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tin project
Blackheath acquires option for tungsten/tin project
Blackheath Resources Inc has acquired a 100% interest in a Portugese tungsten/tin project.
Blackheath Resources Inc, a mining exploration and development company, has agreed an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Adoria tungsten/tin project in Northern Portugal. The acquisition completes the company’s goal of holding tungsten mines with the potential to develop additional tungsten resources in northern Portugal. Blackheath now holds the rights to five licences including the Covas, Borralha, Bejanca, Vale das Gatos and Adoria historic mines.
The Adoria mines surrounding the village of Cerva were important producers of tungsten from 1906 until their closure in 1972 as a result of depressed tungsten prices. “We are pleased to complete our current portfolio with this historic tungsten producer under favourable terms,” said Blackheath’s president & CEO, James Robertson. “Work will commence in early 2014 and will initially include mapping and sampling over prospective areas of the permit.”
Carpenter Q1 results Carpenter has reported net income of US$34.6 million for the quarter ended 30 September 2013 compared to US$39.2 million in Q1 2012. “Our first quarter earnings were in-line with our expectations,” said William A Wulfsohn, Carpenter president and CEO. “The team executed at a high level within the context of generally soft market conditions. Our core markets remained relatively weak as continued supply chain destocking in the aerospace and energy markets reduced demand for our premium and ultrapremium products. “At the same time, the commercial team executed well by bringing in more ‘value’ sales to meet growing demand from the transportation and industrial & consumer markets. “Our strong manufacturing performance contributed significantly to our earnings. The team executed on multiple fronts to reduce production and overhead costs.
We achieved these results while successfully performing a significant planned maintenance overhaul on our Reading forge, positioning this critical piece of hot working equipment to support future growth. “Our second quarter now looks weaker than we initially anticipated at the start of the year,” he added. “Even as volumes stabilise, our mix will remain weak. We could see a similar change in earnings from Q1 to Q2 as we saw last year. The timing and duration of seasonal customer closures can impact, positively or negatively, shipments near the end of the calendar year. “That said, we are just now beginning to see some very early indications that demand is stabilising. “If this continues, we could see a recovery in the second half of the fiscal year. We remain confident that market fundamentals will significantly improve in calendar 2014.”
Standard for PM now covers new testing instrumentation ASTM’s standard ASTM B330, used to measure the particle size of metal powders, now covers recent changes in PM testing technology. Test Methods for Estimating Average Particle Size of Metal Powders and Related Compounds Using Air Permeability is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee B09.03 on Refractory Metal Powders, part of ASTM International Committee B09 on Metal Powders and Metal Powder Products. The metal powders tested by ASTM B330 are used extensively in both large and small precision parts
metal-powder.net
in the automotive industry, as well as in various types of machinery and lighting products. According to Frank Venskytis, an independent consultant and a past chairman of B09, the instrument that was referred to in the earlier editions of ASTM B330 is no longer available, nor is it supported with parts and service. “Preliminary data indicates that the new instrument is more precise, using sensitive pressure transducers instead of an eyeball-estimated water column height to measure the pressure, which is the critical param-
eter that the particle size calculation depends upon,” said Venskytis. “Use of the new instrument, notice of its availability and the method for using it, are now included as part of ASTM B330.” Venskytis also notes that the new instrument has become especially important in the refractory metals industry to assess the quality and efficacy of powders used in powder metallurgy practices. “Many ceramics and lighting phosphor producers will also use B330 to estimate the particle size of their powders,” says Venskytis. “Many of these users have in-house
testing and quality control laboratories in which B330 is used to control manufacturing processes and to certify powder products.” The ASTM invites interested parties to take part in an interlaboratory study using the new instrument per the instructions in the revised standard. The committee is interested in both donations of metal and related powders, as well as participation in testing. According to the organisation, information on the older equipment has been retained in the standard, as numerous instruments of that type are still in use.
