Welcome to a special edition of Heat Treat Today’sThis Week in Heat Treat Social Media. We’ve discovered a furnace-full collection of posts that document the excitement of the past week at Furnaces North America (FNA). From the arrival of booth materials to the final speech at the MTI awards ceremony, they’re all here: check out these posts and videos for a roundup of FNA and heat treat social media.
As you know, there is so much content available on the web that it’s next to impossible to sift through all of the articles and posts that flood our inboxes and notifications on a daily basis. So, Heat Treat Today is here to bring you the latest in compelling, inspiring, and entertaining heat treat news from the different social media venues that you’ve just got to see and read!If you have content that everyone has to see, please send the link to editor@heattreattoday.com.
1. Lightening the Pre-Show Heavy Lifting
A good show is more than just what happens from curtain rise to curtain fall. Whether it’s a play on the stage or a trade show in a convention hall, there is a lot of work that goes into setting up and tearing down . . . sometimes back-breaking work. The advent of 3D printing has made that task a little easier, and ironically, at FNA 2024, that means models set out for display were processed with 3D printing to preserve the look of metal while making it easy for team to carry to the floor. Thanks to Sarah Jordan for bringing this post to the web.
2. Kudos and Awards from Beginning to End
We love it when social media is full of the faces of the heat treat industry, and this week is no exception. We found individual recognition posts, the celebration ofHeat Treat Today’s40 Under 40, and the Metal Treating Institute‘s honorees at the awards ceremony on the last night of the show.
Eyes and ears were open and trained on all that’s new in heat treating presented at FNA 2024, whether in technical sessions; impromptu, on-the-floor demonstrations; or new product reveals.
All the buzz in our industry seems to indicate that additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing are the next hot topics in heat treat, particularly in vacuum heat treat. Heat Treat Today decided to find out how these new technologies are shaping the industry. Read what five heat treat industry leaders had to say about how their companies are preparing for the next generation of AM and 3D printing.
This Technical Tuesday article bringing together the responses from these five companies was first published in Heat Treat Today‘s November 2022 Vacuum print edition.
What changes have you made to accommodate the AM/3D printing marketplace?
Dennis Beauchesne General Manager ECM USA, Inc.
The most important changes relate to the build plate size and how it connects to our standard size systems. Build plates are ever-changing, it seems, as customers have new applications and mostly larger build plates are being requested. In addition, the process parameters – such as temperature and time at temperature and quantity of material – are important. These two items have the most to do with reconfiguring equipment for the AM market. We have also been able to implement our wide range of automation and robotics skills into this equipment as the market scales up for high production.
How will your products and/or services change to accommodate this marketplace?
We are/will be introducing equipment that is in line with standard-build plate dimensions along with reducing operating costs.
Share how 3D printing or AM products/services help heat treaters.
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Recent debind and sinter applications have involved, as previously mentioned, complete robotics to handle parts after printing, to debind, to sinter, and then to process specialized by ECM, such as low-pressure carburizing. ECM has also provided equipment to provide all three processes in the same furnace without moving the load or requiring the furnace to cool and reheat. This reduces work processing time along with less handling and less utility cost.
What changes have you made to accommodate the AM/3D printing marketplace?
Mark Hemsath Vice President of Sales, Americas Nitrex Heat Treating Services
Nitrex Vacuum Furnaces, through its GM Enterprises acquisition, has moved heavily into additive manufacturing via large production MIM furnaces, which are able to both remove large amounts of powder binders and sinter the parts in the same process. We are in the process of installing and/or starting up five furnaces for these markets, and we have recently employed even more advanced concepts on high volume wax removal. A further trend is on higher value materials, like nickel and cobalt alloys and titanium, necessitating diffusion vacuum levels for processing. Nitrex Vacuum has had this experience already for many years, so moving to smaller scale 3D designs comes with years of experience.
How might your products and/or services change to accommodate this marketplace?
Smaller units are a trend to keep an eye on. We have over a decade of learning from the large units we offer, and this will allow us to compete in these lower volume markets (i.e., 3D) via our proven expertise. Several facts/ideas that we are keeping top of mind are:
Large potential in the future (whole new market starting to evolve)
Redesign the product to meet the new needs
Good for rapid prototyping and quick low volume parts
Furnaces need to be available with fast delivery 3D printing is finding a tremendous niche in fast part production, sourced internally or sourced quickly. These parts may cost more per piece, but having them fast is often more important, and 3D offers this ability to cut weeks or months off of supply chain sourcing.
Share how 3D printing or AM products/services help heat treaters.
The AM sector is still in growth mode. How we help is to give a full-service solution to those customers who want to really increase their volume yet use vacuum in the process. Vacuum helps to transport the binder vapors away from the parts and into the traps for removal. Full binder removal adds to the quality of the parts, as does vacuum sintering of the final parts. We have supplied a few systems over the years with higher, diffusion vacuum levels. As powder materials evolve to higher value materials, there is more interest in diffusion vacuum, and we recently supplied such a system.
