READER QUESTION: Just read your article in regards to system accuracy test. I just had a question that maybe you can help me understand. When applying the correction factor of the test instrument and test sensor, is the correction factor to be used based on the furnace set point (operating temperature) at the time of the test or the recording instrument reading during the test? Any insight is appreciated!
This is a question that comes up often in the pyrometry courses I teach.
The Nadcap Pyrometry Reference Guide, question #6, addresses this question, although from a TUS standpoint. The premise is the same for the SAT process though.
Correction factors applied to any test results (TUS & SAT) should be determined based on the setpoint temperature during testing.
One thing to remember is that you may be testing at a temperature which does not fall directly at a temperature indicated on the test wire/test instrument calibration certificate. In this case, you would have two options;
1) Linear Interpolation
2) Pick the adjacent calibration temperature closest to your setpoint during test.
Either way, you would need to establish if you execute #1 or #2 above and document that in an internal procedure.
READER QUESTION: Thanks for the feedback, I have another concern. I perform an SAT on a refrigeration unit that operates at -20 degrees. My test instrument and test sensor are both calibrated at a low temperature of -20, but sometimes the recording instrument indicates a temp of -21 degrees or so. My operating temperature is -20 (setpoint), but as I stated it might indicate a lower temperature. Is there a possible finding here? Although setpoint is -20, recorder shows -21, which the test instrument/sensor does not cover (calibration point).
Jason Schulze for HTT:
You should be in no danger of a finding. The pyrometry guide states the correction factors are based on setpoint.
We welcome your inquiries to and feedback on Heat Treat Today articles. Submit your questions/comments to editor@heattreattoday.com.
As the demand for heat treatment technologies continues to grow, an auto and hydraulics components maker expands heat treating capabilities with HTC Group purchase.
Tenova, of the Techint Group, recently sold its HTC Group, which includes four companies specializing in advanced technologies for heat treatment processes for components. They are: IVA Schmetz (Germany), Mahler (Germany), Fours Industriels B.M.I. (France) and IVA Schmetz Industrial Furnaces (Shanghai) (China).
The purchasers are Qizhi GmbH and Shanghai Qizhi Information Technologies Co., Ltd., both members of Ningbo Qijing Holding Co. Ltd. Ningbo Qijing is also the parent company of Qijing Machinery Co. Ltd., which is involved in the research, development, manufacturing, and assembling of mechanic systems and precision parts mainly operating in home electric appliances and industrial applications, specifically in automotive, power tools, and hydraulics.
“As an experienced company in supplying precision parts for different industries, we recognize in the heat treatment one of the most critical process for precision machined parts. We believe that HTC group, with its expertise and product range, has the potentials to gain space and relevance in growing sectors, especially in the Chinese market,” affirmed Wang Yongqi, Chairman of Ningbo Qijing Holding.
During the day-to-day operation of heat treat departments, many habits are formed and procedures followed that sometimes are done simply because that’s the way they’ve always been done. One of the great benefits of having a community of heat treaters is to challenge those habits and look at new ways of doing things. Heat TreatToday’s101 Heat TreatTips, tips and tricks that come from some of the industry’s foremost experts, were initially published in the FNA 2018 Special Print Edition, as a way to make the benefits of that community available to as many people as possible. This special edition is available in a digital format here.
Today we continue an intermittent series of posts drawn from the 101 tips. The tips for this post can be found in the FNA edition under Hardness Testing, CQI-9 Compliance, and Hardening/Tempering.
Heat TreatTip #22
Properly preparing a hardness sample can save time and money.
Inspection Mistakes That Cost
Rockwell hardness testing requires adherence to strict procedures for accurate results. Try this exercise to prove the importance of proper test procedures.
A certified Rc 54.3 +/- 1 test block was tested three times and the average of the readings was Rc 54 utilizing a flat anvil. Water was put on the anvil under the test block and the next three readings averaged Rc 52.1.
Why is it so important that samples are clean, dry, and properly prepared?
If your process test samples are actually one point above the high spec limit but you are reading two points lower, you will ship hard parts that your customer can reject.
If your process test samples are one point above the low spec limit but you are reading two points lower, you may reprocess parts that are actually within specification.
