The Iron Age 1925-10-29: Vol 116 Iss 18

THE IRON AGE New York, October 29, 1925 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 116, No. 18 Saving the Gray Iron Foundry Steps Are Recommended to Protect the Industry from Encroachments of Steel and Malleable Castings and of Forgings and Stampings BY DR. RICHARD MOLDEN KE patent fact for the pro- ducer of gray iron cast- ings that of late years the industry has_ retrogressed. The inroad of malleable and steel castings into the field of gray iron, whether this be by new foundries or newly added departments, must naturally alarm the man who for many years has pa- tiently and laboriously built up a business. If it were merely the failure of mush- room enterprises it would not be so bad. But when well-established foundries of even national fame either have to change a more or less extensive portion of their production from gray iron to steel or go out of business it becomes desirable to find the facts, study the causes, and seek the remedy —if any can be found and made effective. The easiest approach to facts and figures on the sub- just is to study the report of existing gray iron, mal- leable and steel foundries in the United States and Can- ada, as given in Penton’s Foundry List, issued bi- ennially. This list since 1912 has been sufficiently reliable to permit comparisons. While a mere enumeration of foundry entities does not constitute a measure of the advance or retrogression of the industry as a whole (for tonnages would have to be considered), it is a pretty safe indication of the situation, and can be re- garded as the vital statistics of American foundry de- velopment. The following table gives the totals of oper- ating foundries in North America, exclusive of Mexico, for the years indicated: 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 Gray iron foundries. 4,943 5,057 4,724 4,787 4,857 4,854 4,564 Malleable iron foun- dries 214 2138 268 268 374 239 318 332 426 449 409 374 The figures are illuminating, so far as individual enterprises are involved. We may regard 1912 as the culmination of the period previous to the war and hence not affected by conditions upsetting normal judg- ment, such as followed 1914. The figures for 1912 can lL is an unpalatable but 2 VOATHLEAAULNA EO OONEO AENEAN UE TOTAL LUNN Ht WLMUUUTN EAT POAUAAANAL AGT ON ESATA NATL AHI) UAUUANLNLAUETIULIAIULMIENYAASOUUAUOTAL EASON NUMAN Dr. Moldenke’s Program for Checking the Retrogression of the Gray Iron Foundry be assumed, therefore, as of normal development. Sim- ilarly 1924 can be regarded as a period representative of American conditions with slates wiped clean, and as normal as they are likely to HERE is a need in the field of be for a considerable time gray cast iron for a compre- hensive undertaking, amply sup- ported by funds and properly divided into groups, so that work able. In 1924 there were 7.7 can be done directly in the foun- per cent fewer individual dries and these be brought up to the modern level of equipment and operating methods. same 12 years malleable If the several distinctive lines of gray iron production could get to- gether on such a program the sav- ings effected and new prestige at- tained would be very great. Knowledge of the qualities and possibilities of cast iron, shared by maker and purchaser alike, to- gether with a thorough introspec- tion and resulting improvemént at home, would seem to be the best means of arresting the decline of a great industry. ahead. So that, whatever may be between the two years in question, the figures for these are fairly compar- foundries in operation than a decade earlier. During the castings foundries had in- creased 19.3 per cent in num- ber, and steel foundries 20.6 per cent, or about the same. This decline of the gray iron foundry—if it may be so designated—as shown by the series of figures given in the table, leaves much to be read between the lines. The normal development of an industry comes about by ex- isting plants increasing their capacity only after the de- mands can no longer be met with even forced production HUDDADOAADNNA AHN AUUAEOUAAED EL ELDOTOPEEROEAAU AT AATASUETNN SU DNLAN EAT THUNVYAQOUULUUDRSOONEGAEOSOQQAMEQUAOROHUDRONUUADUALEEUEDNALLOQGNUONOUGUOnUUYTpETEeLaagATEnTOedHTUUnUL AUT TgERRNNNEN es methods. This is sound enough, for the war has shown what equipment for peak loads has led to. But this policy on the other hand opens up the way for the establishment of new enterprises, on the assumption that where five plants have all hands full, to supply the demand there is room for a sixth establishment. It is such a policy that has recently caused the makers of east iron pipe to welcome the advent of foreign competition, since it merely gives surplus requirements to foreign mak- ers and does not encourage the building of new pipe plants by others than those now in the business, who have expanded only on a safe and sane basis. Steady Loss of Gray Iron Foundries The figures show that even if existing plants have increased their capacity during the 12 years in ques- tion there was need for more malleable and steel cast- ings plants. Indeed, it becomes a question whether the gray iron foundries remaining have really increased capacity very extensively. That even the malleable 1165 ESL ee Ren IN aM oe ree eR ee a meee ae ne 1166 and steel castings plants had over-extended is shown by the slump in foundry units following 1922. The gray iron foundry industry lost only 6 per cent in numbers, the steel castings industry lost 9 and the malleable castings industry—in spite of all the advertising done for it—fell away 16 per cent. The loss in gray iron foundries was a steady one whereas ner r+ per cent, n th there was no normal expansion commensurate with the size of the industry, even when figures rose i little from previous drops. Again it must not be lost sight of that the in- rease in malleable and steel castings plants does not ean tl all the foundries for gray iron which ceased operate became a total loss to their owners. True, ray it found) Ss very uneconomical for conve} I to eitner malleable or a steel plant, and hence sel S changed But sometimes the gray iron indry buildings are sold or torn down for replace- er I nore suitable