What do readers need to know about AM/3D to make decisions today?
Vacuum is the proper way to debind and sinter. Additionally, 3D printing started slow and there were many technologies evolving. Now, it has started to really grow, and the need for smaller furnaces that can offer the same quality as MIM parts produced in high volumes will be a need for 3D part makers, in medium to low volume parts. This may involve furnaces for sinter only, debind and sinter, or even sinter and heat treat. We can see the need to both sinter 3D parts in a small furnace and also heat treat them with special added processes and surface treatments.
What changes have you made to accommodate the AM/3D printing marketplace?
Phil Harris Marketing Manager Paulo
Adding a hot isostatic press has been the most notable change Paulo has made to serve the growing AM market. It goes a step further than that though; heat treatment of AM parts has rapidly evolved, and the desire for custom cycles and more data has caused us to make instrumentation changes and do more R&D type work. Understanding the full production path of the parts and doing our part to reduce the time parts are spending in post-processing steps, including offering stress relief, HIP, EDM, and vacuum heat treatment in a one-stop-shop.
How might your products and/or services change to accommodate this marketplace?
As trials continue and boundaries are pushed for both additive and the accompanying thermal processing, we’re constantly keeping an eye on what’s next. Investing in equipment that’s capable while maintaining and instrumenting it to provide the data and reliability the market needs is the name of the game. Of course, open communication with additive manufacturers and printer designers makes this far easier. We value communication with printer manufacturers as it helps us understand demand for our services in terms of build plate size, since, as we all know, furnaces and HIP vessels aren’t one size fits all!
Share how 3D printing or AM products/services help heat treaters.
Additive parts have become commonplace and we’re now regularly providing HIP, stress relief, and solution treating for them. A more interesting example is for parts printed in Inconel 718; we’ve developed a combined HIP and heat treat (or High Pressure Heat Treat) cycle which was able meet material properties specifications when the traditional processing techniques were not. This is where we feel the real cutting edge is when it comes to heat treatment of additive parts; the slow cooling HIP cycles developed for casting decades ago aren’t always optimal for today’s additive parts.
What changes have you made to accommodate the AM/3D printing marketplace?
Trevor Jones President Solar Manufacturing, Inc. Source: Solar Manufacturing, Inc.
There are several methods for 3D printing and we as heat treaters and vacuum furnace manufacturers generally classify those methods into two basic groups: those that use liquid binding polymers and those that do not.
For the group who does not use liquid binding polymers, there are no changes thus far to the design of the vacuum furnace that must be made. One significant caution is insuring there is no loose powder on the surface or cavities of the parts. Residual powder on or in the parts could have adverse effects on the parts themselves and to the vacuum furnace. The loose powder can liberate from the part during the heat treat or quench steps during the process and contaminate the vacuum furnace. The powder in the furnace is then considered FOD (foreign object debris) for subsequent heat treatments processed in that furnace. The powder could also accumulate over time and cause an electrical ground the heating elements or the quench motor, clog the heat exchanger, contaminate vacuum gauges and hot zone insulation, among other issues.
For the group that does contain liquid binding polymers, in addition to the comments about avoiding loose powder on or in the parts, care must also be taken to accommodate for the vaporization of the binder that occurs during heating of the parts. The binder, in its vapor form, will condense at cooler areas in the vacuum furnace. The condensed areas are potential contamination points and could have all the same issues and concerns of loose powder as described above. The binder collection locations, whether at intentional or non-intentional places, will also have to be routinely cleaned to maintain ideal binder collection, optimum vacuum pumping, and overall furnace performance.
How might your products and/or services change to accommodate this marketplace?
With the growth of 3D printing using liquid binder polymers, Solar Manufacturing has taken what was learned from the furnace modified at Solar Atmospheres of Western PA for MIM and AM processing and applied it to a new furnace product line specific for the debind and sinter applications. Solar Manufacturing collaborated with our affiliate company, Solar Atmospheres of Western PA, in modifying an existing vacuum furnace to accommodate the debind and sintering processes. A modified hot zone was installed, and a dedicated binder pumping port was added that helps minimize and target the condensation of detrimental binders evaporating out of parts containing binders. The modified Solar Atmospheres furnace is extremely valuable in gaining knowledge about various aspects of the process and learning what works, and what does not work, in furnace and recipe design. Combining the knowledge and experience of process development of Solar Atmospheres with the advanced Engineering Design Team at Solar Manufacturing, we believe we have a furnace design that modernizes and simplifies the debinding process while minimizing traditional maintenance issues.
Share how 3D printing or AM products/services help heat treaters.
