Vacuum Heat Treating in Aluminum
Advances in vacuum furnace gas quenching processing continue to expand the materials that benefit from this technology. Fabricators of aluminum are discovering the benefits of minimized distortion and clean parts that vacuum processing offers. 聽糖心vlog视频, Hermitage PA, recently solution aged 6061 aluminum from 0 to a T6 condition. This task was accomplished because of the plant鈥檚 12 foot furnace and its advanced quenching capability.
Airwolf Helicopters, Middlefield OH, manufactures aluminum booms for crop dusting. The twelve foot booms included smaller tubing, 1 3/8鈥� dia. x .058鈥� wall thickness and larger tubing that ranged from 1 5/8鈥� to 2 陆鈥� dia. x .058鈥� wall thickness. 聽Because of the thin wall and long length, water quenching would cause extreme distortion and contamination. Solar鈥檚 large furnaces and advanced quenching capability were the best alternative to attain material specifications while minimizing distortion.
To put the aluminum in solution, Solar uses a nitrogen partial pressure atmosphere in the vacuum furnace and gradually heat treats the aluminum up to 985掳 F. 聽The material is held at this temperature and then a 2 bar, helium quench is performed. 聽This brought the material to a T4 condition. While still in the furnace, age hardening is done in a nitrogen partial pressure environment. 聽The aluminum is heated up to 350掳 F and held at that temperature for eight hours. The tubing is quenched in nitrogen. 聽Required properties of the TE condition is an ultimate tensile strength of 42 KSI with yield strength of 35 KSI. 聽Actual results attained were UTS of 42.1 KSI and yield strength of 38.6 KSI.
A significant factor that contributed to the success of this job was the thin wall tubing. Solar鈥檚 advanced quenching is continually improving and becoming more effective in cooling to achieve material specifications while minimizing distortion for oil and water quench materials.