structures for the other line of tings to be made. In fact many of the foundries ed in the malleable steel castings expansion art imply new departments in old works. Substitutions for Gray Iron Castings But naturally there are reasons for the regrettabl re on under discussion. It is patent that on aking of malleable castings was put upon entific basis in the early nineties of the last cen- nd knowledge of this became common property; y ifter, many castings formerly made in gray iron wel four better 1d lighter when of malleabl Similarly, as the art steel castings succes making i I ul y was developed out of steel] practice, enormous tonnages were captured from ths gray iron foundry without need of sales effort. In ‘ he malleable fou , today fighting off th nstant encroachments f steel in a losing gam whe eel is indicated } yper material to use int of advertising w revent such a change I t S the above argument it will be noted that the 17 p the alleable foundry to grow it the expense of the light gray iron castings indus try, as well as the steel foundry to cut into the heavy ni f gray ir work, without hope of recours« Added to this is the fact that a high degree of metal irg 1 skill is necessary n the malleable and the good work; and where there in buying castings for con- ru n purposs castings will not be selected from he gi iron foundry if steel or malleable will do ette Since the educational advantages of modern é ? uch that trained engineers are now in narg rywnere, it has come to a race in mprovement ha pound of iron must go furthe Gr iron naturally suffers. Not that gray iron cast ngs cannot be made well and are not made well; but tl legitimate field of their usefulness being constantly narrowed by the production of higher grad results in the other lines. It is up to the foundryman to see that rock-bottom is soon reached far as | Ss concerne Besides the natural law of selection, and the em- phasis placed upon this law by technical knowledge, there is the forced stimulation through associated ef rt in bringing the excellencies of steel and malleabl vefore the buying public. The trained buyer welcomes he technical information thus disseminated and put his disposal, but nevertheless judges by actual performance—even going the manufacturer one better by stiffening his specifications steadily. He discounts he merely advertising features of the propaganda in 1estion The uninformed lay buyer, however, can not naturally be so discriminating and here is just 1use for irritation on the part of the gray iron foundryman. Practically the only recourse he has } ] » go and a likewise Use of Stampings and Forgings There is, in addition to the above, another cause of loss of work to the gray iron founder, and that is the use of for stampings and forgings. The costlier foundry labor becomes, the the in- } steel greater THE IRON October 29, 1925 AGE roads by this division of the manufacturing steel in- dustry. The ease in turning out steel forgings, once the dies have been made, is perhaps the underlying thought in the development of the “long-life” mold for gray iron work. There is little difference between in- troducing molten metal between the closed halves of a coated iron mold and hot solid steel between closing steel dies under high pressure. A table of pig iron tonnages for a period of years will be of interest in this connection. There is given the total tonnage of pig iron made in the United States from 1910 to 1924, and of this the portion going respec- tively to the gray iron and the malleable foundry. Forge iron also is given inasmuch as it enters heavily into cast iron pipe mixtures. Pig Iron Production in the United States—Gross Tons Total } Found Malleable Forge Pig Iron ‘1 260,447 843,123 564,157 27,303,567 914 1,533,254 671,771 361,651 23,332,244 1918 5,145,260 1,117,914 393,932 39,054,644 +0 4.916.758 1.009.049 271.286 31,015,364 5,957,782 ] 10,951 318,048 36,925,987 2 2 ,lst 157,340 112,748 16,688,126 3 43 1,051,495 214,210 27,219,904 6 013 1.571.06 27.430 10,361,146 »,623,124 973,158 255,961 31,405,790 Small Growth of Foundry Pig Iron Production It is difficult to give an analysis of the above fig- Take for instance the malleable pig iron pro- It is well known that a very large tonnage of into the gray iron foundry because of the low phosphorus content; also for making chilled cast- rolls and parts of grinding and pulverizing The increasing tonnages of cast iron pipe ve correspondingly reduced quantities of forge pig ron g into the puddling mills. On the whole, however, it is astonishing to see how small has been the growth of foundry as well as malleable pig iron in the last dozen years as compared with that going into steel. There seems no question that the forced ex- pansion of the steel castings industry—now proved to over-expansion for some years to come—and of the stamping and forging industries has hurt the gray iron field much more than the aggressiveness of the malleable foundries. Indeed, the malleable castings situation is menaced very much by the development in small steel castings. As an quality ires. luction s voes ings, as machinery. ing pe al interesting sidelight on the struggle for production, some figures on the use of the electric furnace are given in the following: Penton’s Foundry List has the number of electric steel foun- dries in 1918 as 161. By 1920 these had increased to 206; 1922 saw this figure reduced to 202, and by 1924 the reduction had gone to 191. This is still over half the total number of steel foundries. The gray iron foundry cannot show more than two dozen plants equipped with electric furnaces, and these probably mostly in an auxiliary way. The malleable foundry in- dustry has but a few electric furnaces. All of which indicates that the best progress has been made in the steel foundry, where the greatest demand for quality is encountered. The excellent technical and administra- tive results obtained by an associated group of elec- tric steel castings producers has shown what can be accomplished in eliminating waste and systematizing foundry procedure. Future? What of the What the gray iron foundry do to turn the ide? The gray iron casting is too good and too cheap a product to be eliminated from the