We developed a process of debinding and sintering stainless steel parts with our affiliate company Solar Atmospheres in Souderton PA. The project started out with our Research and Development group to develop the process for the client’s parts. As the trials scaled up, test coupons became test parts, eventually full-size loads. There are always challenges to scaling up from test parts to production loads and we were able to provide the support the customer needed through that transition. The R&D eff orts were successful, and the client ended up purchasing multiple furnaces, which was the end goal for both parties.
Additionally, Solar Atmospheres is currently vacuum stress relieving a 3D component for a major U.S.-based aerospace company that is in use in aircraft today. Also, numerous large-scale components destined for deep space.
What do readers need to know about AM/3D to make decisions today?
Bob Hill, president of Solar Atmospheres of Western PA, reminded us to “realize and acknowledge that AM is still in its infancy stage. Therefore, many metallurgical uncertainties still exist for the multiple printing processes that exist. Understanding this new kind of metallurgy for each printing process, while developing standards and specifications unique to additive manufacturing, is still a huge obstacle. Until this is accomplished, AM will not be the ‘disruptive’ technology that all the experts predict it will be.” If your business is printing parts with liquid polymer binders, you should seriously consider how you plan on debinding and sintering the parts ahead of time. Printed parts in the “Green” or even “Brown” state are fragile and if you are going to ship the parts somewhere else for the debind and sinter steps, extreme care must be taken to prevent the parts from fracturing during transit. Although the shipping can be safely and successfully accomplished, ideally a furnace is available at the print shop to immediately perform the debind and sinter process to avoid those potential shipping difficulties. The other forms of 3D printing that do not contain liquid polymers generally do have this issue.
What changes have you made to accommodate the AM/3D printing marketplace?
Ben Gasbarre Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
From our inception, Gasbarre has had expertise in the powder metallurgy industry, which requires debind and sinter applications similar to that in the AM and 3D printing markets. Our ability to supply equipment for both powder and parts producers has set us up for quick adoption into this market. While considerations need to be made specific to AM, our focus has been on technical support and helping the market grow to higher volume applications.
How might your products and/or services change to accommodate this marketplace?
As adoption of these technologies grow, the volume at which parts need to be produced will grow. Our line of continuous processing equipment in both vacuum and atmosphere applications are well suited. Whether it be debind and sinter, annealing, or stress relieving, we have equipment and expertise that can grow from early production to high volumes.
Share how 3D printing or AM products/services help heat treaters.
Overall, Gasbarre is here to be a resource and support the growth of the additive market. Whether that be through new equipment, servicing existing equipment, or involvement in the industry organizations, we have the expertise to drive success today and into the future!
What do readers need to know about AM/3D to make decisions today?
Additive manufacturing is such a dynamic technology, it is difficult to state one specific item. There is the potential for significant growth opportunities for new applications, but also the potential replacement of traditional manufacturing methods. We also know there is substantial backing for the technology by both private industry and government entities. Like other emerging technologies in the automotive and energies sectors, additive manufacturing isn’t a matter of if, but when it’ll achieve wide scale adoption and high-volume applications.
It is amazing how the list of materials being utilized with this technology is growing. While metals and alloys have not been the majority of the market, it is rapidly growing. With that growth, there is a wide variety of applications and thermal processing requirements for those materials. As well, the different additive and 3D printing processing methods (i.e., binder jetting, powder bed fusion, etc.) leads to a similar diversity in thermal processing requirements.
Fundamentals of furnace maintenance sometimes fall between that tricky area of realizing their importance and getting pushed to the end of the to-do list. This original content piece shares tips to bring the fundamentals back to where they belong: at the top of the to-do list.
Ben Gasbarre President, Industrial Furnace Systems Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
Safety First | Whether the furnace is in operation, or it is having down time, proper safety measures must be in place. Personal protective equipment, proper shut down of power sources, and even the buddy system are topics taken in to consideration.
Asset Management System | Have up-to-date maintenance records available to any and all employees. "Ensuring important information, such as alloy replacements, burner tuning, or control calibration information, can help operations and maintenance personnel as they plan and assess future equipment needs," comments Ben Gasbarre, president industrial furnace systems at Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems.
Cleaning | Reminders include: change filters on combustion blowers, clean things like burners and flame curtains, clean out endothermic gas lines, burn off manual probes at least once a week, etc.
Daniel Hill, PE Sales Engineer AFC-Holcroft Source: AFC-Holcroft
Rules and Regulations | The military and energy industries are sectors that have strict standards to follow. Different heat treating shops are using a software module to maintain furnace data, looking at data reports to make sure the furnace systems are running properly.
Timely Maintenance | Making a maintenance plan and then following it means that no tasks are overlooked or forgotten.
After Repairs and Adjustment | Make sure that after trouble shooting and performing repairs, the software generated reports are examined and that furnaces continue to be maintained. Daniel Hill, PE, sales engineer at AFC-Holcroft says, "This saves valuable time and resources, improves availability, and likely increases profitability."
