OP-ED

Cybersecurity Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts

/ CYBERSECURITY, FEATURED NEWS, OP-ED

op-edCybercrime is hands-down one of the quickest growing crimes around the globe and it continues to impact organizations from all industries. Being protected from cyber-attacks is becoming more and more challenging. While cyber criminals are constantly looking for ways to take advantage of your security vulnerabilities, it’s very difficult for most organizations to keep up with them.

This fourth article in the serieswritten by Joe Coleman, cybersecurity officer at Bluestreak Consulting™, will give you a better understanding of some general cybersecurity best practices for all businesses, and a few tips for what you should and shouldn’t do.

This column is found in Heat Treat Today's December 2022 Medical and Energy print edition.

Joe Coleman
Cybersecurity Officer
Bluestreak Consulting™
Source: Bluestreak Consulting™

What Are the Risks of Having Poor Cybersecurity?

It’s difficult to remain 100% protected 100% of the time, but the risks from failing to have proper cybersecurity are hefty. The risks include: malware that can delete your entire system; the selling of your data or your customers’ data; an attacker hacking your system and altering files; an attacker using your computer to attack others; or an attacker stealing your credit card information and making unauthorized purchases.

12 Best Practices To Reduce the Chance of Cyberattacks

Follow these cybersecurity best practices to minimize the risks of cyberattacks and improve your cybersecurity:

  1. Use complex passwords: Use at least 12 to 16 characters, including letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and special characters. Remember to change your passwords frequently.
  2. Keep software up to date, including antivirus and antimalware: Install software patches as soon as they become available. Also, be sure to enable automatic virus definition updates to ensure maximum protection against the latest threats.
  3. Utilize a firewall: Firewalls may be able to prevent some types of attacks by blocking malicious code before it can infect your computer. Enable and properly configure the firewall as specified.
  4. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or 2-Factor Authentication (2FA): This gives you an additional layer of protection that helps to verify that you are an authorized user.
  5. Be suspicious of unexpected emails: Phishing emails are currently one of the biggest risks to a user. The goal of a phishing email is to gain information about you, steal money from you, or install malware on your device (if you click on something in the email).

  6. Click the Image TO Download More Than 350 Cybersecurity Acronyms

    Use VPNs to ensure connections are private: To have a more secure and private network connection, use a VPN (virtual private network). Your connection will be encrypted, and your private information protected.

  7. Look for HTTPS on websites (instead of just HTTP): On websites that do not use HTTPS, there’s no guarantee that the information between you and the site’s servers is secure.
  8. Scan external storage devices: External storage devices have the same risk as internal storage devices. Always scan external storage devices for malware before accessing them.
  9. Train your employees: If your cybersecurity program has any chance of working, make sure your employees are well trained and always using security best practices. It only takes one mistake. Educate your staff to be aware and on the lookout for different types of malicious social engineering (including a simple phone call asking for a username and/or password).
  10. Backup your important data: Critical data can be lost with security attacks. Make sure you backup your important data frequently to the cloud or local storage device (preferably multiple devices).
  11. Don’t use public networks: Avoid public networks or use a VPN to connect. All of your information is vulnerable on public networks at hotels, coffee shops, airports, and other similar locations.
  12. Use secure file-sharing to encrypt data: When sharing sensitive or confidential information, always use a secure file-sharing solution. If emails are intercepted, unauthorized users will have access to your data.

Improve Your Cybersecurity Weaknesses

NIST SP 800-171 is an excellent best practice, even if you are not in the DoD downstream or military-related supply chain, to ensure your data and your customer’s data is always secure.

My fifth article in this Cybersecurity Desk series will be: “Performing Your Basic & Your Final NIST 800-171 Assessments.”

About the Author:

Joe Coleman is the cybersecurity officer at Bluestreak Consulting™, which is a division of Bluestreak | Bright AM™. Joe has over 35 years of diverse manufacturing and engineering experience. His background includes extensive training in cybersecurity, a career as a machinist, machining manager, and an early additive manufacturing (AM) pioneer. Joe will be speaking at the Furnaces North America (FNA 2022) convention, presenting on DFARS, NIST 800-171, and CMMC 2.0. Contact Joe at joe.coleman@go-throughput.com.

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DUAL PERSPECTIVES: Government Policy and Nuclear Power Initiatives

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, OP-ED

op-ed

Changes are inevitable, but the world today is changing so rapidly that it’s constantly keeping us on our toes. Do two men from different parts of the world, both with significant experience within the heat treating community, have vastly different perspectives on the happenings in the heat treat industry?

