Each report contains details about the workpiece being stressed relieved (including material composition, configuration, and function), treatment details on how to use the vibratory stress relief system (including critical information on set-up), chart data documenting real-time workpiece response to treatment, and customer conclusions based on post-treatment machining and alignment evidence, and other evaluation techniques.
More information on Job Stories & Reports…
THE ROSE CORPORATION – Carpenter Job
THE ROSE CORPORATION, a Job Shop specializing in large components, is a regular user of VSR Technology Group’s stress relieving service. In this project, a 418″ L, 30-ton mild steel weldment, an Ingot Stripper for CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY, was stress relieved on the shop floor in less than three hours.
Continue Reading >MH EBY
M H EBY MANUFACTURING, located in central Pennsylvania, is a manufacturer of horse and livestock trailers, and truck bodies. A plant upgrade involved installation of a robotic welding manufacturing cell. EBY’s fabrication shop welded the main frame for the robot. To assure dimensional accuracy, they called upon VSR Technology’s On-Site Stress Relief Service. Other considerations for using the service included speed and convenience of having it stress relieved within a few hours, and not having to transport the Frame to a Heat Treater. The welded square-tubing frame was 134″ L, 69″ W, 8″ H, and weighed 1075 lbs.
Continue Reading >HARRIS STRUCTURAL STEEL
At the direction of NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (NYDOT), HARRIS STRUCTURAL STEEL undertook a heat-straightening of a 60’L, 86,500 pound bridge segment, which resulted in unacceptable distortion. The addition of internal bracing near each end of the segment resolved the distortion, however NYDOT required that a stress relief be done, to ensure structural integrity. The most practical means of doing so was the VSR Process.
Continue Reading >THREE D METAL – Clamshell Buckets
THREE D METAL is a SE South Carolina fabrication and machine shop of large components for a variety of industries. As a previous user of VSR Technology’s On-Site Service, we were the vendor of choice to stress relieve a pair of Clamshell Bucket Halves, each half weighing 24.5 tons, being manufactured for the steel industry.
Continue Reading >THREE D METAL – Gerdau Ameristeel
THREE D METAL has employed VSR Technology On-Site Service on two previous projects, involving 250-ton capacity Lifting Yokes and 400-ton capacity Clamshells. In this latest project, performed at GERDAU’s Knoxville, TN mill, a Lower Shell for an electric arc furnace, measuring 30′ L, 20′ W, and 10′ H, was stress relieved in less than 3 hours using the VSR Process. In addition to relieving the weld stresses produced in THREE D METAL’s shop during fabrication, the Job also required stress relieving a full-length field weld, joining the two Furnace Halves.
Continue Reading >REES COMPANIES – Timet Job
THE REES COMPANIES, a job-shop located West of Philadelphia, PA. As a previous user of VSR Technology’s On-Site Stress Relief Service, we were the vendor of choice to stress relieve a Down-Ender Metal Processing Assembly being fabricated for TIMET. This mild steel weldment measured 16’L X 11’W X 5.5’H, and weighed 3 tons. REES cited both the speed of the VSR Process, and the completeness and quality of stress relief documentation as key reasons for again choosing the service.
Continue Reading >CAMERON COMPRESSOR
The Compression Systems Division of CAMERON (formerly COOPER COMPRESSION, COOPER ENERGY SERVICES, and COOPER TURBOCOMPRESSOR) is a leading manufacturer of reciprocating and centrifugal compressors. When three (3) 151″ L, cast iron Compressor Frames (manufactured in China) displayed distortion after final machining, it became evident that the Chinese manufacturer’s thermal stress relief treatment had not been effective. Because the Frames had already been final machined, CAMERON needed to find a way to save them from becoming scrap. VSR Technology’s resonant frequency vibratory stress relief process proved to be the answer to saving the Frames.
Continue Reading >VULCAN MACHINERY
VULCAN MACHINERY chose AIRMATIC INC’s VSR Technology Group to stress relieve welded, heavy-walled, 5-ton steel rings in preparation for precision machining. Using a VSR-8000 System, the job was done on-site at the fabrication shop, and resulted in stable and accurate precision components.
