The construction industry uses metal structural materials to ensure that the buildings remain stable and strong. The automotive industry also maximises metal parts and products to generate the chassis, engine, and other components of vehicles. Other industries that rely on metals are medicine, power, aerospace, transportation, and electronics.
Many procedures can be carried out to generate a wide range of metal parts and products. But one of the main procedures that must be done to create these things is heat treatment.
Heat treatment is a group of processes that subject metals to various heat levels so they can alter their microstructure. Metal workpieces subjected to heat treatment processes often come out stronger, tougher, and more resistant to wear. Some may even boast improved magnetic properties that can be useful in select applications.
Heat Treatment Failures May Occur
While companies carrying out heat treatment processes are already adept in conducting them, they can still fail in producing quality parts and products.
You see, metal workpieces that have not been processed optimally may show signs of breakage and cracks. They may also boast tension, granulation, and separation on their surfaces and underlying layers. These non-conformities can certainly cut not only the revenues of heat treatment companies but also the number of clients that are willing to work with them.
Causes of Heat Treatment Failures
To date, heat treatment failures may be caused by the following.
• Air Infiltration: Heat treatment failures may occur if air infiltrates into the industrial furnaces. Air can easily ruin the quality of metal workpieces that are subjected to heat treatment. Without preventing it from infiltrating the furnaces, the air can reduce the heat-treating temperatures, which can then threaten product integrity and increase operating costs.
• Inefficient Insulation: Insulation helps industrial furnaces carry out their intended functions throughout the heat treatment process. But with inefficient insulation, they may not be able to reach and maintain the correct heat treatment temperature. As heat losses become more prominent, the operation cost of heat treatment also increases. The lack of efficient insulation can also lead to damaged workpieces.
• Unchecked Equipment: Heat treatment may, ultimately, fail if the equipment pieces that will be used for the process has not been checked and calibrated. Even with small hiccups on these things, the molecular structure of the metal workpieces can already pose some issues, which can be expensive to resolve. Assessing and calibrating them before the process should be done to prevent product failures and additional expenses.
Rely on Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment
Heat treatment failures can be avoided by controlling the elements that go through the heat treatment site. They can also be prevented if the furnaces and equipment pieces will be assessed, calibrated, and maintained optimally.
But one more way to prevent heat treatment failures is to work with us at Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment. Once you contact us, you can ensure that our experts can carry out heat treatment methods without any failures. They can also ensure that the pieces of equipment used for the processes are checked and calibrated based on your requirements. They can even carry out excellent quality control, ensuring that you will only receive the best products out there.
Various types of metals frequently undergo heat treatment so they can be formed into various parts and products. Heat treatment is an important process for industries since it can help alter the physical properties of metal workpieces. This process can introduce changes to metals as it exposes them to almost extreme temperatures.
Industries carry out different heat treatment techniques so they can attain their needed metal parts and products. Some of these techniques include annealing, tempering, carburising, quenching, normalising, case hardening, and precipitation strengthening.
Another heat treatment technique that industries can take advantage of is nitriding. Nitriding is a heat treatment technique that introduces nitrogen into the metal surface, creating a case-hardened finish to the workpiece. Metals that can undergo this heat treatment technique include low-alloy steels, aluminium, molybdenum, and titanium.
Primary Purposes of Nitriding
The formation of the case-hardened finish is possible as the nitrogen atoms latch onto the surface of the component. This finish can likewise form once nitrogen atoms are diffused along the grain boundaries and within the grains of the metal workpieces. The nitriding process is often done at temperatures of 350 to 590 degrees Celsius. As the temperature decreases, the time needed for the nitriding to reach a certain depth of the workpiece increases.
One of the primary purposes of nitriding is to achieve a high hardness on the surface of a workpiece. This heat treatment technique can also increase the wear resistance of the workpiece, improve its fatigue life, and enhance its corrosion resistance. Nitriding can likewise provide a high-temperature property to the surface of the workpiece.
Types of Nitriding Processes
There are three types of nitriding processes that are often maximised by different industries. These processes are gas nitriding, plasma nitriding, and salt-bath nitriding.
1. Gas Nitriding: The gas nitriding process involves the heating of metal to an optimal temperature while being in contact with ammonia or other nitrogenous gases. Once the gas reaches the surface of the heated workpiece, it tends to break down into hydrogen and nitrogen, which leads to the formation of the nitride layer. Gas nitriding only requires low equipment costs compared to other nitriding options. It can also work with workpieces in huge batches. Precautions, however, must be done when working with nitrogenous gases.
