TECHNOLOGY

Experts Anticipate Key Heat Treat Technology Adoptions

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT TECH, TECHNOLOGY

Industry experts agree: 2025 is a year of significant, high-tech developments. In this Technical Tuesday, hear from three heat treat industry consultants on current and incoming technological advances, from miniaturization and customization to artificial intelligence.

Michael Mouilleseaux, general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd, opens the discussion by asking what role AI has in a perfect world of heat treating; Thomas Wingens, president of Wingens Consultants, predicts six major technologies to look for in 2025; and Dan Herring, a.k.a. The Heat Treat Doctor® and owner of The HERRING GROUP, Inc., points out how the trend toward smaller is affecting the heat treat industry.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s January 2025 Technologies To Watch in Heat Treating print edition.

AI’s Place in Heat Treating?

by Michael Mouilleseaux

The benefits of AI are purported to be the ability to reduce the time required to complete complex tasks, such as data analysis, while reducing human error and providing both unbiased decision making and data-driven system enhancements … and by the way, it can operate 24/7 without breaks!

Does AI have a place in heat treating?

Here’s what I would want my heat treat AI (HT AI) to be able to do with a gas-fired atmosphere furnace.

Combustion System:

  • My HT AI will continuously monitor the free oxygen of all the burners and keep them at a perfect ratio, thereby optimizing performance and gas consumption. It will track these changes and provide analysis of any trends that it “perceives,” so to speak.
  • My HT AI will continuously monitor combustion air pressure and message me in time to have the air filters changed before it affects performance. It will track this and provide historical and prescriptive information.
  • My HT AI will periodically perform a “tube check,” whereby it will shut off combustion in a tube and monitor the free oxygen, recognizing that any diminishment from “atmospheric” O2 levels indicate the potential of a tube leak. It will track this and provide analysis of any trends that it perceives.
  • My HT AI will track when system thermal stasis is achieved, monitor gas consumption for each discrete heat treat cycle, provide analysis of trends that it perceives, and recommend thermal cycle changes to optimize these cycles.

My HT AI will facilitate the optimization of the critical human assets in process engineering, product quality and equipment maintenance.”

Michael Mouilleseaux

Atmosphere Control System:

  • My HT AI will continuously monitor the atmosphere flows required to achieve the requirements for each heat treat cycle. It will track “atmosphere recovery” and provide analysis of any trends that it perceives (i.e., increased usage as a precursor to a furnace leak).
  • My HT AI will periodically perform a furnace check, whereby it compares the composition of the Endo gas in the furnace to that exiting the generator, providing a measure of furnace integrity. It will track this and provide analysis of any trends that it perceives.
  • My HT AI will confirm “tube check” data (see above) with atmosphere usage to evaluate its potential effects on process integrity and make actionable recommendations. It will track these incidents and provide analysis of any trends that it perceives.
  • My HT AI will provide assurance of system performance and actionable information.

Shoot for the Moon:

  • My HT AI will have the unique ability to integrate metallurgical results with process information and thereby provide the ability to optimize the heat treating process AND metallurgical results.
  • My HT AI will allow me to input material chemical and hardenability data and, by comparing actual results with the calculated, or prospective results, provide confirmation of the thermal and quenching segments of the process.
  • My HT AI will be able to correlate IGO results with furnace integrity checks (i.e., leaks) and over time establish hard limits for allowable leak rates.
  • My HT AI will be able to correlate actual retained austenite levels in carburized case with furnace carbon potential and make data-driven process modifications to optimize this.
  • My HT AI will be able to correlate the shape of the case depth curve with the carburizing cycle and the material type, and it will make data-driven process modifications to optimize this.
  • My HT AI will have the ability to develop new heat treat thermal cycles specific to my furnaces extrapolated from existing data.

My HT AI will provide a level of system performance heretofore not achieved, that not only assures adherence to established standards but provides a clear path of continuous improvement via data analysis and actionable actions. Product results will be validated by total process control, and total process control will assure attainment of product results.

My HT AI will facilitate the optimization of the critical human assets in process engineering, product quality and equipment maintenance.

In short, my HT AI will afford the heat treating community the ability to finally jettison the mantle of “black art” and join the community of high-tech engineered processes.

About the Author:

Michael Mouilleseaux
General Manager
Erie Steel, Ltd

Michael Mouilleseaux has been at Erie Steel in Toledo, OH, since 2006 with previous metallurgical experience at New Process Gear in Syracuse, NY, and as the director of Technology in Marketing at FPM Heat Treating LLC in Elk Grove, IL. Having graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Michael has proved his expertise in the field of heat treat, co-presenting at the 2019 Heat Treat show and currently serving on the Board of Trustees at the Metal Treating Institute.

For more information: Contact Michael at mmouilleseaux@erie.com.

Future Outlook for 2025

by Thomas Wingens

2025 will be the year of invention and application. There are six major technologies to be looking out for: AI management software, giga casting for the EV industry, high-pressure quench furnaces, thermal processing specialty materials, processing for steel enrichment, and practices for cleaning consistency.

AI Management Software

Some new heat treat shop management software is now available. It utilizes artificial intelligence to save labor while documenting all processes in real time. The software easily adapts to the way we work and is much easier to learn and implement than the software of the past. I see this as the number one investment item for commercial heat treaters in 2025, as it is the cheapest and easiest way to automate with a great ROI while increasing quality and customer service.

Giga Casting

With Tesla as the main driver, very large so-called “GIGA” H13 aluminum dies of 3 to 8-ton weight have really taken off in the last years, in particular for new electric car models, and the demand for very high pressure quench furnaces is increasing in the U.S. (more to come in a later article).

Vacuum Oil Quenching

However, even with the most advanced designs and high-pressure efforts, gas quenching with nitrogen has its limits, and the use of helium is not considered anymore because of its immense cost, even with a recycling system in place. Vacuum oil quenching has become a viable alternative in recent years not only in combination with LPC (low-pressure carburizing) but also with the use of materials like AISI 52100 that would be typically heat treated in atmosphere integral quench furnaces but show lesser distortion with the variation of pressures over the oil bath, which can shift the oil boiling phase peak to lower temperatures (e.g., from 650°C (1200°F) at atmospheric pressure to 400°C (750°F) at 1 mbar pressure). Some new modern vacuum oil quench furnace designs have recently entered the market, showing excellent surface cleanliness and distortion results. Aside from the better quality, they offer a much safer, cleaner and more pleasant work environment.

Specialty Materials

In general, we see a higher demand for the thermal processing of specialty materials; for example this is seen with the hydrogen decrepitation of titanium, tantalum, niobium, or rare earth element materials, powder processing or sinter processes, and surface diffusion processes.

