Heat Treat Tips: Atmospheres, Thermocouples, and Flow Power
Heat Treat Today’s 101 Heat Treat Tips provides an opportunity to learn the tips, tricks, and hacks shared by some of the 
industry’s foremost experts.
For Heat Treat Today’s latest round of 101 Heat Treat Tips, click here for the digital edition of the 2019 Heat Treat Today fall issue (also featuring the popular 40 Under 40).
Today’s tips come to us from AFC-Holcroft, covering Thermocouples, Atmospheres, and Flow Power.
Heat Treat Tip #4
Pack Your Thermocouples
When a thermocouple is used with an open-ended protection tube, pack rope or fiber between the thermocouple and the protection tube to prevent cold air infiltration from influencing the reading.
Photo Credit: Super Systems, Inc. (SSi)
Heat Treat Tip #7
A Good Fit
If a thermocouple fits loosely in a protection tube, avoid errors by ensuring that the tip maintains good contact with the tube.
Photo Credit: Super Systems, Inc. (SSi)
Heat Treat Tip #25
Oxygen Analysis as a Cost Saver
Investing in and using an oxygen analyzer on a regular basis can provide significant fuel cost savings and, at the same time, optimize uniformity and maximize capacity.
Photo Credit: Super Systems, Inc. (SSi)
Heat Treat Tip #26
Flow Power
Pressure varies as the square of the flow. This means that to double the flow, with all else being constant, pressure must increase by a factor of 4. Also, power increases as the cube of the flow. Doubling the flow produced by a fan or blower requires an 8-fold increase in horsepower.
Heat Treat Tip #77
Puzzling Polarity?
If unsure of the polarity of a type K thermocouple, remember that the negative (red) leg is magnetic; the positive (yellow) is not.
Heat Treat Tip #94
Copper as a Leak Check
If maintaining dew point is a problem, and it’s suspected that either an air or water leak is causing the problem, run a piece of copper through the furnace. Air will discolor the copper; water will not.
Heat Treat Tip #97
Optimum Dew Point
It is much easier to produce low dew point gas in a generator (within reason) than it is to lower the dew point after the atmosphere is in the furnace using enriching gas.
Photo Credit: Super Systems, Inc. (SSi)
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