FEATURE ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2023 43 7 loader to pick the hardware up and move it to the desired location. For the vacuum, the loader places the hardware into the vestibule and onto the internal elevator. The elevator takes the load upward into the hot chamber. After the hardware is in the hot chamber, carbon-fiber blades extend out into the work zone to secure the load. The door between the hot and cold chambers is sealed, and the chambers are pumped down using roughing pumps and a booster pump to the desired vacuum level via the SCADA. When the desired vacuum level is attained, the temperature is raised per the recipe to the de- sired cycle temperature for the heat treatment process. The hot chamber has an operational temperature range of 1100°-2200°F allowing for most hardening and solution treatment cycles. Upon completion of the heat treatment cycle, the cold chamber begins to partially pressurize and the inner door opens. The elevator then moves the hardware downward to the cold chamber, where it undergoes the quench of choice. Gas quenching is performed in the vestibule and oil quenching in the quench tank below. The vertical vacuum IQ furnace line also includes a water washing station. Wash steps are added after oil quenches to ensure clean low-temperature cycles. Tempering and aging cycles are performed in tempering furnaces. The loading system is a critical component of the vertical vacuum IQ furnace line. It is located parallel to the furnace line on a track system and can move hardware from one unit in the line to another. Table 1 shows typical furnace line capabilities at a glance. AUTOMATION OF OPERATIONS Users can create recipes specifying the heat treatment parameters for desired cycles. These recipes are then queued in the system, ensuring a seamless transition between different heat treatment cycles. Advanced controls over operational parameters allow for complex cycles to be performed auto- nomously. PLC integration across the line allows for flexible operation modes. Processing can be anywhere on the spectrum between autonomous and manual. Some operations can run automatically, and some can be run manually at the same time without interference. The Fig. 2 — SCADA furnace line view. TABLE 1 — FURNACE LINE CAPABILITIES Vacuum furnaces Bell furnaces Temperature range 1100°-2200°F Temperature range 300°-1200°F Work zone 72-in. diameter x 174-in. length Work zone 72-in. diameter x 174-in. length Maximum loading 7000 lbs Maximum loading 4500 lbs Pyrometry AMS 2750 Rev. G, Type D, Class 3 Pyrometry AMS 2750 Rev. G, Types D and B, Class 2 Maximum vacuum 7x10-2 torr Atmosphere/pressure Air Maximum quench pressure 1.5 barr
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