2. Plasma Nitriding: Plasma nitriding utilises a plasma discharge of reaction gases so that the workpiece surface can be heated. This process is done by using intense high-voltage electric fields to create ionised nitrogen gas molecules or plasma. The plasma will then accelerate to clean the surface, heat the workpiece, and generate active nitrogen ions. This nitriding process does not cause too much distortion. It is also energy-efficient and quick. It does not even require the workpiece to undergo further machining or polishing.
3. Salt-Bath Nitriding: Salt-bath nitriding is a process that uses molten salt to draw nitrogen. It also maximises carbon that is released by the decomposition of cyanide into cyanate. Usually, a workpiece is immersed in a bath of preheated molten cyanide salt. A hard and ductile iron nitride outer layer is then introduced into the workpiece as time passes. Salt-bath nitriding can be advantageous for industries since it is quick and straightforward.
To expose your workpieces to nitriding, you can contact us at Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment.
Heat treatment is a process that many industries take advantage of. This process involves the heating of metal workpieces and cooling them before they reach the molten phase. These activities are necessary to ensure that the metal products can possess improved mechanical properties often required by industries.
Some of the workpieces are expected to become stronger, while others can become more malleable. Metal workpieces can also become more resistant to abrasion and other elements. The ductility of some metal products can likewise improve due to heat treatment.
Many heat treatment processes can be utilised by industries. One of these processes is induction hardening. Induction hardening is maximised to enhance the mechanical properties of workpieces, particularly ferrous metals, in specific areas.
The Process of Induction Hardening and Its Benefits
The process of induction hardening is carried out by hardening select surfaces of a metal workpiece. It is done by placing a copper coil with a significant level of alternating current near the involved workpiece. Heat is then generated at the surface by an eddy current. As for the quenching part, the workpiece may be placed near or submerged in a water-based element.
Generally, induction hardening is carried out on components that are often subjected to heavy loading, torsional loading, and impact forces. Through this heat treatment, metal workpieces are ensured with increased fatigue strength as they will be surrounded by an extremely durable outer layer. For optimal effect, this process is carried out one part at a time to allow predictable dimensional movement from one part to another.
Induction hardening can also help workpieces attain improved wear resistance, increased strength, and decreased brittleness. This heat treatment can even work with low-cost steel and other materials without compromising their overall qualities.
Key Industries that Benefit from Induction Hardening
Many industries today can take advantage of induction hardening and its benefits. Some of these industries are the following.
• Automotive: One of the industries that can take advantage of induction hardening is the automotive industry. Vehicles require parts that can withstand heavy loads for a long time. Induction hardening, fortunately, can generate high-quality bearings, brakes, joints, shafts, gears, exhaust tubing, seat frames, automotive frames, and steering wheels.
• Construction: The construction industry can also benefit from induction hardening since it requires structures that can withstand outdoor elements, The structural materials and components used for large buildings like museums, airports, multilevel buildings, and others can be made from induction hardening.
• Aerospace: The aerospace industry requires flight-capable machines that can be durable and long-lasting while in the air. Induction hardening, fortunately, allows the production of quality parts like bearings, brakes, gears, shafts, and joints.
• Mining: The mining industry is another industry that can benefit from induction hardening. The load related to the industry can be heavy. And without using the right tools, mining companies may end up compromising their processes. They might even be exposed to risks that can threaten their lives. Induction hardening can produce saw blades, shovels, drill bits, gears, hammers, and others that can be useful in mining sites and processing plants.
If you need some help with induction hardening, you can contact us at Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment. Our expertise allows us to suggest and carry out the most appropriate process for your heat treatment requirements.
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals are materials often maximised by industries in creating a wide array of products.
Ferrous metals, for instance, are primarily used to make automotive components, industrial piping systems, railroad tracks, shipping containers, and other domestic and commercial tools. Non-ferrous metals, on the other hand, are utilised in producing aircraft frames, gold clubs, gears, electrical hardware, and many more.
One key difference between these two metal types is that the ferrous ones contain a huge amount of iron. The presence of this element makes ferrous metals prone to rust. Both metal types, however, can be heat treated effectively through salt pots.
The Essence of Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is a group of metalworking processes that can change the physical properties of a material. Processes of heat treatment can also sometimes alter the chemical characteristics of a material, ensuring that it can generate products needed by various industries. The basic steps of heat treatment, however, involve the heating of the workpiece without reaching its melting temperature and subsequently cooling it in a controlled way to acquire the desired properties.
