Welcome to Heat TreatToday's This Week in Heat TreatSocial Media. You know and we know: there is too much content available on the web, and 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 TreatToday is here to bring you a hot take of the latest compelling, inspiring, and entertaining heat treat chatter from the world of social media.
This week we'll check out some heat treating topics that are close to home (maybe even in your kitchen!) as well as learn about a metal that's a national security concern.
You may have used a knife to cut your steak last night, but what's the story behind that crisp, clean edge? Check out this video to learn the basics of heat treating knives.
2. Kudos to Past 40 Under 40 Winners!
Mastering the Subject
Alberto Ramirez, Contour Hardening, was excited to share a big milestone: a master's in Information Technology Management. We're proud to have him in the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021.
This month, social media was a-buzz with news from Family Business Magazine. Heather Falcone, CEO of Thermal-Vac Technology, was named as one of the "Transformational Women." This 2019 40 Under 40 winner sure has a knack for collecting awards.
Speaking Candidly
Mark Rhoa, vice president at Chiz Bros, delivered a talk on thermal performance in furnaces with refractory and insulation products at the ASM 2021 heat treat show.
3. A Triad of Trending Topics
Precious metals in your pocket, an exciting future in heat treating careers, and a new VOQ in Western PA? It's going to be a good weekend.
What's Going On in Your Phone?
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
.VOQ Maiden Voyage Coming Soon
4. The Reading Corner
Doing a little personal development this weekend? Why not increase your heat treating knowledge by perusing these articles?
Integrity. . .the Mechanical Kind
Graphene, the Wonder Material That Became a National Security Concern
The privilege of unveiling the Heat Treat Today40 Under 40 Class of 2021 comes with the reality that not every one of the nominees could be included in the final count; even though each young, up-and-coming, talented heat treating professional whose name was submitted is making a significant difference in their field.
The individuals pictured are those we acknowledge in 2021 for their contribution to their company, their dedication of service to their customers, and their commitment to pursue skills and knowledge to further contribute to their field.
The 2021 Honorable Mentions
Daniel Dudar Absent Atmosphere Maintenance, Inc.
Nathan Howell S&C Electric Company
Justin Waldrop Paulo
Joshua Fuentes Bodycote Thermal Processing, Inc.
Heat Treat Today will be back next year looking for rising leaders in the 40 Under 40 Class of 2022. We encourage you to consider the talented young professionals in the heat treating sphere, especially in the captive heat treatment industry, who deserve this recognition for their leadership. You can begin the process right now: Click here to nominate a young professional for Summer 2022.
Want a free tip? Check out this read of some of the top 101 Heat TreatTips that heat treating professionals submitted over the last three years. These handy technical words of wisdom will keep your furnaces in optimum operation and keep you in compliance. If you want more, search for “101 heat treat tips” on the website! This selection features 8 tips to make sure your operations are clean and pure.
Also, in this year’s show issue, Heat TreatToday will be sharing Heat TreatResources you can use when you’re at the plant or on the road. Look for the digital edition of the magazine on September 13, 2021 to check it out yourself!
Oil and Water Don’t Mix
Keep water out of your oil quench. A few pounds of water at the bottom of an IQ quench tank can cause a major fire. Be hyper-vigilant that no one attempts to recycle fluids that collect on the charge car.
(Combustion Innovations)
Dirt In, Dirt Out!
Parts going into the furnace should be as clean as possible. Avoid placing parts in the furnace that contain foreign object debris (FOD). FOD on work surfaces going into the furnace will contaminate the furnace and the parts themselves. Dirty work in, dirty work out. FOD comes in many forms. Most common: oil, grease, sand in castings or grit blasting operations, and metal chips that generally originate from the manufacturing process before the parts are heat treated. It could also be FOD from the shipping process such as wood or plastic containers used to ship the parts.
(Solar Manufacturing)
Remove Particulates
Adding a strong magnetic filter in line after the main filtration system is an effective way to remove fine, metallic particulates in an aqueous quench system.
(Contour Hardening, Inc.)
