Furnace Operation
Preventing Eutectic Reactions and Diffusion Bonding in Vacuum Processing
The purpose of this paper is to explain reactions that can occur during a vacuum processing cycle and different methods of preventing these reactions.
Vacuum Gas Cooling – Is Pressure or Velocity Most Important? (Part 1)
There is an age-old adage that exists in the heat treating world. That supposition states that “the smaller the vacuum furnace, the faster it will quench.” Our study compared the cooling rates of two distinctly sized High Pressure Gas Quenching (HPGQ) vacuum furnaces- a large 10-bar vacuum furnace equipped with a 600 HP blower motor versus a smaller 10-bar vacuum furnace equipped with a 300 HP motor.
The Use of Graphite for Vacuum Furnace Fixturing
The vacuum furnace industry has searched for many years for the ideal material to be used in fixtures and grids for processing workloads at elevated temperatures. The support structures should be lightweight to achieve desired metallurgical results during the cooling phase of the process cycle.
The Returning Need For the All-Metal Vacuum Furnace Hot Zone and Specific Application Advantages
In this article, we will highlight some of the essential design requirements needed to provide the proper all-metal furnace for these critical applications.
Dew Point Versus Oxygen Content in Vacuum Processing Part 2
Since the majority of commercial and captive heat treat facilities do not typically operate under controlled environments, the temperature and humidity swings can often be drastic.
Dew Point Versus Oxygen Content In Vacuum Processing
It is well known that accurate measurement of any heat treating atmosphere can have a significant effect on the quality and process yield of heat treated components. Traditionally, dew point analysis has always been the bellwether in determining our heat treating atmospheric conditions.
Understanding Vacuum Furnace Temperature Measurement Issues
The objective of this paper is to provide technical information relating to vacuum furnace temperature measurement issues covering a variety of subjects.
The Use of a Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA) to Determine Differences in Graphite and All-metal Hot Zone Vacuum Operation
Many vacuum furnace processes require a very deep vacuum and minimal residual carbon gas in order not to contaminate the final product.
Understanding Emissivity and Thermocouple Test Blocks
A recent process development test relating to carburizing illustrated the need to better understand the effect of surface emissivity and the proper use of dummy thermocouple test blocks. The testing involved carburizing areas of a partially copper plated alloy steel part. The copper plating covered areas of the part that were not to be carburized. Since the configuration of the part made it impossible to place a thermocouple within the part, a dummy test block made of carbon steel with the approximate same cross-section was used for the process thermocouple without proper consideration of the surface condition of the test block. Using the test block as the control, carburizing was initiated at the proper temperature based on the test block having reached that temperature. At the completion of the test, the part was examined for carburizing results and found in the non-copper plated areas, the depth of the carburized case to be shallow. This indicated that the cycle performed did not initially hold the part long enough at the correct temperature prior to carburizing. This resulted in the conclusion that when using dummy test blocks for controlling process times and temperatures, many factors must be considered including surface emissivity.
The Use of Residual-Gas Analyzers as a Vacuum Analysis Tool
Residual-gas analyzers are finding their way out into the heat-treat shop, primarily for process control and contamination monitoring in vacuum systems. Any tool that can help us better understand what is happening inside our vacuum furnaces is a welcome addition. Let’s learn more.