It is imperative that your personnel are trained in proper sample preparation and hardness testing procedures to maximize your quality results and minimize reprocessing.
Whether you need to meet rigid CQI-9 standards or not, what are the top 3, nay 4 best practices that nearly every in-house heat treat department ought to follow to make sure their pyrometer stuff is together?
Daily furnace atmosphere checks. Use an alternative method to verify your controls and sensors are operating properly and that there are no issue with your furnace or furnace gases.
Daily endothermic generator checks. Using an alternate method to verify your control parameter (dew point typically) or the gas composition is accurate will alleviate furnace control issues caused by bad endothermic gas.
Verify/validate your heat treat process every 2 hours OR make sure process deviations are automatically alarmed. this is a solid practice to ensure your controls and processes are running properly. This practice can help ensure that parts are being heat treated to the proper specification intended.
Conduct periodic system accuracy tests (SATs) per pre-defined timelines in CQI-9. Good pyrometry practices are an essential part of heat treatment. Because of the importance of temperature in heat treatment, ensure timeliness of all pyrometry practices addressing thermocouple usages, system accuracy tests, calibrations, and temperature uniformity surveys.
Control of Back Tempering With Induction Heat Treating
Induction heat treating is a selective hardening process. When hardening an induction path close to an area that had previously hardened, the heat from the hardening the second path tempers back the area that was previously hardened. This is a particularly common issue when tooth by tooth hardening of small gear teeth. Back tempering will reduce the hardness on the adjacent area and this effect may range from a few to over 10 HRC points.
Factors to Minimize Back Tempering
Process Issue
Questions to ask
Correct & repeatable placement of quenches
Can quench position be verified and set up repeatedly in the same position?
Verification of quench flow
Is the quench flowing freely through the quench system? Are the quench holes blocked? Are the flowmeters reading accurately?
Integrity of the quench
Was the percentage polymer measured? Is the quench quality okay? Is the quench contaminated?
Inductor design
Is the inductor designed to minimize heat on the tip? Is the quench effectively cooling the part?
Retained heat
Is a skip tooth hardening pattern being used to minimize residual heat in the induction hardening zone? Is the scan speed appropriate?
A thermal processing company donated a $300,000 commercial-grade vacuum heat treating and brazing furnace to Lehigh University’s materials science program to help increase opportunities for its students in the field.
The new addition, known as The Mentor®, was donated to Lehigh University by thermal processing company Solar Atmospheres and its CEO and founder, William R. Jones. Its sister company, Solar Manufacturing, designs and builds vacuum furnaces at its location in Souderton, Pennsylvania, just 23 miles from Lehigh’s campus.
Additionally, Solar Atmospheres built and donated a transformer and water-cooling system that was specifically designed for the application.
Wojciech Misiolek, professor and cha ir of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science
“This is a very powerful, advanced piece of equipment that will allow us to conduct important experiments in our metallurgy teaching and research, especially around additive manufacturing, which is a hot topic these days,” explains Wojciech Misiolek, professor and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. “And we will challenge ourselves to use it up to its full capabilities for heat treatment of metals.”
“With this donation,” adds Misiolek, “suddenly you have the industry-grade equipment. It’s not a miniature version, it’s what you will see out in the field. Our educational system at Lehigh is very hands on, and we have a reputation for that. This furnace will increase opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students and help them hit the ground running when they go into industry.”
A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat TreatNews Items to Keep You Current
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.
Personnel and Company Chatter
James Herald has been appointed the president and CEO of EVRAZ North America, Chicago. He will replace Conrad Winkler, who is leaving the group to pursue other opportunities. Herald joins EVRAZ from AXIP Energy, where he served as CEO. He has more than 35 years of experience in the oil and gas and energy pipe industries.
Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) recently announced the addition of three new sales and metallurgy employees: Tim Zemaitis, Shane Seevell, and Katie Herron. Zemaitis, regional sales manager for AHT’s Michigan facility, joins the team with over 30 years of experience in heat treatment, metallurgy, and engineering. Seevell, regional sales manager in the corporate office located in Iowa, brings over 15 years of sales experience plus past heat treat experience working at AHT; and Herron, materials engineer & quality specialist in Alabama, rounds out the growing AHT team. Herron is a recent materials engineering graduate from the University of Alabama – Birmingham.