Seal Away Dirt or Dusty Environments
Use a sealed enclosure or alternative cooled power controllers for dirty and dusty environments. For heavy dirt or dusty environments, a sealed cabinet with air conditioning or filters is recommended. Alternatively, select a SCR manufacturer that offers external mount or liquid cooled heatsinks to allow you to maintain a sealed environment in order to obtain maximum product life.
(Control Concepts)
Copper as a Leak Check
If maintaining dew point is a problem, and it’s suspected that either an air or water leak is causing the problem, run a piece of copper through the furnace. Air will discolor the copper; water will not.
(Super Systems, Inc.)
Oxygen Contamination Sources
A common source of oxygen contamination to vacuum furnace systems is in the inert gas delivery system. After installation of the delivery lines, as a minimum, the lines should be pressurized and then soap-bubble tested for leaks. But even better for critical applications is to attach a vacuum pump and helium leak detector to these lines with all valves securely closed, pull a good vacuum, and helium leak check the delivery line system. Helium is a much smaller molecule than oxygen and a helium-tight line is an air-tight line. Also, NEVER use quick disconnect fittings on your inert gas delivery system to pull off inert gas for other applications unless you first install tight shut-off valves before the quick disconnect. When the quick disconnect is not in use, these valves should be kept closed at all times. (Though the line is under pressure, when you open a back-fill valve to a large chamber, the line can briefly go negative pressure and pull in air through a one-way sealing quick disconnect valve.)
(Grammer Vacuum Technologies)
Container Clarity Counts!
Assure that container label wording (specifically for identifying chemical contents) matches the corresponding safety data sheets (SDS). Obvious? I have seen situations where the label wording was legible and accurate and there was a matching safety data sheet for the contents, but there was still a problem. The SDS could not be readily located, as it was filed under a chemical synonym, or it was filed under a chemical name, whereas the container displayed a brand name. A few companies label each container with (for instance) a bold number that is set within a large, colored dot. The number refers to the exact corresponding SDS.
(Rick Kaletsky, Safety Consultant)
Discolored Part—Who’s to Blame?
If your parts are coming out of the quench oil with discoloration and you are unsure if it is from the prewash, furnace, or oil quench, you can rule out the quench if the discoloration cannot be rubbed off. Check this before the part is post-washed and tempered.
Other possible causes:
Can be burnt oils as parts go through the quench door flame screen
Poor prewash
Furnace atmosphere inlet (particularly if it is drip methanol)
(AFC-Holcroft)
Check out these magazines to see where these tips were first featured:
Induction is a curious member in the family of heat treating. Its presence is valuable, yet there’s a mystery surrounding it that has even veteran heat treaters exploring it to gain understanding. Journey through this induction hardening primer to learn about this important misfit of the heat treating world.
This Heat Treat Today Technical Tuesday original content feature, written by Kyle Hummel, P.E., COO at Contour Hardening, first appeared in Heat Treat Today's May 2021 Induction print edition. Feel free to contact Karen Gantzer at karen@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.
In the world of heat treat, induction hardening just doesn’t fit in. There is no big furnace, cycle times are a matter seconds, and the entire process takes place right before your eyes rather than behind the walls of a furnace chamber. Many heat treaters have one old induction machine sitting in the corner of the shop floor, with one remaining employee who knows how to operate it.
Induction is different than all other types of heat treatment, and even many metallurgists shy away from the "black magic" that occurs during the process. When I ask customers how familiar they are with induction hardening, they usually state that they have seen it before, mention something about a coil, but that’s about the extent of their knowledge.
The purpose of this article is to give readers, who are not familiar with the induction hardening process, some background on the fundamental aspects and terminology of the process. The information encompasses the most common questions I am asked by new customers as well as information I would provide in training new employees. My hope is that it will give you enough familiarity with the process to become more comfortable engaging in a conversation about induction hardening.
Why Use Induction?
Selective hardening – Induction allows you to harden only the desired portion of a part, whereas most furnace-based heat treat processes treat the entire component. This means you can harden the particular area that you want to harden, while leaving the rest of the component soft enough to machine further.
