Welcome to a brand new year, decade and look for our little newsletter. I heard from quite a few folks after they received our first printed newsletter in December; and others who were surprised that we have a newsletter! This newsletter began in December of 2015 and we’ve been sending it out via e-mail. After realizing the delete key is mightier than the sword, I decided it was time to also spread the word about Modern Metal Processing in print and deliver it via snail mail. That’s why this newslet-ter has landed on your desk.

MMP has been around since 1978. My Dad, Chet Wesolek,

pictured, started this venture;

I later joined him in the busi-ness and took it over prior to his passing. Dad could be demanding, but his counsel to me was (and remains) indis-pensible. He instilled in me (and MMP) a steadfast com-mitment to honesty, integrity and value for our clients. Each day I strive to live up to the standards he set...not simply because I loved my Dad, my name is on each part we process at MMP.

SO, WHY ARE YOU RECEIVING OUR NEWSLETTER?

Because we want to keep you up to speed on our industry, what goes into getting a pro-ject done and some fun stuff, too! If you didn’t know, I have two cherished hobbies: wood working and cooking. Great meals, shared with family and friends is a passion for my

wife Shelly and I. As a current or long-time client of Modern Metal Processing, it’s simply our way of keeping in touch. The newsletter is free, we’re not going to hound you to buy anything...but we do encour-age you to call us about your project needs and referrals.

There. That was painless, wasn’t it?

As we begin our 42nd year in business, we’ve seen a great many changes in the metal processing industry and how the industry standards have enhanced what we do for the better.

We also have some continuing plant enhancements on tap for 2020; both physical up-grades and technical. It all makes it possible to serve you in the best possible way.

This story continues on page 2. Please see: Our 2020 Vision on the

next page.

2020: It Still Looks Strange!

AMS Spec Changes Explained Clients have been questioning me about AMS (American So-ciety for Metals) spec changes on how various alloys are to be heat treated. It can be frustrating to everyone, which is why I sit on the MTI (Metal Training Institute) Technical Committee in order to get a handle on these important changes. The reason for the changes is mind boggling and largely a mystery. While we on the MTI Technical Commit-tee look for answers to why these changes were needed and their goals, we all have to operate under these new specs. In short, the changes

add more steps, time and cost to the process of heat treating. Let’s look at AMS2770P.

Because of the thickness of the material, there’s some guesstimating necessary on a quote. Specs dictate tem-perature, spacing of parts in processing racks and length of time in the furnace to reach through heat, not surface heat.

If I’m quoting a job on a part that’s 7-inches thick, the question is: How long will that part take to reach 875°F or 1,000°F? The temperature is the reality, not an ambiguous

estimate.

Truth is, it can take 6 to 7 hours for that part to reach the required temperature! Because of manpower, a dollar amount needs to be applied for payroll, electricity, insurances, taxes and all that encompasses the expense associated with heating a part and monitoring its progress. To be fair, these changes are not exclusive to the AMS2770P, specs have also been “enhanced” on: 6061; 7075; 2014 and 2024 to name a few. It adds up quickly!

(continued on page 2)

January, 2020

Modern Metal Processing

3448 Corwin Road PO Box 22

Williamston, MI 48895

Tel 517-655-4402 modernmetalprocessing.com

Aluminum Anneal Brazing and Heat Treatment Steel Weldment Stress

Relief Stampings Forgings Castings Extrusions

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for that, I’m grateful. I’ve re-cently had multiple hip trans-plants (a very long story) and my physical therapist and exercise trainer have really helped me regain significant mobility. Put a big red bow on that gift!

It’s wonderful to be pain free and to start moving freely again. Not sure I’ll be back on the basketball court like I was as kid, but I’m seeing a notice-able difference already.

Anyway, we’re here and at full speed now that the holiday season is behind us. If you need to discuss a project, just reach out and we’ll start the dialog based on your needs.

Let us put more than four decades of metal processing experience to work for you. It would be our honor! ■

On AMS2770P, new specs require that we wait 24 hours after the quench process before we age the material. That’s an extra day added to an estimate of when we can get the order out to a client.

The new specs are particularly impactful when working on AMS2750E. Changes for this specification covers pyromet-ric requirements for thermal processing equipment used for heat treatment, covering temperature sensors, instru-mentation, thermal process-ing equipment, testing with and without load and how often we can use thermocou-ples. I’ll get deeper into AMS2750E changes in next month’s newsletter.

So, what necessitated these changes? Well, to be fair, many of the previous specs were loosely written and left things wide open for interpre-

tation. As you can imagine, that left the door open for a lack of uniformity depending on one’s understanding of the old specs.

I’m all for eliminating loop-holes and creating universal understanding of these new specs while removing shack-les which add time and ex-pense to a job. That’s a major reason why I sit on the MTI Technical Committee.