Steel Enrichment

Enriching stainless steel with nitrogen is not new, but it is gaining momentum and more applications. One method for\ low-temperature processes on austenitic stainless steels around 370°C (690°F) is called S-phase case hardening, and the high temperature version around 1100°C (2010°F) is called solution nitriding. Both processes were initially established in the early 90s in Europe but seem to be gaining momentum and more comprehensive applications worldwide over the last years.

Figure 1. For 2025, “We see more fully enclosed vacuum solvent cleaning in heat treat shops to ensure a higher standard and consistency of the surface cleaning results compared to the fading of water cleaners.” – Thomas Wingens, WINGENS CONSULTANTS

Cleaning Consistency

Speaking of surface processes: The cleaning of components has been a thankless process, especially in commercial heat treatment, as it is seen as a necessity that is not necessarily paid for by the clients but is necessary to have uniform dissociation on the surface of a part to ensure a uniform case (e.g., nitriding case). There are well-defined standards for temperature uniformity and hardness testing, but cleaning consistency needs to be addressed, as it can be very impactful. We see more fully enclosed vacuum solvent cleaning in heat treat shops to ensure a higher standard and consistency of the surface cleaning results compared to the fading of water cleaners.

About the Author:

Thomas Wingens
President
WINGENS CONSULTANTS

Thomas Wingens has been an independent consultant to the heat treat industry for nearly 15 years and has been involved in the heat treat industry for over 35 years. Throughout his career, he has held various positions, including business developer, management, and executive roles for companies in Europe and the United States, including Bodycote, Ipsen, SECO/WARWICK, Tenova, and IHI-Group.

For more information: Contact Thomas at www.wingens.com.

Miniaturization and the Heat Treat Industry

by Dan Herring

Everywhere we turn today, the products we use are getting smaller, more compact and more powerful. This is true across all industries, from aerospace to automotive, from medical to electronics, and from energy to semiconductors to name a few. Today, miniaturization, portability and customization have become major design objectives for almost all manufacturing segments.

These trends are irreversible and are, or will be, found even in the most unlikely of places — both in mining of resources taking place deep under the ocean floor and eventually on other planets. The key question then becomes, how will all of this influence our heat treating operations?

Miniaturization, Portability and Customization Today

Given the ever-increasing demand for higher performance in a smaller footprint, we have often focused our energies on taking existing products and adapting them for use. But in the long term, this is not sustainable. For example, not only is gear noise reduction critical in our submarines, but the medical and robotics markets are continuously searching for smaller, more efficient, more application specific and more intelligent drive systems and motors with increased torque density.

Heat treatment will experience a metamorphosis and emerge more broadly as thermal treatment. The age of metals as we have known it has become the age of materials: ceramics, composites, powder materials, glasses, polymers, fiber-reinforced plastics, and even nanomaterials.

Dan Herring, The Heat Treat Doctor®

Another example, although not new, is miniaturization in vehicle electronics, especially as it relates to data collection where demand is high for smaller, more powerful and, yes, cheaper components. Integration into the electronic control units via on-board power systems has seen the need for more cables in vehicles and positioning connectors, which means more contacts/connections on the electronic components without significantly increasing the installation space.

Similarly, there is a huge demand for portability. This is true not only in our electronics (just think about how cell phones or computers have changed over the last ten years), but there is a growing need for portable medical devices so that medical care can be brought to the patient rather than the other way around. For example, longer battery life and lighter weight are critical for devices such as portable oxygen concentrators.

What Does This Mean for the Heat Treatment Industry?

Looking ahead, we will see both short and long-term changes to our industry. Happening today and continuing in the near term, heat treaters are working closer than ever with design and manufacturing engineers as they focus on products that reduce environmental impact, are produced at lower unit cost, and with improved part quality. Still, the era of mass recalls must come to an end. And the cost of heat treating is less than it was even a decade ago. But as manufacturing demand evolves due to consumer expectation, process and equipment flexibility will become keys to meeting the highest quality standards in an on-demand world.

Historically, changes in the heat treat industry has been evolutionary and incremental in both nature and effect. There have been notable exceptions such as the invention of the oxygen probe or low pressure vacuum carburizing. But to meet the manufacturing demands of the future, change will need to be more revolutionary and abrupt in nature, a game changer.

Given the ever-increasing demand for higher performance in a smaller footprint, we have often focused our energies on taking existing products and adapting them for use. But in the long term, this is not sustainable. For example, not only is gear noise reduction critical in our submarines, but the medical and robotics markets are continuously searching for smaller, more efficient, more application specific and more-intelligent drive systems and motors with increased torque density.

Dan Herring,
The HERRING GROUP, Inc.

Heat treatment will experience a metamorphosis and emerge more broadly as thermal treatment. The age of metals as we have known it has become the age of materials: ceramics, composites, powder materials, glasses, polymers, fiber-reinforced plastics, and even nanomaterials. As a result, we will find ourselves needing, for example, to expand our heat treat capability and equipment to deal with such items as process temperature ranges from -200°C to 1850°C (-330°F to 3360°F) or greater or at pressure/vacuum levels heretofore only achievable in laboratories or specialty applications.

As product sizes decrease, load sizes will become smaller out of necessity. And as a result, our heat treat equipment must be small lot capable with tighter controls to achieve higher quality along with tremendous process flexibility.

Final Thoughts

History’s enduring legacy is that change is inevitable. Just think back to how the heat treatment industry has evolved, from the campfire to the blacksmith to the modern heat treater, from the artisan to the era of mass production, from the art of heat treating to the science of heat treatment. The lesson is that to adapt, one must constantly innovate and invent. Miniaturization, portability and customization in whatever form they take are here to stay. Perhaps even teleportation (the ultimate miniaturization?) isn’t that far off after all, considering flight was unheard of a little over a century ago.

About the Author:

Dan Herring
(The Heat Treat Doctor®)
The HERRING GROUP, Inc.

Dan Herring has been in the industry for over 50 years and has gained vast experience in fields that include materials science, engineering, metallurgy, new product research, and many other areas. He is the author of six books and over 700 technical articles.

For more information: Contact Dan at herring@heat-treat-doctor.com.

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The Heat Treat Robotic Paradigm Shift

/ Manufacturing Heat Treat Technical Content, TECHNOLOGY, VACUUM FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT

As Thomas Bauernhansl, professor of Production Technology & Factory Operations at the University of Stuttgart, aptly states, “We are going from more supply-oriented production to a demand-oriented one. In many cases, the customer determines which version he wants to have [of] a product — the manufacturer adapts to this and his processes accordingly.”