Greg Steiger Senior Key Account Manager Idemitsu Lubricants America
Proper Levels of Sludge and Water Quench | Failing to keep the quench oil clean results in problems on surface finish. Maintain the quench from the start by filtering, cleaning, and replenishing to keep end product surfaces more acceptable.
Frequency of Sampling | "[The] more often a quench oil is analyzed, the easier it is to use the quench oil analysis as a tool in the proper care of a quench oil," explains Greg Steiger, senior key account manager at Idemitsu Lubricants America.
Regular Addition of Fresh Oil | Proper maintenance of quench oil will result in some loss through filtration. Be sure to replenish.
Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.com
What are the heat treat tech trends we're seeing in Heat TreatToday? Perhaps you read the Tech Trends article earlier this year predicting what trends in the industry will continue to develop in 2022. We can see that a point made by Jim Oakes, president of Super Systems, Inc., overlaps all of the trends in this line up: "The pillars in technology remain quality and efficiency with a growing emphasis on connectivity and carbon footprint visibility." Check out the 6 trends below!
Thermal Efficiency To Decrease Carbon Footprint
The technical thoughts that we're seeing surrounding this awareness for thermal efficiency surround the technology of induction. "[Induction] is also a very efficient process," commented Michael J. Zaharof, manager customer information & marketing at Inductoheat, "as induction power supplies are only powered on when needed compared to batch processing (like those requiring an oven)." Additionally, Girish Dahake, senior vice president of Global Applications at Ambrell Corporation, describes this efficient process saying, "The workpiece is placed in the coil where this field induces a current, generating heat in the workpiece. The water-cooled coil is cool to the touch and is placed around or adjacent to the work piece. It does not touch the workpiece and heat is generated by the induced current flowing in the workpiece."
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In the news, there have been companies looking to replace old gas generators with no automatic process controls and lacking in dew point efficiency. The resulting significant CO2 savings for heat treating operations is in line with the trend of pursuing efficiency for the sake of decreasing carbon footprint.
Technology for Remote Monitoring and Integrated Control
We've seen this in the episode with Matt Wright at C3 Data in his description of integrated control of various systems. Additionally, he related that flow of information in heat treat facilities is a major challenge: "When I look at our industry, one of the things that is the biggest challenge is the flow of information — getting information from where it resides to where it needs to be in the format that it needs to be. I think the technologies that have been successful in our industry are technologies that help lubricate that flow, if you will."
This hot -- or rather salty -- topic appeared on Heat Treat Radio with Bill Disler at AFC-Holcroft noting that modern processes allow for 99% of salt in quenching to be reclaimed. The manner that salt is used as a quenchant is different from oil: "With salt, you’ll come out of the quench with some liquid salt on it, you’ll go into a washer but that salt then dissolves back into the water. Generally, there is a multiphase wash with a wash/rinse/rinse. Then, after we get a certain percentage of salt in the wash solution, we thermally evaporate the water off leaving the salt back where it can be reintroduced into the quench tank."
Another representative from the company, Bill Coburn, was recently quoted in a press release that highlighted this feature in a recent installation at an agricultural product manufacturer. While these examples are so far quite consistent within the company, we expect more conversations about this reuse-and-recycle opportunity to be forthcoming.
Looking back at the months of June and July, the press release ratio of atmosphere to vacuum furnace focus was 3:9. Check out the latest news in the industry in these press releases:
One of our partners, heat processing interviewed Mark Bula at H2 Green Steel in a feature revealing how the company was commited to electric generation as part of the industrial process. While there is a fair amount of criticism from the energy sector about what this conversion value could realistically look like, the attempts to make electric happen continue to grow.
Digital Transformation and Application of IIoT Technologies
This trend will take a variety of forms, particularly with the catchy term, "predictive maintenance." Learn more about IIoT here, but for some technical conversations that have continued into 2022, turn to the Heat TreatRadio podcast with Fives North American Combustion.
[blockquote author="Justin Dzik, Fives North American Combustion" style="1"]The CertiFire™ is, as you already stated, an automated tuning device for temperature uniformity certifications. I think pretty much everybody that’s going to watch this podcast is probably going to know that they can be extremely time consuming to do, they take a lot of time and a lot of intelligence to actually tune the process. This device takes all of that and does it all itself. It does all the automated burner tuning, all the valve adjustments, it locks it all in and tunes it for whatever class uniformity you need.[/blockquote]
Heat TreatToday’s 40 Under 40 was created to bring recognition to young professionals in the industry, giving names, faces, and words to the rising generation of industry professionals. In this original content article, released on the final day to nominate someone to Heat TreatToday’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2022, we caught up with exemplary classmates from past years to hear where they are now and what comments they have about the industry.
