This chapter discusses the maintenance needs of major components in induction heat-treating systems, including power supplies, heat stations, capacitors, high-frequency output stages, induction coils, water systems, quench systems, and fixturing.

This chapter deals with the technology of stainless steel as it pertains to its proper use in architecture, art, and construction. It begins with an overview of the corrosion resistance of stainless steel, providing guidelines for balancing corrosion resistance, processing characteristics, and economy. This is followed by sections describing the influence of surface finish on corrosion resistance of stainless steel and reviewing some of the factors pertinent to balancing service environment, design requirements, and maintenance considerations. The chapter then discusses the various factors pertinent to important considerations in buildings, namely surface finish aesthetics, flatness, maintenance, repair, fabrication, and service considerations. It ends with a section providing information on concrete reinforcing bar.

Many companies conduct only metallurgical evaluations in the wake of failures, discovering nothing more than the physical mechanism by which the failure occurred. The origin of failures, however, is often complex, involving not only physical mechanisms, but also human behavior and latent factors. Failures may also involve multiple parts, entire machines, or processes of any size and shape. The chapter examines the unique aspects of many failures and explains how they can sometimes be traced to systemic issues. It also covers the reasons why products fail, including improper service or operation, improper maintenance, improper testing, assembly errors, fabrication or manufacturing errors, and design errors. The case of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse is presented to illustrate the consequence of overlooked factors, in this case, wind dynamics, and the importance of identifying root causes to prevent repeat failures.

Boiler tube failures associated with material defects are often the result of poor quality control, whether in primary production, on-site fabrication, storage and handling, or installation. This chapter examines quality-related failures stemming from compositional and structural defects, forming and welding defects, design defects, improper cleaning methods, and ineffective maintenance. It also includes case studies and illustrations.

This chapter identifies the primary causes of service failures and discusses the types of defects from which they stem. It presents more than a dozen examples of failures attributed to such causes as design defects, material defects, and manufacturing or processing defects as well as assembly errors, abnormal operating conditions, and inadequate maintenance. It also describes the precise usage of terms such as defect, flaw, imperfection, and discontinuity.

Aluminum generally has excellent resistance to corrosion and gives years of maintenance-free service in natural atmospheres, fresh waters, seawater, many soils and chemicals, and most foods. This chapter explains why aluminum and aluminum alloys are naturally resistant to corrosion and describes the conditions and circumstances under which their natural defenses break down. It discusses the causes and forms of corrosion observed in aluminum alloys and the effect of composition, microstructure, processing history, and environmental variables such as impurities, fluid flow, surface area, pressure, and temperature.

Induction heating is a rapid, efficient technique for producing localized or through heating in a wide range of industries. The economics as well as the technical feasibility of induction heating should be important considerations prior to investing in such a system. A number of cost elements enter into the analysis. These include equipment and energy costs, production lot size and ease of automation, material savings, labor costs, and maintenance requirements. This chapter discusses each of these factors. It compares the cost elements of induction heating with those of its main competitor, gas-fired furnace heating. Several typical examples are provided to illustrate the economic considerations in design and application of induction heating processes.

This chapter provides an overview of key elements in controlling the casting process, systems to confirm the quality of outgoing components, and the steps needed to launch a novel product. The discussion also provides information on process control tools and techniques; incoming material control; process control of sand preparation and system maintenance; metallic charge materials; product quality control; and melting, metallurgical, and mechanical testing.

This chapter begins with a description of the requirements of tooling and tooling material for hot extrusion. It covers the processes of designing tool and die sets for direct and indirect extrusion. Next, the chapter provides information on extrusion tooling and die sets for direct external and internal shape production and tools for copper alloy extrusion. Further, it addresses design, calculation, and dimensioning of single-piece and two-part containers and describes induction heating for containers. Information on static- and elastic-based analysis and dimensioning of containers loaded in three dimensions is provided. Examples of calculations for different containers, along with their stresses and dimensions, are presented and the manufacture, operation, and maintenance of containers are described. The chapter further discusses the properties and applications of hot working materials for the manufacture of extrusion tooling and of different extruded materials for the manufacture of extrusion tooling for direct and indirect forming.

This chapter covers the different types of extrusion presses in use, discussing their relative advantages, operating parameters, and selection factors. It describes the function of major components, including containers, stems, dummy pads, and die carriers, the maintenance they require, and their impact on productivity and the quality of extrusions. It also discusses the integration of auxiliary equipment such as log heaters and shears, quench systems, die ovens, pullers, stretchers, and stackers.

This chapter provides guidelines on how to set up and run an effective quality-improvement program for aluminum extrusion operations. It begins by identifying production processes and variables that impact the quality of hard and soft alloy extrusions. It then presents a series of checklists and flowcharts that can be used to monitor and troubleshoot billet-making and extrusion processes, die construction, equipment maintenance, heat treating, and sawing and stretching procedures. It also discusses the importance of charting test results and monitoring surface treatments that may be required to improve corrosion, oxidation, or wear resistance.

This chapter provides a discussion of nitriding furnace equipment and control systems. The discussion covers the essential design criteria of the furnace, types of nitriding furnaces, insulation for the reduction of furnace heat losses, and factors influencing furnace configuration and design. It also covers the processes involved in the construction and maintenance of retorts, methods for sealing a retort to prevent ammonia leaks, and safety precautions to be taken while using ammonia. Further, the chapter provides information on the factors for choosing a heating medium and discusses the processes involved in controlling temperature, gas dissociation, oxygen probes, and nitriding sensors.

This chapter presents the salts used and the process advantages of salt bath nitriding. It describes bath testing and analysis including the materials and equipment, analysis procedure, and determination of sodium carbonate and sodium cyanate for titration testing of the nitriding salt bath. The chapter explains the procedures for maintenance of the salt bath and related equipment. It also discusses safety precautions and design parameters for furnace equipment.

Aluminum alloy products offer architectural and building solutions that exploit the benefits inherent in this metal: light weight, excellent durability, low maintenance, and thermal management opportunities. This chapter discusses the major applications for aluminum building products and related competitive materials. The commonly used alloys and tempers and their performance benefits are outlined for extruded profiles, rolled sheet and foil, and die cast products.

This chapter discusses quality control programs and procedures for induction heat-treating systems and includes related forms and checklists.

Corrosion can be defined as a chemical or electrochemical reaction between a material, usually a metal, and its environment that produces a deterioration of the material and its properties. This chapter describes the effects and economic impact of corrosion in major industrial plants. The emphasis in this chapter, as well as in other chapters in this book, is on aqueous corrosion, or corrosion in environments where water is present. The chapter describes the classification of various forms of corrosion based on the nature of the corrodent, mechanism of corrosion, and appearance of the corroded metal. It discusses five primary methods of corrosion control, namely, material selection, coatings, inhibitors, cathodic protection, and design. Examples of the opportunities in corrosion control and the means to implement a program to capitalize on those opportunities are presented in a table. The chapter concludes with varied sources of information pertaining to corrosion and corrosion prevention.