We want to find out, so we asked a question that focuses on the world of heat treating to Thomas Schneidewind, the editor-in-chief of heat processing magazine, and Doug Glenn, the publisher and founder of Heat Treat Today. The question: How does government policy regarding ESG in the U.S. and nuclear power initiatives in Europe impact in-house heat treaters?

Thomas’s expertise lies in the European market while Doug’s resides in the North American market. We will feature their responses in each print magazine. Will their views align? Time will tell. Enjoy this fourth installment of an ongoing column. This column was first published in Heat Treat Today’s  November 2022 Vacuum print edition.

How does government policy regarding ESG in the U.S. and nuclear power initiatives in Europe impact in-house heat treaters?

Thomas Schneidewind, Editor-in-Chief, heat processing magazine

Thomas Schneidewind
Editor-in-Chief
heat processing Magazine

The energy crisis paralyzes Europe. The European Union has been arguing for a long time about which energy is green. Finally, the European Commission classified both nuclear energy and gas-fired power plants as green energy production. This was a compromise between France and Germany in the discussion about the taxonomy that regulates in which energy sources investments should be made. Today, environmental associations are suing against this compromise, considering neither nuclear energy nor gas-fired power plants to be green energy.

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However, the discussion is long outdated. The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine has changed energy policy. Many nuclear power plants in France are at a standstill. Germany no longer receives gas from Russia, and the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines is a politically motivated attack on the European energy market. Today, Europe is suffering from a major energy crisis. There has never been such a crisis in the energy sector in Europe since the Second World War. There is too little energy on the European market. At the moment, the focus is on security of supply.

This crisis threatens the existence of energy-intensive companies such as heat treatment shops. The hardening industry is also coming under pressure because it cannot pay the high electricity and gas prices. Entrepreneurs must find short-term solutions to cushion the cost shock, and ensure the survival of their business -with a view to the long-term goal of decarbonization. Because in the future, process heat must be CO2 free. A clear trend in this context is the switch from gas-heated industrial furnaces to electrically heated systems, whether resistance heating or induction. Managers must face these diverse issues today and respond quickly

Experts and practitioners will be talking about sustainability, materials, processes, and innovations in heat treatment at several events this fall. For example, in October, after a two-year pandemic break, the Hardening Congress (HK) was finally held again in Cologne. Here, too, the energy crisis was a dominant topic. We are talking about the future of Europe which must compete with the U.S. Many investment decisions are being put on hold because the uncertainty in Europe is currently too large. Europe, but especially Germany, faces a new recession.

Doug Glenn, Publisher, Heat Treat Today

Doug Glenn
Publisher and Founder
Heat Treat Today

Tremendously. A distinctive mark of the U.S. is that we’ve trusted the Market – what Adam Smith called the “Invisible Hand.” We haven’t believed that economies need to be planned or managed; attempts to manage or plan an economy result in more damage than good. We’ve believed that if proper natural or biblical law guardrails are established and enforced, the economy would run itself, self-adjusting as necessary. Today, many have lost faith in the Market. Instead, we put our faith in political processes and political leaders to handle the economy. Because we’ve lost faith in the Market, questions such as the one we’re addressing today make sense to ask. Government policy should have nothing to say about the type of energy we use, the people we hire, or the ideals we hold. Nonetheless, that is NOT the world we live in, so let’s address the question.

Nuclear Power Initiatives

This is really not an initiative; it is more of a “de-initiative” – a closing down of nuclear power plants in Europe (except France) – and the incentive to do so is not economic. According to those who know, nuclear is the cheapest, most reliable form of energy, vastly less expensive than “renewables.” So, in the hands of the Market, nuclear and natural gas generation power plants would win the day. Nuclear is being abandoned for purely political reasons. The effect on heat treaters and all other consumers of electricity: higher prices for energy, either in the form of explicitly higher prices per BTU or higher taxes to incentivize more expensive “renewable” energy sources.

Environmental, Societal, and Governance

As far as ESG goes, government policies in these areas will only increase the cost of doing business.

ONE of the three categories represents an area where the government might have a right to be heard: environmental. But even there, government’s scope is vastly overplayed – that is, if you have faith in the Market! Societal and governance are recent (non-economic) constructs being forced on businesses, NOT for the benefit of the end-consumer, but for the benefit of a vocal minority who believe the world should be a certain way and are using government policies to make it so.

For in-house and commercial heat treaters, ESG pressures and government recommendations or policies will raise the cost of doing business and ultimately the cost of the final product for consumers with very little measurable benefit for anyone. For in-house and commercial heat treaters, ESG pressures and government recommendations or policies will raise the cost of doing business and ultimately the cost of the final product for consumers with very little measurable benefit for anyone.

