iiot

Continuing Ed — Heat Treat Technical Tuesday Round Up

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, THERMOCOUPLES TECHNICAL CONTENT

OC

Heat Treat Today’s Technical Tuesday feature means that on just about any given Tuesday, there will be an article that aims to educate our heat treating readers — be it in a process, equipment, metals, analysis, critical parts, or more. Enjoy this sampling of Technical Tuesday articles from the past several months.

Case Study: Heat Treat Equipment Meets the Future Industry Today 

Contact us with your Reader Feedback!

Construction and schematic furnace cross-section CMe-T6810-25
Source: SECO/WARWICK

How has one heat treat furnace supplier contended with modern challenges of manufacturing? In this case study about a shift away from traditional forms of heat treat, explore how vacuum furnace technology has more technological horizons to bound. 

Several key features discussed will be the various challenges that characterize modern industry; the differences between historical heat treat furnaces and vacuum furnaces; furnace features that can meet these obstacles; and a close look at what one equipment option from SECO/WARWICK helps. Additionally, explore the case study of a process that resulted in the following assessment: "all technological requirements have been met, obtaining the following indicators of efficiency and consumption of energy factors calculated for the entire load and per unit net weight of the load (700 kg)." 

Read the entire article here.

How Things Work: Thermocouples 

Eric Yeager of Cleveland Electric explaining the 101 of all things thermocouple
Source: Heat Treat Today

How do thermocouples work? How would you tell if you had a bad one? Those ever present temperature monitors are fairly straightforward to use, but when it comes to how it works — and why — things get complicated.  

This transcript Q&A article was published in the print edition last year (2022), but there was too much information to fill the pages. Online, read the full-length interview, including the final conversation about how dissimilar metals create EMF. Included in the discussion is proper care of the T/C and knowledge of when it’s time to replace. 

Read the entire article here.

6 Heat Treat Tech Trends Fulfilled in 2022

Trends in the heat treat industry
Source: Unsplash.com/getty images

What’s “hot” for heat treaters in recent months? The trends are pointing towards streamlining upgrading information systems, more efforts to reduce carbon footprint, and ensuring processes in salt quenching and electricity use are as efficient as they can be. 

Each of the 6 trends included in the article demonstrates that heat treaters are making thoughtful and responsible decisions and purchases. Considerations include care for the environment and methods to help employees share and receive information needed for each job.  

Read more about each of the trends to see what’s happening with equipment purchases and technology decisions and how companies are pushing to make that carbon footprint smaller. 

Read the entire article here.

A Quick Guide to Alloys and Their Medical Applications 

Sneak peak of this medical alloys resource
Source: Heat Treat Today

If you're pining for a medical heat treat quick resource in our "off-season," we have a resource for you. Whether you are a seasoned heat treater of medical application parts or not, you know that the alloy composition of a part will greatly determine the type of heat treat application that is suitable. Before you expand your heat treat capabilities of medical devices, check out this graphic to quickly pin-point what alloys are in high-demand within the medical industry and what end-product they relate to. 

The alloys addressed in this graphic are: titanium, cobalt chromium, niobium, nitinol, copper, and tantalum.  

Read the entire article here.

Resource -- Forging, Quenching, and Integrated Heat Treat: DFIQ Final Report 

Examples of DFIQ equipment
Source: Joe Powell

How much time and energy does it take to bring parts through forging and heat treatment? Have you ever tried to integrating these heat intensive processes? If part design, forging method, and heat treat quenching solutions are considered together, some amazing results can occur. Check out the report findings when the Direct from Forge Intensive Quenching (DFIQTM) was studied. 

Forgings were tested, in three different locations, to see if immediate quenching after forging made a difference in a variety of steel samples. The report shares, “The following material mechanical properties were evaluated: tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, reduction in area and impact strength. Data obtained on the mechanical properties of DFIQ forgings were compared to that of forgings after applying a conventional post-forging heat-treating process.” 

 Read the entire article here.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.com

 

Continuing Ed — Heat Treat Technical Tuesday Round Up Read More »

Energy Efficiency Through Combustion Monitoring

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

OCWith energy costs soaring and environmental commitments expanding across the industry, is it enough to just tune your industrial combustion burners, or can IIoT devices provide greater insight to achieve burner energy efficiency?