Justin Powell
It has been 15 years since, "at the age of 19, I started working for a company that serviced high temperature furnaces and industrial combustion systems. I cut my teeth in the industry by doing burner retrofits and turnkey system installations."
Since being nominated to receive Heat TreatToday’s 40 Under 40award, Justin says he has "started a company called MP Combustion with my very good friend, Ryan McClain. We literally started the company working out of our basements in 2019 and with the support of this wonderful industry have since grown to a team of six with hopes to expand to more employees soon. Our team works hard to support the heat treat community by supplying the best combustion equipment and technical support in the industry." Justin notes that starting MP Combustion is "easily the highlight of my career so far."
When asked what his favorite thing about the industry is, he commented, "The never-ending learning curve. I love to learn, and this industry has a seemingly endless supply of new skills to learn and hone. I also have a great admiration for the people in this industry, they are always willing to help teach and learn from one another. It's an amazing community to be a part of!"
As a final word of advice for the winners being selected to Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2022 this summer, Justin encourages them, saying, "My friends, this is only the beginning. I wish you all great success throughout your career and hope that our paths meet along the way!"
Jaime got involved in the world of heat treat seven years ago, seeking "a job opportunity in Engineering and Project Management and in automotive, power generator, or automation." Since receiving the award, Jaime has "received a promotion from Engineering Manager to Operations Manager in MATTSA FURNACE COMPANY, expanding my area of responsibilities to equipment manufacturing without [fully] leaving engineering and project management."
His aptitude to pivot is evident in what he finds most exciting about heat treating: "Every day is a new challenge for me, from receiving and managing new projects to helping our clients to solve issues or coordinate the activities of MATTSA plant with all the personnel involved. All these activities and the way I solve them make me excited every day when I arrive at my workplace."
"Receiving this nomination is an honor," Jaime shares, "it is a way of showing the world the talent you have, in addition to showing that being young is not synonymous with being inexperienced, but that our generation can do great things with a lot of dedication and effort. Never stop fighting for what you want and show that your talent is world class."
For Miguel, it has been six years of service in the heat treat industry. "I started in 2016," he commented, "with an internship program, in the John Deere materials laboratory. I had the opportunity to collaborate in the development of suppliers, certify the quality and mechanical properties of treated parts, participate in the design of new heat treat recipes and the introduction of new processes. Those were the first steps in the world of heat treat. After the internship and thanks to that experience, I was hired as the engineer in charge of John Deere's heat treatment lines."
Over the past few years since nomination, Miguel notes that his role in heat treatment "has changed a lot. My position evolved to a Sr. level with more responsibilities and challenges, including renewing the technology of our lines, implementing improvements to make processes more efficient and achieving cost and expense reductions. I was awarded trade secrets for these upgrades." He continues, saying, "I am currently working on fully exploiting the capacity of our equipment, focusing on cost reductions, reducing gas consumption, and improving emissions."
It's the science paired with experimentation in heat treat that continues to interest Miguel: "What I like the most is that it is a true science, it requires a lot of experimentation and generating hypotheses. My colleagues tell me that they are like occult arts or magic, since two parts that look the same can be completely different inside."
To the upcoming 40 Under 40 Class of 2022, Miguel offers a challenge: "Although the literature on HT is many years old, there is always an opportunity to innovate and create different things and different ways of doing things. Experiment and ask yourself many things. and this will become more than a job, a different experience day by day. Very challenging and fun."
Ben Gasbarre President, Industrial Furnace Systems Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
A 7,700 sq. ft. technical center for heat treat has opened in Livonia, Michigan. This technical center will expand heat treaters’ range of support in the Midwest, housing sales, engineering, and service personnel to their clients.
With locations in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Michigan, the addition of the technical center completes another step in the process thatGasbarre Thermal Processing Systems announced a little over a year ago to position themselves to better support their clients and advance their product offering.
The company is currently in the process of installing both atmosphere and vacuum processing equipment in the technical center to support product development, client trials, and demonstrations.
“The opening of the technical center,” commented Ben Gasbarre, president of Industrial Furnace Systems at Gasbarre, “not only maintains our presence in the Midwest, but also allows us to have a convenient location for customers and vendors to meet with our experienced team. The furnace equipment being installed will give us the flexibility to process material in both atmosphere and vacuum environments. The technical center is a key addition for us to continue to position ourselves as a leader in the thermal processing market and provide solutions to our growing customer base.”
All images provided by Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems.
Considerable investment is made when purchasing a batch integral quench (BIQ) furnace. These popular furnaces need specific care and maintenance to keep them in prime operating condition. In this informative article by Ben Gasbarre, president of Industrial Furnace Systems at Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, learn how you can protect your BIQ from avoidable downtime.
This original content article appears in Heat TreatToday’s Air and Atmosphere’s February 2021 magazine. When the print edition is distributed, the full magazine will be accessible here.
