Residual stress can remain locked into a fabricated component after welding, flame cutting, forming or heavy machining. If it is not considered before final machining or service, the component may move, distort or become difficult to hold within its required dimensions.
Alpha Detroit provides stress relieving for Dandenong South fabricators, manufacturers and engineering businesses. Our Moorabbin facility can process suitable large weldments, fabrications, castings, dies, plates and other highly stressed metal components using a controlled bogie hearth furnace.
Stress Relieving Furnace Capacity
| Specification | Published Capability |
| Furnace type | Natural-gas-fired bogie hearth furnace |
| Maximum furnace envelope | 3,800 mm long × 1,400 mm wide × 1,500 mm high |
| Maximum lifting capacity | 20 tonnes |
| Temperature control | Four independently controlled variable-speed burners |
| Published applications | Weldments, fabrications, roughed-out dies, flats, rounds, stressed stock, castings and flame- or laser-cut plates |
| Related process | Hydrogen de-embrittlement |
| Acceptance requirements | Reviewed against the supplied material, drawing, process specification and dimensional requirements |
When a Fabrication May Require Stress Relieving
Welding introduces uneven heating and cooling across a fabrication. Heavy machining, thermal cutting and forming can also redistribute stress within the material. Subsequent machining may then remove material that was helping to balance those stresses, allowing the part to move unexpectedly.
Stress relieving is intended to reduce residual stress without treating every component as though it has the same thermal history. The material grade, section thickness, welding process, component geometry and final machining sequence all influence the treatment specification.
Components We Can Assess
- Large welded frames and structural fabrications
- Machine bases and equipment structures
- Rough-machined dies, flats and rounds
- Castings requiring dimensional stability before finishing
- Flame-cut or laser-cut profiles and plates
- Components requiring post-plating hydrogen de-embrittlement
Protecting Machining Allowances and Final Dimensions
Stress relieving does not remove the need for sound fabrication control or an appropriate machining allowance. The treatment cycle should be scheduled with the manufacturing sequence in mind, particularly when the part will undergo precision boring, milling, grinding or alignment after treatment.
Alpha Detroit does not publish a universal distortion tolerance because the outcome depends on the material, fabrication history, restraint, geometry and client specification. Clearly identify critical dimensions and final acceptance criteria on the drawing before the process is confirmed.
Information Required for Technical Review
- Material grade and component condition
- Overall dimensions and total weight
- Fabrication and welding history
- Drawing showing critical dimensions and tolerances
- Required stress-relieving cycle or nominated standard
- Machining completed before treatment and machining planned afterwards
- Inspection, reporting and certification requirements
Supporting Dandenong South Industry
Dandenong South contains one of Melbourne’s largest concentrations of manufacturing, fabrication and engineering businesses. Alpha Detroit processes components at its Moorabbin facility and services businesses operating throughout this industrial corridor. This page does not represent a separate Alpha Detroit branch in Dandenong South.
Request a Technical Assessment
Send us your drawing, material grade, fabrication history, overall dimensions and component weight so we can assess the appropriate stress-relieving route.