This Technical Tuesday article, written by Taylor Smith, technical sales and marketing specialist, PSNERGY, LLC, was first published in Heat Treat Today's February 2023 Air & Atmosphere Furnace Systems print edition.

Introduction

Taylor Smith
Specialist of Technical Sales and Marketing at PSNERGY
Source: PSNERGY

Industrial furnaces are inherently inefficient and constantly degrading due to high operating temperatures. In most cases, less than 50% of the energy generated through combustion goes to heating the load, while most energy is lost through the exhaust stack or is used to heat the atmosphere, fixtures, and walls of the furnace. An improperly tuned furnace loses 10-30% efficiency on top of the energy losses previously mentioned. This is why keeping industrial furnace combustion systems in tune is critical to performance. This was recently highlighted in John Clarke’s featured article, “How To Make $17,792.00 in a Couple of Hours.”

Continuous Monitoring Is Key

Contact us with your Reader Feedback!

Built on years of experience and field data, combustion engineers at PSNERGY know that only tuning combustion systems annually, or semi-annually, is a good start, but it is not enough. Customer case studies led the team to recognize the importance of frequent combustion monitoring to achieve optimal performance, and ultimately drove the design of their proprietary IIoT monitoring system: Combustion Monitoring and Alerting (CMA).

To get the most BTUs to the load per unit of natural gas purchased, tuning must be combined with continuous combustion monitoring. Tuning without continuously monitoring combustion increases the risk of losing energy to the load, decreasing efficiency, and creating excessive carbon emissions.

Case Studies: Data-Driven Furnace Efficiency

The following case studies represent two examples of data collected throughout the country on furnaces of all sizes and configurations. One thing remains consistent: simply checking combustion once or twice per year does not ensure optimal furnace performance.

These figures show before and after measurements taken on the same forty-four burner radiant tube roller hearth furnace, six months apart. The red points on the graphs represent excess oxygen in each burner’s exhaust when the team arrived on site, while the blue points represent excess oxygen in each burner’s exhaust after tuning the furnace. A significant variance in combustion performance can be observed in the six months between tunings, which means a large portion of the natural gas purchased is being wasted out the stack and creating carbon emissions.

To ensure maximum energy is being applied to the load for every BTU burned, combustion should be tuned to the ratio of 11.5:1. This 11.5:1 ratio of air to gas results in an ideal excess oxygen measurement of 3%. When PSNERGY engineers perform combustion tuning on an industrial furnace, they set the excess oxygen at the burner between 2.8% and 3.2%. This optimal range is marked by the green dashed lines on the graphs.

You may be questioning, “Does too little or too much excess oxygen really affect combustion performance?” Yes! Burners operating above 4% or below 1.5% are considered outside of the control limit range, marked by the red dashed lines on the graphs. With less than 1.5% excess oxygen at the burner, furnaces produce carbon monoxide and soot, which can clog burners, making them even more inefficient. These carbon emissions can also create an unsafe work environment for plant employees. When operating at 5% excess oxygen, 8% of energy to the load is lost. When operating at 7% excess oxygen, 21% of energy to the load is lost. Imagine buying the same amount of natural gas and only getting 79% of the energy!

Figure 1
Source: PSNERGY

A few things to notice on these graphs: burners are rarely, if ever, found in the ideal performance zone after six months. There is no way to know when each burner drifted out, because continuous monitoring was not yet implemented. Therefore, this drift in combustion performance, which significantly decreases furnace efficiency, could have happened anytime during the six month period between combustion tunings. Tunings may be scheduled, but combustion does not operate on a fixed schedule. You cannot know when the burners drift out of tune without monitoring. Another point to note is that the burners do not always move in the same direction as they go out of tune. In Figure 1, thirty one out of the forty four burners were burning under 1.5% excess oxygen, which means they were burning rich and creating carbon emissions and soot. The PSNERGY service team tuned all of those burners back into the optimal performance range. As you can see in Figure 2 data, taken six months later, out of the same forty four burners, seven burners were burning rich, while thirty one of the burners were operating lean with over 4% excess oxygen, which significantly decreases the amount of energy to the load. These figures demonstrate why it is crucial to continuously monitor and tune your combustion system as needed based on the data, not the calendar.