January/February 2014 MPR
13
Blackheath Resources Inc has acquired a 100% interest in a Portugese tungsten/tin project.
Blackheath Resources Inc, a mining exploration and development company, has agreed an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Adoria tungsten/tin project in Northern Portugal. The acquisition completes the company’s goal of holding tungsten mines with the potential to develop additional tungsten resources in northern Portugal. Blackheath now holds the rights to five licences including the Covas, Borralha, Bejanca, Vale das Gatos and Adoria historic mines.
The Adoria mines surrounding the village of Cerva were important producers of tungsten from 1906 until their closure in 1972 as a result of depressed tungsten prices. “We are pleased to complete our current portfolio with this historic tungsten producer under favourable terms,” said Blackheath’s president & CEO, James Robertson. “Work will commence in early 2014 and will initially include mapping and sampling over prospective areas of the permit.”
Carpenter Q1 results Carpenter has reported net income of US$34.6 million for the quarter ended 30 September 2013 compared to US$39.2 million in Q1 2012. “Our first quarter earnings were in-line with our expectations,” said William A Wulfsohn, Carpenter president and CEO. “The team executed at a high level within the context of generally soft market conditions. Our core markets remained relatively weak as continued supply chain destocking in the aerospace and energy markets reduced demand for our premium and ultrapremium products. “At the same time, the commercial team executed well by bringing in more ‘value’ sales to meet growing demand from the transportation and industrial & consumer markets. “Our strong manufacturing performance contributed significantly to our earnings. The team executed on multiple fronts to reduce production and overhead costs.
We achieved these results while successfully performing a significant planned maintenance overhaul on our Reading forge, positioning this critical piece of hot working equipment to support future growth. “Our second quarter now looks weaker than we initially anticipated at the start of the year,” he added. “Even as volumes stabilise, our mix will remain weak. We could see a similar change in earnings from Q1 to Q2 as we saw last year. The timing and duration of seasonal customer closures can impact, positively or negatively, shipments near the end of the calendar year. “That said, we are just now beginning to see some very early indications that demand is stabilising. “If this continues, we could see a recovery in the second half of the fiscal year. We remain confident that market fundamentals will significantly improve in calendar 2014.”
Standard for PM now covers new testing instrumentation ASTM’s standard ASTM B330, used to measure the particle size of metal powders, now covers recent changes in PM testing technology. Test Methods for Estimating Average Particle Size of Metal Powders and Related Compounds Using Air Permeability is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee B09.03 on Refractory Metal Powders, part of ASTM International Committee B09 on Metal Powders and Metal Powder Products. The metal powders tested by ASTM B330 are used extensively in both large and small precision parts
metal-powder.net
in the automotive industry, as well as in various types of machinery and lighting products. According to Frank Venskytis, an independent consultant and a past chairman of B09, the instrument that was referred to in the earlier editions of ASTM B330 is no longer available, nor is it supported with parts and service. “Preliminary data indicates that the new instrument is more precise, using sensitive pressure transducers instead of an eyeball-estimated water column height to measure the pressure, which is the critical param-
eter that the particle size calculation depends upon,” said Venskytis. “Use of the new instrument, notice of its availability and the method for using it, are now included as part of ASTM B330.” Venskytis also notes that the new instrument has become especially important in the refractory metals industry to assess the quality and efficacy of powders used in powder metallurgy practices. “Many ceramics and lighting phosphor producers will also use B330 to estimate the particle size of their powders,” says Venskytis. “Many of these users have in-house
testing and quality control laboratories in which B330 is used to control manufacturing processes and to certify powder products.” The ASTM invites interested parties to take part in an interlaboratory study using the new instrument per the instructions in the revised standard. The committee is interested in both donations of metal and related powders, as well as participation in testing. According to the organisation, information on the older equipment has been retained in the standard, as numerous instruments of that type are still in use.
January/February 2014 MPR
13