Truck Beam Heat Treat Line For Auto Industry
A truck beam heat treat line with two large walking-beam furnaces is currently being installed for a leading Latin American auto structural component designer and manufacturer. The industry leader will use one furnace for austenitizing and the other for tempering. The truck beams are 13 in (33 cm) wide, 4.5 in (11.5 cm) high, and 49 ft (15 m) long, weighing at about 625 lb (285 kg). A closely controlled environment is necessary in order to induce the required change to the steel beams’ crystal structure.
The furnace line will be provided by NUTEC Bickley, their third such order for this auto industry manufacturer.
Source: Nutec Bickley
The austenitizing furnace is a continuous unit, capable of treating 60 beams (roughly equivalent to 17 tons of steel) per hour. It has an operating temperature of 1670°F (910°C), and a maximum temperature of 2010°F (1100°C). There are 10 automatic control zones, designed to promote temperature uniformity.
There are 29 high-velocity burners, sited above the load. These allow for low NOx emissions, featuring stable high excess air and excess fuel operation, direct spark ignition, integral air and gas meters, sturdy cast construction and flame rod ionization. The burner configuration creates gas recirculation and allows uniform heating of the load and better heat transfer to the product through radiation mechanisms and convection.
The furnace employs NUTEC Bickley’s IMPS™ combustion system for energy savings, enhanced process control, optimal kinetic energy utilization from burners, temperature uniformity without excess air, a high turndown ratio, and other key benefits.
The tempering furnace — capable of heat treating beams at a rate of 60 pieces per hour — has an operating temperature of 915°F (490°C) and a maximum temperature of 1110°F (600°C). There are six automatic control zones and the heating method for tempering is via air circulation with a vertical flow pattern, ceiling to floor with six centrifugal fans.
Both of these furnaces benefit from insulation based on the patented Jointless® ceramic fiber system that allows fast heating and cooling and reduces heat storage. Using MacroModules, this insulation is 8 in (20 cm) thick in the combustion zones. Thermal efficiency has also been guaranteed with a specifically design of the door frame and canopy for both access and exit doors. Both furnaces are fully NFPA 86 compliant.
The press release is available in its original form here.
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A leading U.S. manufacturer of high-quality alloy steel and carbon steel closed-die forgings will have five furnaces installed and their combustion system updated between May and December 2023. Onsite work will be completed one furnace at a time, so that in any given month no more than one furnace will be out of operation.
