Several metal parts undergo heat treatment to ensure that they boast great qualities along the way. Heat treatment is a process of heating metals below their melting stage before cooling them in a regulated way. The characteristics of metal parts vary based on the type of heat treatment that has been carried out. Some may become stronger, while others can be more ductile or malleable.
Mechanical deformations among tempered or quenched metal parts, however, can be generated whenever their stress is greater than their yield strength. And to revert their qualities to a good state, the metal parts are recommended to undergo precision straightening.
To date, two types of precision straightening can be maximised by manufacturers. These are cold and precision straightening. The following are some things that you should about them.
Cold Precision Straightening
Metal parts can be loaded into a high-power mechanical press and straightened if their microcrystalline grain has not yet assumed hardened form. They can then undergo high tolerance straightening by passing them into a grinding machine. Keep in mind, however, that cold precision straightening can only be employed on metals with high elasticity. Once hard metal parts undergo this specific type of precision straightening, they may end up having cracks and stress fractures.
Hot Precision Straightening
Hot precision straightening, on the other hand, can be maximised for parts that cannot be processed by their cold counterpart. Metal parts that undergo hot precision straightening are typically clamped. Restoration of their profile to their acceptable tolerances is then employed through controlling the direction of the linear-restoration vector. Strains may be expected after the straightening process. Therefore, metal parts are recommended to undergo further annealing.
Technological Developments
Precision straightening, in general, entails the process of passing metal parts to several rolls in varying diameters, which would differ based on the thickness of the parts. The rolls have a range of 25 to 100mm in diameter. And in choosing the best diameter, manufacturers must rely on the width of the metal parts. They likewise must pinpoint the degree of straightness they want to achieve.
As time passes, precision straightening has seen significant improvements. Manufacturers can now maximise proprietary technologies to ensure that metal parts can achieve a dead-level profile. Most of these technologies are aided by computers, making sure that all calculations will be accurate.
Without undergoing precision straightening, the heat-treated metal parts might crack or split. To know more about this specific process, you can contact us at Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment. We can offer the widest range of specialty heat treatment services for complex engineering projects and play a key role in the manufacturing of parts for all industries in Australia and New Zealand.
Metal workpieces often undergo a wide array of heat treatment processes to attain notable changes to their properties. Most of the time, these processes alter their structural and physical properties for them to be useful for subsequent manufacturing processes.
Heat treatment processes typically involve heating or chilling the workpieces to extreme temperatures. Some notable techniques that can be maximised by manufacturers during heat treatment include annealing, case hardening, tempering, carburising, precipitation strengthening, and quenching. Another process that can be utilised in altering metal workpieces is vacuum heat treatment.
The Working Principles of Vacuum Heat Treatment
Vacuum heat treatment is a method wherein metals are hardened at extremely high temperatures. It is conducted in a vacuum that possesses an absolute pressure below the normal atmosphere and does not have any air. The characteristics of the vacuum enable it to generate an unreactive environment, which can be perfect for processing metal workpieces.
Heat, after all, can provide reactions to the metal once it interacts with the air. Without the vacuum chamber, the metal workpieces may develop surfaces that are harder or softer than the expected outcome. The oxidation process, therefore, is prevented with vacuum heat treatment.
When conducting vacuum heat treatment, the vacuum chamber maximises a vacuum pumping system that can remove the air. Once the air is removed, the metal workpiece inside the chamber is then heated up to 1,316 degrees Celsius at a controlled rate before lowering the temperature. The soak time of this process typically depends on the requirements of the part and its material.
Vacuum Heat Treatment’s Noteworthy Advantages
There are a couple of advantages that one can obtain from vacuum heat treatment.
One of the advantages of vacuum heat treatment is that it eliminates the need for oxidation and decarbonisation. Oxidation and decarburisation can easily affect the quality of the workpieces negatively. But since the air is removed from the vacuum chamber, the metal workpieces can effectively retain their lustre and mechanical properties despite undergoing heat treatment.
Another advantage of vacuum heat treatment is it eradicates additional cleaning processes. Metal workpieces that undergo vacuum heat treatment do not have to be cleaned just to make their surface aesthetically appealing. This benefit helps manufacturers conserve time and money.
The mechanical properties of the metal workpieces are likewise preserved with vacuum heat treatment. Aside from removing the air, vacuum heat treatment can also help decrease hydrogen levels inside the chamber, preventing the workpieces from getting brittle. Once the heat treatment process is done, the metal workpieces are expected to gain ductility, fatigue, and toughness benefits. They can even attain improved lifespan and enhanced functionality.
Principal Applications of Vacuum Heat Treatment
Vacuum heat treatment can be very effective in processing workpieces made from metal-based super alloys like iron-nickel or cobalt-nickel. It can likewise be utilised in processing reactive and refractory materials such as titanium and stainless steel.
Some industries that can take advantage of this process is aerospace, aircraft, and automotive.
To learn more about vacuum heat treatment, you can call us at Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment.