A bright idea: General Industry Coverage
A heat-treat process to anneal and bright age-harden stainless steels without breaking vacuum.
In the world of precision metal parts, aesthetics can be everything. For example, metalworking professionals expect precipitation hardenable stainless steel to look bright silver. “When they hear ‘stainless steel’ and then see something other than silver, the immediate question in their minds is ‘is this really stainless steel?’ ” said Don Jordan, vice president of R&D and corporate metallurgist for Solar Atmospheres, which specializes in vacuum heat treating.
The process to anneal and bright age-harden PH stainless steels in a vacuum furnace typically requires the heat treater to cool the metal below the ambient temperature after annealing by placing it in a refrigerator before the age-hardening step, Jordan explained. That requires exposing stainless to air, which causes it to discolor—oxidize—to a golden blue hue during age hardening. “You’re breaking the vacuum,” he said, adding that the discoloration doesn’t negatively impact material properties but people interpret that it does.
Courtesy of Solar Atmospheres
Solar Atmospheres’ heat-treat process to anneal and bright age-harden PH stainless steels avoids discoloring the metal.
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SineWave oscillating bandsaw technology grows in width while cutting to create you to cut faster without having to put with help from distributor Industrial Di- a self-feeding action that reduces cycle excessive pressure on the blade.” amond Products Co. Inc., Houston. “We time, Miles explained. “Oscillating the Miles noted that, compared to an abra-.
productive times SineWave oscillating bandsaw technology grows in width while cutting to create you to cut faster without having to put with help from distributor Industrial Di- a self-feeding action that reduces cycle excessive pressure on the blade.” amond Products Co. Inc., Houston. “We time, Miles explained. “Oscillating the Miles noted that, compared to an abra- went with Simonds based on the cost and blade keeps the cutting plane the small- sive wheel, an oscillating bandsaw does quality,” Lane said. est it can be at all times because the blade not create high-heat conditions, elimi- An oscillating bandsaw uses a unique is cutting at a continuously changing nating the trimming of heat-affected face rocking motion that forces each saw tooth angle,” he said. “You’re always keeping pieces after the initial cut. The saw also to penetrate the workpiece, and the blade the area of engagem
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September 2011
To prevent oxidization, Solar Atmospheres developed a two-step process using advanced gas-cooling technology to anneal and bright age-harden PH stainless in a vacuum furnace without breaking vacuum. The metal is heated to 1,900° F, cooled to 80° F for 17-4 and 15-5 stainless and below 60° F for the 17-7 and 15-7 Mo alloys, and then age-hardened at 900° F or higher depending on the desired end condition, which establishes the mechanical properties. Jordan noted that the typical hardness for 17-4 is 44 to 47 HRC for the H900 condition.
Before Solar Atmospheres developed this process, if the hardened stainless parts could not look blue, an end user would have to remove the oxide layer chemically or mechanically, such as with light glass beading or tumbling.
For more information about Solar Atmospheres, Souderton, Pa., call (215) 721-1502 or visit www. solaratm.com.
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