Strength – Not only does the part become harder, but the stress (called residual compressive stress) that is induced into the part will make it stronger. Other processes can meet the improved wear resistance of the added hardness but fail to strengthen the part at all, or not as much as induction hardening.
Single piece flow– Because induction hardening is not a batch process (typically one part is hardened at a time), induction machines can be placed in a manufacturing cell, allowing the process flow to be uninterrupted.
Induction hardening in action
Equipment and Tooling
Induction Hardening Machine – Systems will vary significantly in size and complexity depending on the components they are hardening. The primary components of the machine consist of a power supply, heat station (transformer), workstation, and HMI. The fluids system is composed of quenchant to cool the part being hardened and distilled water to cool the internal components of the machine. Heat time, power supply output, part rotation, and quenchant parameters should be controlled, monitored, and logged for each part.
Power Supplies – Power supplies are the most important component of the induction hardener. For the purpose of this article, we will discuss the two most important outputs of the power supply, frequency and power.
Frequency is important because it will help determine the depth of heating. Lower frequencies heat deeper into the part, and higher frequencies heat closer to the surface. To remember this, I like to use the analogy of whales using very low frequency calls to communicate over miles and miles of ocean, whereas the high-pitched squeak of a mouse can only be heard several feet away. For induction hardening, frequencies are split into two groups: medium frequency (MF) and radio frequency (RF). The MF range is typically from 3-50kHz, and RF is from 100-400kHz.
Power is important because it will determine how large of a part you can harden, and how long the heat time will need to be. The more power that a machine can output, the larger the part it can harden and the faster it can harden to a specified case depth. Typical power supply outputs for induction hardening range from 25kW to 1MW.
Coils – The induction coil is a copper conductor that is shaped in order to harden the specified area of the part. The current that flows through the coil is what produces the magnetic field, which in turn heats the part. Coils are typically part specific, since they need to be precisely constructed to heat a particular portion of the part.
Modern induction coils are water cooled and can be made of tubing or machined copper pieces that are brazed together to make a particular shape to fit the part. They are frequently equipped with sections of a material called flux intensifier, which helps to drive the magnetic field in a certain direction in order to intensify heating in that area and make the coil more efficient.
It is also common to have the quenching designed into the coil (machine integral quench, or MIQ) so that quenchant can be applied immediately after heating without the need to move the part to an auxiliary quench mechanism.
Process Basics
Single Shot– Single shot hardening is the most common method of induction hardening where the part and coil remain in the same spot during the heating process. Typically, the part is brought into proximity of the coil, the heating and quenching processes are applied to the part, and then the part is removed from the coil.
Scanning – Scanning involves heating and quenching a small portion of the part while moving either the coil or the part until the desired area is hardened. Quench is directionally applied to the part so that as a new portion of the part is heated, the previously heated section is being quenched appropriately. Scanning is frequently used to harden shafts because heating the entire shaft at once would require too much power.
Dual Frequency – Dual frequency hardening combines the benefits of the deeper heating of the lower MFs with the surface heating capabilities of higher RFs. By utilizing two different frequencies, it is possible to contour the hardening pattern more effectively on gear-like components, which further improves the strength of the part. The frequencies can either be applied consecutively (low frequency preheat followed by a high frequency final heat) or simultaneously.
Induction Tempering – Induction can also be used to complete the temper process in a few seconds rather than furnace tempering which could take hours. Induction tempering takes place after the hardening process and involves heating the part to a much lower temperature than is required during hardening. The targeted temperature for induction temper is higher than that of furnace tempering due to the decreased temper time. This softens the hardened area slightly in order to increase the toughness of the part and improve crack susceptibility.
Quenching – The quench process is just as important as the heating process with induction hardening. Almost all modern systems use a water/polymer quenchant mixture in the range of 5-20% polymer instead of using oils. The quench media is typically sprayed on to the part rather than submerging it into a bath. Quench concentration, temperature, flow, and pressure must all be monitored closely for a robust process. These parameters all function to guarantee that the part is quenched properly and consistently to ensure the correct hardness is achieved and crack susceptibility is minimized. Quench media must also be filtered to remove any process waste that could potentially clog the quench spray holes.
