Top 3 Heat Treat Grab and Go Visuals

We get it. You read all day: emails, memos, furnace monitoring screens. To give your eyes a break, Heat Treat Today wanted to provide some grab and go visual resources. In this original content piece, check out some visuals to help you learn about the difference between Nitriding and FNC; discover how the U.S. is doing in the race to green steel production; and get an example of the type of numbers that are normal for a CQI-9 probe method A test.

The Numbers Don't Lie: Green American Steel Is Better than You Think

In Heat Treat Today's August 2021 Automotive print edition, Lourenco Goncalves, chairman, president, and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. made a big statement: "The United States is the benchmark of the world in all things steel. Amongst all major steelmaking nations, we have by far the greenest emissions profile."

In a climate where the United States often gets a bad rap when it comes to environmental concerns, Lourenco's statement is hard to believe. But, the data below contradicts this bad reputation. Check out the graphic below to learn how the United States stacks up to other countries in steel production.

CQI-9: Understanding Probe Method A

Ensuring heat treating equipment falls within CQI-9 standards can be tricky. According to Erika Zarazúa, regional purchasing manager at Global Thermal Solutions, probe method A may be the best way to identify variations in control systems.

If you're curious about how probe method A works, view the chart below (in both English and Spanish) for an example of the kind of numbers that are typical for this test method.

Table 1. Probe method A
Tabla 1. Método de sonda A

Nitriding vs. FNC . . . What's the Difference?

These days, it seems like most heat treat shops are updating equipment or changing procedures to accommodate demands for ferritic nitrocarburizing. But how different are the two processes, really? When it comes to materials commonly processed, time cycles involved, and atmospheres required, where does the difference between nitriding and FNC begin? The chart below is a quick and easy guide to distinguishing the difference between these two hardening processes. Skim away or take a deep dive into the technicalities!

About the Authors:

Lourenco Goncalves is chairman, president, and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc.

Erika Zarazúa, a 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 member, is a metallurgical engineer with over 18 years of experience in heat treatment operations and temperature measurement and has worked in multiple engineering, quality, and project roles in the automotive and aerospace industries. Erika currently holds the position of regional purchasing manager at Global Thermal Solutions.

Jason Orosz and Mark Hemsath at Nitrex, Thomas Wingens at WINGENS LLC – International Industry Consultancy, and Dan Herring, The Heat Treat Doctor at The HERRING GROUP, Inc., provided expert input for the Nitriding vs. FNC table.