Continue Reading >CND INCORPORATED
Large distortion during separation of 9500 HP Fan Housing halves led a large fabrication shop to explore the VSR Process as an alternative to heat straightening. The results obtained using the VSR-8000 System were significant: a 90% reduction in the distortion that had plagued CND in the past.
Continue Reading >THE ROSE CORPORATION – Reading Crane Job
A large-scale job shop, subcontracted VSR Technology to stress relieve a mild steel weldment, a 135-ton capacity lifting component for a READING CRANE AND ENGINEERING overhead crane. The workpiece had an overall size of 17′ X 15′ X 2′, and weighed 23,600 lbs. For this job, VSR Technology used its latest model stress relief system: the VSR-8000 System.
Continue Reading >VOITH SULZER
Is a leading manufacturer of large equipment used in the power generation and paper mill industries. The Appleton plant is their U.S manufacturing facility for paper mill equipment. Since 1984, the Appleton plant has relied on a VSR 790 System to perform their stress relief of medium (1/2 Ton) to large (50 Ton), dimensionally critical components.
Continue Reading >ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY
Is one of several U.S government operated large research facilities. When an ARGONNE program required a multiple number of highly precise titanium workpieces, involving extensive, high-stock removal machining, they specified VSR Technology Group’s VSR-8000 Vibratory Stress Relief System to assure consistent dimensional quality.
Continue Reading >VOITH SIEMENS JOB #2
VOITH-SIEMENS is a manufacturer of power generation systems. One of their more recent designs involved the use of both low-carbon and austenitic stainless steels in the construction of a 4-quadrant hydro-turbine bottom ring. The VSR Process was used to prevent distortion occurring during either final machining, or the transport of the disassembled bottom ring to the installation site.
Continue Reading >VOITH SIEMENS JOB #1
A manufacturer of hydro-turbine equipment used for power generation received an order to replace 4 tons of cavitated cast steel in 100,000 lb. bottom ring assembly, they chose the vibratory stress relief process to assure stability throughout fabrication and machining. The result was not only an 80% to 90% reduction of distortion at a critical stage in the fabrication process, but also a considerably more stable work piece during final machining.
Continue Reading >TRI-ALLIANCE FABRICATING JOB #2
TRIALLIANCE FABRICATING, a steel fabricator, subcontracted VSR Technology to stress relieve a second mild steel, welded Trunnion Base. The workpiece was, 28′ x 8′ x 1.5′ and consisted of 2 heavy-walled, rigid 28′ beams joined by 3 much lighter structural cross members. A similar workpiece had been successfully threaded (based on dimensional stability during machining, and subsequent assembly and usage in January, 2004).
Continue Reading >TRI-ALLIANCE FABRICATING JOB #1
TRI-ALLIANCE FABRICATING subcontracted VSR TECHNOLOGY to stress relieve a 28′ x 8′ x 1.5′ mild steel, welded Trunnion Base. The workpiece fabrication consisted of two (2) heavy-walled, rigid, 28′ beams joined by three (3) much lighter structural cross members. Such workpieces require more than one VSR Treatment to assure dimensional stability, since the two high-rigidity segments respond independently when vibrated.
Continue Reading >MORRISON-BERKSHIRE (MB)
Is a manufacturer of large Roll Systems used in the textile industry. These rolls use a dual shell design, with channel welded to the outside of the inner shell. The channel between the shells transfers pumped oil during operation. MB offers the shells in both low-carbon and stainless steel, and manufactures them in sizes up to 6 feet OD, and up to 60 feet long. Both straightness and roundness tolerances are critical, typically ± 0.010″ over the full length.
Continue Reading >MIDWEST FORGE (MWF)
Back in 1989 MIDWEST FORGE (MWF) of Cleveland, OH faced a costly decision. One of their larger presses (8000 ton capacity) had broken due to overload. Tooling had been installed and parts processed which required press tonnages 25% beyond the press’s capacity. Within a short time, the press was down. Several cracks had appeared and they were growing.
Continue Reading >McLANAHAN CORPORATION
Is a manufacturer of large equipment used in the mining, and pit and quarry industries. They have been successfully using VSR TECHNOLOGY equipment on large, dimensionally critical components since 1996. In December 2003, VSR TECHNOLOGY was invited to the plant to demonstrate its newest model, the VSR-8000 System on a crusher frame component, which was a new, more rigid form of McLANAHAN’s previous designs.