Ben Gasbarre President, Industrial Furnace Systems Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
The batch integral quench furnace, or sealed quench furnace, is one of the most popular pieces of equipment in the heat treating industry. The core benefit is its versatility as it can easily adjust to changes in load weight, configurations, and heat treating processes. This makes
it a highly efficient and profitable piece of equipment for both captive and commercial heat treaters.
With all the good that is done in these furnaces, the downside comes in the maintenance of the equipment. By nature, these furnaces are hot, dirty, and have many moving parts, including multiple doors, load handlers, elevators, fans, quench agitators, and pumping systems; this furnace has it all! Although there are many areas of an integral quench furnace, understanding the subassemblies and having a good maintenance program can ensure the equipment operates safely and maintains its highest level of performance year after year.
Maintenance Safety
The discussion on maintenance of any piece of equipment begins and ends with safety. Prior to any work being done on the equipment, safety measures need to be considered based on the work being performed. Certain maintenance activities must be completed while the equipment is in operation; in these cases, proper personal protective equipment must be considered for work being done around hot surfaces, high voltages, elevated work, and potentially hazardous gases. If work is necessary while the equipment is offline, additional safety procedures must be followed, including lockout/tagout of all major power sources, special atmospheres, and natural gas supplies to the furnace.
Integral quench furnaces are considered confined spaces. Prior to entry into the quench vestibule, furnace chamber, and even quench pit, confined space procedures must be followed; hard stops must be in place for doors and elevators. Technicians need to ensure proper oxygen levels and air circulation prior to entry. The buddy system is always recommended when someone is entering the furnace. Prior to returning the furnace to operation, it is important to ensure all necessary safety and maintenance equipment has been removed, all supply lines are receiving designed gas pressures, and proper startup procedures are followed.
For furnace safety during shut down periods, it is wise to review furnace interlock systems and safeties to ensure proper operation. This includes items such as high-limit controllers, solenoid valves, burn off pilots, and other components critical to emergency situations. Additionally, per NFPA 86 requirements, valves and piping should be leak-checked periodically.
Reporting and Metrics for Optimum Performance
Image Source: Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
While Industry 4.0 is a popular concept in today’s manufacturing environment, the basic concepts behind the technology are what is important to any good maintenance plan. First, having an asset management system that enables engineers, operations, and maintenance personnel to access maintenance records is critical to ensure they can troubleshoot issues and perform maintenance activities more efficiently. Asset management tools are readily available and can range from well-established cloud-based software systems to simple Excel spreadsheet records. Ensuring important information, such as alloy replacements, burner tuning, or control calibration information, can help operations and maintenance personnel as they plan and assess future equipment needs.
The second concept is preventive or predictive maintenance plans. While these are not interchangeable concepts, the goal of implementing either is to reduce the likelihood of significant unplanned downtime, which can be costly to an organization. Preventive maintenance is a schedule of planned maintenance activities on a piece of equipment using best practices that give the best chance to catch a problem before it arises.
Predictive maintenance uses data and analytics from equipment operations that can be used to predict when problems are likely to occur. There are considerations for either approach, and the evaluation criteria for preventive versus predictive maintenance plans could be an article in and of itself.
Integral Quench Furnace Maintenance
As stated previously, breaking the furnace down into a series of subassemblies is the easiest way to develop an overall maintenance plan for equipment that has many sections and components. Discussed items will include mechanical assemblies, the heating system, the filtration system, atmosphere controls, temperature controls, and furnace seals. Each has its own importance to ensuring reliable equipment performance.
Mechanical Assemblies
Typical load transfer system alignment.
The mechanical system includes the load transfer system, recirculation fans, quench agitators, door assemblies, and elevator system. There are many exterior items that can cause abnormal equipment operation, including position sensors, rotary cam switches or encoders, and proximity switches, that if not operating properly can interrupt or cause failure within the furnace. Position settings should be logged for future reference, and sensors should be inspected regularly. Belts that may be used on recirculation fans and quench agitators should be inspected regularly for damage and excessive wear. Vibration of these items should be monitored as excess vibration can be an indication of damage or wear to the fan or agitator bearings, shaft, or blades.
The largest item of concern in this system is the alignment of the load transfer system. Unsuccessful load transfer due to misalignment or obstruction can cause significant furnace damage and create unsafe conditions within the furnace. Internal alloy components should be evaluated for integrity and alignment every six to twelve months. Elevator alignment should be reviewed to ensure smooth operation during the same period. Frequent visual inspection through sight glasses, quench time monitoring, and motor load data can give valuable information of future potential transfer issues within the furnace.
Heating Systems
Whether your furnace is gas or electrically heated, well-maintained systems can have significant impact on the operating efficiency of a furnace. For gas-heated systems, proper burner tuning and combustion blower filter cleaning can ensure optimum gas usage and can also improve radiant tube life. Burners, pilots, and flame curtains should be cleaned at least once or twice a year to ensure proper performance.