Figure 2
Source: PRNERGY

Combustion Monitoring and Alerting (CMA)

Circling back to our initial question of, “Can IIoT devices provide greater insight to achieve burner energy efficiency?” the data presented here answers with a resounding YES! In fact, various companies across steel, aluminum, and heat treating industries have already successfully implemented this solution.

Not only does continuous monitoring help achieve burner efficiency, but it also helps bridge the gap in combustion knowledge and manufacturing by making combustion performance easy to see and maintain. With manufacturing leaders facing fourteen-year high natural gas prices and a generational gap in manufacturing expertise, systems like CMA are proving to be crucial to business success. Delivering 10-20% improvement in furnace efficiency, less waste, reduced carbon emissions, and ensured quality, takes your furnaces from being a necessary expense to a strategic asset.

Now the question is: Are you performing combustion maintenance on a fixed schedule or are you trusting real time data?

 

About the Author: Taylor Smith is a specialist of Technical Sales and Marketing at PSNERGY, located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Her tenacity and competitiveness as a Division I athlete have helped her quickly gain knowledge and hands-on experience in the heat treating industry. Taylor has a deep passion for manufacturing and works hard to build the next generation of leaders, serving on the board of directors for Women in Manufacturing WPA. For more information: contact Taylor at tsmith@psnergy.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.com

 

Energy Efficiency Through Combustion Monitoring Read More »

Furnace Diagnostics for Validation, Preventative Maintenance, and R&M

/ CONTROLS TECHNICAL CONTENT, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

OCOne of the most important advances in batch integral quench (BIQ) furnace systems has been the development of innovative control systems. Many BIQ manufacturers have developed their own highly sophisticated and cutting-edge control systems.

This Technical Tuesday, we explore one such system written by Daniel Hill, PE, sales engineer at AFC-Holcroft. This original content article was originally published in the February 2021 Air and Atmospheres, the IQ Edition.

Daniel Hill, PE
Sales Engineer
AFC-Holcroft
Source: AFC-Holcroft

With continuing advancements of smart devices, integrated controls systems, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), we have at our fingertips an abundance of data, both the traditional and newly developed. How to convert that data into useful information, and more importantly how to leverage that information into day-to-day operations to reap the benefits, becomes the difference maker in a competitive landscape.

Recognizing these trends, AFC-Holcroft has built upon a suite of software modules that includes Remote Diagnostics™ to also offer Maintenance Module™ and Calibration Mode™. All three modules are in commercial service having been integrated with BatchMaster™ controls system features on Universal Batch Integral Quench (UBQ) furnaces. End-user response and adoption have been positive with new synergies and feedback leading to ongoing enhancements. In this article, we will discuss how these advancements are affecting the future of furnace diagnostics and some examples of their benefits in many day-to-day situations.

Dynamic Furnace Calibration & Diagnostics

Perhaps the most interesting of the three modules is the Calibration Mode, a patent-pending diagnostics software designed to dynamically test furnace operation for verification of proper functionality over a wide range of subsystems and devices. Notably, furnace and quenchant heating/cooling thermal loads are strategically cycled for response monitoring of typical production needs. Likewise, furnace atmosphere is cycled for response and stability. Additional systems and metrics such as agitation attributes, tray motion and positioning, time to quench, and elevator operation are activated and evaluated.

Once the calibration cycle is complete, the data and responses are compared to original commissioning data and design thresholds to generate a time-stamped diagnostic report with straightforward pass/fail results. With this module, the operator can ensure proper operation at a moment’s notice without additional external testing devices and have the data available to back it up.
It was designed to integrate optional device packages to elevate its diagnostics capabilities exponentially by targeting efficiency and optimization of operation including:

  • Combustion efficiency monitoring
  • Vibration monitoring
  • Power consumption monitoring

Process Troubleshooting

As its base premise, this module was created as a means for operators to proactively verify that the furnace is both fully operational and responding as designed. But what happens if it is not? Calibration Mode can be initialized at any time for deeper analyses by first reporting the current status of subsystems and devices and then for further comparison against initial commissioning data or cumulatively against any previous calibration iterations, making it a powerful tool for rapid diagnostics.