This shift is critical for the heat treat industry, where the need for advanced automation and robotics integration is paramount to achieve higher efficiency, consistent quality, and reduced costs. In this Technical Tuesday, Dennis Beauchesne, general manager at ECM USA, discusses the increase in use and installation of automation and robotics in manufacturing and specifically how companies within the heat treat industry have adapted to their implementation—and become innovators in their usage.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s January 2025 Technologies To Watch in Heat Treating print edition.

Industry Automation

In the last 10–15 years, an upward trend is consistent with the increased investment value of integrated automation within a heat treatment plant. At the beginning of the 2000s, it was common to have an automatic transport car transporting batches to different stations, but, in the last five years, far more complex automation solutions are in demand. In order to meet the requirements of future industry robotics and automation, our industry must adapt to the new and improved technology offerings and standards that are being used in other industries.

Figure 1. Annual robotics installation by industry 2021-2023

According to World Robotics, there has been a significant increase in robotics usage and installations since 2020 (Figure 1). For example, the automotive industry shows installations almost doubled from 2020 to 2022 with 83,000 installations in 2020, compared to 136,000 installations in 2022. The industrial robot market was expected to grow by 7% in 2023 to more than 590,000 units worldwide. Although it exceeded 500,000 installations, robotics were down 2% (possibly due to COVID-19) compared to the prior record year. Of interest to note for the automotive industry, the industry increased its robotics demand in 2023 to surpass electronics with a 25% share (electronics was close with 23%, down by 5% due to inventory levels stabilizing after supply chain bottlenecks mostly vanished).

Table 1. North America’s robotics comparison 2022 to 2023
Source: World Robotics

Specifically for the United States and Mexico, peak robotics installation demand was documented in 2022, but demand has been consistent within +/-5% (Table 1). The future of robot installations is trending to grow and exceed 50,000 units in North America for 2024. Nearshoring of supply chains will create demand for automation technology in the years to come, according to Christopher Müller in his World Robotics 2024 – Industrial Robots presentation.

Manufacturing Concepts

The company SEW has previously published its ideas and concepts of autonomous transporters distributing the raw parts to the production cells, after the soft processing to the hardening plant, and finally the hard machining (Figure 2). All steps are configured within the component so the process steps can be well documented on a component basis.

Figure 2. SEW concept from Hiller, “The networked hardening shop,” 2019
Source: ECM GmbH

As can be seen in the SEW Figures, the original hardening plant is shown as a continuous furnace. However, this type of plant technology can be seen as contradictory to current production needs. To be compliant with this new philosophy, plant technology must be as modular, flexible, and automatable as the rest of the production layout and components. Heat treatment must also be controllable and unloadable with automatic transport units. Robots must be able to load batches and navigate the plant (according to CHD, steel, part numbers, etc.). The smaller the batch size, the larger the value of robotic component documentation. Furthermore, a reduction in batch size is advantageous for flexibility, costs, and heat treatment of many requirements for production runs.

Heat Treatment & Robotics

A heat treatment plant can implement
recommendations for the future of industry
automation by acquiring technology for:

  • Automatic loading/unloading
  • Component recognition systems
  • Automatically loaded/read recipe systems
  • Smaller batch sizes with a wide variety of variants
  • Heat treatment of different applications or steels in small quantities
  • Maintenance/repair detection

Benefits of automating part or all production line steps include:

  • Shorter process times
  • High CHD (Case Hardening Depth) uniformity and lower distortion
  • Lower operating costs and labor reduction

These technologies have existed and are being implemented in heat treat operations for a few years now. The results are clear and the benefits are proven through higher quality parts, highly efficient heat treat operations, and overall more efficient production facilities.

As many machining operations have been robotized, this allows the downstream heat treat operations to easily take advantage of part placement in dunnage and plant transport systems, whether manual or automated.

Figure 3. ECM Vision System
Source: ECM Robotics

Batch Loading with Robotics

Bulk goods-loading (such as clips, links, and other small parts via weight detection) as well as loading and unloading of truck shafts in fixtures and in straightening machines are just a few examples of production areas that can benefit from robotics/automation. Visual recognition systems can identify gears/parts based on the diameter or by the number of teeth on the gear and can then sort them by these features (Figure 3).

Like the visual locating of the parts by cameras, they can also be used for tracking parts and loads within a heat treatment cell. A good amount of work has been done in this area for heat treating. This work covers part marking, tray/fixture encoding, and part weighing scenarios, and allows the heat treat system to accurately process all the different parts coming through the heat treat system with the correct process recipe.

Some of the work being done has been implemented with a QR code marking system for each part before heat treatment. To ensure the correct recipe or heat treatment is performed on the proper part, this scanned code works with the heat treatment system controls to upload the correct recipe to the proper cell. This information can be further analyzed to indicate precise placement in the heat treat tray through virtual tracking.

Figure 4. QR code heat treat test picture
Source: ECM USA Synergy Center

In Figure 4, you can see in the details that this client has reviewed and tested to assure the code is visible before and after heat treating with a carburizing and hardening process.

These parts are tracked when entering the system and also noted as to which heat treat tray they are on by using a binary code with holes in a tray or on a strategically placed bar code plate on the tray. With this system, they can be scanned by a camera before entry and upon exit of the furnace (Figure 5). This tray scanning can also indicate how many cycles the trays have on them to ensure the trays stay in good condition and can be cycled efficiently.

Figure 5. Lohmann Steel barcode scan plate (Images courtesy of Lohmann Steel, heat resistant castings — grates, trays, baskets, fixtures and more)
Source: Lohmann Steel

Networked Hardening

Let’s look at the SEW production concept again and re-imagine it with a more efficient vacuum furnace technology with robotic integration. In this concept, the vacuum furnace system forms the “spatially distributed production reserve” which helps autonomous transport units as “situationally self-controlling” material is delivered.

The QR code on the component represents the “knowledge-based” running card. The robots recognize the components by means of the QR code and are loaded onto the appropriate heat treat trays. The heat treatment can then be carried out on a component-related, flexible, and documented basis. Traceability of production can also be ensured (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Robotics concept
Source: ECM Technologies

Loading of the parts can be done efficiently through a series of dunnage that hold the part in specific locations which assist the robot to locate, lift, and place the parts in the heat treat tray. This method doesn’t always need to be a perfect location for the incoming work as we now have 2D and 3D cameras that can work in tandem to locate parts, even in odd stacking or randomly loaded bins.

In a recent installation, a heat treater automated their gear cutting operation to prepare the dunnage before heat treat. Therefore, the heat treat robotics phase was simplified by storing each part in a specification location for the robot to “see” with its vision system. These parts are then scanned and automatically connected to the part’s recipe as stored in the system. In a modular system using low pressure carburizing, individual cells are utilized, and production is recipe driven. These recipes are pre-developed and stored to allow each cell to utilize the recipes for many different parts. In this case, after a part is scanned, the recipe is uploaded into the next available cell and the scanned parts and heat treat fixture is moved to the cell (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Modular vacuum furnace for low pressure carburizing
Source: ECM USA

Figure 8 was designed to use over 175 different parts with nine different heat treat processes which included carburizing and slow cooling, hardening, tempering, cooling after tempering and cryogenic treatment.

