Heat Treatment of Metals: 5 Things to Consider

by John Heine Foundry Shop

Heat treatment is a process used to improve the physical and chemical properties of a metal. The process is used to boost or modify the properties, including ductility, formability, strength, elasticity, hardness, and machinability of materials to fit into the task at hand. Heat treatment in Australia gives products their initial, intermediate and final properties.

Mistakes while heat-treating the metal could lead to a loss in productivity and profit; therefore, be sure to what to consider while heat treatment of metals.

Avoid Excess Heating

Overheating is a possibility when dealing with low alloy metals. Excess heating can badly impact the physical as well as chemical properties of metals. Excessive heat can badly impact the toughness and strength of the metal. However, it is possible to reduce the impact of heat by controlling the temperature of the heat source. Furthermore, metals with uneven structure sometimes suffer from being heated too quickly; the metal is allowed to cool slowly to avoid such issues.

Usage of right materials

In order to perform the heat treatment process, it is important to understand the gravity of using the right type of material. If metal workers in foundries don’t understand the difference between metal types, they’ll likely make mistakes that could cause huge losses. This is because different metals are treated differently to gain desired strength. However, a few factors can impact the strength of metals, such as the quantity and type of impurities in metal ore.

Observe for Brittleness

The brittleness of metal can be perilous because it can crack easily and cause damage to the tools and equipment. Brittleness is a deformity usually happens in metals due to excessive heat application. The tempering of metal is an integral part. Otherwise, it will expose the metal to potential brittleness. When metal is tempered for a short period of time – it will cause brittleness. To correct brittleness, change the hardening temperature or amount of time for tempering.

Watch for Warping and Deformities

Normalization is a heat process done to prevent metal warping. It maintains an even temperature throughout the process and provides an adequate amount of time in advance. In order to avoid warping, the metal must be maintained during the treatment process, especially in quenching. Moreover, the stress relief process also helps avoid warping and metal deformity.

Look Out for Cooling Fractures

While performing heat treatment methods in Australia, seeing cooling fractures is pretty common because of uneven heating or rapid cool down. However, overheating can also be the cause of cracks. In general, every metal has its own heating capacity, and if it exceeds its limit, it will deteriorate the metal. Cooling fractures often happen during the quenching process, so it is suggested to follow proper standards when quenching the metals.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that, heat treatment is a process that help products to last a long time. The different methods have their own importance so before applying the process it is recommended to learn their end results.

Contact the team of John Heine – a leading premier foundry shop for performing heat treatment in Australia. The team will help industrialists cast power generation tools, engineering tools casting and mining pump casting.