With the auto-generated reports and comparison tools in hand, operators or maintenance team members can pivot directly into troubleshooting any deficiencies identified for quick resolution. Once more, a follow-up can be run to ensure the deficiency is corrected after making appropriate adjustments or repairs. This saves valuable time and resources, improves availability, and likely increases profitability.

Calibration Mode™ Screen
Source: AFC-Holcroft

Compliance with Industry Specifications

Whether following automotive (CQI-9), aerospace (AMS2750), military, energy, or other specifications, universal themes requiring the user to implement regular assessments, surveys, and the monitoring of the process equipment are paramount. Today, the Calibration Mode is being used to supplement these efforts in a number of ways:

  • Creating reports with Calibration Mode for job audit in annual Heat Treat System Assessments (HTSAs)
  • Producing objective evidence for process equipment validation before and after a major rebuild or modification
  • Collecting and analyzing data over time and reacting to it
  • Running with TUS as another layer of equipment verification
  • Running with Quench System Monitoring as another layer of verification

PPAP, Control Plan, & PSW Inclusion

The production part approval process (PPAP) must be a collaboration between the customer and heat treater to ensure a clear understanding of all elements before, during, and after the processing. Calibration Mode can be utilized as a verification tool initially when processing parts for a PPAP to document the furnace capability and that it is meeting original OEM specifications. If repair or rebuilds are required while that PPAP is still valid, Calibration Mode can be run to demonstrate the equipment in operational condition on a Part Submission Warrant (PSW). Moreover, Calibration Mode can be incorporated into control plans both as a control method for ongoing production and also as part of a reaction plan to diagnose nonconformance.

Dedicated Equipment Vs. Changeover of Equipment Running Multiple Processes

A major benefit of batch processing equipment is the inherent flexibility it offers–especially to commercial heat treaters who are serving multiple customers with many different processes. Often customer specifications for heat treating include clauses preferring dedicated equipment with strict allowances on changeover of equipment. Typically, changeover of equipment for multiple processes requires customer personnel to review and approve the heat treater’s changeover procedures and must include verification prior to start of production (including atmosphere). This changeover process must be documented in the heat treater’s process control plan. Consider running Calibration Mode at changeovers as a means to consistently verify conditions and provide documentation to the benefit of all involved.

Intelligent Preventative Maintenance

Maintenance Module™ also takes advantage of the latest advancements. This module is designed and pre-programmed to include the OEM recommended preventative maintenance tasks based upon pre-defined intervals, sometimes utilizing conditional statements, or where appropriate, predictive algorithms based upon operating time, temperatures, and number of cycles. This database of tasks and report queries provides an intelligent roadmap for the preventative maintenance of the furnace. As such, maintenance task statuses are elevated and flagged for action complementary to accrued usage and actual conditions so that all-important resources can be prioritized and best served.

Maintenance Module™ Screen
Source: AFC-Holcroft

Leveraging Diagnostics through the Cloud

Finally, Remote Diagnostics™ was conceived to increase furnace uptime and availability through the analysis of equipment performance data. Real, data-driven reliability and maintainability (R&M) information supports continuous improvement efforts. As a first step, the abundance of data delivered through the IIoT is aggregated to effectively parse, diagnose, and highlight operational inefficiencies.
Next, virtual conference sessions are led by AFC-Holcroft personnel to collaborate with users on best practices, identify training needs, aid in knowledge capture, and provide optimization plans moving forward in a classic continuous improvement cycle.

Interestingly enough, it has become a source of synergy for continuous improvement efforts by allowing us to better understand users’ needs and incorporating them into designs and equipment of the future.

Addressing important day-to-day situations, Calibration Mode, Maintenance Module, and Remote Diagnostics are helpful tools for the forward-thinking BIQ furnace operator.

 

 

About the Author: Daniel Hill, PE, is a sales engineer with AFC-Holcroft, based in Wixom, Michigan. AFC-Holcroft is a leading North American manufacturer of industrial furnace systems used in the heat treatment of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Furnace Diagnostics for Validation, Preventative Maintenance, and R&M Read More »