Meggitt, which specializes in high-performance components and subsystems for the aerospace, defense, and selected energy markets, has opened its newly expanded aerospace services and support center of excellence in Miami, Florida.
Virginia-based aluminum extruder Service Center Metals has been acquired by The Riverstone Group through its investment entity SCM Industries, LLC in Richmond.
L&T Technology Services, a leading global pure-play engineering services company has been selected as a strategic partner by United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of UTC. Collins Aerospace comprises of the former UTC Aerospace Systems, Rockwell Collins, and BE Aerospace, and is one of the leading providers of intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industries.
Equipment Chatter
A 2000°F (1093°C), gas-fired heavy-duty furnace from Grieve (No. 1042), is currently being used for heat treating at a customer’s facility. In addition, the No. 1047, a 350°F (177°C), bench oven, has been purchased from Grieve for curing plugs on the ends of cords at the customer’s facility.
A factory with multiple lines of (fixed) heat treating ovens recently purchased a temperature data logging solution from CAS DataLoggers for the purpose of automatically monitoring the oven temperatures with precise accuracy while also handling data transmission and enabling remote access.
A manufacturer of electronic components purchased a Blue M inert gas batch oven, with a temperature range of 59°F (15°C) above ambient to 1099°F (593°C), from Thermal Product Solutions.
A manufacturer in the oil and gas industry recently received a shipment of an electrically heated four-zone conveyor oven from Wisconsin Oven Corporation. Each chamber in this oven has a maximum temperature rating of 752°F (400°C). The oven has a guaranteed oven temperature uniformity of ±10.8°F at 590°F (±6°C at 310°C)) for a minimum of 6 minutes per heating chamber. In addition, Wisconsin Oven Corporation announced the shipment of an indirect natural gas-fired batch oven to a leading manufacturer in the aerospace industry. The batch oven will be used to cure composite materials and has a maximum oven operating temperature of 500°F.
Kudos Chatter
Onex, Inc., recently received the 2018 Pinnacle Award from Vesuvius. Only two contractor installer distributors were presented this award in 2018.
AK Steel has accepted an award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) High-Performance Computing for Materials (HPC4Mtls) Program. Researchers from AK Steel plan to work in collaboration with DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop microstructure-based transformation models to predict austenite stability in high strength steels in a project titled “Thermo-Mechanical Forming Process Development to Produce Tailored Strength Automotive Structural Components.”
Specitubes has received Nadcap accreditation for demonstrating its ongoing commitment to quality by satisfying customer requirements and industry specifications. The scope of this accreditation covers the heat-treating of seamless precision metallic tubes made in Samer (northern France) of Nickel and Cobalt Alloys, Austenitic Stainless Steels and Titanium Alloys. Typical applications include hydraulic and pneumatic ducting systems for aircraft.
thyssenkrupp has announced plans to build the world’s most advanced forging line in Homburg/Saarland, a new facility to produce forged front axles for trucks. This production expansion represents the biggest single investment ever made at thyssenkrupp’s Homburg site.
Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to the editor at editor@heattreattoday.com
Onex is proud to receive the 2018 Pinnacle Award from Vesuvius. Only two contractor installer distributors were presented this award.
Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, recently announced plans to invest $142 million in its Camden facility in Arkansas, supporting new construction and improving on existing facilities for products, new machinery, and equipment important to the defense of the United States and allies.
Lockheed Martin will expand its Camden, Arkansas, facility to include two new production buildings which will support manufacturing long range fires and PAC-3 missile defense capabilities, plus expanding current facilities, and hire more than 300 new people (artist rendering). (PRNewsfoto/Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin unveiled the plan at the Paris Air Show where company executives were joined by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to celebrate the prospect of adding 326 new jobs by 2024.
“Lockheed Martin is a leading technology firm with facilities and clients around the world,” said Hutchinson. “Lockheed’s investment illustrates the fact that Arkansas continues to be a global player in the aero-defense industry.”
