The heat treatment of steel involves a number of processes (such as stress relieving, normalizing, annealing etc) to condition the microstructure and obtain desired properties. This article discusses typical heat treating process control procedures for carbon and low-alloy steels, as well as the importance of time, and temperature control in heat treatment. Temperature Uniformity Survey, a testing procedure intended to map variations in temperature throughout the furnace work zone, helps in precise control of temperature. The article focuses on the measuring instruments used to determine gas pressure, vacuum level, gas flow, and gas composition. It focuses on their measuring quenchant characteristics, including bulk temperature, viscosity, composition, and cooling efficiency. The article describes the procedures for detecting variability in the incoming product. It presents, through an example, the general application of design of experiments techniques to locate and tune vital process parameters. The devices used in the control process of mechanical components are also reviewed.

The basic quality analysis tools are cause-and-effect diagrams, check sheets, control charts, histograms, Pareto charts, scatter diagrams, and run charts. This article reviews how basic quality analysis tools are built upon to become a more advanced set of quality tools. It describes the advanced quality tools: advanced product quality planning, failure mode and effects analysis, control planning, measurement systems analysis, lean tools, statistical process control, production viability and tryout, and Six Sigma.

Concurrent engineering is product development that is done by concurrently utilizing all of the relevant information in making each decision. This article discusses the three aspects that must be taken into account for all product development decisions. The aspects include product functionality, production capability, and field-support capability. The concurrent process is carried out by a multifunctional team that integrates the specialties. The article schematically illustrates product design team configurations with subsystem teams and team of subsystem leaders. It discusses the three-step decision-making process, such as requirements, concepts, and improvement, followed by multifunctional product development teams. The article describes the two types of requirements development by multifunctional teams, namely, quality function deployment and functional analysis. It schematically illustrates the integration of product requirements and concept development. The article concludes with a discussion on the improvement of concepts in terms of robust design and mistake minimization.

Mechanical plating is a method for coating ferrous metals, copper alloys, lead, stainless steel, and certain types of castings by tumbling the parts in a mixture of glass beads, metallic dust or powder, promoter or accelerator chemicals, and water. It offers a straightforward alternative method for achieving desired mechanical and galvanic properties with an extremely low risk of hydrogen embrittlement. This article provides a detailed description of the equipment, process steps, process capabilities, applicable parts, specific characteristics, advantages, limitations, post treatments, and waste treatment of mechanical plating.