AMP_04_May_June_2021_Digital_Edition

FEATURE A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 1 6 0 CONTROLLING THE PROCESS It’s well known that the early days of heating and quenching steel often involved heat treaters who could judge by the look of the part under heat when it had achieved the desired level of hardness, and how long to dunk it in a quench to avoid cracking. Operators could be very savvy with years of experience and repetition, requir- ing no sophisticated controls. But a modern plant with a new workforce accustomed to quality measurements for every process requires a system that provides such mea- surements; even with technology as time honored as flame hardening. After the parameters of production runs of customer parts has been established, the control board is programmed with heat and quench process timers that allow the operator to produce the same level, at the same quality, without years of experience or a “I know it when I see it” method of quality control. Inconclusion, controls areat theheart of today’s flame hardening processes and design. The system “throws heat at it” with precise, measurable flow rates of gas and oxy- gen, then in a defined quench for a specific time. Controls put in place during design and manufacture mean that work is done upfront, where it is less costly. ~HTPro For more information: Mark Sirrine, president, Flame Treating Systems Inc., 715 E Geer St., Durham, NC 27701, 919.956.5208, mark@flametreatingsystems.com , flame- treatingsystems.com. 9 8