Inspection – Like most other forms of heat treatment, the two most common specifications with induction hardening are case depth and hardness. Most specifications will require surface hardness measurements along with effective case depths to determine the depth of hardening.
Materials – The most common materials to be induction hardened are medium to high carbon and alloy steels, cast irons, and powder metal. Induction is also becoming a popular heat treat method on certain stainless steels in different industries.
Induction hardening in action
What to Look Out For
Cracking – The rapid expansion of the part during heating followed by shrinkage from the accelerated cooldown during quenching increases crack susceptibility of induction hardened parts. Not all parts have a high risk of cracking, but part characteristics such as internal holes, sharp edges, and certain higher carbon materials will require more consideration. If cracking is an issue, the first two areas to investigate are overheating and quench severity. Reducing the quench severity (increasing quench temperature and concentration, reducing flow and pressure) is typically the most effective means of reducing cracking within an induction hardened part.
Distortion – Another side effect of the rapid expansion and contraction is part distortion. It is impossible to not distort the part with induction hardening due to the phase changes in the metal. However, with a robust and carefully monitored process, it is possible to minimize and accurately predict process distortion. Faster heating times and technical expertise in fixturing methods are two common methods to reduce distortion.
Conclusion
Although this information just begins to scratch the surface of the terminology and fundamentals of the process, hopefully it provides a starting point to those with limited experience. Like many other forms of heat treatment, it can take years to develop the knowledge and skills to gain expertise in induction hardening. I have been involved in induction for almost fifteen years, and I find there is always a new application that gives me the opportunity to learn even more.
About the Author: Kyle Hummel is a licensed Professional Engineer who has worked for Contour Hardening for 15 years as a metallurgical engineer and currently manages operations of Contour’s Indianapolis location.
For more information, contact Kyle at khummel@contourhardening.com or 317.876.1530 ext. 333
In a special Heat Treat Radio series, 40 Under 40 winners from the class of 2020 respond with their stories and insights of their life and work in the heat treat industry. This episode features the stories of Luke Wright, Nathan Durham, and Alberto Cantú.
This episode in the series also features an update from a past alum; in this episode, Kyle Hummel of Contour Hardening shares his journey over the last several years and how he has grown as a person in heat treat.
Below, you can listen to the podcast by clicking on the audio play button and read a few excerpts from this episode.
Luke Wright Senior Engineer JTEKT North America Corporation / Koyo Bearings
“So, we had a void in the heat treating department. We had three new hires — 2 others including myself at the time. They kind of shuffled us around: one went to assembly and I got put in heat treat with one of the others. They figured heat treat was difficult enough for two green engineers. I kind of picked it up as I went along.”
“I guess that’s kinda what I really like — sort of this black box science that everyone wants to talk about, and there’s so many things we have to just say, Well, I’m not really sure. We turn this knob and it tends to work better that way. But then, there’s also really detailed science and theory that kind of guides you and that gut feel, twist-that-knob practical application.”
“Something that I’ve been trying to do more lately in my job is to explain more about what I’m doing, what’s going on with the others around me — maintenance workers, furnace operators, or supervisors — instead of just keeping to myself or pushing them out of the way to just do the thing myself if they don’t understand: Doing a little more to work alongside people.”
Nathan Durham
Nathan Durham Aftermarket Sales Manager Ipsen
“As we near the end of 2020 and reflect on the many, many challenges that arose, I’m truly motivated by the diversity and resilience of our industry[…] We’ll persevere through this pandemic, and push forward into 2021.”
“During my tenure at Ipsen, I’ve realized how important it is to always remain flexible within a career and adapt to what your company and what your customer are asking you.”
“Thank you again, as I’m truly humbled to be a part, and associated with, such great company, and the future of our industry.”
Alberto Cantú
Alberto Cantú VP Combustion, Control and Services Nutec Bickley
“I started as an R&D manager. I had completed a PhD on the computation of fluid dynamics and used these tools to design new furnaces. But lately, I’ve been more involved in sales and business development.”
