Induction heating system control is straightforward after the design and application of the coil and power supply required for the job. This article provides an overview of the basic components of an induction heating system, including a machine controller (computer or programmable logic controller), interface wiring, an operator interface, and safety controls. It also provides information on programming devices and temperature controllers, such as manual, auto, and auto-manual temperature controllers.

Hyperthermia is a type of cancer treatment that requires directing a carefully controlled dose of heated nanoparticles to the cancerous tumor that leads to the destruction of cancer cells. Nanoparticles are used as the heat generating sources within the cancer cells and the tumors. The problem in controlling the temperature of nanoparticles is solved by the use of induction heating, which uses a high-frequency alternating magnetic field localized in the area of interest. This article provides an overview of this technique along with the description of its major components, namely, nanoparticles, induction heating setup, and magnetic field strength.

This article describes the characteristics and technology of power sources for major arc welding methods along with the suggested criteria for assuring that a power source selection can safely deliver the desired output and yield long service life. Power sources with single-phase AC input voltage, three-phase input machines, inverter-based power sources, short arc gas metal arc welding power sources, and multiple arc power sources are discussed. The article also presents the factors to be considered when selecting a power source.

The corrosion process that occurs in industrial systems is often difficult to discern until extensive deterioration has occurred. For boilers to function properly, the incoming water must be processed to meet the water quality required for the boiler. This article discusses pretreatment methods of the incoming water and preboiler corrosion protection methods. It analyzes internal treatment and condensate treatment of boilers. The article discusses three types of cooling systems: once-through systems, open recirculating systems, and closed recirculating systems. The corrosion processes which occur in water-recirculating systems and the effect of dissolved gases, temperature, pH, suspended solids, dissolved salts, and scale deposition on corrosivity of water, are also reviewed. The article also considers anodic and cathodic inhibitors and the control of corrosion in municipal water systems.

This article provides information on predesign surveys and the various testing procedures associated with wastewater treatment plants. These include soil testing, atmospheric testing, and hydrogen sulfide testing. The primary parameters that influence the production of sulfides within the piping system that transports the wastewater to the treatment facility are discussed. The article describes the corrosion performance of various materials in the soil, fluid, and atmospheric exposures. These include concrete, steel, ductile iron, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, and coatings used for wastewater facilities.

Bridges and highways are core components of transportation system and range from pavements with earth, gravel, or stone covered by a thin bituminous surface course to a continually reinforced Portland cement concrete (PCC) roadway with or without a bituminous wear course. This article provides information on bridges and dowels and the reinforcement used in PCC roadways that suffer from corrosion. An overview is provided on the rise in awareness of the corrosion issues affecting bridges and highways. The chemistry and structure of concrete and its role as an electrolyte in promoting corrosion are also discussed. The article addresses reinforcement, including conventional, prestressed, cable stays, and corrosion-resistant reinforcement. It deals with the electrochemical methods for the inspection and corrosion control of embedded reinforcement. The article also reviews the corrosion of metal bridges and corrosion control, including the use of weathering steels and coating systems.

Fatigue damage in metals is caused by the simultaneous action of cyclic stress, tensile stress, and plastic strain. This article details the fundamental aspects of the stages of the fatigue failure process. These include cyclic plastic deformation prior to fatigue crack initiation, initiation of one or more microcracks, propagation or coalescence of microcracks to form one or more microcracks, and propagation of one or more macrocracks.

This article is a comprehensive collection of summary charts that provide data and information that are helpful in considering and selecting applicable processes alternative to the conventional material-removal processes. Process summary charts are provided for electrochemical machining, electrical discharge machining, chemical machining, abrasive jet machining, laser beam machining, electron beam machining, ultrasonic impact grinding, hydrodynamic machining, thermochemical machining, abrasive flow machining, and electrical discharge wire cutting.

This article discusses the properties of threaded fasteners made from carbon and low-alloy steels containing a maximum of 0.55% carbon. It provides guidelines for the selection of steels for bolts, studs, and nuts intended for use at temperatures between -50 and 370 deg C. The article also discusses steels rated for service above 370 deg C and describes internationally recognized grade designations. The specifications provided can be used to outline fastener requirements, control manufacturing processes, and establish functional or performance standards. The most commonly used protective metal coatings for ferrous metal fasteners; zinc, cadmium, and aluminum; are described as well.

