Quenching in a fluid is a complex process. There are several different heat transfer mechanisms that may be occurring at the same time, with the heat transfer coefficients changes as a function of position (x, y, z) and surface temperature on the same part. This is further complicated by having multiple different parts in the same load. Agitation, racking of the parts and the quench tank design all play a role in the resultant properties and distortion of a given part. Further complicating this problem, is that there are multiple methods to measure quenching performance. In this paper, we will be describing an agitation apparatus used at Quaker Houghton for determining heat transfer coefficients as a function of agitation and surface temperature. The probe used is the ISO 9950 (ASTM D6200) Inconel probe, and the heat transfer coefficients are determined by an inverse method provided by the SmartQuench Integra software by RISE/ivf. The apparatus is examined using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and the calculated flow is compared to the measured fluid flow.

This paper examines the latest developments in energy management in heat treatment with a specific focus on electrical heating and tighter integration between the power supply and furnace control to maximize energy efficiency. It also discusses the use of IGBT (insulated-gate bipolar transistor) and SCR (silicon-controlled rectifier) based power supplies as energy-efficient alternatives to variable reactance transformers (VRTs) for powering electric vacuum furnaces.

This paper describes a furnace retrofit involving the replacement of a variable reactance transformer (VRT) with an IGBT-controlled mid-frequency direct current (MFDC) transformer. The two transformers are similar in size and all other variables remained essentially equivalent. A typical heating cycle was initiated with a ramp rate of 10°F/min to a soak temperature of approximately 1900°F. Cross-sectional data was taken during the ramp phase and soak phase. Based on power measurements and adjusting for differences in thermal loads, the retrofit achieved a 40% reduction in kilowatt consumption, a 14% reduction in peak current draw, and an improvement in power factor throughout the cycle.

High-temperature, energy efficient ceramic coatings are being used in heat treating and forging furnaces around the globe to rein in the high cost of refractory maintenance, reduce fuel consumption, and improve furnace efficiencies as well as product quality. These coatings also protect metal from high-temperature oxidation and corrosion. This paper shows how specialized ceramic coatings can provide an energy savings of up to 20% in industrial furnaces while reducing heat-up and turn-around times and extending refractory service life.

This paper revisits a case study presented at Heat Treat 2009, investigating the failure of induction coils used for heat treating automotive wheel hubs. At the time, computer simulation was beginning to allow for virtual prototyping of heat treat applications as an alternative to experimental testing. As explained in the original paper on p. 86 of the 2009 HTS conference proceedings, although simulation helped in the development of a more robust coil, it was not used to pinpoint the cause of failure. In this current work, the authors tackle the same problem aided by more than a decade of improvements in compute power and finite element analysis techniques. To highlight the leaps made in virtual prototyping, the induction hardening coil previously analyzed using an axisymmetric 2D model is now examined using more precise 3D electromagnetic and thermal models while accounting for the rotation of the part.

This paper presents four case studies documenting the time and money that heat treaters have saved with the help of predictive maintenance tools. In one case, a heat treater avoided potential catastrophic melting of a heating element and several hangers when predictive maintenance software guided the operator to a broken ceramic in a specific heating zone. In another case, a commercial heat treater was alerted to a low kW reading, indicating a heater failure on a diffusion pump, which would have led to the contamination of a vacuum furnace if not addressed in a timely manner. Situations involving a failing motor on a quench tank and the degradation of furnace insulation are also discussed. Cost comparisons, with and without predictive maintenance, are included in three of the four studies.

This study demonstrates the use of simulation in the design of induction hardening coils. It compares three coil geometries, two of which leverage the flexibility of 3D printing. The paper explains how to set up and run the simulations in order to predict temperature fields, hardness profiles, and microstructure distributions in the workpiece. Based on the simulations, the conventionally manufactured coil and one of the two 3D-printed coils do not achieve the desired martensitic microstructure everywhere along the surface of the workpiece. In the case of the 3D-printed coil, the simulations show that the workpiece overheats in an area where its diameter abruptly changes. To fix the problem, the coil was adapted with an additional winding that carries current in the opposite direction. Simulations show that the redesign reduces hot spot temperature by more than 200 °C, producing the desired microstructure in that area of the workpiece and a more uniform hardness profile.

This paper describes a new grade of 3D carbon composite materials that are more durable than alloys at high temperatures as well as lighter and stronger. Advantages over other materials in the construction of heat treat furnace fixtures are illustrated in several comparative case studies.

Ductile cast iron can be heat-treated to obtain a significant property improvement austempering, resulting in Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI). Performance can be further improved by using boronized surface layers which are capable of reaching high hardnesses (2100 HV). In this work, samples of nodular cast iron alloyed with copper, copper-nickel and copper-nickel molybdenum were borided in a salt bath (borax + aluminum) at temperatures 850, 900 and 950 °C for 2 and 4 hours. After these treatments, the samples were directly austempered from the boriding temperature in salt baths at temperatures of 240, 300 and 360°C (boroaustempering) which avoided the need for a subsequent reheating for such processing. The boriding treatment produced uniform layers with thicknesses in the range 35-130 micrometers and hardness in the range from 1300 to 1700 HV.

Boriding thermochemical treatment produces layers with high hardness which improves the tribological performance of ductile cast iron while the austempering treatment improves the mechanical performance of the substrate. In this work, samples of the ductile cast iron alloyed with copper, copper-nickel and copper-nickel-molybdenum were borided in a salt bath (borax + aluminum) at temperatures of 850, 900 and 950°C during 2 and 4 hours. The data for the layers obtained were used to determine the diffusion coefficients and activation energies of this process. The results of the calculated diffusion coefficients were similar to those obtained by the direct measurements of the layer thicknesses. For the sample alloyed with Cu or Cu-Ni the activation energy obtained was 141.27 kJ/mol, and for the sample alloyed with Cu-Ni-Mo the value was 212.98 kJ/mol. The statistical parameters and the correlation coefficients (R) showed satisfactory agreement.

AHTF (Aerodynamic Heat Treating Furnaces) furnaces, in which air or gas is heated to 600-700°C without electrical or other special heaters, have been developed and placed in operation in a number of plants for heat treating aluminum, magnesium, and titanium alloys, and also steels. The AHTF chamber furnace is thermally insulated without the use of firebricks. It has a centrifugal fan with vanes having a special contour. The fan, operating in a closed system, converts, into heat, almost all the energy used to turn it; the heat is transferred to the parts by convection. In most machine-building plants aluminum alloys are heat treated in ERF furnaces (electric resistance furnaces with forced air circulation) or in salt baths. This research deals with an investigation of the heating conditions for various semi-finished products of aluminum alloys in the AHTF-3 in comparison with the ERF-2 (Electrical Recirculation Furnace) furnace and a potassium nitrate bath of approximately the same working volume.