Heat treatment refers to the process where steel/metallic parts are either partially or completely exposed to time-temperature sequences. This process is done to change these metallic parts’ corrosion and/or mechanical properties. A vacuum heat treat furnace can prove useful in a variety of application areas.
Applications
Vacuum heat treat furnaces can be used in areas such as annealing, hardening, case hardening, aging and tempering. Through this type of furnace, you can achieve greater material strength as well as better resistance to wear. You can also improve the corrosion behavior of your particular components by using this heat treat furnace. The processes completed with vacuum heat treat furnaces require temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius and higher. The use of this type of furnace is a practice that is well established in industries such as the aerospace–both repair and original equipment manufacturer – tool, automotive and land-based turbine industries.
Oxidation
Oxidation takes place on the surface of a part when it is exposed to the air. This may lead to the need for time-consuming and costly treatments. For this reason, it is preferable for heat treatment to be conducted in an atmosphere that is oxygen free. The benefit of vacuum is that it allows for the use of protective gases that are high in purity while simultaneously offering the greatest protection against oxidation. Bright oxide-free finishes are an important specialized benefit of using this vacuum.
Benefits
Another major benefit of vacuum heat treat furnaces is that when you use them, carbon dioxide emission isn’t a problem. There’s also no furnace conditioning and no open flames or danger of explosion. Inert gases, such as helium and nitrogen, are conveniently used with these furnaces. Other advantages of vacuum heat treat furnaces that make them attractive and handy today are no hazardous fumes, no toxic waste, fluxless brazing, repeatability and controlled heating. The minimal loss of energy, combined with the fact that no heat radiates to the atmosphere, is another perk of using a vacuum heat treat furnace. With the help from the right company, you can easily find the best furnace for your particular application.