“On the one hand, the computation of power has been increasing — I’m going to say since the birth of computers, but lately more and more — but then the internet and the whole internet of things and Industry 4.0 coming together… You can do a lot of things with both the calculations and the ability to have the information in real time. I think many of these operating procedures that were mainly based on ‘rules of thumb’ and heuristics will change[…] to be based on machine learning…”
“I would suggest [for young heat treaters] to get involved in tradeshows, subscribe to newsletters, make sure you read all the news in the magazines available and in companies so that you get up-to-date in all things happening in the industry because, as I said, it’s vey exciting and I see a bright future.”
“Professionally, I’ve been honored to accept a promotion and am now responsible for overseeing our operations. And on top of that, I’m currently studying for my very last finals to get my MBA in which I’ll graduate May.”
“The heat treatment industry is such a broad field of processes and technologies that anyone can get really excited about. I also think that heat treating can offer the perfect balance of hands-on work experience as well as quality and process improvement that can keep you engaged for years as you continue to grow your career.”
“I’m personally excited to see how the heat treat industry adapts to the next five years as electric vehicles sales continue to rise in the US. I believe this will be an opportunity for heat treaters to start thinking about how to broaden their service offerings and expanding into other industries as well.”
The privilege of unveiling the Heat Treat Today40 Under 40 Class of 2020 comes with the reality that not every one of the nominees could be included in the final count; even though each young, up-and-coming, talented heat treating professional whose name was submitted is making a significant difference in their field.
The individuals pictured are those we acknowledge in 2020 for their contribution to their company, their dedication of service to their customers, and their commitment to pursue skills and knowledge to further contribute to their field.
The 2020 Honorable Mentions
Michael Brant Contour Hardening
David Chirichello Bodycote
Derek Denlinger Paulo
Daniel Dudar Absent Atmosphere Maintenance, Inc.
Julio Fernandez Bodycote Thermal Processing, Inc.
Jardin Harrington Bodycote
Tom Hart SECO/VACUUM Technologies LLC
Cory Husemann Paulo
Ryan McCauley Contour Hardening
Adler Moldenhauer President Vectorr Industries LLC
Vishal Nakhate Bodycote Rochester
Scott Roberts Bodycote Thermal Processing, Inc.
Heat Treat Today will be back next year looking for rising leaders in the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021. We encourage you to consider the talented young professionals in the heat treating sphere, especially in the captive heat treatment industry, who deserve this recognition for their leadership. You can begin the process right now: Click here to nominate a young professional for Summer 2021.
Induction hardening has played a critical role for decades in heat treating. In this Heat TreatToday Technical Tuesday feature, Kyle Hummel, Professional Engineer at Contour Hardening, shares his engineering insights on the necessity of induction-hardened components for automotive powertrains. As a manufacturer with in-house induction hardening or a commercial heat treater, learn about viable considerations in moving forward with your induction hardening process.
This article appeared in the edition June 2020 edition of Heat TreatToday'sAutomotive Heat Treating magazine.
Induction hardening has played a crucial role in the automotive industry for many decades and is poised to continue that role into the future as the industry prepares for the inevitable shift to electric vehicles. Over the past 15 years, the emphasis on fuel economy, increased quality standards, and the emergence of other heat treat methods have drastically altered the design and necessity of induction-hardened components for automotive powertrains.
Transformation of Component Design
Increased residual compressive stress, minimal distortion, and the ability to selectively harden portions of a component are some of the main characteristics that have made induction hardening a popular choice for gears and shafts in the automotive industry. From the early 1980s to the 2000s the number of gears being hardened via induction was tremendous. The strength requirements for gears in four- and six-speed transmissions demanded the added compressive stress coupled with low distortion for noise reduction that induction hardening provides. As transmissions have increased to eight, nine, and 10 speeds over the past 10 years, the peak loading conditions of the gears has decreased, opening up the availability of other heat treat options. Low distortion processes such as nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing have now been successfully utilized in these gear applications because the gears do not require the high amounts of residual compressive stress. As the volume of these gears has decreased, other highly complex and high-volume components still remain great candidates for induction hardening.
