Otto Fuchs: Part II-Hot Metal

Shaping the Red Hot Billet of Titanium

       This is how it's done in "heavy industry".   Machines do the 'heavy' work necessary: super sized fork lift outfitted with a hydraulic clamp grabs the heated billet from the nearby furnace where it was heated to 1000+ degrees.  The lift takes the piece to the hydraulic shaping press where it is stamped along its length to a reduced dimension suitable for processing into the part designed by the engineering staff.
        The camera holder is standing at a safe distance, but even at this distance(about 90') the heat cab be felt like a hot day at the beach.  This piece was eventually halved by a compression blade that cut through the billet as though it was "hot butter".  On the right edge of the photo is one of the insulated cloaks used by workers in the vicinity of the operation(s) to protect against the effect of radiant heat from the super heated piece of titanium. 
     It won't be long before this piece finds its way to Seattle where it will be installed on a Boeing "DreamLiner".
     Thank you, Otto.