With further considerations for additional benefits of the automated system, fixtures were optimized by using CFC (carbon fiber composite) base trays. These trays are not only extremely stable and have non-existent growth/warpage, but they also help with robotic placement before and after heat treatment. CFC trays are flat, or can be machined to conform to part geometry, which helps to reduce or minimize distortion related to fixture warpage or creep.

Figure 8. LPC and robotics configuration
Source: ECM USA

Many system designs have been proposed to a variety of clients; however, the end goal is to design a system that is “standard.” This standard design needs to incorporate different forms of dunnage, bins, boxes, and pallets to allow a commercial heat treater to easily program the system whenever the next part comes in from their client, whatever it may be. This is a challenging task and needs to be broken out by weight category to design the robot’s reach and end tool design. In this case a robot cell offline of the heat treat furnace can be built and utilize, and ultimately use, an AMR (automated mobile robot) or AGV (automated guided vehicle) to bring the built loads to the furnaces (Figure 9).

Figure 9. AGV configurations
Source: ECM GmbH & ECM Technologies

Vacuum Advantages

Vacuum furnace systems have a clear advantage over traditional atmospheric systems with many features which lend themselves to integrate into the machining area with robotics and automation.

The fact that an LPC (low pressure vacuum) furnace system can process loads via a recipe input and each cell can be used to process a different case depth, or hardening cycle is highly advantageous when processing a wide variety of parts. In addition, the LPC process provides a more uniform case depth throughout the part to make a stronger part along with high quality processing. The vacuum furnace cells can be arranged in many ways to fit into existing facilities and to be able to use many methods of automation especially including robotics.

Quenching is also a key element in any hardening heat treat process. LPC furnace systems are usually associated with high pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) in a separate chamber to provide the best quenching performance. This gas quenching technique provides a clean process for each part and allows the use of CFC fixtures. There is also no requirement for post cleaning as is necessary with oil quenching.

Providing quality low pressure carburizing, clean and precise gas quenching, CFC trays for better uniformity and keeping the parts flat, and the automation benefits of robotics makes for a state-of-the-art heat treating production operation and thus completes the heat treat paradigm shift.

Figure 10. Robot loading
Source: ECM USA

Conclusion

The heat treat industry wants and needs automation and robotics integration to advance production, reduce costs, and improve the overall quality of production. With traditional technology, process data evaluation and self-configured recipe values are not possible. Therefore, component analysis should be automated to meet and achieve consistent and reliable recipe values (mass flow, time). With the increase in robotics demand, vacuum furnace technology meets the variable requirements of “demand-oriented” production. Due to the flexibility of this technology, small batch size systems can be automated with robots or as bulk material.

References

  • Hiller, Gerald. “The networked hardening shop – the challenge to the hardening plant in the world of Industry 4.0.” ECM GmbH. Paper presentation, 2019.
  • Müller, Christopher. “World Robotics 2024 – Industrial Robots.” IFR Statistical Department, VDMA Services GmbH, presentation in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 2024.

About the Author:

Dennis Beauchesne
General Manager
ECM USA

Dennis Beauchesne brings experience of over 200 vacuum carburizing cells installed on high pressure gas quenching and oil quenching installations. He has worked in the thermal transfer equipment supply industry for over 30 years, 23 of which have been with ECM USA.

For more information: Contact Dennis at DB@ECM-USA.com.

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Digitalization Propels Heat Treating to Industry of the Future

/ CONTROLS TECHNICAL CONTENT, INSTRUMENTATION TECHNICAL CONTENT, Manufacturing Heat Treat Technical Content, TECHNOLOGY

If you work in a standards-driven industry, you may already feel the imperative of digitalization. In today’s Technical Tuesday, Mike Loepke, head of Nitrex Software & Digitalization, posits how, even if you aren’t necessitated to track compliance digitally, you are probably looking to synthesize and leverage the strengths of multiple advanced operations — furnace and process record-keeping, knowledge of furnace past operations, juggling different new equipment capabilities — across just one platform. In other words, you are looking to bring digitalization system management to your operations.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s December 2024 Medical & Energy Heat Treat print edition.

The Future of Heat Treatment Relies on Digitalization

The ultimate goal for heat treaters, whether commercial or captive, is to uphold the quality of their product and meet client expectations while remaining profitable. Digitalization supports these efforts as it synthesizes and presents detailed, transparent, and accessible data that allows heat treaters to better manage their equipment, processes, and product quality. In addition, the collection of detailed information can serve as a database of knowledge to be used by the next generation of heat treaters, supporting future viability and advancement in the field.

There are necessary steps to take to establish a digital solution and essential components to look for when choosing a software platform that assists heat treaters in optimizing equipment and processes, effectively creating the digitalization of the heat treat operations. Let’s explore these now.

How Digitalization Optimizes Heat Treatment Processes

Digitalization in the heat treatment industry relies on the integration of industrial internet of things (IIoT) technologies with traditional and modern heat treatment processes. Using enabling devices such as sensors, modern connectivity methods, analytics, machine learning, and IIoT software platforms, it is possible for heat treaters to collect and process data that, after analysis, drives informed decisions to optimize equipment, processes, and product quality. To put a finer point on it, digitalization occurs when a manufacturing system is digitally integrated to capture and preserve human experience and knowledge, forming a holistic virtual representation of heat treat operations.

Figure 1. QMULUS Shop Layout enables visual inspection of the current production status, the location of goods and parts, as well as the real-time status of assets and their ongoing processes.
Source: Nitrex

While digitalization varies from industry to industry and plant to plant, there are some common ways in which heat treaters can employ digital technologies to build such a system. Firstly, digitally integrated solutions can optimize process management and control. For example, when a sensor detects a temperature anomaly during a heat treatment process, the integrated software platform picks up that reading, analyzes it in real time, recognizes it as an error based on historical data or programmed parameters, and alerts the operator.

This integration also facilitates predictive, condition-based maintenance. For example, if collected data and analysis suggests that a furnace is behaving abnormally, the system can automatically generate a work order along with a list of potential failure causes, so that a technician can troubleshoot, identify, and correct small issues — such as a failing thermocouple — before they impact quality or result in equipment failure. By addressing these proactively, heat treaters can avoid extended periods of costly unplanned downtime and ensure continuous operation.

