A Sealed Quench Furnace is used in the automotive industry for various heat treatment processes. These furnaces are designed to offer controlled and consistent process atmospheric gas and quenching conditions which are essential for processing high-quality automotive components. In the automotive industry where performance and reliability of parts are critical, HIGHTEMP’s Sealed Quench Furnace can help with uniform heating and cooling and reduce risks of oxidation.
Material Grades used in the Automotive Industry that can be placed in HIGHTEMP’s Sealed Quench Furnace
Low Carbon & Medium Carbon Steels with grades like 1020, 1040, 1050, 1060, 1080, EN8, EN9 These steels are often used in components such as gears, shafts, and crankshafts due to their hardness and wear resistance.
Alloy Steels with grades 4140, 4340, 8620, and 9310 : These alloy steels are used in high-stress applications such as transmission gears, differential gears, and high-strength structural components.
Tool Steels with grades A2, D2, M2, and O1 : Tool Steels are used for manufacturing cutting tools, dies, and moulds used in production of the automotive parts.
Stainless Steels with grades 410, 420, and 440C : Stainless Steels are used in applications where corrosion resistance and high strength are required in parts such as exhaust valves, fuel injectors, etc.
Cast Irons with grades ASTM A48, ASTM A536 : Cast irons are used in engine blocks, cylinder heads, and brake components due to their wear resistance.
Automotive parts produced in Sealed Quench Furnaces
The Automotive industry manufactures various parts for cars, light trucks, heavy trucks, and motorbikes. Some of the parts manufactured in a Sealed Quench Furnace are-
- Brake web
- Calliper Piston
- Ball studs
- Arm Lever
- Pins
- Stampings
- Sun Gears
- Bevel gears
- Pinions
- Valve
- Axle shafts
- Friction plates
- Gear Carriers
- U-Joints
- Wheel Rims
- Engine
Heat Treatment Processes Used by the Automotive Industry
Carburising Carburising is a process used to increase the carbon content on the surface of a steel part to increase the hardness. This process is used for components that require a hard surface to resist wear and tear such as gears, camshafts, and crankshafts.
Carbonitriding Carbonitriding is a process of increasing carbon and nitrogen on the surface of steel to increase fatigue strength and surface hardness. This process is used for automotive parts like gears and transmission components.
Hardening Hardening is a process of increasing the hardness and strength of steel components to make them more resistant to wear and deformation. This is used for components like gears, shafts, and other high-strength parts that require increased durability.
Influence of the Sealed Quench Furnace in the Automotive Industry
Advancements with the Sealed Quench Furnace have significantly impacted the Automotive Industry by improving the quality, efficiency, and performance of heat-treated parts. This includes-
Advanced Temperature Control Sealed Quench Furnace has temperature control to ensure precise and consistent heating. This allows for uniform hardness and reduced variation in component properties.
Improved Quenching Control Precise control of the quenching environment with regards to the cooling rate and medium enhances the ability to tailor the heat treatment process to specific material requirements which can improve the performance and reduce defects of automotive parts.
Sealed Atmosphere The sealed environment of these furnaces reduces the risk of oxidation and contamination, enhancing the safety of heat-treated parts while minimizing the impact of the environment.
Uniform Cooling A controlled environment in the treatment ensures uniform cooling rates leading to consistent material properties across automotive parts. This is important for high-precision and high-performance automotive parts.
Reduced distortion Controlled quenching helps reduce the risk of distortion and cracking due to thermal stress. This helps produce higher-quality and more reliable components.
Consistency in Complex Geometries The Sealed Quench Furnace provides better control over cooling rates and uniformity which is crucial to achieve the desired properties in complex geometries.
The Sealed Quench Furnace has enabled automotive manufacturers to produce high-quality, reliable components while meeting performance and environmental standards. Ongoing developments in the furnace technology aims at supporting the automotive industry’s needs for precision, efficiency, and performance.