field. In every line of production today there are cogent reasons why gray iron castings should and will continue to be made. can Take as an example the ordinary stove. When made with high-phosphorus iron and in very fine sand it is a thing of beauty, not matched by either the stronger malleable or the steel stove. When finally scrapped it still serves the foundryman in his mix- tures. What is better than the fine, hard grain of the chilled roll for the steel mill? Cast iron pipe is far ahead of the steel article under corrosive influences. For large frames and base plates, for quiescent load applied in compression, for ease in machining, adapt- ability for intricate castings, general cheapness as 3 Rhett i Ra e Crt na aati Gt October 29, 1925 compared with other materials, cast iron cannot be surpassed. So it becomes a question of making special educational effort in two directions: first, that the purchasing interests be thoroughly informed on what the gray iron foundry can produce, and second, that the producing foundrymen be thoroughly informed upon and equipped for bringing out the highest type of castings. For years associated effort has been made to broadcast information on cast iron and some research has been made along special lines, such as testing. But at best the work has been done by individuals or small groups. There is a need in the field of gray cast iron for a comprehensive undertaking, amply sup- ported by funds and properly divided into groups, so that work can be done directly in the foundries and these be brought up to the modern level of equipment and operating methods. Great Britain, which was cer- tainly behind us in foundry progressiveness until re- cently, has passed us in the formation of the British Cast Iron Research Association. But even the excellent program of work there laid out is not sufficient to cover the needs of the situation. Added to pure re- search and thorough publicity for the results obtained there should be a study and classification of foundries such as was attained best in another field during the Reducing Costs of THE IRON AGE 1167 great war when Germany was in desperate straits with its coal supply. Stations were established in the centers of great consuming regions from which per- sonal investigation emanated, tabulating the uses and abuses of fuel. Without affecting the monetary in- terests of the parties investigated, information was given out where required to bring poor practice and equipment up to the best standards, and thus in due time almost a third of the fuel formerly required was saved to that country. If the several distinctive lines of gray iron pro- duction could get together on such a program the sav- ings effected and new prestige attained would be very great. The small group of electric steel producers above mentioned has the germ of the idea, and if such a germ were planted in gray iron foundry circles and prop- agated by concerted action and ample endowment, the gray iron foundry would quickly come up on a basis of an equal chance with the malleable and steel publicity development. In actual plant efficiency and possibilities, it would outstrip them. Knowledge of the qualities and possibilities of cast iron, shared by maker and purchaser alike, together with a thorough introspection and resulting improve- ment at home, would seem to be the best means of arresting the decline of a great industry. Cleaning Castings Plea for Greater Study and Better Application of Equipment —Hydraulic Methods BY J. H. EDUCING the cost of cleaning castings has usually not received the study given to other foundry operations. The paper emphasizes the need for more attention to this phase of foundry practice. It dis- cussess in detail the factors of shop practice in gen- eral which affect the cleaning operation. Molding sand, together with the use of a facing, is stated to be one of the factors which needs most careful attention. Proper placing of gates and risers and the composition of cores are discussed as factors which must be considered in advance of the produc- tion of the casting. The author believes that more castings are lost from the improper use of risers than from failure to use them. Even when sound reason- ing and study have been expended with regard to the number of risers, and their location on a par- ticular pattern, the casting may suffer from the lack or kind of treatment given the riser after the mold has been poured. Cleaning department equipment and the need for analyzing types of castings in respect to the equip- ment used are discussed in detail, together with the question of cost. Under the heading of grinding wheels the desirability of studying the bonds of wheels is brought out. Sand blasting and milling, as two separate opera- tions, are discussed and compared both individually and with relation to the cost of grinding after the casting has been put through the other operation. The author pointed out that certain ‘castings cannot be milled if the original intent of the pattern is to be retained. Discussion R. S. MacPherran, Allis-Chalmers Co., Milwaukee, pointed out that his company is using a hydraulic method for cleaning castings, which has resulted in great saving of time for the operation. Before cast- ings can be cleaned by this means, however, they have to be allowed to cool sufficiently to prevent cracks on the impact of the cold water. This results, in *Hopp-Patterson Co., Chicago. This is an abstract of a paper contributed on behalf of the Chicago Foundrymen’s Club at the Syracuse Meeting of the American Foundry- men's Association. HOPP* the case of large castings, in taking about as much over-all time as in the more usual methods of clean- ing, but the labor cost is greatly reduced. Hydraulic cleaning is primarily for the purpose of removing cleaning sand and at the same time shooting out the cores. The speaker referred to two specific instances, in one of which the time for the operation had been reduced from 130 hr. to 8 hr., while in the other case the cores had been shot out in 4 hr., compared with 132 hr. previously required for this purpose. It must be remembered that this method is not a complete method, for it still leaves the fins to be chipped out. It