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Merry Christmas from Heat Treat Today

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, OP-ED

We will be celebrating the holidays with family, so look for your next Heat Treat Daily e-newsletter on January 3rd. 

2022 has been a year of many new things, as we ventured out into post-pandemic life. We are thankful to have seen many of you in-person. The heat treat community is one that is warm (pun intended) and vibrant.

We are looking to 2023 with much anticipation and hope for even more opportunities to work together and challenge ourselves and others with new ideas in the North American heat treat industry.

Thank you for the opportunities every day to serve and encourage you in our heat treat corner of the world. From the entire Heat Treat Today team, we wish you a very joyous and restful Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ!

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Cybersecurity Desk: The DFARS Interim Rule and What It Means for Heat Treaters

/ CYBERSECURITY, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, OP-ED

op-edAs the next installment in this series on cybersecurity, this third article will give you a better understanding of the Department of Defense’s DFARS interim rule and its requirements.

Today's read is a Cybersecurity Desk feature written by Joe Coleman, cybersecurity officer at Bluestreak Consulting™. This column is in Heat Treat Today's November 2022 Vacuum print edition. Refresh with part 1 and part 2 in earlier editions.

Joe Coleman
Cybersecurity Officer
Bluestreak Consulting™
Source: Bluestreak Consulting™

DFARS Interim Rule

On September 29, 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) published the DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) interim rule 2019-D041, Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements, with an effective date of November 30, 2020. These new clauses are an extension of the original DFARS 252.204-7012 clause that has been required in DoD contracts since 2018.

The interim rule implements the NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Methodology and the CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) framework. The interim rule requires contracting officers to take specific action prior to awarding contracts, giving task or delivery orders, or extending an optional period of performance on existing contracts on or after November 30, 2020.

DFARS 252.204-7019 Clause: Notice of NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements

All DoD contractors in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) must complete a self-assessment using the DoD’s NIST 800-171 Assessment Methodology and generate a points-based score. If the self assessment score falls below 110, contractors are required to create a POAM (Plan of Action and Milestones) and indicate by what date the security gaps will be remediated and a score of 110 will be achieved as part of the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS). At the time of a DoD contract award containing the new 7019 clause, a DoD contracting officer will verify that a score has been uploaded to the SPRS.

DFARS 252.204-7020 Clause: NIST 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements

Along with the 252.204-7012 and 7019 clauses, the 7020 clause is approved for use in all DoD contracts. This new clause requires that contractors provide the government with access to its facilities, systems, and personnel when it is necessary for the DoD to conduct or renew a higher-level Assessment. The higher level Assessments are the Medium and High Assessments. The self assessment conducted as part of the 7019 clause is called a Basic Assessment.

Photo Source: Bluestreak Consulting™

A Medium Assessment is conducted by DoD personnel and will include a review of your System Security Plan (SSP) and how each of the requirements are met and to identify any language that may not adequately address the security requirements.

A High Assessment is conducted by DoD personnel onsite at the contractor’s location and will leverage the full NIST SP 800-171A (Assessing Security Requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information) to determine if the implementation meets the requirements by reviewing evidence and/or demonstration such as recent scanning results, system inventories, baseline configurations and demonstration of multi-factor authentication and/or two-factor authentication.

Along with that, this rule also requires that contractors flow down their requirements from 7019 to their subcontractors and suppliers. Just as the DoD may choose not to award a contract due to noncompliance, you may not be able to use a subcontractor or supplier due to their noncompliance.

DFARS 252.204-7021 Clause: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Requirements

Heat treaters willing to move forward with these cybersecurity initiatives by the DoD will have an overwhelming impact on the DoD supply chain and your business. If many heat treaters in the U.S. choose to not embrace the mandatory requirements, the DoD and DoD contractors will award contracts solely to the few heat treaters who do choose to become compliant. Poor cybersecurity practices can result in hacking, loss of company data and critical customer data, and attacks by malware, viruses, and ransomware. All of this can result in major damage to the business and loss of customers, not to mention being liable for all losses and paying significant fines.

Complying with DFARS 7012 and NIST 800-171 is a requirement for all DoD contractors, subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers. The DoD has now begun confirming that contractors and subcontractors are compliant before awarding additional contracts. Navigating NIST 800-171 and DFARS is a complex and challenging — but necessary — step in this process.

