Heat treatment is a key stage in a wide range of forged components, which is mainly carried out in batch furnaces. However, in the conventional discontinuous heat treatment, the process of letting the forged parts cool down to room temperature and then raising their temperature again, maintaining it until the desired properties are obtained, involves significant energy and time consumption.
In order to improve the competitiveness of this process, in terms of costs, time and sustainability, AZTERLAN has developed an in-line annealing heat treatment method in which the forged parts are introduced into the furnace while they are still hot.
- Perform a unitary heat treatment, ensuring piece-by-piece traceability
- Ensure the mechanical properties of your parts
- Save up to 10% of energy consumption
- Reduces delivery time, logistics tasks, intermediate stocks and spaces dedicated to the storage of parts
- Integrate the different stages of the manufacturing process
- Improve process automation potential
This innovative heat treatment for forged parts is based on a controlled cooling (already in the furnace) of the pieces and the application of an isothermal treatment (maintenance of the temperature in the furnace). This is a solution applicable to most forges whose facilities allow the installation of an anodizing furnace.
Prior to its implementation, it is necessary to carry out a study based on the unique characteristics of the geometry of the part in order to determine the optimal settings of the treatment to ensure the objective mechanical properties of the final components:
- Forced cooling phase: means to carry it out, identification of the set temperature and ensuring compatibility with all the thicknesses of the piece
- Isothermal treatment phase: determination of the set temperature, duration, type of outlet cooling
“Las tecnologías de conformado agrupan vías de fabricación, materiales y sectores con características muy diversas. Sin embargo, se enfrentan a retos comunes asociados a la incorporación de nuevos materiales, exigentes cadencias de producción y crecientes solicitudes de los productos fabricados.
Desarrollar componentes conformados con prestaciones avanzadas, mejorar la vida útil de los útiles de trabajo y abordar nuevos mercados y aplicaciones industriales son algunos de ámbitos a través de los que aportamos valor a las empresas que diseñan, fabrican y aplican estos componentes.”
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