may produce some rusting on sur- faces, but this is of no moment in the final effect. The casting has to be allowed to cool enough so that the hand can almost be held on its surface. It then is subjected to water blast from several streams under a pressure of about 300 Ib. per sq. in. These are controlled by the operator in such manner as to clear out all loose material as quickly as possible. One speaker brought out the fact that, inasmuch as this sand, mixed with water, tends to clog up sewers, injunctions had been obtained in some cities where the hydraulic method was tried out. This dis- ability of the method has to be overcome by arrang- ing pits wherein the material can settle, after which the water is pumped out from the top, while the de- posited sand is taken up by grab buckets and put to other use. Dr. Richard Moldenke suggested as a future goal that we should work along lines which would tend eventually to doing away altogether with the need for cleaning castings. The Louisville Gas & Electric Co., Louisville, Ky., a subsidiary of the Standard Gas & Electric Co., Chicago, is preparing plans for a hydro-electric generating plant on the Ohio River near Louisville. The station will be designed for 13 units to develop an initial capacity of 108,000 hp. When completed, this station will have an ultimate output of 135,000 hp. and will cost approxi- mately $10,000,000. The engineering work is being carried out by the Byllesby Engineering & Manage- ment Corporation, Chicago. se A sala tenons oe ae tees tbe Shows Need for Price Stability President Gary Suggests Movement, with Government Aid, to Eliminate Destructive Competition—Institute Program Is of High Caliber Throughout MOVEMI l tal | ss, similar to that [ aertake! Dy tne iron and steel the so-called “Gary” dinners follow- f 1907, wa iggested by Elbert H. G ( rd, United States Steel Cor- ore the American Iron and The Gary’s remarks president. pro- Judge vhnicn ec luded he institute’s semi ting Hote ( modore, New York, Oct. consonant with an analysis of the business ndustry and a survey of the most recent United State Supreme Court inter Shern y L "A nd eel Ising this country is d be considered satisfactory,” said Judge the course of his address. “But,” he later 1 may say that, taking into account tment of capital by reason of extra ( ruction and otherwise, there has not been i asonable re n profits. Well, whose Can you blame the wealth of the country, r the 1: of crops, or the climate, or the present dis- osit f the Government? No, it is our own fault. It is because of our desire and effort, respectively, to ecure more than our fair share of trade, and, as a nsequence, we have carried competition to the point epting unreasonably low prices for our com tir . The prices of our commodities we r rather, we allow purchasers to fix, simply ( we are unreasonably selfish. It is because natural tendency some of us have thought there ought to be allowable some form of cooperation, which would be protective against imposition.” Gary Dinners Vindicated That perative effort such as were fostered DY e Gal nners were in the mind of the speaker was dicat her signficant pronouncements in his addr Among the most important was the stat e! 1 effect that the Gary dinners have been vin- cated. In Judge Gary’s own words on this point, “the tude assumed by the steel industry in 1908 is sub al ipproved by the Supreme Court in 1925.” This conclusion followed a comparison between por- ns of an address delivered at a Gary dinner on Dec. 10, 1908, and excerpts from a decision of the ted States Supreme Court on June 1, 1925, in a se entitled Maple Flooring Manufacturers’ Associa tion, et al., vs. the United States of America. Although e nam f the speaker at the 1908 meeting was not nentioned, reference to THE IRON AGE of Dec. 17, 1908, discloses that it was none other than Judge Gary himseif, The close parallels between his remarks at 1at time and the recent opinion of the court are strik ng. Among the salient points in the 1908 address was . . . As I understand, it is not improper for compet tors to meet and without reserve furnish full information and express opin- ions concerning the business affairs of all, provided the y are not acting under an agreement, express or implied. In the court opinion the same thought is expressed ] as follows: Trade associations or combinations of persons or corporations which openly and fairly gather and disseminate information as to the cost of their product, the volume of production, the actual price which the product has brought in past transactions, stocks of merchandise on hand, approzi- mate cost of transportation from the prin- cipal point of shipment to the points of consumption as did these defendants, and who, as they did, meet and discuss such in- formation and statistics without, however, reaching or attempting to reach any agree- ment or any concerted action with respect to prices or production or restraining com- petition, do not thereby engage in unlawful restraint of commerce. Stabilization of Prices Permitted In the address this further comment was made: , It is not wrong, even though any or all may be influenced regarding any particu- lar business, nor even though the result may be to prevent radical and unreasonable changes in prices. In the opinion: The natural effect of the acquisition of wider and more scientific knowledge of busi- ness conditions, on the minds of the indi- viduals engaged in commerce, and its conse- quent effect in stabilizing production and price can hardly be deemed a restraint of commerce, or, if so, it cannot, we think, be said to be an unreasonable restraint, or in any respect unlawful, In the address: We have been successful in securing sta- bility as opposed to demoralization. In the opinion: Exchange of price quotations of market commodities tends to produce uniformity of prices in the markets of the world. Knowl- edge of the supplies of available merchan- dise tends to prevent overproduction and to avoid the economic disturbances produced by business crises resulting from overpro- auction. The Law Abhors Destructive Competition After making these comparisons Judge Gary cau- tioned his audience that “there is no tendency on the part of the courts or any department of Government to ignore or to modify the effect of the Sherman law when properly interpreted and applied.... Any arrangement between different interests, direct or indirect, express or implied, calculated to maintain future prices of com- modities or services, conflicts with the Sherman law and will not be tolerated by the Government.” 