This DFARS clause establishes CMMC into the federal regulatory framework. This requires that CMMC is to be included in all contracts, tasks or orders, and solicitations, with very few exceptions. The level of CMMC that is required will be determined by the DoD and added into the Request for Proposal. Contractors must maintain the appropriate CMMC level for the duration of any contract and the requirements must be trickled down to your subcontractors and suppliers. The CMMC certification is required at the time of contract award.

Watch For the Next Cybersecurity Desk Installment

My next article, number four in the series, will be: “General Cybersecurity Best Practices and What You Should and Should Not Do.

About the Author:

Joe Coleman is the cybersecurity officer at Bluestreak Consulting™, which is a division of Bluestreak | Bright AM™. Joe has over 35 years of diverse manufacturing and engineering experience. His background includes extensive training in cybersecurity, a career as a machinist, machining manager, and an early additive manufacturing (AM) pioneer.'; Contact Joe at joe.coleman@go-throughput.com.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.com

 

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Steel Sustains

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, OP-ED

OCThe American steel industry is the cleanest of the leading steel industries in the world. Of the major steel-producing countries, the U.S. has the lowest CO2 emissions per ton of steel produced. By contrast, Chinese steel production creates carbon emissions that are nearly twice that of the U.S. per ton of steel produced. The global steel industry contributes 8% of total world greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, whereas the U.S. steel industry only accounts for 1–2% of total U.S. GHG emissions.

Read why  Kevin Dempsey of American Iron and Steel Institute thinks that America is doing so well with decarbonization.

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today’s November 2022 Annual Vacuum print edition.

Kevin Dempsey
President and CEO
American Iron and Steel Institute
Source: steel.org

There are several reasons for the American steel industry’s leadership in decarbonization. A key factor is that the American steel industry has adopted electric arc furnace (EAF) technology at a much more accelerated rate than the global industry. Nearly 71% of the steel produced in the U.S. in 2020 was from EAFs, compared to only 26% globally.

In addition, the American steel industry operates blast furnaces that are among the most carbon efficient in the world. Integrated steel mills in the U.S. are almost entirely fed by domestically sourced iron ore pellets compared to CO2 -intensive sintered ore used in China and elsewhere. This results in significantly lower emissions of CO2, as well as lower emissions of NOx, SO2, and particulate matter.

Also, the emissions factors associated with the energy mix used for steelmaking in the United States are lower than in other steel-producing locations in the world, with much more reliance on natural gas and renewable energy. This cleaner energy mix helps produce steel with the lowest CO2 emissions. The American steel industry is continuing to invest in clean energy to provide the electricity needed to run our mills — a number of steel producers in the U.S. have announced several projects that employ renewable energy to supply all or most of specific facilities’ energy requirements.

The steel industry in the U.S. also continues to make other key investments to further decrease its carbon emissions and advance its leadership position on sustainability. For example, American steelmakers have made investments to increase the use of direct reduced iron (DRI) and hot briquetted iron (HBI), which can lower emissions for both integrated blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace steel mills and EAF steel mills. Additionally, new DRI and HBI facilities are being designed and have recently been built to be hydrogen-ready once clean hydrogen is available on an industrial scale and commercially viable.

Steel is a critical component in the continued development of all clean energy technologies to reduce America’s carbon footprint. According to a recent study by McKinsey & Co1, steel is the only material critical to all low-carbon technologies. Wind, solar, and tidal renewable energy systems, zero emission electric vehicles, electric grid transmission, hydrogen production, and carbon capture systems all highly depend on steel. For example, steel comprises over 70% of the weight of a typical wind turbine. Grain oriented electrical steel (GOES) is a critical and irreplaceable material used in the production of power and distribution transformers that will be necessary for the greening and modernization of the domestic electric grid. American non oriented electrical steel (NOES) is used for electric motors, including those that will power the growing electric vehicle market.

The American steel industry and  its construction partners have also proactively and voluntarily published verified Environmental Product Declarations, which report the carbon footprint and other potential environmental impacts for nearly every steel construction product available in the marketplace today. Furthermore, when steel construction products have outlived their current intended use, they can be recycled into new steel to be used for any variety of new products. Today’s steel beam can become tomorrow’s refrigerator, soup can, or car door.

Sustainable steelmaking is the American steel industry’s number one commitment — for our customers and all Americans. Our entire industry is continuing to make key investments and innovations to further decrease carbon emissions and advance our leadership position on sustainability.

About the Author: Kevin Dempsey is the president and chief executive officer of the American Iron and Steel Institute, a leading advocacy group representing electric arc furnace and integrated American steel producers. He previously served as senior vice president of public policy and general counsel to the Institute, during which AISI achieved landmark policy successes on trade, tax, and infrastructure, and successfully showcased the steel industry’s sustainability accomplishments and steel innovations in the automotive and construction markets.

