Laboratory
Global Titanium supports an extensive laboratory
for the analysis of inbound raw materials and outbound products. The
lab enables Global Titanium to monitor the quality of its products
throughout the production cycle. In order to insure testing is uniform
and results are reliable, detailed procedures have been developed for the
lab employees. In addition, all of Global Titanium's lab equipment is
subjected to stringent, routine testing to insure it is performing
correctly. Global Titanium is committed to insuring the lab personnel
and lab equipment are accurate and efficient.
There are three key points during processing that Global
Titanium evaluates material through the lab to insure quality. The
first is upon receipt of raw materials, the second is during interim points
in process, and the third is final testing prior to the shipment of finished
goods. All of the testing performed by Global Titanium is designed to
characterize raw materials, enabling Global Titanium to produce a consistent
final product from inconsistent raw materials.
Receipt of Raw Materials
Raw materials are evaluated upon receipt to insure that
they meet appropriate criteria for processing. This testing can be
broken into two groups: testing of titanium solids and testing of titanium
turnings.
The
majority of testing of titanium solids is accomplished with the use of two
Vericheck TestMaster Pro units and three Spectrotest units. Testing is performed on material after
receipt and before the material is released to the plant for consumption.
Depending on the type of material received, solids are subject to either a
general evaluation or a 100% sort wherein each piece of metal is tested
independently. The metal is segregated by type and released to the
plant for a number of different processes.
When titanium turnings are received, samples are taken
and evaluated for the presence of oil, moisture, and magnetic content.
These results are then reported to the buyer for review before receipts are
settled for payment. To see a complete description of the sampling and
testing procedure Global Titanium uses,
click here.
In-Process Analysis
For
several of Global Titanium's products, an additional round of analysis is
performed during the processing of the product. Typically this occurs
when processing of material involves some type of blending or if the process
changes the characteristics of the metal. The best example of this is
ferrotitanium. Ferrotitanium is produced by melting titanium scrap to
produce a 70% titanium product. For each 2,000 lb heat of
ferrotitanium, a sample is taken and analyzed in the lab. The analysis is then recorded along with
other analyses from other heats and the analyses are used to create a blend
of material to meet customer specifications. Once the product is
blended additional testing, such as tap density or apparent density,
may be performed if required by the customer.
Global
Titanium also performs analysis on titanium scrap products during processing
to insure they will meet customer specifications. In order to prepare samples for analysis, a button
furnace is used to melt the titanium so that the sample is uniform and can
be tested properly. Once the testing is performed, results are again
recorded and used either for blending or as a mid-process check to insure
processing is having the desired effects on the metal.
Final Testing
Before products leave Global Titanium premises,
verification is required that the product meets the customer's required
chemical composition. Depending on the product in question, this
testing may have been completed during the processing. If it was not,
however, testing is performed before the product is shipped. Once results are achieved, they are compared with the customer's required
specifications to insure the product meets the needs of the customer.