It should be noted that the overhead incurred by heat treat companies varies from state to state. My state is likely very different than a heat treat facility in another state based on Workers Com-pensation insurance, utility expenses, etc.

But while those costs of doing business can vary, we in this industry are all bound by these new specs which saddle

us with nothing short of cum-bersome bureaucratic red tape and higher expenses associated with every job we touch and process for a client.

So when a client questions the estimated charges on a job quote, the Devil resides in the details of these new, very arcane specifications, which dictate how we must now process these various materials.

Over the years, Modern Metal Processing has become known for our quality and attention to detail. I’ve never looked for corners to cut.

Our reputation is reflected in each job we process and deliver. That won’t change.

If you have a question on the material you’ll be using, call me and we’ll walk through everything to guard against any surprises. ■

office. I thought we’d have flying cars and would be living like the Jetson’s by now. OK, I’ll settle for my pick-up truck while we await flying cars! But when do we get to fly to our favorite space resorts for celestial rest and relaxation?

Hopefully you had a wonderful holiday season. We hosted the MMP staff at the office for our annual company Christ-mas party, the next night my sister and brothers came to our house for dinner and early Christmas celebration.

On the big day, our grandchil-dren and daughters visited. I guess I’m at the age where I get a bigger kick out of watch-ing the kids or my wife open their gifts, than I do opening my own. Silly, huh?

Anyway, we’re all healthy and

(continued from page 1)

A couple of things high on my 2020 TO-DO LIST, is ripping out our loading dock and building a new one. The cur-rent dock has taken quite a beating in the 30-something years since I built it. Once winter is done, that becomes a high priority project.

I also want a put a new sign in front of our building and spruce the building up a bit. Maybe it’s just me, but I think when your work environment looks good, you feel good about walking through the front door each day.

In other errant thoughts, I wonder if you’ve gotten used to seeing the year 2020 on your calendar yet? I’m still adjusting to it whenever I look at the big wall calendar in my

Our 2020 Vision...

AMS Spec Changes (continued) Metal-to-Metal

January, 2020

Page 2

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1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp dry thyme 1 bay leaf 1 Tbsp dried or freshly chopped parsley Salt and pepper (to taste) 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

COOKING DIRECTIONS: 1) In a large pan, cook ground beef until no pink remains. Add veggies and cook about 5 minutes more.

2) Sprinkle in flour, mix well. Add the beef broth, nutmeg, thyme, bay leaf, parsley and Worcestershire sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and cook for 10 min-utes, then remove lid and cook for another 10 minutes to reduce liquid.

3) Add Dijon mustard, stir and combine. Transfer ingredients to a large oven safe pie dish.

4) Roll the pie pastry over the dish and poke a hole in the center to allow steam to exit.

5) Pinch pastry edges around the dish. Brush pastry with egg wash (1 beaten egg with milk or water).

6) Bake in a 400° F oven for 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. When done, let pie stand to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

7) When pie is cooled, cut a quarter piece of pie, place on serving dish and cover with gravy. Optionally, you can sprinkle grated cheese and parsley over gravy covered slice. Enjoy! - Ed ■

This is the time of year for stick to your ribs meals. Meat and potatoes

goes a long way toward elimi-nating the January chill. This beef stew recipe is amazing and is easily doubled or tri-pled to make extra to freeze and serve later!

THE INGREDIENT LIST:

¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ tsp ground pepper 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into

one-inch cubes 5 tsp vegetable oil 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 cup red wine 3½ cups beef broth, home-made or low-sodium canned 2 bay leaves 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 5 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch rounds 2 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4” cubes 2 tsp salt

COOKING DIRECTIONS: NOTE: This meal will take about 2½ hours to make.

1) Combine the flour and pep-per in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. 2) Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not over-crowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all

sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more oil as needed between batches. 3) Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. 4) Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours. 5) Add the onions and carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. 6) Add broth or water if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle among 4 bowls and serve with a crusty bread and butter. - Ed ■

Talk about comfort food. The three major food groups: meat, potato and gravy in each delicious slice! To keep this simple, I use store bought pie crusts. For the gravy, ei-ther make your own or store bought.

INGREDIENT LIST: 2 lbs of ground beef 1 Tbsp flour 2 celery sticks, diced 2 carrots, diced 2 med. potatoes (diced) 1 lg. onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup of beef broth

Meat & Potato Pie with Gravy

Old Fashioned Beef Stew Metal-to-Metal

January, 2020

Page 3

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GET YOUR OWN SUBSCRIPTION TO

Metal to Metal!

It’s totally FREE! Just e-mail your request with your snail mail and

e-mail address to: ed.wesolek@modernmetalproc

essing.com