We explore progress in laser cleaning/ablation that has made laser technology the tool of choice for mass manufacturing. Lasers have revolutionized manufacturing, maintaining, repairing, and overhauling aerospace components. The requirement for thorough cleaning is a recurring theme, whether the cleaning precedes coating, provides surface polishing or roughening, or removes scale and other contaminants before joining operations like welding or brazing. Three technologies historically used for stripping coatings and surface preparation before coating are (1) abrasive grit blasting, (2) abrasive water jet, and (3) aqueous chemical baths. However, each technology negatively impacts the environment and presents health risks while being slow and expensive. Laser cleaning solutions are displacing legacy technologies based on their many merits, including speed, precision, elimination of consumables, energy efficiency, and safety. Here, we showcase successful laser applications for several cleaning/ablation tasks, resulting in game-changing productivity, repeatability, direct cost savings, and part performance improvements. We will thoroughly examine the remarkable outcomes achievable through laser cleaning, rooted in the intricate physics of ablation and the unparalleled precision and repeatability of fiber laser systems. Additionally, we will delve into the enhanced efficiency and economic advantages associated with laser-based methods, elucidating the factors contributing to the superior performance.

It is well known that distortion has and continues to present a challenge to the heat treater when hardening steel. However, recent advances in quenching technology are improving the opportunity for improved distortion control. 4 Dimension High-Pressure Gas Quenching (4DQ) is a unique gas quenching process that uses both quenching chamber design and part motion to minimize distortion during the quenching process. To understand 4DQ’s potential, the challenges of traditional batch quenching and press quenching techniques will be explored, emphasizing issues such as geometric distortion, residual thermal stresses, non-uniform microstructure transformation, safety, environmental, and handling concerns. In contrast, 4DQ is a process that enhances quenching uniformity and minimizes distortion by use of a specialized cooling chamber. Within the chamber it provides three-dimensional (3D) quenching by enveloping the part at specific areas with cooling gas while introducing the fourth dimension (4D) of part rotation during quenching that further optimizes quench uniformity. 4DQ gives the ability to “engineer” the quenching process by controlling quench pressure, gas velocity, gas manifold design, table rotation, table oscillation, and time-dependent gas flow. The system’s flexibility allows users to customize the quenching process for reduced distortion, repeatability, and precise accuracy. A case study on hypoid hears and coupling sleeves will demonstrate the effectiveness of the 4DQ system in minimizing distortion and achieving dimensional consistency. Results illustrate the system’s advantages over traditional quenching methods in terms of quality, repeatability, and cost-effectiveness. Considering the challenges of steel hardening processes, the 4DQ system has the potential to be a transformative solution for achieving enhanced quenching uniformity and reduced heat treatment distortion in manufacturing scenarios.

Anti-wear, anti-galling and scratch resistance are well-known properties associated with FNC processes. The marked demand for expansion of the scope of processes in equipment available, has led to the development of tailored FNC process for application to low alloyed steel, and alloyed steel. The process had to be oxygen free, as the equipment is also applied in expanded austenite processes for corrosion resistant alloys. Utilizing our mass flow controller equipped furnaces the tight control of the parameters is possible resulting in high repeatability and a consistent compound layer formation. The process has been applied to a number of different alloys, showing good results for unalloyed steels and steels in quenched and tempered condition.

Forging processes include various steps to attain favorable material properties such as heat treatment, rapid quench, cold work stress relieving, and artificial aging. These steps, however, also contribute to bulk residual stress. Excessive bulk residual stresses cause a wide of problems, including part distortion during machining and in use, reduced crack initiation life, increased crack growth rates, and an overall reduction in part life. This paper summarizes recent work aimed at measurement-based assessment of bulk residual stresses in cold-compressed aluminum die forgings. The results show that forging process induced residual stress is a repeatable phenomenon with RMS repeatability less than 5% of yield.

This paper describes the inner workings of a gas quenching chamber and assesses its potential for high-volume production of precision gears. The cooling manifold in the chamber surrounds the part, which sits on a rotating table. This ensures uniform flow of cooling gas across the top, bottom, and sides of the part and achieves uniform and repeatable quenching results. In addition, because the cooling nozzles can be adjusted to fit the geometry and size of the part, distortion can be effectively controlled.

In induction heating process, coils and inductors are the core of the heating process. They are the end tool where the magnetic process affecting the part or material to be heated occurs. For more than a century, the dominant manufacturing process has been based, mainly, upon joining technologies where the coppersmith skill has been the safeguard of the quality. Use of fixtures, mandrels, and machined parts have improved the repeatability and quality of the produced elements but high volume, dimensional repeatability has always been source of problems. GH Induction continuously works on the improvement of such relatively artisanal methods to allow better lifetime, minimized production time and overall better quality. Following a first development work bringing a patented innovation in 2011 using a precision casting solution (Microfusion – Wax casting), with a solution provided a single piece coil, GH Induction has, after 2 years of development, patented a new additive manufacturing solution (3D printing concept) based on the use of Electron Beam Melting (EBM). The EBM solution benefits from the latest technology in additive manufacturing, both technologies present tremendous advantages for the designer and user. Complex shape, very small inductors can be manufactured, which are impossible to do with standard method. This presentation and article summarized the concept, manufacturing principle and technical benefits that the final users can have using such innovative solutions.

Case hardening by carburizing is the most common heat treatment in mass production, which relies on atmosphere, or vacuum carburizing followed by oil or gas quenching and finally by tempering. Parts being heat-treated undergo the process in a configuration of a batch consists of hundreds or even thousands pieces. Under these circumstances, individual parts can’t help but be exposed to different process parameters in terms of temperature, atmosphere and quenching depends on their position within the batch. Parts near the outer portion of the load see a more rapid rise in temperature, are first exposed to the carburizing atmosphere and are more effectively quenched than parts located in the center of the batch. This can lead to significant variation from part to part and load to load; the resultant effective case depth deviation can be as high as 50%. Similarly, during quenching from hardening temperature distortion becomes highly unpredictable and unrepeatable. Modern industry demands greater precision and repeatability of results beyond those achievable by so-called traditional batch or continuous technologies and their associated equipment. Elimination of batches and focus on individual parts is the only true way to advance the industry. The article will introduce the first operational system for truly single-piece flow method for case hardening by low-pressure carburizing and hardening by high-pressure gas quench. The system treats each part individually and as such provides virtually identical process parameters, which results in extremely accurate and repeatable results. Quenching one part at a time in a specially design chamber, achieves more precise control and significantly reduces distortion so as to all make it possible to avoid post heat treatment hard machining operations. This single-piece flow heat treatment method is easily adapted into manufacturing and can be directly integrated into in-line manufacturing operations, working directly with machining centers. Materials handling and logistical issues are eliminated thus saving time and reducing unit cost. The results achieved on series of automotive gears will be reported and demonstrate incredible accuracy and repeatability, while significantly reducing distortion. Productivity and process costs prove the system to be highly competitive with other technologies. These proven advantages and savings.

This study deals with the fundamentals of intelligent computer-aided processes in thermal and thermochemical treatments. The aim of this study is the improvement of the conformity of the actual post-treatment properties with the assumed properties, thereby improving the repeatability of the process results. A detailed study was conducted involving low-pressure carburizing and low-pressure nitriding. The principal objective of the literature review was to better understand the cause-and-effect relationship in these processes and to develop a methodology of designing functional and effective processes of low-pressure thermal and thermochemical treatment, using effective computation methods. The paper contains a synthetic presentation of modeling methods, in particular of artificial intelligence methods; it also analyses the opportunities and threats associated with the methods.