For more information: www.steel.org

References:

[1] Marcelo Azevedo, Magdalena Baczynska, Patricia Bingoto, Greg Callaway, Ken Hoffman, “The raw materials challenge: How the metals and mining sector will be at the core of enabling the energy transition,” McKinsey & Company, January 10, 2022, www.mckinsey.com/industries/ metals-and-mining/our-insights/the-raw-materials-challenge-how-the- metals-and-mining-sector-will-be- at-the-core-of-enabling-the-energy- transition.

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Improving Your Use of Radiant Tubes, Part 2

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, OP-ED

op-edLast month, we introduced the importance of radiant tubes in the heat treat industry. We explored the “why” of radiant tubes and skimmed the surface, exploring materials, sizing, shapes, longevity, and installation — all topics we’ll deep dive into in future posts. This month, let’s explore what typically occurs inside a radiant tube.

This column is a Combustion Corner feature written by John Clarke, technical director at Helios Electric Corporation, and appeared in Heat Treat Today's December 2022 Medical and Energy print edition.

If you have suggestions for topics you’d like John to explore in future columns, please email Karen@heattreattoday.com.

John B. Clarke
Technical Director
Helios Electric Corporation
Source: Helios Electrical Corporation

The radiant tube burner combines fuel and an oxidizer (commonly air) in the presence of a source of ignition. Radiant tube burners differ from burners that are fired into an open furnace. They function to distribute heat as uniformly as possible within the interior of the tube to maximize its temperature and heat transfer uniformity. In some applications, a low rate of heat transfer is acceptable (for example, in the holding zone of a continuous furnace). In that same furnace, a much higher heat transfer rate may be required in the front of the furnace. In all cases, higher heat  transfer rates result in higher internal tube temperatures. In most cases, the higher the temperature, the greater the stress on the material.

Within the radiant tube in the visual flame region, the energy is transferred to the inner surface of the tube by convection and radiation. The rate of convective transfer has much to do with the mixing characteristics of the burner in question. Once combustion is complete, the heated products of combustion — CO2 , O2 , H2O, and N2 — continue to flow through the radiant tube. They impart heat to the interior surface of the radiant tube through convections and — in the case of the CO2 and H2 — radiation. The non-polar gases (O2 and N2) are effectively transparent to radiation: neither absorbing nor radiating heat. This transparency poses a problem for the performance of radiant tubes because the combustion process is ideally complete some distance before the end of the radiant tube.

There are a few ways to make use of the heat stored in the O2 and N2 . One way is to stir the mixtures to ensure these gases meet the inside walls of the tube and can convectively transfer their energy. Another way is to insert a “core buster” or other device into the exit end of the radiant tube. This device must be able to withstand the peak temperature of the products of combustion at this point, so it is typically constructed of some ceramic material or a composite of ceramics. As the heated gases pass over this “core buster,” the resistance forces higher flows around the perimeter of the tube, increasing convective transfer. The “core buster” also is convectively heated and can then radiate heat to the inner surface of the tube and, finally, the “core buster” increases mixing of the gases to ensure all remaining hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide are brought into contact with oxygen to complete the oxidation process.

The transfer of heat to the inner surface is dependent on the effective surface area. A tube with a nominal inside diameter of four inches may have a much greater effective surface area due to roughness, which resemble very small peaks and valleys. Anyone who has attempted to walk around a small Caribbean island can attest — it takes a lot longer than you would think by looking at the map and really scares your shipmates when they cannot find you. Cast and composite radiant tubes can be fabricated to increase this effective internal surface area. Tubing can also be equipped with internal fins.[blocktext align="left"]No matter what the construction, ultimately it does no good to transfer heat to the interior of the radiant tube if the tube cannot transfer the same quantity of heat through the exterior to the furnace and work being heated.[/blocktext]

Which mode of control is better? High/Low, proportional, or pulsed? Any method can achieve a uniform tube heat release given the correct burner radiant tube combination. The important thing is that the vigor of the mixing is matched to the length and roughness of the radiant tube. Burner X may be perfectly suited to a short radiant tube but lead to non-uniform heating as the tube length is extended. On the other hand, Burner Y, with a relatively lazy flame, may work perfectly on long tubes with lower heat transfer demands but be unsuitable for short tubes where high heat transfer rates are desired.

In the coming months, we will examine many of these areas in greater detail, and this author can make use of his experience of many failures to inform the readers of what not to do. Then, by extension, we’ll learn how to get more from the furnaces by thinking systematically about their radiant tubes, burners, and controls.

