Turn up the Heat and Resist Wear and Tear
Heat treating is an essential process in the development of components for a wide range of industries.
Posted: February 14, 2023
Quality, tested and proven heat-treating products and services ensure the automotive and aerospace industries, as examples, are able to harden parts to make them stronger or harden the surface to protect the parts.
New Low Temperature Cabinet Oven
A Dri-Vault™ 253610 low-temperature infrared cabinet oven for heating, drying, curing and conditioning of bonded or coated parts has been introduced by Vastex Industrial (Bethlehem, PA).
Intended for small-scale production and laboratory applications, it features a double walled enclosure with positive pressure filtered air flow to prevent particulates from entering the chamber, and a 4 in. (10 cm) exhaust duct to remove moisture and fumes. Latched doors with gaskets maintain total darkness during operation.
The 177 CFM (5 CMM) blower draws filtered air over an industrial stainless steel finned heater at 1,250 watts (120V) or 1,550 watts (240V). Digital temperature controls allow variable settings from air-only up to 230°F/110°C in one-degree increments.
Non-corrosive, coated steel racks measuring 25 in. (63.5 cm) wide x 36 in. (91.4 cm) deep are vertically adjustable to fit items up to 24 in. (61 cm) tall.
Warrantied for three years, the unit measures 39.5 in. (100 cm) deep x 34.75 in. (88 cm) wide. Height is 32 in. (81 cm) with optional casters, 29 in. (74 cm) without.
Vastex Industrial manufactures two larger models of cabinet ovens and 11 models of high-temperature tunnel ovens for pilot testing up to high-capacity production.
Power Components Manufacturer Uses Induction Heating for Annealing Application
A client in the power components industry contacted THE LAB at Ambrell Corp. (Rochester, NY) because they needed to heat copper tubes of two different sizes to 1200°F (649°C) for annealing. THE LAB determined that an Ambrell EKOHEAT® 45kW, 50-to-150 kHz induction heating system with a multiple turn helical coil would be the right solution for the customer given their requirements.
Initial tests were conducted to optimize the power delivered to the copper tubes. Testing for this annealing application was successful, with a time-to-heat of five seconds for the smaller copper tubing and 15 seconds for the larger copper tubing. The frequency for the application was 70-to-145 kHz depending on the size of the copper tubing. This achieved the client’s objective.
Using induction heating for this annealing application was advantageous for several reasons. Induction is a high efficiency heating method with lower energy consumption than many alternative options. It is also a fast, controllable, and precise heating process that delivers an even distribution of heat to the part. Additionally, induction is a hands-free method of heating that isn’t dependent on operator skill, which results in superior repeatability.
Ambrell offers free parts testing so potential clients, such as this one, can make sure their heating application is viable before investing in a system. Induction is used for a wide array of applications including annealing, brazing, forging, heat staking, heat treating, shrink fitting and more. The parts testing process involves the client sending parts to THE LAB along with their heating requirements, and based on those requirements, application engineers ensure viability and recommend the right induction heating system based on their target time-to-temperature.
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