Electrically heated systems typically require less general maintenance and have fewer components that are susceptible to failure. Regular checks of heating element connections and electrical current resistance can help to identify upcoming element failure.
The largest and most critical components of reliable process performance are the radiant tubes. A crack or leak in a radiant tube can cause part quality issues. Changes in your furnace atmosphere gas consumption or troubles from controlling carbon potential can be signs of tube leaks. If the radiant tube failure is unexpected, it can also cause significant downtime if replacement tubes are not available. Cycle logs and run hour timers are the best metrics for preventive or predictive maintenance on radiant tubes.
Filtration Systems
Filtration systems are recommended for most integral quench applications. They help to eliminate build up and contamination in the oil recirculation system that flows through the heat exchanger and top/atmosphere cooler on the furnace quench vestibule. Filtration systems typically are comprised of a pump, dual filters, and an alarm system to alert users when it is time to change filters. Maintenance on your quench oil can vary by composition. Quarterly analysis of the quench oil performance is common. However, it is recommended to consult with your quench oil supplier to ensure safe and effective performance.
Atmosphere Controls
Integral quench furnace atmosphere systems can vary both by manufacturer and in overall gas composition. The most common being endothermic gas, nitrogen/methanol, along with options for ammonia or other process gases. Although these items may vary, maintenance remains consistent. Users need to ensure the integrity of the piping system including regulators, solenoid valves, and safety switches.
Endothermic gas lines should be cleaned out at least once or twice a year. Many furnace atmosphere problems can be traced back to endothermic gas generator issues, so it is important to have a well-maintained atmosphere generator to ensure peak performance in your integral quench furnace.
Typical integral quench furnace atmosphere system.
Recent technology allows for automatic burn-off of carbon probes and automated atmosphere sampling. However, probes should be burned off once per week if they are manual. Probes will require calibration and periodic replacement, and they can be rebuilt to like-new specifications. Controllers or gas analyzers that support carbon potential control should be calibrated quarterly, biannually, or annually depending on heat treat specification requirements.
Updates in the automotive CQI-9 specification will require calibration of all atmosphere flowmeters on a periodic basis. Users will need to be aware of this requirement and understand how their gas flowmeters should be calibrated. In some cases, control upgrades may be required.
Temperature Controls
Temperature control maintenance typically follows AMS2750 or CQI-9 specifications. This would relate to thermocouple replacement, system accuracy test procedures, and controller calibrations. Depending on the age of the equipment and specification requirement, these items may need to be done as frequently as once per quarter or annually.
Temperature uniformity surveys (TUS) follow similar specifications for frequency. However, a TUS can diagnose areas of the furnace that may need maintenance attention. Having a baseline TUS to reference will help identify changes in furnace performance. Changes to a TUS can indicate burner or element tuning requirements, an inner door leak, refractory damage, fan wear, or radiant tube failure.
Furnace Seals
Integral quench furnace seals can be a source of heartache for any maintenance technicians working to troubleshoot a furnace. Typical seal areas include the inner door cylinder rod, elevator cylinder rods, inner door seal against furnace refractory, outer door seal against quench vestibule, fan shaft(s), and an elevator seal if there is a top atmosphere cooler.
Typical sealing of cylinder shafts are glands comprised of refractory rope and grease. Greasing of these areas should be completed weekly. Outer door and elevator seals are typically fiber rope and may have adjustment built in as they wear, but ultimately will need to be replaced. Frequent inspection of these areas will help identify early issues. Using a flame wand or gas sniffer can help find leaks in unwanted locations. Small furnace leaks can cause part quality issues, and larger leaks can also create safety concerns within the furnace.
Additional Maintenance Items
Other key maintenance items include a bi-monthly or monthly burn out of the furnace heating chamber. This requires the furnace to have air safely injected into the chamber at or slightly above process temperature to allow the carbon to burn out of the furnace. Doing this process on a regular basis will help improve refractory and alloy component life as well as helping to maintain good process control.
Example thermal camera image
Another helpful snapshot of furnace health is using a thermal camera to take images of the equipment. It is recommended to do this on a monthly or quarterly basis. Thermal camera images can identify hot spots on the furnace outer steel shell that may indicate refractory deterioration or a furnace atmosphere leak. Thermal images can also identify potential issues with motors or bearings on fans and agitator assemblies.
Conclusion
In the end, all furnaces have different nuances that require different maintenance approaches. This could be based on the manufacturer, types of processes being run, or utilization of the equipment. By consulting with your original equipment manufacturer or other furnace service providers, a strong maintenance plan can be developed and implemented. This can include support and training from experienced professionals on that style of furnace. Broader cost benefit analysis should be done as it relates to spare part inventories, resource allocations, frequency of preventive maintenance activities, or investments into predictive maintenance and asset management technologies and how those activities can maximize utilization of each piece of equipment.