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Improving Your Use of Radiant Tubes, Part 2 Read More »

Improving Your Use of Radiant Tubes, Part 1

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, OP-ED

op-edRadiant tubes are prevalent in heat treating applications. They are very simple devices: basically, a pipe that enters and exits the work chamber. Geometrically simple — but the considerations of how they should be applied, the optimal materials for their construction, and the best burner to use present a myriad of challenges and opportunities for improvement. As all heat treaters know, radiant tubes represent a significant expense as well as an opportunity to save on maintenance costs and improve furnace performance.

This column is a Combustion Corner feature written by John Clarke, technical director at Helios Electric Corporation, and appeared in Heat Treat Today's November 2022 Vacuum print edition.

If you have suggestions for topics you’d like John to explore in future columns, please email Karen@heattreattoday.com.

John B. Clarke
Technical Director
Helios Electric Corporation
Source: Helios Electrical Corporation

In the coming months, I hope to challenge the reader to spend some time researching opportunities to improve their use of radiant tubes — that is to improve their performance, both heating rates and efficiency, as well as to extend their life and perhaps improve the uniformity of the furnace being heated.

I apologize in advance if I sound like an economist — “It is this way, but on the other hand . . .” There are a lot of factors to consider when planning to upgrade your radiant tubes, their associated burners, recuperators, mountings, and supports.

To start, let’s answer a simple question: Why do we use radiant tubes? Two reasons come to mind: to protect the furnace atmosphere from the products of combustion and/or to diffuse the release of heat within the furnace or oven chamber to maximize temperature uniformity. In many heat treating applications, even a very small leak will contaminate the furnace atmosphere, damaging the work being processed.

How do we size radiant tubes? Again, it is obvious that we need to have sufficient heated external surface area to transfer the heat to the furnace chamber. This heat transfer will occur through convection and radiation, with the latter mode being more significant as the furnace temperature rises. The rate of convective heat transfer will depend on mass and velocity of air or atmosphere passing over the tubes. The radiant heat transfer rate is a function of the difference between the tubes’ surface temperature and the temperature of the furnace and work being heated. The good news with radiant heat transfer in closed furnaces is that all surfaces in the furnace participate to a degree with the transfer of heat to the work.

There are many shapes for radiant tubes: U-shaped, W-shaped, three legged, as well as systems where the firing and exhaust occur at the same opening, including P-tubes and single-ended tubes. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll discuss in future articles.

How about materials? Again, we have a lot of choices. The tubes can be centrifugally cast, fabricated from sheet, or made of some ceramic or composite material. [blocktext align="center"]The formulation of each material varies greatly, and it is important that the material is suitable for the use temperature and chemical composition of the furnace atmosphere as well as always being compatible with the common products of combustion.[/blocktext]

How are the radiant tubes installed? Are the ends welded to a mounting plate, or perhaps a packing gland is employed to seal the tube while allowing some expansion or contraction? Both methods are commonly applied successfully. Composite tubes may have a flange that is clamped at the mounting location, or they may use a packing gland. The tubes may have internal supports within the furnace to prevent sagging. The tubes can be hung vertically, located to the side of, or placed under and over the work being heated.

How long should my radiant tubes last? Simply answered, for as long as practical. As a young person, I was mortified when I dropped a hammer in a customer’s pusher carburizing furnace, and it broke an alloy tube. When I confessed to the plant metallurgist, he laughed and told me the tube I broke was over twenty years old. Other customers may be satisfied if their tubes last 18 months, so there is no simple answer. That said, there may well be opportunities to extend the life of the radiant tubes in your specific application.

We will revisit many of these discussions in later articles, but hopefully this column has whetted your appetite for the next discussion in December: What typically occurs inside the radiant tube? After all, this is the Combustion Corner.

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Contributor and Friend of Heat Treat Today Was Selected for ASM’s 2022 William Hunt Eisenman Award

/ FEATURED NEWS, OP-ED

op-edDr. Valery Rudnev was recently selected to be the American Society for Metal's (ASM) William Hunt Eisenman Award. Dr. Rudnev has many years of experience in the heat treat industry, particularly in induction heating. He is quite a mover and a shaker in the industry with more than 40 years involvement with his work and publications. He has even come to be known as "Professor Induction".

Dr. Valery Rudnev was recently selected for ASM's William Hunt Eisenman Award winner “for dedicated service to the global materials science community, leadership, development and promotion of induction heating and heat treating technologies and novel technologies.” The award was established by ASM Int’l in 1960 in recognition of unusual achievements in industry in the practical application of materials science and engineering through production or engineering use.