Secondly, artificial intelligence through machine learning plays a crucial role in optimizing quality control in a digitalized system. By analyzing data collected during heat treating processes, it learns to detect patterns and identify anomalies. As in the examples above, this capability enables the system to identify deviations from the desired outcomes, allowing heat treaters to quickly rectify any issues before they impact quality.

Figure 2. The heart of the IIoT data platform needs to be thoughtfully planned and designed. Illustrated are 5 steps to follow to ensure the cloud data system properly engages with the data generated from your specific heat treat operations, ultimately delivering actionable insights. Step 1 depicts the various data sources; Step 2 shows the data transformation, integration, and processing stages; Step 3 highlights the central QMULUS database where data is indexed and organized; and Steps 4 and 5 demonstrate how data is further processed, distributed, and accessed by different end-users.
Source: Nitrex

Thirdly, algorithms can be programmed into a comprehensive management system to identify the most energy-efficient operating conditions for the heat treating process, helping heat treaters reduce their carbon footprint, minimize energy costs, and comply with sustainability goals.

In addition to these types of operational advantages, digitalization technologies can also be used to create a database of knowledge before experienced operators and experts leave the workforce. Traditionally, a handful of experts in the plant oversee the furnaces and equipment and understand how to best control and maintain them based on experience. However, passing down this knowledge to the next generation of heat treaters can take years, which may not be possible due to a company’s workflow demands and cost pressures. Digitalization addresses this challenge by creating a streamlined and accessible database of knowledge, offering less experienced operators and technicians immediate access to detailed information about what may be happening in the equipment or process for an issue at hand. This ensures that essential insights are not lost and enables quicker problem-solving and decision-making on the shop floor.

Making the Digitalization Transformation

While digitalization presents obvious advantages, the heat treatment industry, often conservative in its approach to technology, has some initial work and investment required before realizing the full benefits.

Going “paperless” in order to unlock the full potential of the available data is an important first step. All reports, histories, drawings, and other paperwork associated with equipment, processes, maintenance activities, product quality, and other relevant information should be digitized to provide a comprehensive view of both historical and current data.

Connectivity and integration between machine and higher-level systems are essential for effective data acquisition, monitoring, and remote control. SCADA systems, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and other higher-level systems are rich sources of machine and process data. Gathering and analyzing this data can provide actionable insights that operators can use to make smarter decisions about the control and maintenance of equipment and processes.

Figure 3. A comprehensive overview displays all detected control loop anomalies, indicating possible root causes as well as recommended actions. Incorporating feedback from the responsible maintenance personnel further improves accuracy and delivers more effective recommendations for future occurrences.
Source: Nitrex

Finally, just having data is not enough. The data must be accessible, transparent, and relevant to be valuable. Achieving a complete picture of all the collected data, known as data consolidation, is necessary.

To build an IIoT platform with a well-architectured data engine, heat treaters should begin by identifying and understanding the different sources of data provided by sensors and high-level systems. This involves integrating the data through interfaces adapted to the data type and source, as well as documenting the integrated data sources, data fields, and data streams. Next, a “data lake” should be created to store the collected raw data. From this foundation, a data warehouse can be established to store enriched or analyzed data, derived values, data models, and forecasts in an organized way. For heat treaters, this type of contextualized data might be grouped by parts, loads, or orders.

Once the data engine is in place, the information stored in the data warehouse must be presented in a way that makes sense to operators and technicians for them to make informed decisions for heat treatment processes. To facilitate this, a universal data interface should be considered.

Building from this well-architectured data engine, the IIoT platform can then be expanded with statistical analytics, remote monitoring, KPI tracking, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other applications to optimize processes and increase profitability.

What Heat Treaters Need in a Digitalization Solution

Harnessing modern technologies tomake digitalization a reality presents heat treaters with the opportunity to implement a solution based on a complete and well documented data system. It also means that the solution creates a holistic solution to data analysis, interpretation, reporting, and action that supports the real-world actions of heat treaters on the plant floor and in the office.

For this reason, a digitalization solution that has cloud and on-premises allows real-time access to analysis and alert messages for operators on the floor as well as managers who are away from the plant, ensuring quick problem-solving and maximum uptime in the event of process or machine issues.

Additionally, heat treaters should look for a solution that offers the freedom to integrate all the various platforms and equipment from which data are gathered from. These may include relevant machinery and production data from the shop floor as well as third-party and custom controllers. This flexibility to synthesize information from multiple sources will ensure the digitalization efforts lead to a comprehensive solution with actionable process overviews, recipe control, batch tracking, and other customization options.

To further this intent of a holistic solution, heat treaters should consider various data capabilities with different portal views, such as a manufacturer portal, a plant portal, and a client portal. However, considering the historic value of a comprehensive software solution, it may be worthwhile to consider how each user could transfer direct feedback and add new rules into the system, creating a repository of knowledge that bridges the knowledge of outgoing generations to future heat treaters.

Finally, any platform that directs the digitalization of a plant must prioritize robust security measures. Several features to look for are:

  • enhanced encryption standards to keep data confidential and tamper-proof during transmission and storage;
  • secure protocols based on industry best practices to safeguard data integrity;
  • a granular access control system (ACS) to allow IT administrators to define and manage user permissions of authorized personnel, thereby minimizing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized data manipulation; and
  • intrusion detection and prevention systems to continuously monitor network and system activities, enabling instant identification and mitigation of suspicious behavior. This serves as an additional layer of defense against potential cyber threats.

Beyond the software setup, be sure to use best practices by conducting regular security audits to assess the platform’s vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with evolving cybersecurity standards. While digitalization of heat treat operations may seem like a task for the next generation to complete, secure software options that integrate the hard work of digitizing plant activities can make this endeavor just a step away.

About the Author:

Mike Loepke
Head of Nitrex Software & Digitalization
Nitrex

Drawing from a background in Mathematics and Physics, coupled with extensive R&D experience and metallurgical modeling, Mike Loepke specializes in AI and process prediction. He has led Nitrex’s initiative in developing QMULUS, a pioneering IIoT cloud-based platform. Mike’s relentless pursuit of knowledge keeps him at the forefront of evolving technology.

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For more information: Contact Mike at mike.loepke@nitrex.com. 

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IIoT Connectivity — The Future of Technology Is Here Today

/ CONTROLS TECHNICAL CONTENT, Manufacturing Heat Treat Technical Content, TECHNOLOGY

Maintaining clear communication for high precision processing, critical with medical component heat treating, requires sophisticated operations. In today’s Technical Tuesday, Mike Grande, vice president of Sales at Wisconsin Oven Corporation, provides an overview of how the industrial internet of things (IIoT) advances heat treat performance capabilities and ensures accurate, repeatable results.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s December 2024 Medical & Energy Heat Treat print edition.