Cold-finished steel bars are carbon and alloy steel bar products (round, square, hexagonal, flat, or special shapes) that are produced by cold finishing previous hot-wrought bars. by means of cold drawing, cold forming, turning, grinding, or polishing (singly or in combination) to yield straight lengths or coils that are uniform throughout their length. Cold-finished bars fall into five classifications: cold-drawn bars; turned and polished bars; cold-drawn, ground, and polished bars; turned, ground, and polished bars; cold-drawn, turned, ground, and polished bars. Different size tolerances are applicable to cold-finished products, depending on shape, carbon content, and heat treatment. When used to identify cold-finished steel bars, the various quality descriptors are indicative of many characteristics, such as degree of internal soundness, relative uniformity of chemical composition, and relative freedom from detrimental surface imperfections. Cold drawing significantly increases machinability, tensile and yield strengths of steel bars. Two special die-drawing processes have been developed to give improved properties over those offered by standard drawing practices. These processes are cold drawing using heavier-than-normal drafts, followed by stress relieving; and drawing at elevated temperatures.

Steel sheet is widely used for industrial and consumer products, partly because it is relatively strong, easily joined, and readily available at moderate cost. This article discusses the mechanical properties and formability of steel sheet, the use of circle grid analysis to identify the properties of complicated shapes, and various simulative forming tests. The mechanical properties of steel sheet that influence its forming characteristics, either directly or indirectly, can be measured by uniaxial tension testing. The article covers the effects of steel composition, steelmaking practices, and metallic coatings, as well as the correlation between microstructure and formability. A guide to the selection of steel sheet is also included. The formability of steel sheet is related to various microstructural features of the sheet. The article describes some of the forming characteristics of the more commonly used formable grades. It also lists the typical mechanical properties for common grades of hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel sheets.

This article summarizes sampling of powders, which includes the sampling of stored material and flowing streams, sample reduction and evaluation, and weight of sample required. It also summarizes the classification of powders. Classifiers are divided into two categories: counterflow equilibrium and crossflow separation. Classification methods are used to exclude certain powder sizes from a powder distribution and to obtain particular powder distributions. For example, sieving methods are used to obtain particular powder distributions and to obtain narrow size ranges of a powder. The article summarizes the sieving methods for powders. The sieving methods include hand sieving, machine sieving, manual wet sieving, air jet sieving, sonic sifter, wet sieving by machine, the Seishin robot sifter, automated systems, and ultrasonic machine sieving. The article outlines the sieve types and the process variables of the sieving process. An appendix reviews dispersion of powders in liquids.

Passivation; pickling, that is, acid descaling; electropolishing; and mechanical cleaning are important surface treatments for the successful performance of stainless steel used for piping, pressure vessels, tanks, and machined parts in a wide variety of applications. This article provides an overview of the various types of stainless steels and describes the commonly used cleaning methods, namely, alkaline cleaning, emulsion cleaning, solvent cleaning, vapor degreasing, ultrasonic cleaning, and acid cleaning. Finishing operations of stainless steels, such as grinding, polishing, and buffing, are reviewed. The article also explains the procedures of electrocleaning, electropolishing, electroplating, painting, surface blackening, coloring, terne coatings, and thermal spraying. It includes useful information on the surface modification of stainless steels, namely, ion implantation and laser surface processing. Surface hardening techniques, namely, nitriding, carburizing, boriding, and flame hardening, performed to improve the resistance of stainless steel alloys are also reviewed.

Specialty steels encompass a broad range of ferrous alloys noted for their special processing characteristics (powder metallurgy alloys), corrosion resistance (stainless steels), wear resistance and toughness (tool steels), high strength (maraging steels), or magnetic properties (electrical steels). This article provides a detailed discussion on the various surface treatments, including cleaning, nitriding, carburizing, coating, and plating, performed on specialty steels.

Aluminum casting alloys are the most versatile of all common foundry alloys and generally have the highest castability ratings. This article discusses the designation and classification of aluminum casting alloys based on their composition and the factors influencing alloy selection. Alloys discussed include rotor alloys, commercial duralumin alloys, premium casting alloys, piston and elevated-temperature alloys, general-purpose alloys, magnesium alloys, aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloys, and bearing alloys. Six basic types of aluminum alloys developed for casting include aluminum-copper, aluminum-copper-silicon, aluminum-silicon, aluminum-magnesium, aluminum-zinc-magnesium, and aluminum-tin. The article also describes the main casting processes for aluminum alloys, which include die casting, permanent mold casting, sand casting (green sand and dry sand), plaster casting, and investment casting. In addition, the article discusses factors affecting the mechanical and physical properties, microstructural features that affect mechanical properties, the effects of alloying, and major applications of aluminum casting alloys.

Copper alloy castings are used in applications that require superior corrosion resistance, high thermal or electrical conductivity, good bearing surface qualities, or other special properties. This article discusses the nominal composition and mechanical properties of copper casting alloys, designated in the Unified Numbering System. It also describes the selection factors of copper casting alloys, including castability, machinability, dimensional tolerances, bearing and wear properties, and cost considerations. The article provides information on the relative corrosion resistance of 14 different classes of copper casting alloys in a wide variety of liquids and gases which helps in selecting alloys for corrosion service.