1168 Aaland oF ‘es ’ eh bee a cna. October 29, 1925 On the other hand, he emphasized the fact that “full information by one to others concerning business is permitted. The law does not compel one to compete with another if one does not desire to do so, and the law especially abhors competition which is intended to be destructive, unconscionable and dishonest.” It was at this juncture that Judge Gary made the proposal which proved a surprise to many and has ar- rested the attention of the entire industry. What he said is given verbatim elsewhere in this account. Urges Wider Application of Golden Rule The application of the Golden Rule was also urged by the speaker as a means of curing present business ills. He said, in part: “The iron and steel industry of the United States, big as it is, cannot alone secure the general adoption of the Golden Rule in business. It can do much in this direction. Perhaps it has done considerable; but it is far from perfect, even as between its own members. MUU THE IRON AGE 1169 there was nothing to be gained from trying to get any business in the anteroom, finally saying, “You will be turning away business before our next meeting,” a statement which was rather generally quoted as though it had been formally stated in the course of the address itself, Great Prosperity in Sight The scope of the main address in the evening was broad. It touched not only on the regulation of cor- porations, but on business prospects, local conditians, national affairs, and the international situation. In dis- cussing the business outlook he said, “We have reason to hope and expect great prosperity.” In touching on local conditions, he pointed out the relationship between the crime wave and the general economic situation. “When law and order are defied and property and person thereby endangered, the natural progress of business is bound to be interrupted to some extent Suggests Stabilizing Effort with Government Counsel 6<é S a suggestion for consideration by the iron and steel industry, which is large and influential, would it be advisable,” asked Judge Gary, in his presidential address to the American Iron and Steel Institute, “to make another effort to stabilize the busi- ness? Suppose the Department of Justice would be willing to participate. If meetings should occasionally be held by the manufacturers for the discussion of business on the lines pursued in 1907, and a representative of the Department of Justice should be desig- : nated by the Attorney-General to attend and listen, and whenever necessary and appro- priate to advise concerning the law, what would be the effect upon the steel business, and perhaps other lines? Possibly this could be accomplished.” Live, active competition is desirable; but destructive, dishonest or unfair competition is deplorable and dep- recatory.” The point was stressed even more in Judge Gary’s remarks when he opened the morning session of the convention. He said: “The lack of success in our lines of business to a greater or less extent results from a lack of confidence in each other. We do not always believe what our neighbors say. We believe our neighbors are selfish in the extreme. We overlook the fact that it is just as true of ourselves. Members of the iron and steel industry, which has not always had the best reputation in business, have reached a moral and intellectual posi- tion in which it is realized that it is better from every standpoint for a man to be fair and square in business. Sad to say, we are at times negligent and careless in what we say, and seek to secure a little more business when times are dull because we think our stockholders will be better satisfied if we can make a little more money. We are blind to the fact that when seeking only a fair share, we manage to make a little more We are on the eve of great prosperity. To the extent that prosperity increases and mills are filled and order books are large, our honesty in dealing with each other will increase proportionately.” The wave of laughter following this remark in con- clusion of the informal address hastened Judge Gary to mention that it was only a practical suggestion that all should get out of the practice of trying unduly to get business from their competitors. There was then the usual confusion resulting from numbers making their way out of the room, whereupon Judge Gary, in attempting to secure quiet, mentioned jocularly that But there must be and there is being organized, lawful defense against criminal outrages.” On the subject of national affairs he said, in part: “Our people have been staggering under the bur- dens of heavy war taxes, national and local, income, inheritance and others, and high costs of living; and the action of discordant elements in Congress. These conditions have dispirited business men and to a con- siderable extent interfered with national progress. However, it would seem there has been a decided im- provement in national conditions.... It now seems probable that the next Congress as a whole will stand high in the estimation of the people of this country and other countries. There will be more harmony, less discord.” Importance of Locarno Convention In concluding an analysis of international affairs he said that the Locarno treaty “is the best single thing for the entire world that has’ happened since the ar- mistice was signed in November, 1918.” World affairs were dealt with, also, by the three other speakers at the banquet. Col. Francis Vernon Willey, president Federation of British Industries, outlined the problems confronting Europe in its economic reconstruction and emphasized the opportunity for the United States to take the lead in restoring irternational credit. In its economic posi- tion, he said, the United States is the strongest nation in the world and its responsibilities are proportionate. “The recent agreements