Today’s technology is evolving at an exponential rate. Over the last several years, digital technology has provided more and more connectivity between devices and processes. One of the most impactful is IoT technology. From smartphones to virtual assistants, touchscreen refrigerators to thermostats and interconnected home management systems, these products are quickly changing the way people interact and connect.

In addition to consumer products, the industrial world is also seeing increased reliance on this technology to improve throughput, decrease energy use, and increase equipment longevity by capturing and analyzing the data generated by their machines.

What Is IoT and IIoT Technology?

IoT (internet of things) refers to everyday items that have been equipped with sensors that transfer data over a network. Refrigerators, lights, thermostats, smart speakers, and entire homes are now available with IoT technology. Devices equipped with IoT options provide conveniences like remote monitoring, advanced programming, and smart learning, which make daily and household tasks easier. What seemed like science fiction just a few years ago has become reality.

This impressive technology does not only apply to the consumer world. The application of IoT to the manufacturing sector is even more impactful. Industrial internet of things (IIoT) is the term used to describe the application of connected IoT technology to industrial machinery. These systems collect and analyze data, learn from that data (“machine learning”), perform predictive maintenance, and then share that information with personnel, manufacturers, including manufacturers of the machines being monitored, and even other devices. This type of data collection and analysis gives valuable insight into the facilities, processes, and equipment to ensure that everything from energy usage in a facility to equipment performance for a process is optimized.

Figure 1. The IoT gateway collects the data from oven-mounted sensors and wirelessly transmits it to the cloud.
Source: Wisconsin Oven Corporation

How Is IIoT Used in Industrial Ovens and Furnaces?

IIoT technology tracks the performance and health of the most critical components and conditions in the ovens and furnaces they are monitoring. The system utilizes an IoT gateway (Figure 1), which collects information from predictive maintenance sensors that gathers performance data and stores it over time. The gateway also wirelessly transmits the data to a cloud platform where it can be displayed in dashboards, designed for easy viewing and monitoring. Thresholds are set at warning or alarm conditions. When exceeded, the system alerts the user or the oven manufacturer that there is a problem. This type of system predicts component failures before they occur, allowing time to schedule maintenance and minimize unplanned downtime.

Figure 2: An example of a dashboard used on an oven IIoT system
Source: Wisconsin Oven Corporation

The data is displayed in a dashboard format (Figure 2) which permits visual analysis of the information, and intuitive understanding of the process being performed in the oven. In the example of an oven used to process parts in an inert atmosphere, the x-axis represents the elapsed time, which can be expanded or collapsed by the user in order to provide a more (or less) detailed view of the process. The y-axis tracks variables such as temperature, pressure, oxygen level, nitrogen flow rate, and humidity level.

A few examples of the oven data gathered and analyzed by an IIoT system are as follows:

  • The output of the temperature controller is monitored. If, for example, the controller output is normally running at 30% for a specific oven (meaning the oven is using 30% of its full heat capacity), and for no apparent reason it increases to 60% output, this indicates either an exhaust damper is stuck open and causing the oven to exhaust too much of its heat, there is a heater failure, or a door is not closing fully, or something else.
  • Vibration sensors installed on recirculation blowers can monitor the health of the oven. Since blowers are rotating machines, they have a predictable vibration frequency and amplitude. As the blower bearings wear over time, these vibration parameters change. The IIoT system uses proprietary algorithms to determine acceptable vibration levels at different temperatures and RPMs. As the vibration values change over time, the system can predict when blower failure is likely, prior to it occurring. This allows replacement parts to be ordered before a “hair on fire” situation where the equipment suddenly stops working, interrupting production and workflow.
  • In order to monitor the burners on gas-fired ovens, the flame safety system is wired to the IIoT system. This allows remote evaluation of the flame sensor, purge timer, and other components that are critical to safe and proper burner operation. On older ovens, nuisance shutdowns can occur due to a dirty combustion blower, dirty flame rod, faulty airflow switch, or other reasons. An IIoT system allows the oven manufacturer to remotely diagnose this type of issue without ever sending a service technician to the job site, saving time and money.
  • An oven IIoT system is often used to measure the oven chamber pressure. Ovens can be intentionally operated at a neutral pressure, a slightly negative, or slightly positive pressure, for various process-related reasons. A pressure sensor measures this value and, via the IIoT gateway, delivers it to the dashboard in real time. If the chamber pressure strays outside of a predetermined range, this indicates a failure such as an improper damper setting or a malfunctioning exhaust blower.

The Benefits of IIoT Technology

Predictive maintenance is one of the most important benefits of IIoT. The ability to prevent potential equipment breakdowns and resulting process bottlenecks is invaluable. Not only does IIoT allow plant managers and operators to schedule maintenance ahead of time, it also reduces maintenance hours by knowing exactly what the issue is that needs to be serviced. This reduction in unplanned downtime increases productivity, which translates to higher profits.

The quantity of detailed, relevant data available (real time and retroactive) via the IIoT system exceeds the information a service technician can gather oven side, especially if the oven has stopped working. Using IIoT to remotely gain information to service the equipment, the problem can often be resolved the same day.

Perhaps the most impressive benefit of IIoT is remote diagnostics. Whether a furnace or oven is experiencing occasional unexplained shutdowns, or is completely out of commission, it typically takes days or weeks to schedule a service technician to inspect the equipment and diagnose the problem. However, if the oven is equipped with IIoT, a call can be made to the oven manufacturer who can remotely log into the system dashboard. They will be able to view and analyze the data gathered by all the sensors going back over time, without sending a service technician to the job site. Also, the quantity of detailed, relevant data available (real time and retroactive) via the IIoT system exceeds the information a service technician can gather oven-side, especially if the oven has stopped working. Using IIoT to remotely gain information to service the equipment, the problem can often be resolved the same day. Further, the IIoT system gathers and records the data going back in time for months, which is invaluable when trying to diagnose a chronic or intermittent failure.

Another use of IIoT technology is energy management. Through IIoT monitoring, facilities and equipment can be set to optimize energy efficiency. By ensuring the oven uses only the amount of heat energy necessary, and no more, its energy consumption is minimized. The system can reveal, for example, that a second shift oven operator opens the oven doors for five minutes to unload the parts and then load the next batch, while the first shift operator takes ten minutes to do the same process, wasting a great deal of energy as heated air spills out of the oven for an extra five minutes with every batch.

Data Security

IIoT devices use encryption to protect against unauthorized access to the oven operational data. Data transmitted between IIoT devices and the cloud is encrypted using protocols like Transport Layer Security (TLS). This provides confidence that only approved parties can access the information, safeguarding it from those with malicious intent. This ensures that even if data is intercepted, it will appear as jumbled information that cannot be read without the decryption key.