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Over the years, Dr. Rudnev has close professionals ties with Heat Treat Today authoring a popular multi-installment exclusive column “Dr. Valery Rudnev on …”. He has published eleven articles in Heat Treat Today including:

During his career, Dr. Rudnev has authored and co-authored numerous chapters and articles for many handbooks devoted to various aspects of induction heating, heat treating, metallurgical aspects, computer modeling and innovative process development. His credits include a great deal of “know-how”, more than 60 patents and inventions (U.S. and International) and more than 300 engineering/scientific publications

In October of 2021, Dr. Valery Rudnev retired from his professional activity and now he is focusing on his Christian faith, family and hobbies.

Heat Treat Today sincerely congratulates Dr. Valery Rudnev with this well-deserved award and wish him all the best in his retirement.

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Guía para el líder que quiere motivar

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, OP-ED

op-ed[Está] posicionado no solo para trabajar en conjunto con otros seres humanos sino también para liderarlos; si su potencial se ha de realizar, puede que ya haya entendido bien que en esas personas reposa la verdadera clave del éxito que a futuro pudiera conseguir.

Bill Munn, coach de liderazgo at Bill Munn Management Coaching, wrote this article for Heat Treat Today’s September 2022 Tradeshow print edition. Read the English translation when you click the flag to the right!

Bill Munn
Leadership Coach
Bill Munn Management Coaching
Source: Bill Munn Management Coaching

¡Felicitaciones a Los 40 sub-40 de Heat Treat Today Promoción 2022! (En inglés: Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2022, N. del T.) Este galardón constituye un honor que señala a quien lo recibe como portador de una muy importante  y singular responsabilidad.

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Usted es un líder.

Por definición, de aquí se desprende que no se desempeña solo; es más, está posicionado no solo para trabajar en conjunto con otros seres humanos sino también para liderarlos; si su potencial se ha de realizar, puede que ya haya entendido bien que en esas personas reposa la verdadera clave del éxito que a futuro pudiera conseguir.

¿Cómo, pues, lograr su compromiso?

✔ Primer paso: Afiance en sí mismo un espíritu enseñable, asumiendo su rol con la humildad sufi ciente como para buscar el consejo, la claridad y el aprendizaje continuo.

✔ Segundo paso: Aprenda cómo motivar a las personas.

Los tres pilares para motivar a un equipo

Luego de más de cinco décadas de trabajar de cerca con centenares de líderes excelentes junto con sus equipos, he identifi cado y confi rmado vez tras vez que hay tres factores claves para motivar el compromiso y el desempeño de las personas: la visión, la autonomía y el crecimiento.

Visión

Las personas anhelan ser parte de algo importante.

Desean que su actividad tenga significado. Ansían no solo entender la visión del equipo y la empresa a la que pertenecen sino también creer en ella.

Para generar tal visión no hace falta que usted esté dedicado a salvar el mundo. Bastará con que dedique un tiempo a revisar los valores fundamentales de su organización preguntando: <<¿Qué hace que esto sea importante? ¿Qué es imprescindible para que estemos aquí haciendo lo que hacemos?>>, para luego comunicar ese mensaje a su equipo.

Este es un proceso tan poderoso como esencial, uno que demasiadas veces se ha pasado por alto.

Autonomía

Las personas rechazan fuertemente la microgestión. Corresponda o no a la realidad, la microgestión transmite dos mensajes fatales para la motivación: <<No confío en usted>> y <<Creo que usted es incompetente>>.

Por otro lado, el asignar tareas a los miembros del equipo invitándolos a formular preguntas y despejar dudas para luego entrar con fuerza a desempeñarse por sí solos comunica todo lo contrario dando a entender: <<Confío en usted>> y <<Creo lo puede hacer>>.

Motiva de manera increíble.

Ganancia adicional: Los miembros de su equipo aprenderán y crecerán de forma más ágil, logrando un mayor alcance, cuando se les permita el desarrollo autónomo; demostrarán mayor sentido de pertenencia a la organización y su visión.

En pocas palabras, serán más comprometidos y efi caces.

Crecimiento

Las personas anhelan que se les haga progresar; quieren sentir, a lo largo de sus vidas y sus carreras, que están en vías de mejora y crecimiento, perfeccionando cada vez más su quehacer.

El personal suyo desea recibir retroalimentación, asistir a seminarios, participar en programas de formación, leer revistas informativas de peso como esta, y tener acceso a la ayuda, la asesoría y el desarrollo en su esfera particular.