Constant velocity joints (CVJ) rely on induction hardening and should remain relatively unaffected by the transition to electric vehicles. CVJs are typically designed for individual vehicle platforms rather than transmission platforms which can encompass a number of different vehicles. This leads to a greater variety of different part numbers to be hardened, and most CVJs typically require hardening in more than one region. These aspects require the need for specialized equipment to harden the CVJs that are difficult to adapt to other types of components.
Automated Hardening of CVJs
In addition to CVJs, the advancements in powder metal (PM) capabilities in the past decade have also created a surge in the number of PM components that require induction. PM sprockets and other uniquely shaped components that require high wear resistance are paired with induction hardening to replace traditionally machined components.
As the technology in PM has improved, the ability to achieve full density at varying depths below the surface has recently led to the production of internal gears that can be induction hardened for added strength and wear properties. Other technically complex components such as sliding panels, stator shafts, and input shafts continue to utilize induction to increase strength and wear resistance in specific areas. As engineers continue to push the design limits of components, specialized induction hardening equipment with precision control, higher power, and shorter heat times is required to successfully develop a robust process.
Unique Technical Challenges
Induction Hardening Machine (both figures)
The technical challenges for induction heat treaters have increased with the added complexity of these components and the emphasis on several quality standards. It requires an entire team of engineers to provide input with coil design, process development, and adherence to quality standards. The days of having a print specification simply list a visual case depth and a surface hardness are a distant memory. Specifications now commonly require effective case depths at multiple locations, microstructure evaluations, and hardness and dimensional inspections. CVJs in particular can have over 35 metallurgical inspection points and over 25-dimensional inspection points. The component complexity has also led to the need for increased crack inspection. Sharp corners, thin walls, lubrication holes, and the use of higher carbon steels have led many parts to require nearly 100 percent inspection for cracks.
Along with the print specifications, heat treaters must also comply with the growing number of technical standards required to be an approved automotive supplier. IATF 16949 Quality Management System, AIAG’s Heat Treat Assessment (CQI-9), ASTM standards, and customer specific requirements can create a vast network of conditions that must be examined and constantly monitored to ensure compliance. Although these added requirements can be an inconvenience, the quality of parts being produced has significantly improved and that ultimately leads to safer and more reliable vehicles for the customer.
Adapting to the Future
Unfortunately, the technical challenges and increased quality requirements of automotive parts do not always come with higher margins. With the competition in Mexico and Asia, U.S. manufacturers with their own in-house heat treating and commercial heat treaters must continue to find ways to remain competitive. The volatility of OEM volume predictions and platform start and end dates requires manufacturers and heat treaters to be dynamic in capacity considerations. With induction hardening, having excess capacity at a variety of different frequencies and power capabilities can be crucial to landing the next job. Automotive work can frequently come in due to unplanned downtime at a competitor, or on a customer’s own heat treat line. If your organization does not have the ability to produce test samples almost immediately, that opportunity for valuable work will be missed. Having the knowledge and equipment to understand and provide testing for dimensions is another key to offering value to automotive customers. The ability to test parts green and immediately after hardening can drastically reduce scrap and rework and can be a crucial selling point to customers.
The piece by piece processing of induction hardening is suited well for automation and the benefits reach beyond simply reducing labor costs. The reduction in tooling changeovers not only reduces wasted time, it also improves the quality and consistency of the product. With tight dimensional tolerances on final parts, slight variations in heat treat patterns can be eliminated by dedicating and automating a heat treat line. The ROI for automating a cell, including temper and rust preventative application can be as little as six months with the added bonus of supplying a more consistent part to the customer.
High-volume, complex components provide special challenges for induction heating.
The modern induction hardening facility should be moving to automate not only the production itself, but also the inspections, factory information systems, and ERP systems. Inspections such as eddy current can be automated to reliably inspect 100 percent for proper hardening and even crack detection. Automated microhardness equipment can save lab technicians hours of valuable time they would have spent waiting at the tester. These technologies, when used appropriately, can result in more efficient processes that produce higher quality parts at competitive prices.