Because the data collected relates to the oven or furnace being monitored, and is not descriptive of the parts being processed, it would be of limited use to anyone who gained unauthorized access. If a malicious actor discovered, for example, the vibration levels, temperature controller output, or the status of the burner system while the oven is processing a load, it would be of limited proprietary value and would not directly reveal information about the parts being processed since no information about the load is included in the data.

In considering the security risk of an IIoT system collecting and transmitting data to the cloud, it must be compared to the alternative, which is bringing a service technician to the job site to perform the required maintenance or troubleshooting. When a service technician is invited on site, they have the opportunity to view the parts being processed, which temperature profiles apply to which parts, material handling methods, ancillary processes performed before or after heating, and even unrelated proprietary processes performed in the facility. This level of intrusion is much greater than simply sending the oven IIoT data to the cloud and avoiding the service technician entirely.

The Future of IIoT

Since the introduction of IIoT to the industrial oven market, it has gained acceptance by a wide range of manufacturers, and it is expected to continue to grow. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a part of IIoT, as it can optimize the algorithms used in predictive maintenance. Also, IIoT can incorporate AI’s cognitive capabilities to better be able to learn at what thresholds of vibration, pressure, etc., to send alert notifications.

To Summarize

Consider purchasing an IIoT system with your next industrial oven. The successful implementation and use of IIoT provides a competitive advantage to the owner of the equipment. In today’s world of “doing more with less,” IIoT can increase productivity, reduce maintenance costs and unplanned downtime, and decrease energy use, all at minimal cost, and with no additional personnel required.

About the Author:

Micke Grande Head Shot
Mike Grande
Vice President of Sales
Wisconsin Oven Corporation

Mike Grande has a 30+ year background in the heat processing industry, including ovens, furnaces, and infrared equipment. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and received his certification as an Energy Manager (CEM) from the Association of Energy Engineers in 2009. Mike is the vice president of Sales at Wisconsin Oven Corporation.

For more information: Contact sales@wisoven.com. 

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Fringe Friday: 5G Network Introduced for Metallurgical Industry

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, TECHNOLOGY / Leave a Comment
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Sometimes our editors find items that are not exactly “heat treat” but do deal with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing.

To celebrate getting to the “fringe” of the weekend, Heat Treat Today presents today’s Heat Treat Fringe Friday: an exciting development for 5G’s applications in the metallurgical industry, allowing for the development of new materials and the reduction of energy consumption and emissions.

Jens Petri
Head of Technologies and Partnerships
SMS digital
Source: LinkedIn

SMS Group, a metallurgical company with North American locations, is building its own “private 5G Campus network” for research and development at its Hilchenbach location in the Siegerland. Together with Mugler and Ericsson, a private 5G infrastructure was set up here that enables not only the testing of the highest mobile communications standard currently available, but also the advancement of new developments for the metallurgical industry.

The use of a private 5G network offers a whole array of approaches to solutions, which SMS is now testing for the first time on an industrial scale and developing for customers in the metallurgical industry around the world.

The private 5G standalone Campus network used at SMS provides the basis for an initial test environment for the implementation of various 5G use cases. The network based on Ericsson Private 5G Technology (EP5G) was implemented by Mugler. Thanks to the efficient collaboration of all project partners, the system went live just four weeks after the project was launched.

Tests are carried out on applications from the fields of mobility and automated guided vehicles (AGV), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and lone worker applications. These are integrated and comprehensively tested at SMS’s Hilchenbach site, with the aim of optimizing their practical implementation. Moreover, the new private 5G network location serves as a platform for putting into practice the findings gained within the framework of the 5G-Furios research projects being run and funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 project Zero-SWARM, and the CLOUD56 research project of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).

The SMS test environment offers a unique opportunity to test use cases internally and to present them to potential customers in a clear and illustrative way. The 5G Campus network represents an important step in the evaluation of advanced digitalization technologies and their applications in the steel industry.

Says Jens Petri, head of Technologies and Partnerships at SMS digital, “We serve the market with a sensor solution for production companies that is scalable and easy to integrate. Thanks to the 5G connectivity, it enables the transmission and processing of data to gain insights into the process that were jointly developed and tested at SMS group in Hilchenbach. SMS group is closing the gap between physics, sensor technology, OT, and IT.”

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Traveling through Heat Treat: Best Practices for Aero and Auto

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT TECHNICAL CONTENT, ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT TECHNICAL CONTENT, CONTROLS TECHNICAL CONTENT, FEATURED NEWS, HARDENING TECHNICAL CONTENT, INSTRUMENTATION TECHNICAL CONTENT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, TECHNOLOGY

Thinking about travel plans for the upcoming holiday season? You may know what means of transportation you will be using, but perhaps you haven't considered the heat treating processes which have gone into creating that transportation. 

Today’s Technical Tuesday original content round-up features several articles from Heat Treat Today on the processes, requirements, and tools to keep planes in the air and vehicles on the road, and to get you from one place to the next. 

Standards for Aerospace Heat Treating Furnaces 

Without standards for how furnaces should operate in the aerospace, there could be no guarantee for quality aerospace components. And without quality aerospace components, there is no guarantee that the plane you're in will be able to get you off the ground, stay in the air, and then land you safely at your destination.

In this article, written by Douglas Shuler, the owner and lead auditor at Pyro Consulting LLC, explore AMS2750, the specification that covers pyrometric requirements for equipment used for the thermal processing of metallic materials, and more specifically, AMEC (Aerospace Metals Engineering Committee).

This article reviews the furnace classes and instrument accuracy requirements behind the furnaces, as well as information necessary for the aerospace heat treater.

See the full article here: Furnace Classifications and How They Relate to AMS2750

Dissecting an Aircraft: Easy To Take Apart, Harder To Put Back Together 

Curious to know how the components of an aircraft are assessed and reproduced? Such knowledge will give you assurance that you can keep flying safely and know that you're in good hands. The process of dissecting an aircraft, known as reverse engineering, can provide insights into the reproduction of an aerospace component, as well as a detailed look into the just what goes into each specific aircraft part.

This article, written by Jonathan McKay, heat treat manager at Thomas Instrument, examines the process, essential steps, and considerations when conducting the reverse engineering process.

See the full article here: Reverse Engineering Aerospace Components: The Thought Process and Challenges

Laser Heat Treating: The Future for EVs?

If you are one of the growing group of North Americans driving an electric vehicle, you may be wondering how - and how well - the components of your vehicle are produced. Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise, and the automotive heat treating world is on the lookout for ways to meet the demand efficiently and cost effectively. One potential solution is laser heat treating.

Explore this innovative technology in this article composed by Aravind Jonnalagadda (AJ), CTO and co-founder of Synergy Additive Manufacturing LLC. This article offers helpful information on the acceleration of EV dies, possible heat treatable materials, and the process of laser heat treating itself. Read more to assess the current state of laser heat treating, as well as the future potential of this innovative technology.

