Automotive / Aerospace

Applications of Heat Treatment:

• Metals Processing
• Carburizing Control
• Oven Applications

Metals processing:

Heat / Cool with Carbon Potential or Oxygen Level Monitoring

Nanodac Data Recorder with PID Control

The Nanodac recorder/controller provides combined recording and control in a single ¼ DIN package.There are two control loops. In this application only one of these loops is used to control the temperature. A Zirconia probe is used to measure the level of oxygen and Virtual channels are configured to display the measured values.

Carbon Potential Monitoring

When mild steels or certain low carbon steels are heated at temperatures above 900°C in a carbon rich atmosphere the surface of the steel absorbs carbon by diffusion. The depth of carbon enrichment depends on the time and temperature of the treatment known as carburizing. The presence of carbon in the steel causes a change in its physical properties.

A Zirconia probe is used to measure the level of oxygen. It generates a millivolt signal based on the ratio of oxygen concentration between the reference airside of the probe (outside the furnace) and the amount of oxygen actually inside the furnace.

The temperature of the furnace is measured using a thermocouple. This may be a thermocouple mounted within the Zirconia probe or installed as a separate item.

Together the temperature and oxygen level signals are used by the NanodacRecorder/Controller to calculate the actual percentage of carbon in the furnace atmosphere.

Soaking Pit

Soaking pits are necessary to heat up and soak metal ingots to a uniform temperature sufficient to allow passage through the various rolling stages of the mill.Steel feed stock to the pits can be hot ingots from BOS plant, hot skelps (cast slabs or blooms) from CONCAST plant, or cold stock.

Sintering

The raw mix is ignited by the ignition hood, which is fuelled by a mixture of coke oven gas, blast furnace gas and sometimes natural gas. The calorific value of the mixture and the set hood temperature are controlled. A separate control system is provided to maintain a fixed hood pressure by adjusting the windbox dampers immediately under the ignitionhood.The sinter strand is a moving conveyor of hot sinter, which continues to ‘cook’ after leaving the hood, where air is pulled from the sinter by a strand draught fan.

An important part of the sintering process is burn-through. This is where the sinter layer has completely burned through its section and is detected by temperature probes under the sinter bed. Burn through should be achieved but must not occur too soon after the ignition hood. The draught on the strand is maintained at a preset value by controlling the main fan louvers from pressure measurements in the wind main. This governs the point at which burn through occurs

Blast Furnace & Stoves

The blast furnace area provides the raw material for steel-making. Iron produced in the blast furnace contains a high proportion of carbon, typically 4%, and lacks any of the additives needed to give the steel its various special properties.

Carburizing Control

Gas Carburizing Process

OPTIMISE THE HEAT TREATMENT FURNACE CONTROL PROCESS

Gas Carburising Process is a surface chemistry process, which improves the case depth hardness of a component by diffusing carbon into the surface layer to improve wear and fatigue resistance.  The work pieces are pre-heated and then held for a period of time at an elevated temperature in the austenitic region of the specific alloy, typically between 820 and 940°C.

During the thermal cycle the components are subject to an enriched carbon atmosphere such that nascent species of carbon can diffuse into the surface layers of the component.

Atmosphere carburizing control

Carbon control and integrated carburizing systems

Choose from a range of control solutions designed to help you achieve:

• Surface hardness specifications
• Case-depth profile from carbon enrichment
• Conforming micro-structure

Optimize cycle times, and record the process to meet heat treatment data regulations.

Applicable heat treatment standards

• AMS2750E
• CQI-9 Issue 3
• AMS2759
• AMS2750E:

World Class Products for Control

Eurotherm build control solutions to meet the widest range of Nadcap requirements covering instruments as defined in AMS2750E, classes A – E and across furnace classes 1 – 6. Solutions can either be made up from discrete products or integrated systems which include unique benefits for Aerospace and Automotive manufacturers and suppliers.

• High quality control in the aerospace and automotive industry
• High precision temperature and process profile programmers
• In-built features to aid systems accuracy tests
• Batch and recipe management
• World renown control algorithm
• Support for furnace diagnostics and maintenance
• High precision and high accuracy products, with long-term repeatability and performance
• Excellent for use in integrated temperature vacuum and atmosphere applications
• Multi-user password protection and complete audit trail systems
• Communication to work-piece tracking over-temperature protection

Types of applications

• Aging
• Annealing
• Bake-out
• Curing
• Drying
• Oxidizing
• Preheating
• Pyrolysis
• Shrink-fit
• Soldering
• Solution Heat Treatment
• Stress Relief
• Testing

Oven Types Batch

• Bell
• Box
• Box with quench tank
• Car bottom
• Carousel
• Drop-bottom
• Laboratory
• Pit

Oven Types Continuous

• Conveyor
• Monorail
• Pusher
• Rotary
• Tunnel
• Tub

Energy and efficiency solutions

• Energy saving power control
• Energy saving gas combustion control
• High efficiency precision process control
• Adaptable to meet future Challenges

Profit from sustainability power solutions

• Energy and environmental costs are minimized, less risk of related taxes and fines
• High availability of electric heating systems, lowers the risk of downtime.
• Productivity can be increased to meet demand when needed
• Publish energy and environmental KPIs that stand out from the crowd