at Locarno must encourage us all.” Dr. Peter Munch, Danish representative to the recent meeting of the Interparliamentary Union at a itn eds. nen, > Rees = se. Sl Ce TC ie. i I Spe TK de Washington and ds of Nations Denmark to the League egate ol also stressed the importance of the Locarno nvention. The bitter antagonism between Germany nd France has been the most serious obstacle to the ecovel Europe. With the settlement of that ques- ! others wv ve much easier of solution, he said It will vy be possible t ndertake limitation of land I lr emp! ne pr _ ing need for this é é lott Bi S tesman to the effect that ‘ A ! wal r war will destroy 1 Chat Nagel, retary of commerce in the President Taft, espoused the cause of in- commentin pon both international and ! roblems. Popular will for peace is far more thar y pact that politicians may write, he said. We have been worshippe1 he letter rather than I I r lispos oO! owarda ove! legislation is he great dange1 f our country There has ; = sed on the idea that human- THE IRON AGE October 29, 1925 ity can be standardized, he asserted. Any effort to substitute for the will of a man to be right and do good, compulsion to regulate his conduct operates for the deterioration of the whole community. Indifference of the great masses has permitted minorities to burden the country with ill-advised and harmful statutes. The great immediate problem is how democracy shall im- press itself. A solution will never come from the super- vision of one race by another. atmosphere of toleration. We can live only in an “We can have no imitation If an American is ashamed of where would douot the A mericanization. he comes hour of from, | him in stress.” Nearly 1400 were present at the banquet. The other In the opening meet- ing Judge Gary read letters to him from Powell Stack- house and Joseph G. Butler, Jr., both of whom regretted their inability to be present. sessions were also well attended. Brief abstracts of the technical papers and the dis- cussions follow. Properties and Types of Silicon Steel BY W. E. RUDER W E. RUDER, research department General Electric Co., Schenec- °¢ ady, N. Y., was born Dec. 22, 1886, at Stockdale, Pa. He was graduated in 1903 from the State Normal School at California, Pa., and in 1907 from the Pennsylvania State College in electrical engi- neering. He entered the research laboratories of the General Electric : Co. in the same year and for the last 10 years has specialized in mag- etic materials and ferrous metallurgy. He has been awarded numer- ous patents on improvements in magnetic materials and has contrib- ted many papers on metallurgical subjects to technical societies. He s a member of the National Research Council committee on fatigue of metals, welding, manganese conse rvation, ete. For the last five years he has been research metallurgist fo? the Gene ral Electric Co. at Schenectady and a consulting metallurgist for the transformer department of the same company at Pittsfield, Mass. ' ' a* far bacl 1885 Hopkinson studied the magnetic paratus, particularly in transformers. Twenty-five i and electrical properties of silicon alloys contain- years ago the best material available had a loss of ng up to 3.4 per cent silicon, and in 1896 Parshall dis- the effect of 1 per cent silicon upon the magnetic properties of steel, but no real interest was aroused in Hadfield, who in 1889 had published more of the mechanical properties of a series of silicon alloys, pub- I with Barrett and Brown the results of properties. While these did not show better than had been obtained on good un- alloyed materials, the improvement over the basic ma- terials was promising and this, combined with the high trical resistivity, was quickly recognized as being combination of properties for a core mate- rial for electrical apparatus. In the United sneets Was AaiISsSO cussed silicon steeis until the results of his complete investigation lished in UU tests on magnetk any values ele desirable States the commercial production of quickly and one of the leading electrical companies made its first silicon steel transformer in 1904 and by 1905 the new material was in regular production. Since the original work by Hadfield, a great deal of detailed study of the magnetic properties of established core core and mechanical iron-silicon al- loys has been carried out. [The author here he constitution t and me hani al properties of silicon steel. ] diss usses Magnetic Uses By far the greatest economic value of silicon steel has been in its use as a core material for electrical ap- over 1% watts per lb. at 10,000 B and 60 cycles, and was very unstable. When freshly annealed it might have such a value, but if tested after a year’s service this value was frequently found to have doubled. With such limitations, the progress made by the electrical industry today would have been impossible. Many at- tempts have been made to estimate the value of silicon steel in terms of savings in power, but anything like an accurate estimate is impossible. If we consider only the transformers made in the United States, and assume that only those made during the last 10 years are in service now, the saving in watt loss alone for 1925 due to the use of silicon steel comes to $15,000,000 per year, which yearly saving is being added to, at the present rate of transformer produc- tion, to the amount of approximately $3,000,000 per year. These figures do not take into consideration the large saving in material and construction expense over that required to produce the same capacity in transformers with non-silicon cores. Transformers of over 50,000 kva. capacity are now being built with silicon steel cores, but it is doubtful if machines of half this capacity would be practical without silicon steel, because of their bulk and weight. While the greatest usefulness of silicon steel has been in the construction of transformers, the last decade has witnessed a rapid growth in its use for motors and generators, so that the production of “elec- Mao + FER: canter eee if aca TE, ae. icc al at MO 2 enna k ce a a a aa October 29, 1925 trical sheets,” as they are now generally termed, has taken an important place in the steel business of the country. {Mr. Ruder then