A facility with an annealing system including one or more (typically a plurality of) autonomous vehicles, e.g., shuttles, cars, etc., which autonomous vehicles each receive sheet metal coils, e.g., one, two, or more sheet metal coils, and move the sheet metal coils about the facility. The sheet metal coils generally include aluminum coils, though other sheet metal coils, such as brass, copper, steel, etc. coils, can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The annealing system also can include a stationary unit or component, or a plurality of stationary units, configured to dock with the autonomous vehicles to facilitate annealing of the coils on or within the autonomous vehicles.

This plated steel includes: a steel; and a plating layer formed on the steel, in which the plating layer contains, as a chemical composition, by mass %, Zn: 1.0% to 30.0%, Mg: 0% to 10.0%, Si: 0.05% to 10.0%, Fe: 0 to 10.0%, 0% to 5.00% in total of one or two or more selected from Ca: 0% to 3.00%, Sb: 0% to 0.50%, Pb: 0% to 0.50%, Sr: 0% to 0.50%, Sn: 0% to 1.00%, Cu: 0% to 1.00%, Ti: 0% to 1.00%, Ni: 0% to 1.00%, Mn: 0% to 1.00%, Cr: 0% to 1.00%, La: 0% to 1.00%, Ce: 0% to 1.00%, Zr: 0% to 1.00%, and Hf: 0% to 1.00%, and a remainder of Al and impurities, a microstructure of the plating layer contains an phase which is a solid solution of Al and Zn, and the phase contains a Zn phase having a grain size of 10 to 200 nm in a number density of 10/100 m.sup.2 or more.

According to the present disclosure, a heat treatment apparatus includes a heating treatment unit that heat-treats a strip-shaped sheet while transferring the strip-shaped sheet, and a cooling unit that cools the strip-shaped sheet having been heat-treated in the heating treatment unit while transferring the strip-shaped sheet. The cooling unit includes a cooling roller that allows a refrigerant to flow through the inside thereof, and an outer wall that surrounds the space in which the cooling roller is disposed. The heat treatment apparatus may further include a take-up unit in which the strip-shaped sheet having been cooled in the cooling unit is wound.

There is a vacuum heat treatment apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber; a stage disposed in the vacuum chamber and having a substrate placing surface on which a substrate is placed; a heater provided in the stage; a partition member configured to partition a part of an internal space of the vacuum chamber to form a gas processing space between itself and the substrate placing surface of the stage; and a gas supply configured to supply gas to the gas processing space.

A powder metal composition for high wear and temperature applications is made by atomizing a melted iron based alloy including 3.0 to 7.0 wt. % carbon; 10.0 to 25.0 wt. % chromium; 1.0 to 5.0 wt. % tungsten; 3.5 to 7.0 wt. % vanadium; 1.0 to 5.0 wt. % molybdenum; not greater than 0.5 wt. % oxygen; and at least 40.0 wt. % iron. The high carbon content reduces the solubility of oxygen in the melt and thus lowers the oxygen content to a level below which would cause the carbide-forming elements to oxidize during atomization. The powder metal composition includes metal carbides in an amount of at least 15 vol. %. The microhardness of the powder metal composition increases with increasing amounts of carbon and is typically about 800 to 1,500 Hv50.

A powder metal composition for high wear and temperature applications is made by atomizing a melted iron based alloy including 3.0 to 7.0 wt. % carbon; 10.0 to 25.0 wt. % chromium; 1.0 to 5.0 wt. % tungsten; 3.5 to 7.0 wt. % vanadium; 1.0 to 5.0 wt. % molybdenum; not greater than 0.5 wt. % oxygen; and at least 40.0 wt. % iron. The high carbon content reduces the solubility of oxygen in the melt and thus lowers the oxygen content to a level below which would cause the carbide-forming elements to oxidize during atomization. The powder metal composition includes metal carbides in an amount of at least 15 vol. %. The microhardness of the powder metal composition increases with increasing amounts of carbon and is typically about 800 to 1,500 Hv50.

A heating coil of a heat treatment apparatus is configured to inductively heat an elongated workpiece having a recessed lateral surface. The heating coil includes a base conductor and a projected conductor. A width of the projected conductor is narrower than a width of the base conductor. The projected conductor is arranged to project toward the recess from a position of the base conductor. The base conductor and the projected conductor are arranged to extend in a longitudinal direction of the workpiece. A heat treatment apparatus includes a cooling section and the heating coil. A heat treatment method uses the heating coil described above.

In various embodiments, electronic devices such as touch-panel displays incorporate interconnects featuring a conductor layer and, disposed above the conductor layer, a capping layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.

In various embodiments, electronic devices such as touch-panel displays incorporate interconnects featuring a conductor layer and, disposed above the conductor layer, a capping layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.

A method of forming a finished component in a hot stamp cell having a press to form a blank in to a finished component. The press has a form tool and a piercing tool and the method includes the steps of inserting a blank in to the form tool in a first metallurgical condition, operating the press to close the form tool and form the blank, dwelling the press with the form tool closed while the blank changes from the one metallurgical condition to another metallurgical condition, and maintaining the blank within the form tool while operating the piecing tool when the other condition is attained.