See the full article here: Laser Heat Treating of Dies for Electric Vehicles

When the Rubber Meets the Road, How Confident Are You?

Reliable and repeatable heat treatment of automotive parts. Without these two principles, it’s hard to guarantee that a minivan’s heat treated engine components will carry the family to grandma’s house this Thanksgiving as usual. Steve Offley rightly asserts that regardless of heat treat method, "the product material [must achieve] the required temperature, time, and processing atmosphere to achieve the desired metallurgical transitions (internal microstructure) to give the product the material properties to perform it’s intended function."

TUS surveys and CQI-9 regulations guide this process, though this is particularly tricky in cases like continuous furnace operations or in carburizing operations. But perhaps, by leveraging automation and thru-process product temperature profiling, data collection and processing can become more seamless, allowing you better control of your auto parts. Explore case studies that apply these two new methods for heat treaters in this article.

See the full article here: Discover the DNA of Automotive Heat Treat: Thru-Process Temperature Monitoring

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Dig into the Archives: 5 Technical Articles for Fresh Heat Treaters in Auto

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT TECHNICAL CONTENT, FEATURED NEWS, TECHNOLOGY

OCAre you a relatively new reader in automotive heat treat? Welcome. Enjoy this archive of articles from the automotive industry, which provides years of technical knowledge to fill any information gaps. Even the "OG" readers with Heat Treat Today will want to investigate this Technical Tuesday original content compilation that plumbs the depths of the archives.

1. What Heat Treatment To Use for Truck Gear Boxes?

Fig. 2. Schematic depiction of pusher furnace (l.) and 3D batch of helical gears (r.)This paper reveals the investigation and conclusions of distortion potentials for case hardening processes. Mainly, the focus was on how the SyncroTherm® concept method compared to conventional case-hardening processes for gears and sliding sleeves.

Contact us with your Reader Feedback!

Read about how the results effected the bottom line: reduced costs, quicker processes, and less distortion. Also, be sure to examine each of the charts and figures for further understanding of each test.

This article entered the Automotive Heat Treat archive in 2016, and was written by Andreas Schüler, Dr.-Ing. Jörg Kleff, Dr. Volker Heuer, Gunther Schmitt, and Dr. Thorsten Leist.

Read about here: "Distortion of Gears and Sliding Sleeves for Truck Gear Boxes – a Systematical Analysis of Different Heat Treatment Concepts"

 

2. Cracking the Case

Problems in heat treating result in the loss of valuable time and money. Getting to the bottom of those problems also usually takes time and money to investigate what's happening and how to fix it. What is a heat treater to do?

In this article, we follow a case study from the automotive industry to understand how to pinpoint a heat treating problem. This article specifically looks at what was causing cracking in variable valve timing (VVT) plates.

Read the 2018 article, "Part Failure Investigation & Resolution — A Case Study," by Rob Simons.

 

3. Carburizing: The Importance of Temperature Monitoring and Surveying

Temperature Monitoring and Surveying Solutions for Carburizing Auto Components: IntroductionLow pressure carburizing (LPC) furnaces play an important role in the automotive heat treating industry. During LPC, it is essential that processing temperature stays consistent and critical that the processing time frame is monitored.

This article discusses the importance of collecting temperature data and what to do with the data when it's been collected.

Throughout 2019, Dr. Steve Offley wrote for this series, beginning with this part 1, "Temperature Monitoring and Surveying Solutions for Carburizing Auto Components: Introduction." When you're through, enjoy part 2, part 3, and part 4.

 

4. Vacuum Brazing --- Back to the (Automotive) Basics

Vacuum Brazing for Automotive ApplicationsTime to brush up on a vacuum brazing furnace, but automotive industry style. Review the terms, parts, function, and more that are involved in a successful vacuum braze for automotive parts.

This study covers a semi-automatic TAV vacuum brazing furnaces, details the makeup of the furnace, and gives an idea of what happens with a load from start to finish.

Read this 2019 article by Alessandro Fiorese here: "Vacuum Brazing for Automotive Applications."

 

5. Saving Time --- Automation Versus Manual Hardness Tests

If you've ever heat treated automotive crank pins, you're probably familiar with at least one type of hardness test that case hardened crank pins are tested against. The big question is, which hardness testing method is better: automated or manual? This article compares these two methods to make and measure Vickers indentations.

Evaluate for yourself the comparisons between an experienced operator manually entering data to Wilson VH3100 series Vickers Microhardness Tester and a DiaMet software entry. Some additional findings show that the crank pins could be examined by the Wilson tester with far less manipulation in the vice as well as reduction in data recording mistakes.

When you read this 2020 article by Buehler, "Manual Versus Automated Hardness Testing", learn exactly how much time, exactly, is saved with automation.

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The ‘Sounds’ of Space as NASA’s Cassini Dives by Saturn

/ TECHNOLOGY

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Why Netflix shares are down 10%

/ EDITORS PICK, TECHNOLOGY

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In nullam donec sem sed consequat scelerisque nibh amet, massa egestas risus, gravida vel amet, imperdiet volutpat rutrum sociis quis velit, commodo enim aliquet.

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Nulla pharetra, massa feugiat nisi, tristique nisi, adipiscing dignissim sit magna nibh purus erat nulla enim id consequat faucibus luctus volutpat senectus montes.

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Sollicitudin bibendum nam turpis non cursus eget euismod egestas sem nunc amet, tellus at duis suspendisse commodo lectus accumsan id cursus facilisis nunc eget elementum non ut elementum et facilisi dui ac viverra sollicitudin lobortis luctus sociis sed massa accumsan amet sed massa lectus id dictum morbi ullamcorper.

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Watching Their Dust: Photographing Players in Pollination

/ REVIEWS, TECHNOLOGY

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In nullam donec sem sed consequat scelerisque nibh amet, massa egestas risus, gravida vel amet, imperdiet volutpat rutrum sociis quis velit, commodo enim aliquet.

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Nulla pharetra, massa feugiat nisi, tristique nisi, adipiscing dignissim sit magna nibh purus erat nulla enim id consequat faucibus luctus volutpat senectus montes.

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Sollicitudin bibendum nam turpis non cursus eget euismod egestas sem nunc amet, tellus at duis suspendisse commodo lectus accumsan id cursus facilisis nunc eget elementum non ut elementum et facilisi dui ac viverra sollicitudin lobortis luctus sociis sed massa accumsan amet sed massa lectus id dictum morbi ullamcorper.

Morbi ut viverra massa mattis vitae blandit ut integer non vestibulum eros, diam in in et hac mauris maecenas sed sapien fermentum et eu.

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