Software in the Heat Treat World
For the past 20+ years, software has played a pivotal role in every part of the heat treating industry, seamlessly integrating into virtually every process from initial part design to final product inspection. It would be hard to find a heat treater that doesn’t currently rely on one or more software platforms to run their business. More recently, heat treaters are expanding their use of software platforms for material specification compliance, easing the burden on furnace compliance to manage the increasing complexity of industry regulations.
Material Specification Compliance: More and more heat treaters are turning away from spreadsheets in search of better software solutions to assist them in their effort to ensure compliance with the ever-increasing demands of material specifications such as AMS2750, AMS2769, BAC-5621, GE P10TF-3, RPS-953, BAERD GEN-007, etc. There are software programs designed to organize general compliance data across multiple industries in a one-size fits all approach, but those programs fail to meet many of the unique compliance challenges that Nadcap heat treaters experience.
A shift toward a more targeted approach to compliance involves utilizing software explicitly designed with the heat treater in mind. This specialized software is becoming increasingly common across the industry. Some software options, like C3 Data, digitally connect to many of the industry’s vendors (i.e., thermocouple vendors and pyrometry service providers). These digital connections eliminate manual data entry and play a significant role in ensuring continuous compliance. In contrast, some specialized software programs provide the organization platform but have limited digital integration options and organizational flexibility. Heat treat specific software that digitally integrates with a broad supplier base offers the most process flexibility and efficiencies.
A Comparison of Material Specification Software Types
Heat Treat Specific Integrated Software. If done correctly, the software will offer heat treaters seamless data connections to virtually any applicable supplier worldwide, allowing them to maintain the freedom to choose their suppliers while also fully leveraging the benefits of digital access to all their data. In this effort, C3 Data’s Furnace Compliance Software continues to build out its worldwide network of digital integrations with all Nadcap heat treaters in mind. The C3 digital network was not built on software alone but on relationships, including virtually every prominent thermocouple manufacturer in the U.S., UK, and France, most pyrometry laboratories in the U.S., as well as a growing list of pyrometry labs in the EU. C3 is also now digitally integrated with MES software platforms such as Bluestreak™ that cater to the heat treat world.
A growing number of heat treaters are incorporating heat treat specific integrated software solutions to reduce their dependencies on human resources, eliminate human error, and increase efficiency. When evaluating such software, it’s impossible to overemphasize the importance of ensuring your digital integration options are functional, plentiful, and ever-growing.
About the Author
Nathan Wright is known for his expertise in the aerospace and automotive industries, specifically in furnace compliance and pyrometry laboratories. He built his first pyrometry laboratory in the late 1990s. It was then that he first began exploring the idea of creating a customized software solution for the heat treat industry. In 2013 he became the CEO of C3 Data where he is responsible for building software that helps heat treaters and calibration laboratories ensure furnace compliance with industry material specifications.
For more information: Contact Nathan at nwright@c3data.com or visit www.c3data.com.
