aluminum heat treating

annealing of aluminum

Annealing consists of heating the material to 500-800°F (260-426°C) in a similar fashion to solution heat treating, but there is no quench. The material is either removed from the furnace to cool at room temperature or a specialized furnace cooling method is utilized. This results in soft material.

Soft material is ductile and can be formed, stamped, bent, or machined more easily than tempered material
Aids in prevention of stress fractures in forming operations

artificial aging (aging)

Artificial aging of aluminum consists of heating the material to 225–500°F (107-260°C) for a specified period of time. This process typically follows solution heat treating to further harden material.

benefit

Material strength after artificial aging is substantially greater than strength given by solution heat treatment alone
Vastly improved tensile properties
Artificial age cycles can be adjusted to meet specific properties
Reduced internal stresses resulting from solution heat treating

core burnout / thermal sand removal / sand bakeout

Sand castings sometimes retain sand cores that are too large to safely heat treat. Large sand cores can cause steam explosions when they quench, therefore, if sand core weight is greater than 10% of the casting weight, it requires a core burnout process. The material is put through the solution process but does not quench. Sand becomes free flowing and can be dumped or blown out.

benefit

Prepares the parts for solution heat treating
Ensures safety of personnel by preventing steam explosions
Offers increased cleanliness of finished sand-cast parts

hyperquench - water or glycol

Quenching is the most critical step of solution heat treatment, and the industry-leading 7-second quench delay offered by our HyperQuench furnace delivers the best outcome for mechanical properties. This short delay also meets requirements of many Aerospace specifications. Our HyperQuench furnace features a small work cube which allows for cost effective processing, making it perfect for research and development projects and prototype work.

benefit

Highest mechanical properties available due to short quench delay
Cost effective processing
Up to 25% glycol quenchant concentration for increased dimensional control
Fully electric, conforming to requirements of AMS2770

precision air quench

The precision air quench involves a three-step process. First, parts are heated to solution temperatures, then quickly transferred to the air quench chamber. High air velocities uniformly cool parts and prepare the parts for the final step in the process. Parts are then artificially aged for 1-10 hours to increase hardness and mechanical properties.

benefit

Distortion control and dimensional stability
Ability to more effectively process thin walled aluminum castings and stampings
Improved mechanical properties
Increased toughness
Uniform quenching without vapor layer

solution, quench, & age

Solution heat treating of aluminum consists of heating the material up to 800-1,100°F (426-593°C) for a specified period of time, and quenching in water, glycol (AKA polymer), or forced air. Parts move from the solution furnace into a quench tank where the media is 50-200°F (10-93°C). When the material has cooled sufficiently in the quench media, it is transferred to an age furnace where it is heated to 225–500°F (107-260°C) for a specified period of time to control the final properties.

benefit

Material strength after artificial aging is substantially greater than strength given by solution heat treatment alone
Vastly improved tensile properties
Artificial age cycles can be adjusted to meet specific properties
Reduced internal stresses resulting from solution heat treating

thermal stress relieving of aluminum

Stress relieving of aluminum typically consists of heating the material to 225–500°F (107-260°C) for a specified period of time, but processes vary greatly and can require temperatures up to 1,000°F (537°C).