treats fully of the magnetic prop- erties of this steel, followed by a discussion of the ef- fect of certain mechanical operations on the sheets and of testing.] The rapid increase in the growth of the electrical industry and the prospects for its future development, together with the increasing necessity for conservation of energy, all presage a large increase in the use of silicon sheets, for so far, although diligent search has been made, no substitute has been found. That the steel industry is aware of this is evidenced by the in- crease in the number of producers. Just as electricity has become indispensable to our present-day civiliza- tion, so silicon steel has become indispensable to the electrical industry. Discussion Dr. John A. Mathews, Crucible Steel Co. of America, New York, in discussing Mr. Ruder’s paper said that it was a clear, concise presentation of the metallurgical and magnetic properties of silicon alloy steel. That the author has modestly refrained from any direct mention of his own contributions to the subject was evident. His studies of silicon steel have led to valuable, prac- tical results and “we have been listening to an authority on this subject.” “Under the heading, ‘Mechanical Properties’ the author makes a brief reference to the usual high static properties conferred on medium carbon steels by silicon. So far as elastic limits and ultimate strength are con- Alloy Steel from BY F. E. LECTRIC steel was introduced to this country in a commercial way in the year 1906, and its progress from that time up-to the period of the World War was indeed very slow, as the country’s demands for high grade steel products were being pretty well taken care of by the open-hearth and crucible processes. As is well known, the World War created a demand for electric steel, as specifications for the various ord- nance products required by our Army and Navy were in many instances too rigid to be readily met by steels of other processes. The failure of crucibles at that time likewise had considerable influence, especially in the tool steel field, and, accordingly, the industry was given no little impetus, in fact perhaps a bit too much. Dr. John A. Mathews, one of our real pioneers, years ago ventured the prediction that a period of reaction and dissatisfaction with electric furnace prod- ucts would follow their rapid introduction, and the wis- dom of this statement has been since amply justified. It might, however, be well to recall a similar period in the introduction of the basic open-hearth, and all in all, in spite of a national post-war slump, the electric steel industry today appears to be on a commercially sound basis and its future, in spite of all possible oppo- sition, looks very bright. An attempt is made in this paper to justify the existence in a commercial sense of the electric furnace by a simple presentation of its advantages, together with a brief treatise on the general methods of steel making procedure which are in use throughout the country today. It would seem that a theoretically ideal unit for the production of the highest grades of steel would offer the following advantages or features: Efficient melt- ing; a means for most thorough deoxidation; a means for the removal of phosphorus and sulphur; no loss of alloys, temperature attainability and control; absolute degasification either in the presence of silicon or with- out; accurate control of analysis; flexibility that will *Sales engineer Republic Carbon Co., Niagara Falls, N. Y THE IRON AGE 1171 cerned, they are not exceeded by the more unusual and expensive elements and, considering their high elastic limit and hardness, they show very good ductility. The speaker has seen a 0.50 per cent carbon silicon-man- ganese steel treated to give 225,000 lb. per sq. in. elas- tic limit and 450 Brinnell hardness, which showed 10 per cent elongation in 2 in. and 45 per cent reduction of area, “Mr. Ruder states that these steels are limited in their use by their low impact strength. This seems to be a rather prevalent idea. It is my experience that, when incomplete hardening occurs, the physical proper- ties are not what they should be. Under-heating, as well as over-heating, is a frequent cause of erratic re- sults. I find very few figures available on the shock resistance of silico-manganese steels, but some years ago we made an investigation of several types of spring steel as influenced by low temperatures. Silico-man- ganese steel showed 3 to 8 times as much resistance to shock as a good carbon spring steel containing 1 per cent carbon, but was somewhat lower than chrome- vanadium spring steel, though by no means would we consider it a brittle steel. The carbon steel was the only one in our series which seemed to be affected by the low temperature. A special type of silicon spring steel, containing between 3 and 3.50 per cent silicon, has been found particularly suitable for recoil springs for big guns which would not be the case if the steel were in any way subject to shock brittleness. “The writer does not like to see a good steel given a bad name and welcomes this opportunity to clear up the misapprehension that is somewhat widespread fn regard to silicon engineering structural steels.” Electric Furnaces CLARK permit the making of any type of steel; simplicity of design and operation, and commercial practicability. No unit in existence today completely fits these specifications, but the electric arc type furnace comes closer to filling the bill than anything available at this time. Three-phase, 3-arc type furnaces are naturally most suitable and their practicability has been well proved by some 19 years of service in this country. Acid and basic methods have been adapted to suit requirements, but with few exceptions the acid hearth has been used in the carbon steel casting field, whereas the basic process has for the most part been confined to the making of ingots and manganese steel castings. Most electric steel is made from charges of cold scrap, this method having proved cheaper in the aver- age plant, although the so-called duplex process can be efficiently operated where a supply of cheap hot metal is at all times available. There has been unlim- ited discussion