Tech Downloads
Operating A Vacuum Heat Treat Furnace Under Humid Conditions
A specific concern to a vacuum heat treating furnace user is processing critical work during summer months with high temperatures and high humidity. This same concern could also be a problem on rainy winter months. Under these difficult conditions, it is most important to understand the impact that humid conditions can have on the final surface condition and appearance of the processed parts. Work discolored or oxidized by residual water vapor is unacceptable and must be controlled for many critical components like aerospace parts or medical implants and instruments. This paper will try to explain factors relating to humidity, air temperature, and methods to improve final product appearance and minimize possibility of contamination.
Critical Areas In Vacuum Heat Treat Furnace Preventive Maintenance
Regularly scheduled maintenance of vacuum furnaces ensures a safe operational environment for the equipment and the people working with the furnace.
Maximizing Vacuum Furnace Gas Quenching Performance
There are many areas that engineers must consider when attempting to design a new and high performance gas quenching vacuum furnace.
A Brief History of Vacuum Heat Treating Technology
The history of vacuum technology is a fascinating one. It seems to have begun in ancient Greece when the philosopher Democritus.
Gear Market Offers Opportunities for Ingenuity and Innovation with Nadcap Accreditation in Carburizing
Solar’s Souderton plant recently received a Nadcap accreditation in carburizing, allowing it to better serve the aerospace market. This accreditation joins Solar’s other Nadcap approvals for heat treating, brazing and fluorescent penetrant inspection. Additionally, earlier this year the company became an approved supplier for General Electric Aviation (GEA), UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) and Moog Corporation.
Gas vs. Liquid Quenching: A Direct Comparison in Hardenability to Reduce Distortion
Hardenability is the ability of steel to partially or completely transform from austenite to some fraction of martensite at a given depth below the surface, when cooled under a certain condition.
How to Reduce Energy Requirements for Efficient Vacuum Heat Treat Furnace Operation
Of the many papers written on methods of reducing vacuum-furnace operating energy requirements, most tend to highlight one specific furnace area. This article outlines various methods of reducing energy requirements of several furnace functions. The following will be discussed: Controlling and minimizing hot zone energy losses, Variable frequency drives on vacuum pumps and gas cooling motors, Minimizing diffusion pump energy consumption, VFDs and temperature controlling logic on cooling water system, Conclusions
Blended Gases – A Cost-Effective Alternative To Helium In Processing Reactive Metals
Argon and helium gases have been used and evaluated as quench gases within vacuum heat treating circles for many years.
Understanding Power Losses in Vacuum Furnaces
Since the early development of the vacuum furnace, engineers and thermal experts have continually tried to improve the insulating characteristics of the furnace hot zone. Several materials have been used for different applications with varying success. However, all designs must still deal with the heat losses penetrating through the insulation materials and the need to minimize these losses. This is especially important today with the continual escalation of electrical power cost. This paper will review the different types of hot zone insulation materials used, the projected losses of the different designs, the impact relating to furnace cycle heating rates and cycle times, and the projected cost advantages of one design over another.
Titanium Heats Up in the Aerospace Industry
Today, the trend for airframe manufacturers is the increased use of composite materials and titanium alloys. Compared to an aluminum structure, these composites provide a greater reduction in maintenance due to fatigue. When loading and environmental factors are analyzed, low maintenance, high strength titanium trumps aluminum again.