Frank St. John, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
“Our facility in Camden is a highly efficient, high-quality center of excellence that contributes components and performs final assembly for products that are important to the defense of the United States and a growing number of allied nations,” said Frank St. John, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The facility has a long record of precision manufacturing and on-time deliveries, which is the reason we continue to invest in and expand our Camden Operations. This expansion will help ensure the availability, affordability, and quality of systems we build for our customers around the world.”
Camden Operations is Lockheed Martin’s Precision Fires operations center of excellence.
A clash of generations may be inevitable at family gatherings, but in the heat treat shop, everybody is on board with the changes that have developed over the last few decades: technological advances in equipment and processes, enhanced quality control, greater awareness for safety issues and green operations, among others. Peter Sherwin of Eurotherm by Schneider Electric traces the course the industry has taken out of the past and into the future. This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today’sMarch 2019 Aerospace print edition.
My first experience in a heat treat shop could be described as your grandfather’s shop—it was dirty and dusty, and you had to be alert to avoid danger. A handful of paper chart recorders were present, and tempering ovens were controlled by a dial indication of temperature, adjusted up and down to find out the current temperature. Only manual flow controls existed. Process temperature, times, and flow-rates were handwritten on small paper cards and stored in a filing cabinet.
Fast forward 15 years and the shop has clean processes, mostly vacuum-based equipment, and all automatically controlled process cycles. Shop floor instructions moved from paper to entirely computer-generated, an industrial transformation to the digital-age that took place in the 1990s and 2000s.
How We Got Here
So, what have the last couple of decades brought? Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing springs to mind. First, we had the painful hangover from the global recession in 2008-09 which, for the next half-decade, had everyone consumed with operating as lean as possible with only a slow trickle of investment. The last few years brought a healthy rebound in manufacturing and increased heat treat production requirements. However, this surge in activity and a continued make-do attitude did not allow the time or motivation to refurbish or replace aging equipment. Add to this the promise and “soon-to-be-fulfilled” prophecies of IoT and Industry 4.0, the coming of age of the electric car, and the resultant effects on heat treatment requirements, and all of these factors conspire to make the heat treater think twice about rushing into investing in new furnaces or upgrading the existing plant.
Your Grandfather’s Heat Treat Shop
The curse of this is watching the average life of equipment catch up with the average age of operators, and we are transported back to the dark ages of your grandfather’s shop.
Admittedly, this is an over-simplification of the current situation—not all plants are stuck in this rut. Contrary to the above, AMS2750D (released 2005) was a boon to European furnace OEMs and associated suppliers, and yet this was not a worldwide phenomenon because the U.S. received a “grandfathered” pass due to the heavy involvement and prior investment in meeting AMS2750C requirements.
Over this same recent period, the final aerospace customers (aerospace primes and engine manufacturers) have not rested on their laurels. A rise in the middle class in Asia has fueled a healthy increase in demand for passenger aircraft and allowed best-in-class suppliers to invest, innovate, and develop more energy-efficient aircraft. Younger airline brands in the Asian continent have been able to rapidly take market share by leveraging a lower cost base created mainly by engine technology improvements.
Engine Developments and Quality Control
The A320neo, available since 2015, incorporates new, more efficient engines and large wing tip devices called “Sharklets” delivering significant fuel savings of 15 percent, which is equivalent to 1.4 million liters of fuel per aircraft per year, or the consumption of 1,000 mid-sized cars. In addition, the A320neo provides a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise. [1]
The 737 MAX 8 reduces fuel use and CO2 emissions by 14 percent over the newest Next-Generation 737 and 20 percent better than the first Next-Generation 737s. Also, the 737 MAX 8 uses 8 percent less fuel per seat than the A320neo. [2, 3]
The GTF engine has met all performance specifications since entry into service. For example, the GTF-powered A320neo has achieved a 16% reduction in fuel consumption, a 75% reduction in noise footprint and a 50% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions. [4]
Today’s Modern Heat Treat Shop
These significant recent engine innovations have been possible through the use of modeling software to aid fast development (versus slow in-field trials) and by maximizing the overall performance via a mix of standard and exotic materials. Future developments include evaluating the use of actual component properties (e.g., tensile test, hardness profiles, other material, etc.) rather than relying on industry averaged properties. These advancements could lead to substantial changes in shape design and associated weight reduction but would require more stringent processing control.