Although the landscape of the automotive industry in the next 15 years is as exciting as it is uncertain, induction hardening will continue to be a vital process that is utilized into the future. The changes over the past 15 years have produced more complex components with stricter requirements that must be processed with greater efficiency. Induction hardening suppliers must remain focused on keeping pace with the developments in technology that continue to improve the heat treat industry as a whole in order to remain relevant and be a value-added process for automotive customers.
About the author: Kyle Hummel is a licensed Professional Engineer who has worked for Contour Hardening for 14 years as a metallurgical engineer focusing on process development and quality improvement.
For more information, contact Kyle at khummel@contourhardening.com or (317) 876-1530 ext. 333.
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’s101 Heat TreatTipsis another opportunity to learn the tips, tricks, and hacks shared by some of the industry’s foremost experts.
Today’s tips come to us from Quaker Houghton and Contour Hardening, covering Aqueous Quenching. This includes advice about effective filtration in removing particulates in aqueous quench systems and tips for aqueous quenchant selection.
Adding a strong magnetic filter in line after the main filtration system is an effective way to remove fine, metallic particulates in an aqueous quench system.
Submitted by: Contour Hardening
Heat Treat Tip #9
Aqueous Quenchant Selection Tips
Greenlight Unit (source: Quaker Houghton)
1. Determine your quench: Induction or Immersion? Different aqueous quenchants will provide either faster or slower cooling depending upon induction or immersion quenching applications. It is important to select the proper quenchant to meet required metallurgical properties for the application.
2. Part material: Chemistry and hardenability are important for the critical cooling rate for the application.
3. Part material: Minimum and maximum section thickness is required to select the proper aqueous quenchant and concentration.
Aqueous Quenching (source: Quaker Houghton)
4. Select the correct aqueous quenchant for the application as there are different chemistries. Choosing the correct aqueous quenchant will provide the required metallurgical properties.
5. Review selected aqueous quenchant for physical characteristics and cooling curve data at respective concentrations.
6. Filtration is important for aqueous quenchants to keep the solution as clean as possible.
7. Check concentration of aqueous quenchant via kinematic viscosity, refractometer, or Greenlight Unit. Concentration should be monitored on a regular basis to ensure the quenchant’s heat extraction capabilities.
Greenlight Display (source: Quaker Houghton)
8. Check for contamination (hydraulic oil, etc) which can have an adverse effect on the products cooling curves and possibly affect metallurgical properties.
9. Check pH to ensure proper corrosion protection on parts and equipment.
10. Check microbiologicals which can foul the aqueous quenchant causing unpleasant odors in the quench tank and working environment. If necessary utilize a biostable aqueous quenchant.
11. Implement a proactive maintenance program from your supplier.
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)
A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current
Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.
Personnel and Company Chatter
John Hubbard, P.E., has been awarded the 2018 Distinguished Alumni of the year award from Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering, which has provided a tradition of high-quality undergraduate and graduate education in engineering and engineering technology. Hubbard recently joined Calvert Street to form Thermal Process Holdings to create a new North American heat treating group.
Paulo is pleased to announce the promotion of two employees to new roles in the company. Scott Herzing, a 20-year company veteran who most recently was Manager of Project Engineering, will take over as Vice President of Engineering. And Jessica Sickmeier, who had been Director of Human Resources Development, has been promoted to Vice President of Human Resources.
Contour Hardening, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is proud to announce the appointment of Ben Crawford as its new CEO and President. The appointment, which became official on July 30, 2018, follows the recent passing of Contour Hardening’s founder, CEO and President, John Storm.
The National Tooling and Machining Association, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has announced the appointment of Dean Bartles, PhD, as their new president, succeeding Dave Tilstone, who is retiring after serving as president since 2010. Bartles brings almost four decades of experience in the manufacturing sector, most recently as the director of the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at the University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH). Previously, Bartles served as a president of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, president of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute, founding executive director of the Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute, and founding chairman of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition.
