Friday, October 30, 2015

Oregon Startup Could Save Metals Manufacturers Hundreds Of Millions, Says Group

A Corvallis, Oregon startup, KW Associates has invented technology which could potentially save the U.S. metals industry "hundreds of millions of dollars" in energy costs, according to Oregon BEST, the organization which helps clean tech startups in Oregon. According to Oregon BEST, KW Associates has created a system which can be added to reduce energy costs, reduce waste, and improve safety of what are known as Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) furnaces. Those furnaces are used to refine ingots of specialty metals like titanium, zirconium, nickel alloys, and others. Oregon BEST says it has made a $150,000 investment to help KW Associates, via a research effort being conducted with Oregon State University.