Nadcap accreditation and the SAE AMS2750 standard have been used to manage a specific quality output from the heat treat supply chain. Even with the expected release of AMS2750F, control tolerances are not anticipated to change dramatically. This situation could create tension between the ongoing innovation on the design-side and the slower-development in process equipment capability. Let’s hope this doesn’t result in a path back to individual prime requirements over-shadowing the unified AMS standard.
Heat Treating 101 for the Shop of the Future
So, it’s back to the heat treat shop and the conundrum of upgrading/updating equipment due to age, performance, capability, and now the added twist of potential changes in future customer requirements. What strategy should a heat treater undertake?
Refurbishment of existing equipment to help lower running costs and improve capability can usually occur with updating the control and automation system. By looking at the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) rather than just the “ticket” price of the upgrade, the payback for the investment can be in months rather than years. Control systems can improve the uptime of the equipment and precision control can positively impact quality results and even shorten process times in some instances. The relatively low payback time can ease the decision to invest.
Investment in new equipment requires a more detailed look at the customer base and changes within the external environment. To help with this uncertainty, some OEMs are starting to provide flexible financing solutions, including leasing. Control and automation suppliers are also doing their bit by designing control and recording instruments that can be enhanced by secure over-the-air software updates rather than requiring a complete change of hardware.
Conclusion
The shops of the past are looking less and less like the shops in most plants today, but it’s more than just physical changes that reflect a forward-looking operation. Today’s shop can leverage innovative thinking about cost of operations, improve the quality of communication with customers and suppliers, effectively use control systems, and be creative about equipment upgrades. These are changes that begin with an attitude adjustment—having the right view of the past and a broad vision for the future.
References:
[1] “Airbus, Indigo places order for 130 A320 neo”, https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2011/06/indigo-firms-up-order-for-150-a320neo-and-30-a320s.html
About the Author: Peter Sherwin, a Chartered Engineer, is business development leader with Eurotherm by Schneider Electric, recognized for his expertise in heat treat systems technology, IIoT, Industry 4.0, and SaaS/digital solutions. This article, which originally appeared in Heat Treat Today’sMarch 2019 Aerospace print edition and is published here with the author’s permission.
A precision cutting company that uses heat treating in its manufacture of precision cutting tools, precision machined components and medical implants and instruments recently acquired a manufacturer of customized solid carbide drills, end mills, reamers, thread mills, and form tools.
ARCH Global Precision (ARCH), a Jordan Company platform company based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has purchased Siem Tool Company. The Latrobe, Pennsylvania, company will join ARCH’s Cutting Tools division.
Jeff Cederstrom, ARCH Global Precision Divisional President of Cutting Tools
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of Siem Tool, as this acquisition further expands ARCH’s custom cutting tool product offering and deepens our bench of in-house technical application engineers who have a long history of successfully working with end-users to develop custom tooling solutions,” said Jeff Cederstrom, ARCH Global Precision Divisional President of Cutting Tools. “In addition, Siem adds ARCH’s first captive coating center that can be leveraged across the organization, plus Siem’s in-house coating infrastructure can accommodate further expansion in this area. The acquisition of Siem Tool supports our ongoing strategy of creating a market-leading custom tooling provider through the ‘ARCH Specials’ brand and product offering. Furthermore, Siem brings proprietary carbide edge-prep technical application knowledge for further development of ARCH’s high-performance tooling.”
“I am pleased to announce the sale of Siem Tool to ARCH Global Precision,” said John Siemering, the former owner of Siem Tool. “After careful consideration of several potential acquirers of Siem Tool, the decision to sell the business to ARCH became apparently clear based on the strong cultural alignment between our organizations, ARCH’s commitment to support further growth and long history of successfully executing transactions. I am exceedingly confident that Siem will continue to grow and prosper under ARCH’s leadership.”