Kristopher R. Westbrooks was recently named as executive vice president and chief financial officer to succeed current CFO Christopher J. Holding at TimkenSteel Corp., based in Canton, Ohio. Westbrooks joined the company in this new role on September 24, 2018.
Jim Feltner, vice president of sales and marketing with FPM Heat Treating, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, was recently honored with an Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the Daily Herald Business Ledger, nominated by Tom Merrick.
Scott Herzing joins Paulo.
Jessica Sickmeier joins Paulo.
Ben Crawford, new CEO and President of Contour Hardening
NTMA new president Dean Bartles, Ph.D.
Kristopher R. Westbrooks, executive vice president and chief financial officer, TimkenSteel Corp
Jim Feltner of FPM Heat Treating honored with Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.
Equipment Chatter
A Warrington, PA, furnace manufacturer recently delivered a large dual chamber unit to a metal stamping manufacturer in the Midwest. Lucifer Furnaces built Model HL82-P24, a hardening furnace over tempering oven, as a space-saving combination for multipurpose heat treating. The upper hardening chamber heats to 2300°F with 6.5” multilayer insulation throughout the chamber.
A vacuum furnace heat exchanger cleaning process has been developed by Souderton, PA, company Solar Atmospheres, involving a 12-hour soak submerged in a suitable tub using a water base cleaning agent. Recirculated forced water jets wash out the accumulated dirt from deep inside the heat exchanger. It is then pressure washed and blown dry with nitrogen gas. The heat exchanger is cleaned to an as new condition and then returned to the user.
A global manufacturer recently purchased a second vacuum furnace from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK company, for its US-based manufacturing operations. This second furnace, a vacuum temper furnace for tempering and stress relieving metal parts, is part of the company’s new US-based manufacturing expansion and becomes a centerpiece in a new processing line for the company.
An electrically heated annealing furnace was recently shipped to a firearms manufacturer to be used for annealing an assortment of brass and bronze firearm caps. Wisconsin Oven Corporation provided this conveyor furnace with a maximum temperature rating of 1,400° F (760° C) and a normal operating temperature of 572° to 1,202° F (300° to 650° C).
Lucifer Furnaces LLC recently delivered a large dual chamber unit to a metal stamping manufacturer.
A vacuum furnace heat exchanger cleaning process has been developed by Souderton, PA, company Solar Atmospheres, involving a 12-hour soak submerged in a suitable tub using a water base cleaning agent.
A global manufacturer recently purchased a second vacuum furnace from SECO/VACUUM, a SECO/WARWICK company, for its US-based manufacturing operations.
Wisconsin Oven Corporation recently shipped an electrically heated annealing furnace to a firearms manufacturer.
Kudos Chatter
On 24 September, at the Grand Gala of the Business Leader 2018, SECO/WARWICK was awarded for the second time the statuette in recognition of the company’s strong market position. Katarzyna Sawka, Marketing Director of SECO/WARWICK Group, collected the award on behalf of the Company. “Business Leader” is the award that recognizes the best companies in Western Poland who conduct their business in a transparent and honest manner and their success is a regional trademark.
Pelican Wire was named Manufacturer of the Year in the Small Business category at the 2018 Manufacturers Association of Florida “MAF Exchange” conference and awards banquet. Selected from over fifty nominees spanning numerous industries and cities throughout the State of Florida, Pelican Wire also received this award in 2014.
Ohio Star Forge, a steel firm with heat treating, cold roll forming, and CNC machining capabilities, recently held a ribbon cutting for its expansion and celebrated its 30th anniversary at the company’s location in Youngstown, Ohio. Ohio Star Forge was originally a joint venture of Copperweld Steel and Japanese company Daido Steel.
Katarzyna Sawka, Global Group Marketing Director SECO/WARWICK, received the Innovation Leader Award on behalf of the company.
Pelican Wire was named Manufacturer of the Year.
Ohio Star Forge recently held ribbon cutting for its expansion and celebrated its 30th anniversary.
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.
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