceramic materials and processing techniques, ( 2 ) pilot plant studies of significant processes, (3) transfer of proved processes to G E op3467
INDUSTRY. erating divisions, and (4) preparation of metal and ceramic materials for basic experimental studies. Work now in progress at the new lab includes the development of turbine
buckets for jet aircraft engines. Such devices must be able to operate at very high temperatures. This means development of alloys capable of resisting "unheard of" temperatures.
Aluminum: Present a n d Future N e w c o m e r , A n a c o n d a , starts production; A l c o a considers a l u m i n a a d d i t i o n ; Reynolds starts big expansion A LUMINUM S
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·**' since 1946 has started production: Anaconda Aluminum has formally opened its $65 million primary aluminum plant at Columbia Falls, Mont. The company expects the new plant to reach planned capacity rate of 120 million pounds annually by Jan. 1. Alumina for Anaconda's plant—120,000 tons of it per year—comes from Reynolds' plants at Corpus Christi, Tex., and Hurricane Creek, Ark., under long term purchase contracts. Plant design is an adaptation of France's largest producer, Pechiney. Anaconda says the French technology adopted for the Columbia Falls plant is predicted to produce aluminum at the lowest rate of power consumption. There are two potlines (240 pots) in the four 1180-foot long pot buildings. The first potline of 120 pots went into operation Aug. 15 with the pouring of the first pig. T h e second potiine is scheduled for mid-October. Production of the new plant is expected to be divided into four categories. Harvey Machine, by a 1952 agreement, has option to purchase a portion of the production. Anaconda's two fabricating subsidiaries, Anaconda Wire & Cable and American Brass, will take a part of their requirements of aluminum from this plant. A substantial portion of Columbia Falls' annual output will be sold in the open market. Regarding amount of aluminum likely to reach the open market, Anaconda says its "primary sales goal for the Columbia Falls' output will b e to sell the largest possible proportion to independent regular consumers of primary aluminum in the areas where freight rates are reasonable." The Columbia Falls' company is 95% owned by Anaconda. Harvey Machine retains 5% interest in Anaconda Aluminum. This relationship goes back to 1952 when Anaconda Aluminum was organized from Harvey, which had power contracts, a certificate of necessity, and other assets which were transferred to the Anaconda organization. Reynolds' $ 2 3 0 Million Plans. As a result of its latest plans, Reynolds expects to have a i.i-billion pound pri346S
mary aluminum capacity in the foreseeable future. Current plans call for total expenditures of $230 million in the program. About $200 million of this will be devoted to the 270 million pound expansion of primary producing and related facilities. This will include new bauxite mines in Haiti and Jamaica and a giant coal-burning power plant. The remaining $30 million will b e used for fabricating facilities, principally for modernization and enlargement of present plants. Application has been made for tax amortization certificates covering primary producing and related facilities. Additions to present plants, providing 70 million pounds of new primary capacity are scheduled for completion in 1956. Construction, amounting to $22.5 million, will start immediately, adding 50 million pounds of capacity at the company's Alabama plant and 20 million pounds at its Texas plant. Principal feature of the company's expansion program is a proposed new 200 million pound primary production plant in the Ohio River Valley. It would cost $168.5 million including related bauxite, power, and alumina
facilities. A u n i q u e feature of this plant will be its 300,000 kw. p o w e r station which will utilize coal from adjacent company-owned deposits (Alcoa's Rockdale, Tex., plant is using lignite for p o w e r ) . T o supply the necessary fuel, mining facilities capable of providing over a million tons of coal a year are planned. Reynolds also says that to assure adequate supplies of bauxite for its increased primary capacity, operations will be expanded in all four of the company's bauxite mining areas: Haiti, Jamaica, British Guiana, and Arkansas. A. new ore carrier is also included in the program. As a result, over a million additional tons of bauxite a year will be available to m e e t the company's needs. More Alcoa A l u m i n a ? Providing it will have a ship channel, Alcoa is considering construction of a $35 million alumina plant at Point Comfort, Tex., site of an aluminum reduction plant. However, before it goes ahead with construction of the plant it wants assurance from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers that a 30-foot navigation channel will be built in Matagorda Bay. Construction and maintenance of trie ship channel and turning basin w o u l d permit ore carriers to bring South American or Caribbean bauxite directly to Alcoa's plant. Alcoa says it will build the new plant if it is assured by mid-1956 that the channel will be completed b y early 1958, scheduled completion time o n the alumina plant. Alcoa proposes to install dock equipment costing about $ 3 million and to provide road a n d rail rights of way across its property to t h e dock area.
This newest primary aluminum producer was formally opened Aug. 15 at ceremonies held at the Columbia Falls, Mont., plant site. The $65 million facility is owned by Anaconda Aluminum. It is expected to reach capacity rate of 120 million pounds annually by Jan. 1. The high tension lines (top, center) lead to Hungry Horse Dam
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