A manufacturer of induction furnaces and heating systems is scheduled to be acquired by two global corporations from a Chicago-based private equity firm.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Primetals Technologies will acquire ABP Induction Systems (ABP), which offers a variety of products and services to automotive OEMs and suppliers, industrial manufacturers, independent foundries as well as steel plant manufacturers and steel producers.
Satoru Iijima Chairman of the Board and CEO of Primetals Technologies
“ABP’s induction heaters are one of the most crucial elements for endless strip production, a flagship process for Primetals Technologies. With ABP becoming one of MHI’s group companies and the further close ties that will bring, we can develop and provide customers with even more advanced technologies,” said Satoru Iijima, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Primetals Technologies.
ABP will be a group company of MHI under the ownership of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, and Primetals Technologies USA LLC, of Alpharetta, Georgia. The acquisition is planned to close around the end of August 2019.
Less than one week remains in the nomination period for Heat TreatToday’s Class of 2019 40 Under 40! The nomination process closes at midnight (EDT) on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, so if you have been considering submitting the name of a colleague, a client, or an employee but just haven’t gotten around to it, now is the time!
What you may not realize is that the benefits to being selected as a member of Heat Treat Today’s40 Under 40 are more than just a “one and done” recognition in the Heat Treat Show issue of Heat TreatToday’s print magazine. We will continue to point our audience to the 40 Under 40 landing page at our website, which will always feature the most current class of recipients. In addition, we request and publish interviews with 40 Under 40 members, highlighting their entry into the industry, what sparked their interest in heat treating, how their interest has grown, the remarkable projects they’ve enjoyed working on, and what words of wisdom they would share with other young professionals in the industry.
Michael Elmore, Heat Treat Engineer, with GKN Driveline
For example, Michael Elmore, Heat Treat Engineer, with GKN Driveline, remembered his early days in the industry this way: “When I came to GKN, I fell in love with heat treating,” said Elmore. “I expected this to be a puddle and it turned out to be more like jumping into an ocean. There’s so much more to it than I expected. . . . [Four years later,] I’m still finding out things I didn’t know. It goes deeper and deeper the longer I’m here, never hitting the bottom of what can be learned, done, or explored.”
Christina Somogye, Akron Steel Treating Company’s VP of Administration and Operations
Christina Somogye, Akron Steel Treating Company’s VP of Administration and Operations, grew up in the environment of metallurgy, steel treatment and manufacturing, and heat treating operations, so her thoughts on how companies can stay relevant in an industry that is changing rapidly due to technology, new materials, etc., are unique, and she offers this perspective: “There are many opportunities in large and small heat treating companies (commercial and captive) as well as the equipment, alloy, material suppliers and service industries that serve the heat treating companies. The knowledge of senior industry members is ready to be passed on to the next generation with tremendous opportunities for growth and technical expertise. Small, privately held businesses and large, multi-facility companies have the need to pass down this tribal knowledge for their continued success.”
Wei Guo, Principal Materials Engineer for The Timken Company
Wei Guo, Principal Materials Engineer for The Timken Company, reflected on his passion for this industry by drawing a parallel between a metallurgist crafting a heat treat recipe and “a famous cook developing a recipe for new cuisine.”
“One needs to control the ingredients, mixing sequence, baking time and cooking temperature combined with skill and expertise to obtain an optimized flavor and palate. The development of heat-treating process recipes is similar, relying on the metallurgist’s fundamental knowledge and experience of physical metallurgy. The most exciting aspect of thermal processing is the application of the knowledge and experience to create a heat treat process that produces the desired result and creates value to the company.”
How should a young professional find his or her way into the right niche in the industry? Wei gives this advice:
“Gain hands-on experience with practical heat treatment processes when trying to identify problems and challenges. . . . Determine an area of interest and drive . . . to learn/practice thermal processing skills. . . . Find a mentor; learning from a senior experienced metallurgist is always helpful. Many aspects of heat treatments cannot be learned from the textbook and might take a long time to figure them out on your own.”
“Heat treatment processing is a very dynamic world because many novel metallic materials are emerging every day,” says Wei. “We, not only young professionals, but everyone in this field need to keep abreast of the latest materials development and make ourselves ready for the new challenges.”
