Three primary heat treatment phases break down into multiple branches and subsets. First comes the heating, the stage that thermally alters a part’s microcrystalline structure. As the work comes to...
Not every processing pipeline in a heat treatment facility is mechanically oriented. Away from the vacuum-sealed furnaces and quenching tanks, the alloy hardening work is viewed from a different perspective....
Using gaseous quenching mediums, new and improved cooling models are rippling through the heat treatment sector. However, not just any old cloud of gas is going to suit this role....
Thin-walled tube metals are employed in a wide number of large-scale applications. Whether the tubes find their way into pipe networks or aerospace frames, they need to exhibit one key...
Ideally, heat treatment work affects the microcrystalline structure of a steel part. In the furnace, then cooled gradually or quenched suddenly, the physical properties of the steel alters. The processed...
The next two heat treatment processes are similar. They both use a nitrogen-rich substance to harden soft metal workpieces. But, as the post title implies, the nitrogen arrives in two...
Atmospheric control is a powerful tool in a heat treatment engineer’s metal hardening armoury. For example, by adding gaseous nitrogen to a furnace, the gas nitride hardening effect is initiated....
Carbon isn’t a metal. Actually, it’s a sooty black substance, and it’s not that strong. However, appearances can be deceiving, as every engineer knows only too well. Crushed by incredible...
Flame hardening technology uses a heat treatment methodology that’s reminiscent of old blacksmithing procedures. Instead of electrically powered induction coils, an oxy-fuel gas flame takes care of the workpiece hardening...
Engineering handbooks describe annealing as a stress reduction process. A workpiece goes into a furnace, is heated to its transformative temperature, then it slowly cools to room temperature. Hard and...
Copious quantities of nickel and chromium bolster a base ferrous structure. That’s what gives Austenitic Stainless Steel its face-centred microcrystalline identity. Infused with a little carbon, the alloy family gains...
What do visitors want to see when they stop by a heat treatment facility? Watching from behind a thick glass plate, they enjoy the sight of an orange-hot workpiece as...
Old Smithy sheds are viewed as our heat treatment grandfathers. They didn’t install massive furnaces, but there was always that flickering red flame. The hot coals burned bright in primitive...
As the temperature rises in a heat treatment furnace, strange transformations occur. In steel workpieces, the grain structure of the component changes size. Alternatively, new grains form. They undergo phase...
Ferrous metals are those that contain iron. Laced with carbon and other exotic elements, iron is a durable, structurally capable alloy. It exudes a polished finish when formed into stainless...
Heat treatment science employs an equal opportunities approach to the field of metal strengthening. That’s another way of saying the techniques used here aren’t just used to harden ferrous workpieces....
Salt Case Hardening, the term sounds so exotic. The knowledgeable heat treatment professional knows exactly what’s happening when the technique is applied, of course. Meanwhile, for the novice engineers out...
In this heat treatment technique, a counterintuitive reaction is seemingly encountered as a metal workpiece is heated and held at a predetermined furnace temperature. Remarkably, instead of hardening the alloy,...
A problem-solving guide for black oxide coatings, that’s the direction this article is taking. The finish should be oily black. Putting a tick in that checkbox, the coating should also...
There’s no end to the number of metals out there, all of which serve different roles in countless applications. Selecting the materials, it’s up to a metallurgically talented sourcing expert...
Sintered components are produced when fine metallic powders are compacted inside special cavities. As high pressures cause densification, heat is added. Therefore, as a process precursor, this operation employs a...
A newly arrived batch of mild steel indicates this is a low carbon steel. The carbon quotient is noted, then the load is transported onwards. Putting this scenario on pause...
Undergoing heat treatment, a steel workpiece warms until it’s almost red-hot. Engineers monitor the process, compare the actions taking place in the furnace to specially formulated graphs, and the metal...
Here’s a case study where a steel workpiece was hardened in a cutting-edge furnace. The process is locked in, and it has been exhaustively tested, so the repeatability factor is...