as to the relative merits of cold scrap and duplex methods particularly in regard to quality of product, but it would seem sufficient to state that, with both handled properly, there is really no differ- ence in quality. [The author then discusses the basic and the acid electric processes. } Although the electric furnace is now on a very firm basis in the industrial world, it has not taken the place it justly deserves for a number of reasons. Early troubles built up considerable prejudice which has not entirely disappeared. Some of the early installations made in open-hearth plants met with failure because of the attempted application of open-hearth steel mak- ing methods. Installations made in plants operating crucible furnaces invariably met with immediate suc- cess, perhaps because of the fact that the crucible man had first in mind the production of a quality product. It is a fact that today the quality of electric steel is on a higher plane than ever before. One possible application of the electric furnace to the so-called ton- nage products is in the making of rails. As far back as 1912, microscopic examination of hundreds of speci- 1172 mens indicated a marked superiority of the electric rail to that of the open-hearth process, it being freer THE IRON AGE October 29, 1925 from dirt, slag inclusions and segregates, all of which are characteristic of high-quality electric steel. Recent Developments in Stainless Steel BY DONALD G. CLARK AL . dD ( . Foul, a Co., the technical io Stee with the Treating. ol HHI OUR committee for dis cussion at this meeting very appropriately marked the tenth anniversary of Harry Brearley’s application for an American patent on " in selecting stainless steel what he described as “an alloy of steel which is practically untarnishable when hardened.” About five years ago Elwood Haynes read to you a paper on “Stainless Steel” which was ably discussed by John L. Cox and Dr. John A. Mathews and covered the development to that time. Progress dur- ing the past five years has been so rapid that our lead- ing technical societies have been devoting whole periods at their meetings to resistant steels and alloys. “Stainless” is an excellent name for a non-rusting, corrosion-resisting and heat-resisting steel. Commer- cially the name has come to mean that group of steels which have a high chromium content, generally from 8 to 25 per cent chromium, and this paper will be lim ited to those steels wherein predom- inant alloy. [The author gives a résumé of the historical phase and devotes several pages to the patent situation, fol- annual symposia on corrosion- chromium is the lowed by a brief discussion of processes. ] Types of Stainless Steel The original composition selected as typical, namely, 13 per cent chrome and 0.30 per cent carbon, is still the standard type for cutlery, dies, machine parts and other purposes where the maximum resistivity, hard- Val ious ness and resiliency are required modifications have been made to improve certain properties or over- come certain limitations of this standard type. While the technical societies which are endeavoring to stand- ardize and nomenclature have decided that the time has not yet arrived to classify corrosion-resisting alloys, I believe for the purpose those which are included under the name stainless steel may a broad way into the following types: steels of this paper be divided in (na) Qe ndard ¢ ‘ ' pe (b) Hard Cutlery pe (c) High Carbon T (d) Soft Stee ‘I (e) Stainless Iror (f) Valve Type (z) Nickel (h) Copper Typ dea [These various discussed in the order mentioned. The first is treated in detail covering prop- erties, resistance to heat and heat treatment.] types are Stainless Iron Type Composition. Owing to the density and hardness of stainless steel of the original type, efforts were made UUM TELA CLARK, eastern manager Firth-Sterling Steel Co., was born in South Bend, Ind., in 1884. graduated from a technical preparatory school in 1903 he was em- oyed by Edward S. Jackman, western agent of the Firth-Sterling Chicago, later becoming a partner. resident partner at Pittsburgh. was appointed to his present position, which he assumed in 1919. On side, in treatment plants, he was among the first to develop the use of salt baths for treating high-speed steel. cago heat treating organization, which later merged with the Detroit society and became the present organization, the American Society His recent technical work has been in connection introduction of stainless steel. After being In 1910 he was made While in France on war work he charge of the company’s experimental heat He assisted in starting the Chi- at an early date to modify it so that it would not re- quire heat treatment and so that it could be more read- ily used as raw material in the manufacture of forged, stamped, pressed and machined articles for those pur- poses in industry, commerce and personal use where ex- treme strength is not required but resistance to cor- rosion is desirable. - The development of this type was retarded because of the difficulty in introducing chromium in the steel and maintaining a low carbon, but improvements in methods have made possible the manufacture of a com- position containing from 10 to 19 per cent chromium and having a carbon content of 0.12 per cent or less. This material is soft, malleable, can be cold worked without great difficulty, and while much stronger it resembles wrought iron in many ways. Therefore, in selecting a name for this type it has been called “Stain- less Iron,” although it is in reality an extremely low carbon form of steel, since it is manufactured by melt- ing in electric furnaces. It has almost the same re- sistance to corrosion as heat treated stainless steel and, while heat treatment is not necessary to produce stain- lessness, the physical properties of the iron may be greatly improved by heat treatment. For turbine blades the stainless iron type, carefully heat treated, has proved superior to stainless steel and it is possible to procure bar steel of the stainless iron type, having guaranteed physical properties which meet the Government’s requirements indicated in the following table: Physical Properties of Stainless Iron for Turbine Blades E