One of the great benefits of a community of heat treaters is the opportunity to challenge old habits and look at new ways of doing things. Heat Treat Today’s 101 Heat Treat Tips is another opportunity to learn the tips, tricks, and hacks from some of the industry’s foremost experts.
Heat Treat Today’s latest round of 101 Heat Treat Tips is featured in Heat Treat Today 2020 fall issue (also featuring the popular 40 Under 40).
Today’s selection includes four tips from Leybold Vacuum USA, Young Metallurgical Consulting, Dr. Valery Rudnev, and Chiz Bros. Increase output, decrease production costs, hit target temperature, and avoid thermal shock with these four tips.
Heat Treat Tip #13
New Diffusion Pump Technology Increases Production Output
Gain immediate positive net cash flow with a lease to own finance option by upgrading your diffusion pumps with the new immersion heater technology. The new style heater will extend oil life and reduce energy consumption. New heater technology can increase production by eliminating the need of dropping your pump every time you change oil for faster maintenance turn around. Drop in place pump design with improved performance.
Source: Leybold Vacuum USA
(Leybold Vacuum USA)
Heat Treat Tip #23
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.
Source: Young Metallurgical Consulting
(Young Metallurgical Consulting)
Heat Treat Tip #33
Not Able to Hit Target Temperature — What To Do
Situation: Customer had an available 100kW/1kHz inverter and needed to heat 1-in.-diameter carbon steel bar to hot working temperature (2000°F). It was a low production application and cycle time was not critical. However, regardless of the heat time and irrespective of using maximum available output power, it was not possible to reach required target temperature. Actually, after reaching about 1470o°F there was no noticeable temperature rise regardless of increased heat time.
Solution: Severe eddy current cancellation was responsible for a failure to reach target temperature. The use of frequencies 6 kHz and greater can easily help to accomplish the goal. As a simple “rule-of-thumb,” in order to provide an efficient heating and avoid eddy current cancellation in through heating applications (e.g., through hardening or hot working), it is necessary to choose a frequency that will guarantee that the “bar diameter-to-penetration depth” ratio exceeds 3.6 at a target temperature.
(Dr. Valery Rudnev, FASM, Fellow of IFHTSE/Professor Induction/Director Science & Technology, Inductoheat Inc., An Inductotherm Group company)
Heat Treat Tip #43
Brick to Fiber to Avoid Thermal Shock
Thermal shock is a regular issue with hard refractory and brick-lined furnaces due to the constant changes in temperature for batch annealing. Switching an old furnace over to ceramic fiber is an easy process that can save time and money.
(Chiz Bros)