About the Author: Ben Gasbarre is president of Gasbarre’s Industrial Furnace Systems division. Ben has been involved in the sales, engineering, and manufacturing of thermal processing equipment for 13 years. Gasbarre provides thermal processing equipment solutions for both atmosphere and vacuum furnace applications, as well as associated auxiliary equipment, and aftermarket parts and service.
All images provided by Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems.
Heat Treat Today is privileged to oversee the 40 Under 40 recognition awards highlighting a group of young, up-and-coming talent in the North American heat treat industry every year. This year’s Class of 2019 is no disappointment–a group of industry elite, significant contributors to the heat treat market.
Every couple of weeks we highlight two of the current class of recipients. This week we introduce Ben Gasbarre of Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems and Brinson White of Pelican Wire.
Name: Ben Gasbarre Company: Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems Position: President
Ben has worked his way up through his family’s company which was founded by his grandfather and father. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Operational Management and Supervision from Penn State University and is currently working toward an MBA from the University of Michigan which he expects to finish by the end of this year. Ben is currently on the Industrial Heating Executive Committee and is a graduate of MTI’s YES Management Training Program. His roles at the company included Manufacturing Manager at Sinterite and C. I. Hayes. Soon after the acquisition of J. L. Becker, he moved to Plymouth, Michigan, where he was initially Manufacturing Manager, promoted to General Manager, and is currently the President of what is now Industrial Furnace Systems, a Division of Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, which continues to service and support J. L. Becker brand equipment. Ben has been instrumental in hiring personnel, managing the company (sales, engineering, manufacturing and service), improving project management, and enabling product development including IFS’s new vacuum purge nitriding furnace.
Nominated by: Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
Name: Brinson White Company: Pelican Wire Position: Director of Engineering
Brinson is responsible for the custom design and development and installation of custom manufacturing equipment, processes, and software which benefit the entire heat treat industry through improved products and performance. Brinson’s expertise in developing the tools necessary for these fine-gauge, high-temp solutions has served over 250 customers and end-users with improved products and technical expertise.
Nominated by: Pelican Wire
Read more about the feature at Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 resource page and find out more about each of this year’s winners by clicking on their image. To nominate someone for the Class of 2020 40 Under 40, please click here.
Heat Treat Today inadvertently omitted some important news regarding Gasbarre Products in last Friday’s News Chatter. Our apologies. The correct information is below.
Gasbarre Products, Inc. has announced that at the end of 2019 all thermal processing systems will be manufactured in its 50,000 sq. ft. facility located in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania.
Alex Gasbarre, CEO, Gasbarre Products
In 2011 Gasbarre acquired the JL Becker brand of industrial furnace equipment, and over the last eight years, Gasbarre has run parallel manufacturing facilities in Michigan and Pennsylvania for its furnace equipment. Consolidating the manufacturing of its common product lines allow for the most efficient use of its floor space, equipment, and manufacturing processes.
Ben Gasbarre, President, Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
According to Gasbarre CEO, Alex Gasbarre, “This move is not only beneficial to our current operations, but it will directly impact our customers. Our St. Mary’s facility has a track record of on-time delivery, quality, safety, and efficient processing. Those factors will drive competitive pricing with quick delivery.”
Gasbarre will remain in the Detroit area with a sales, engineering, and service facility. Ben Gasbarre, president of Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, will maintain his leadership role within the Plymouth, Michigan, location. The sales and technical team will drive Gasbarre’s furnace systems into the future. Gasbarre has plans to not only design and service its equipment but also to eventually establish a technical center for process testing and demonstration purposes. “The move will allow us to better utilize our highly-skilled personnel to accelerate advancements to our products, technology, and services,” said Ben Gasbarre.
Expansion in St. Mary’s will be necessary, so plans have begun for an additional 12,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space with additional office and conference room capacity. This will be a significant investment in the furnace operations to drive manufacturing, technology, and growth into the future.
The Class of 2019 40 Under 40, revealed online on October 4, was featured at the Heat TreatTodaybooth at the Heat Treat Show in Detroit, Michigan. Here is a group photo of most of those still present on the last day:
Matt Watts (Ultra Electronics Energy), Mike Harrison (Gasbarre), Ben Gasbarre (Gasbarre), Tom Zimmerman (ATP), Chris Davidson (SSi), Neal Conway (Delta H), Brandon Sheldon (Plibrico), Kyle Hummel (Contour), Sergio Cantu (Quaker Houghton), Uwe Rahn (Rubig), Justin Dzik (Fives)
Fundamentals of furnace maintenance sometimes fall between that tricky area of realizing their importance and getting pushed to the end of the to-do list. This original content piece shares tips to bring the fundamentals back to where they belong: at the top of the to-do list. 
Justin Powell
Jaime Sanchez
Miguel Humberto Fajardo
Name: Ben Gasbarre
