Source: Process and Control Today
The accuracy and energy efficiency of the heat treatment for rollers used in heavy duty tracked vehicles such as earth moving equipment, construction, and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines have been improved by the use of a control system based on Movicon SCADA.
The automated production line is part of a large factory in Bologna, Italy, and comes complete with a tempering process involving various heat treatment furnaces, one for annealing, one for austenitizing, one for the tempering process used for the final heat treatment and three baths for the in‐between quenching process of the austenitized pieces. This is followed by the final stage where a programmed controlled robot is used for the palletization stage to unload, and store finished pieces transported through on the conveyor. The first step is the austenitizing process involving an annealing furnace which heats the metal to obtain a uniform solid structure with complete solubilization of the Cementite (iron carbide) to improve and reinforce both steel roller resistance and endurance. This is followed by the quenching process where three banks have been provided to shunt through more pieces quicker into the first available bath to increase the plant’s productive capacity and protect their quality which may diminish if exposed too long in open air. The baths carry out a repeated process of cooling and tempering by reheating the pieces at specific temperature ranges until the metal reaches the perfect hardness suited for the rollers’ purpose. Once this process is completed, the pieces continue on to the tempering furnace for the final process where they are reheated to a temperature lower than the one used in the quenching stage. Once this temperature has been reached the pieces are then slowly cooled down with temperatures gradually lowered until completely cooled to ensure that tension is reduced within the metal without altering its hardness. When finished the pieces are then ready for palletization by being stacked onto pallets and stored appropriately and ready for the next procedures.
Read more: “Tracked Vehicle Rollers Get Controlled Heat Treatment Using Movicon SCADA”
