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To some extent, worked alloys have memory. Stress can be absorbed and stored in the metal. Under these circumstances, heat treatment facilities call upon the services of a stress relieving process, a technique that’s designed to reset that solid-form memory. In a nutshell, the grain of the metal is homogenized. Thermal relaxation takes over at […]

On one side of this comparative guide, induction hardening technology employs a strong electromagnetic field as the heat treatment engine. On the other side, a similarly potent case hardening station is busily armouring the surface of a newly arrived workpiece. Both methods harden exterior surfaces. Case in point, flame hardening equipment is incredibly selective, but […]

Dark black oxide coatings look attractive. Aside from that smoky appeal, there’s another benefit to this technique. Designed to act as a corrosion-resistant finish, black oxide treatments stop ferrous parts from oxidizing. If there’s one factor that sets the process apart, it’s the amount of chemical processing that occurs during the procedure. As to how […]

Numerous variables govern the heat treatment process. If one of those variables moves beyond an allowable error margin, the toughened and tempered workpiece will likely demonstrate a set of less than desirable physical characteristics. The dimensions of the part alter. It warps or develops a materially diminished structure. Other processing imperfections include uneven case hardening, […]

The successful utilization of a vacuum heat furnace hangs on several important factors, most importantly of which would be the integrity of this vacant space. Contingent on the purity of the vacuum, the efficacy of the equipment seal, and the condition of the integrated quenching tank, furnace downtime is a manageable productivity obstacle. With that […]

Metal embrittlement occurs during numerous heat treatment processes. Furthermore, certain electrochemical techniques are known to promote this undesirable effect. The result is a finished metal product that’s drastically weakened. Fracture-prone and flawed, the embedded microcrystalline defects cast a blemish-ridden shadow on what should be a universally toughened alloy part. If there’s an increased likelihood of […]

Engineering terms usually help out by subtly suggesting their meanings. If someone talks about a quenching operation, then the process becomes self-evident. But that’s not always the case, certainly not when we talk about the normalizing process. It’s a generic term, after all, one that has a dozen different meanings. In heat treatment terminology, however, […]

Despite appearances, heat treatment work relies on a scientifically accurate process. Sure, the coarse industrial outlines operating here may suggest otherwise, but don’t be fooled, this is engineering fidelity labouring at the highest level. Just how are those optimised results achieved? The answer is simple. Every step in the process has to be governable. There’s […]

Just as a refresher, what is heat treatment technology? Certainly, the exposure of a metal part to heat changes its material and mechanical characteristics. And those changes occur over time. That controlled thermal treatment sequence can even be dramatically curtailed by quenching the metal workpiece. What about material oxidation in heat treatment, though? Where does […]

Carbon is the element upon which all of life is founded. Also, in heat treatment technology, carbon is the primary alloying element in the steel hardening process. Not surprisingly, there are variations on this theme. For example, high carbon steel is a dense alloy, but it’s also a brittle metal. Let’s follow this hardening process […]