Son demasiados los líderes que se acercan al personal para decir: <<deberías ser mejor en X o te falta avanzar en Y>> sin brindarles el apoyo
para lograrlo, comunicando así el no querer invertir en el éxito a largo plazo de esa persona, lo que a su vez genera que la persona invierta menos de sí en la organización y sus metas.

Si busca un equipo conformado por personas valiosas, apoye a esas personas en su crecimiento demostrando así que son valoradas.

Los resultados de una motivación efectiva

Un equipo motivado se compromete, y un equipo comprometido logra lo propuesto. Como líder de alto potencial usted tiene una oportunidad singular para encender en el personal con el que trabaja una llama, proceso que revertirá en benefi cio de sus metas propias.

Establezca la visión. Libere la autonomía. Fomente el crecimiento. Hacerlo se ha convertido ahora en su responsabilidad y un alto honor, honor que tanto su personal como su carrera le habrá de agradecer.

Le deseamos lo mejor. HTT

 

Sobre el Autor: Acerca del autor: Mediante el desarrollo de la visión estratégica y la resolución de retos en tiempo real, Bill Munn asiste a los ejecutivos en potenciar al máximo sus equipos. Desde su experiencia como veterano de 32 años en coaching empresarial y otrora ejecutivo destacado del Dow 30, Bill viene aportando sabiduría práctica, perspicacia innovadora y herramientas para el actuar contemporáneo a centenares de líderes corporativos a nivel mundial. Magister en administración de empresas y en su momento profesor de fi nanzas y economía, Bill es un conferencista dinámico y autor de best-sellers en Amazon.

 

Para más información:

Póngase en contacto con Bill en: billmunncoaching.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.com

 

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IHEA’s Combustion Seminar: New Knowledge for New Improvements

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, OP-ED

op-edWith no new knowledge, no new improvements can be made. In the North American heat treating industry, new knowledge is constantly available, whether that be a new technology emerging, a new focus or agenda, or a wave of new people bringing a fresh perspective. The Industrial Heating Equipment Association’s Combustion Seminar wants to welcome these newcomers, both the new technologies and the new faces.

Read all about it in the Combustion Corner installment by Anne Goyer, executive director of the Industrial Heating Equipment Association, in Heat Treat Today's September Trade Show print edition.

Anne Goyer
Executive Director
Industrial Heating & Equipment Association
Source: IHEA

Held alongside IHEA’s Safety Standards and Controls Seminar at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, the Industrial Heating Equipment Association’s Combustion Seminar will take place on Monday, October 3rd and Tuesday, October 4th. The Combustion Seminar is the longest-running annual heat treating training seminar in the industry. Year after year, IHEA’s Combustion Seminars receive high evaluation ratings from attendees, giving each engineer, manager, technician, and sales representative something he can implement at his individual facility. The Combustion Seminar is a place for heat treaters to learn anything and everything, making it the ideal space to improve manufacturing processes through implementing new information.

This year’s seminar, the 53rd consecutive Combustion Seminar, boasts a new technical session, one that is at the front of everyone’s mind. In the line up this year is a session on hydrogen combustion and decarbonization, an appropriate topic for current times when environmental and safety concerns are particularly important. Hydrogen combustion and decarbonization are beginning to play key roles in manufacturing, and given the uptake in interest, every heat treater is trying to learn how to face the challenges and benefits of these trending topics. How much of the coverage of decarbonization and hydrogen combustion is hype, and how much is legitimate? How many of the big promises these technologies make can be fulfilled? To combat the myth and uncertainty on the subject, the IHEA Combustion Seminar will provide accurate and valuable information for seminar attendees on these important and burgeoning topics.

Heat Treat Today lanyards for
show attendees
Source: IHEA

IHEA’s two-day seminars are for engineers, project managers, sales staff , customer service representatives, maintenance managers, combustion technicians . . . if the job has anything to do with combustion, these seminars will be valuable. New people, both young and not so young, are continuously entering the heat treating industry. These novices need to be trained in combustion basics, but veteran heat treaters also need to learn about new and changing technologies.

With mingling opportunities at lunch and break periods each day, the IHEA Combustion Seminar comes with built-in networking times. Since the seminars also include complimentary registration to Furnaces North America, attendees can continue networking on the FNA show floor. The 17 seminars will include topics such a System Troubleshooting, Combustion Systems & the Environment, and the Problem-Solving Workshop. These 17 sessions will make for a well-rounded perspective on combustion systems.

Pulling together new knowledge, new technology, and new connections for new improvements in the manufacturing process — that is what IHEA’s Combustion Seminar is all about.

For more information on IHEA’s Combustion Seminar, as well as for a complete description of all technical sessions, please visit ihea.org/events.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.com

 

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