Continue Reading >KASGRO RAIL CORPORATION
Is a manufacturer of heavy load, platform railcars. Using VSR TECHNOLOGY’S Vibratory Metal Stabilization Process enables KASGRO to meet target dimensional tolerances, which, prior to effective stress relief with the VSR Process, caused problems during either the assembly or test loading phases of manufacturing.
Continue Reading >INGERSOLL MACHINE TOOLS INC
A manufacturer of special machine tools, is a regular user of the VSR Process. This report describes the successful use of the VSR System on the Cross-Rail member of a gantry-style milling machine.
Continue Reading >INGERSOLL MACHINE TOOLS INC (Rectangular Tubing Job)
INGERSOLL MACHINE TOOLS is a manufacturer of some of the world’s largest milling machines. During machining of two (2) 28′ X 8′ X 8′ fabrications, defective welding was found and replaced. This repair raised concerns among INGERSOLL’s Engineers about the dimensional stability of the Workpieces for machining, so that dimensional accuracy and stability would be assured.
Continue Reading >INGERSOLL MACHINE TOOLS INC
To date, INGERSOLL has produced milling machines capable of machining parts over 100 feet in length. Stress relieving their machines’ components can be a challenge. The VSR process was used to stabilize a 59 foot long milling machine gantry. Stress relieving the workpiece both before and after rough machining (total time < 4-hours) resulted in a dimensional accuracy of 0.0036" over the entire length, and only 0.0018" in the critical center portion of the component where spindle travel occurs.
Continue Reading >S. W. HOOPER (SWH)
Is a manufacturer of rotary design paper pulp pumping systems. SWH’s pumps use a 316 stainless steel, fin-rotor design: the operating fins provide the pumping action. SWH purchased a VSR Vibratory Stress Relief System for these rotors and other workpieces in 1990, and since then predictability during and after machining has improved dramatically.
Continue Reading >FRENCH OIL MILL MACHINERY
Is a manufacturer of liquid-solid separation equipment used in, among others the food and chemical processing industries. This report describes the successful use of the vibratory stress relief system on bi-metallic (stainless and mild steel) press frames which, because they are bi-metallic, could not be effectively treated with thermal stress relief.
Continue Reading >DIAMOND MANUFACTURING
Undertook an emergency mechanical repair of the USCG Cutter Escape, which had only recently been overhauled. The ship had severe drive-train problems, including noise, vibration, and accelerated lubrication use in the bearings holding the propulsion shafts.
Continue Reading >ATI-ALLVAC
This report describes using the vibratory stress relief process on a fabricated 20 foot diameter inlet with dome cover assembly made of 304 stainless steel. This assembly was welded to a 28 foot diameter vacuum furnace. The fit between the dome and inlet flanges, responsible for the integrity of the furnace’s seal was a major concern to ALLVAC, and VSR Technology’s vibratory metal stabilization process was chosen to stress relieve the assembly prior to welding it to the furnace.
Continue Reading >About Vibratory Stress Relief Job Stories & Reports
Job stories are short presentations on unique and varied vibratory stress relief applications. Each story provides an overview of the use of our equipment, and includes reasons for choosing vibratory stress relief, photos of the workpiece being treated, and post-treatment machining results.
Job reports are case studies of applications of resonant frequency vibration to stabilize metal. Reports are generated for every customer who employs VSR Technology Group's contract services to stress relieve one or more components at their facility or ours. Because some reports are also useful aids when training the operators of customers who purchase our equipment or as a resource for engineers and estimators engaged in evaluating the cost savings and quality improvements achieved with the use of the VSR Process, we requested customer permission to reprint some reports. Many customers have granted permission, and a sampling of the case file job reports are listed here.
The reports also provide information why resonant frequency vibratory treatment was chosen over thermal treatment. Further, the reports detail the scientific reasoning behind the use of acceleration data to gauge the intensity of vibration, and discuss equipment features, such as extremely tight speed regulation, that are required if repeatable process metal stabilization is to occur.
Many contract customers later purchase our vibratory stress relief system based the results achieved, the system's ease of operation, the quality of the equipment, and the ongoing, full-service support provided by Airmatic's VSR Technology Group.
To enable site visitors can easily locate information specific to an application, we have cross referenced our job reports and job stories with the following key word index.