The metalworking processes involved in heat treatment include heating, annealing, holding, normalising, hardening, ageing, stress relieving, and cooling. Many more processes can be carried out for metals and alloys with the help of the right tools and equipment. One of the tools that can be used in carrying out metalworking processes is a salt pot.
Salt Pot’s Operating Principles
A salt pot is a tool used by metallurgists in heat-treating ferrous and non-ferrous materials. It is often made from high-alloyed stainless steel, which contains around 20% of nickel. Some heat treatment processes that can be carried out with a salt pot are annealing, hardening, stress relieving, and case hardening.
When carrying out heat treatment processes with a salt pot, metallurgists would often heat the salt until it reaches its molten stage. The workpieces that will be heat treated are subsequently lowered into the molten salt, ensuring that the heat treatment processes can be carried out optimally. The salt used during these processes can be chloride or cyanide.
As the molten salt interacts with an alloy workpiece, the former would often attack the latter and its protective layer. The molten salt will then alter the content of the workpiece, leading to the exposure of alloy grain boundaries. The salt will further penetrate the grain boundaries to create holes. To reduce the corrosiveness of the salt, it must be paired with additives like silica, ferrosilicon, and methyl chlorides.
Benefits of Maximising Salt Pot
Tons of benefits are associated with maximising salt pot for heat treatment processes.
For one, a salt pot can ensure that distortion and quench cracking to workpieces can be prevented. Compared to other quench media, molten salt has a slower and more controlled cooling rate. This quality allows treated parts to be free from distortion and quench cracking, making the salt pot great for workpieces with tight tolerances.
Heating is also elevated with a salt pot. When immersed with molten salt, workpieces can be heated more quickly, making heat treatment processes be carried out faster than heating by convection or radiation. The risk of surface oxidation and decarburisation is, ultimately, minimised with parts immersed in the molten salt due to minimal contact with the atmosphere.
If you require heat treatment with a salt pot, you can contact us at Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment.
When transforming metals into parts and products, blacksmiths before do not have any option but to forge and temper metals. But technological advancements today have provided metallurgists and material engineers with many heat treatment options for producing the same things. One great thing about these advancements is they can now choose the right option in creating parts and products tailored to the specified requirements and applications.
Heat treatment intends to alter the physical and sometimes the chemical properties of workpieces through a bund of industrial, thermal, and metalworking processes. Here are some types of heat treatment and the best cases to apply them.
Quenching
Some workpieces like aluminium alloy and steel are heated above their critical temperature until their microstructure changes to an austenite phase. Once this happens, the workpieces are then quenched, which is a process of placing them in water, oil, or a polymer solution to decrease their temperature. The purpose of quenching is to freeze the microstructure of the workpieces and maintain their mechanical properties. The resulting microstructure of the quenched metals may be either martensite, bainite, or pearlite.
Tempering
Tempering is a heat treatment wherein workpieces are exposed to a temperature bellowing their melting point. The workpieces are then cooled in air, making sure that their brittleness and internal stresses will be minimised. When tempering metals, metallurgists should be aware of the temperature and time to ensure they can produce the desired final hardness. Even the strength and ductility of metals can be affected by these tempering parameters. Tempering can be utilised in processing drill bits, bolts, nuts, screws, and springs.
Stress Relieving
Stress relieving is a heat treatment process often conducted after welding, grinding, cold working, or final machining the workpieces. It is also done once the metals have been quenched and tempered. This process is done by exposing workpieces to a temperature below their lower transformation temperature. The workpieces are then cooled in the air. Stress relieving should be done to eradicate any internal defects and dislocations from the workpieces. It must also be conducted to ensure that the workpieces will be more dimensionally stable in the long run.
Precipitation Hardening
Precipitation hardening is a heat treatment technique that enhances the yield strength of metal workpieces. This technique can only be maximised by workpieces that have undergone quenching and with an oversaturated solution. When carrying out precipitation hardening, the workpieces are heated to 500 to 550 degrees Celsius and held for an hour to four hours. As precipitates nucleate and grow uniformly, the workpieces are expected to attain high tensile and yield strength and improved wear properties.
Carburisation
Some metal workpieces require better wear resistance for their surfaces while retaining their soft yet strong core. By exposing these things to carburisation, they are expected to be heated to 900 to 950 degrees Celsius and diffused with carbon. Since the heating temperatures are beyond most metals’ critical temperature, the quenching process would then allow their carbon-rich surface to develop martensite while leaving the core soft. This process is great when processing gears, cutting tools, and blades.
Many heat treatment processes can be utilised to generate excellent products. If you will be heat treating some metal workpieces, you can contact us at Alpha Detroit Heat Treatment.