Induction and Sustainability Tips Part 1: Cleaning and Maintenance
Discover expert tips, tricks, and resources for sustainable heat treating methods Heat Treat Today's recent series. And, if you're looking for tips on combustion, controls systems, or induction in general, you'll find that too! Part 1, today's tips, digs into cleaning and maintenance
This Technical Tuesday article is compiled from tips in Heat Treat Today's May Focus on Sustainable Heat Treat Technologies print edition. If you have any tips of your own about induction and sustainability, our editors would be interested in sharing them online at www.heattreattoday.com. Email Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com with your own ideas!
1. Maintenance of Induction Coils Used in Hardening Applications
Source: Induction Tooling, Inc.
How should you maintain induction coils used in hardening applications? Elbow grease — a little goes a long way. After each use, a simple solution of soap and hot water will remove sticky quench and debris. Scrub hardened dirt with a Scotch-Brite pad. Check for pitting, arcing, and insulator damage. If all is good, use a hot water rinse, and it’s ready for use. If the inductor is to remain on the machine for an extended period, it is advised to wash it and the associated bus daily. Check for damage. Following this simple procedure will reduce business waste.
Source: William Stuehr, President/CEO, Induction Tooling, Inc.
#partscleaning #inductorcoil #hardening
2. Maintaining Tooling Fixtures for Induction Hardening
Tooling fixtures are usually maintained simply by storing them inside a mandrel and a box. This system will prevent coils from getting distorted.
Most tooling should be rinsed in hot water to wash off the polymer and then dried and stored away for future use.
It is a good practice to use deionized water for cooling the power supplies.
Source: Madhu Chatterjee, President, AAT Metallurgical Services LLC
#partscleaning #toolingfixtures
3. Switch to Aqueous
As industry tries to become more “green,” a number of companies are switching from lubricants that are petroleum or mineral oil-based to water-based (“aqueous”) lubricants instead. However, some of these companies then make the mistake of not changing their degreasing fluids that they use to remove these lubricants prior to their next processing operations, and stay with their standard degreasing fluids, such as acetone or alcohol, which are not effective at fully removing water-based lubricants. Instead, they need to run tests to find an appropriate alkaline-based degreasing fluid for such water-based lubricants, since alkaline-based degreasers will be effective at removing such lubricants. Commonly available dish-detergents (alkaline-based) have been shown to be highly effective for such use.
Source: Dan Kay, Owner, Kay & Associates
#aqueouscleaner #gogreen #lubricants
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