Once again, our readers weigh in on the best articles in 2018. This time it is in the melting/forming/joining category. Interested in what they have to say? Check out the list that follows.

One of our regular topics is “Melting/Forming/Joining.” This month, we take a look at seven articles in this category that readers most preferred in 2018 based on online statistics.

Aluminum Scrap Recycling with Twin-Chamber Melting Furnace

Far and away, this article by Tenova from February 2017 is the most-read article in this category for 2018. The interest in recycling likely drove some readers to this article.

Scrap recycling with the twin-chamber melting furnace (TCF®) has become state-of-the-art worldwide. Nearly any type of scrap can be treated in the TCF. The latest installations show that the TCF fulfills the complex requirements of scrap processing regarding environment, safety and metal yield. Find out why so many readers were interested in this article by using this link: www.industrialheating.com/TCFscrap.

Combustion Technologies Improve Melting-Furnace Productivity

A June 2018 Air Products article comes in at number two for our readers. Find out what interested so many by using the following link: www.industrialheating.com/meltcomb.

New combustion technologies offer metals producers the ability to adjust the energy distribution profile and customize heat release to the requirements of a given melting operation. This article discusses how the unique capabilities of two new burners helped SDI La Farga (SDILF) increase productivity, decrease specific fuel consumption and significantly reduce burner maintenance time in its secondary copper-melting furnace.

Interestingly, as with the first article, recycling might be driving some traffic because SDILF is a recycling operation that refines all types of processed copper. To address burner challenges and achieve aggressive productivity targets, SDILF evaluated and implemented unique combustion technologies capable of adapting to the diverse needs of the operation.

Playing with Fire: Blacksmithing a Hot Topic

An April 2018 feature written by Industrial Heating staff in cooperation with Carnegie Mellon University has found favor with readers this year. We have noticed an uptick in the number of blacksmithing stories over the past few years. Because of this general interest, we try to highlight some of these in our magEzine newsletters.

Almost weekly, we run across another interesting blacksmithing story about someone who seems an unlikely blacksmith or who is making wonderful creations from lumps of metal or common items. In this article, we highlight the story of a Carnegie Mellon graduate student, but we also talk about the general phenomenon. To read it for yourself, go to www.industrialheating.com/smith.

Process Thermal Imaging in the Modern Hot-Rolling Mill

A March 2018 article by AMETEK Land has also piqued reader interest this year. This article discusses the application of single-point radiation thermometers, also referred to as infrared pyrometers, in steel hot-rolling mills. Infrared pyrometers have been widely used in steel hot-rolling mills for more than 60 years. They offer many advantages compared to contact sensors such as thermocouples.

Single-point radiation thermometers are installed at a distance, and they view the infrared radiation that is emitted by the target object. Their noncontact nature allows them to operate out of harm’s way, consequently outlasting contact sensors. Because they don’t touch the surface, they can accurately measure moving objects, whereas thermocouples suffer from a frictional effect, which generates heat and erodes the thermocouple. Pyrometers also feature extremely fast response speeds of a few milliseconds. This makes them very useful for measuring fast-moving strip or rod. You can find this article at www.industrialheating.com/irpyro.

Using Induction Brazing in Manufacturing Operations

This article was actually run in two parts in 2016, and both are still popular with readers in 2018. It does a good job of discussing induction and its application to the joining technology of brazing. Induction is an excellent way to quickly heat up a localized area of a large assembly in order to permanently join them together. The induction-brazing process is examined to see what it is and how it can be effectively used by brazing shops to meet some of their production needs.

Induction brazing is a wonderful tool that many shops may wish to use for certain parts that need to be brazed quickly, are too large to fit inside a brazing furnace or perhaps have areas that cannot tolerate high heat since damage might result to those areas if heated to brazing temperature. It is safe, fast and very reliable when proper procedures are followed. Start with part 1 at www.industrialheating.com/kaybraze1 and then move to part 2 by navigating to www.industrialheating.com/kaybraze.

Torch Brazing by Hand

Clearly, brazing is of interest to readers because a February 2018 article also by Dan Kay is next on our favorites list. Brazing is one of three joining techniques in our manufacturing world that uses heat and a molten filler metal to create complex assemblies from simple starting pieces. The other two processes are welding and soldering.

When brazing, the base material being joined is not melted. Only the brazing filler metal (BFM) that is added to the joint is melted, and this molten BFM is then drawn into the joint by capillary action. Effective brazing requires heat, cleanliness of the parts being joined and, in the case of torch brazing by hand, special operator skills are needed. You can find this reader favorite at www.industrialheating.com/handbrz.

Vacuum Diffusion Bonding for Joining Titanium Alloys

The final article on our favorites list ties in nicely with this month’s aerospace focus, and it’s also focused on joining. The technology of joining materials is vital to the growth of various industries where particularly demanding requirements and sophisticated materials are involved. These industries include aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, oil, petrochemical and process engineering.

Demanding joining applications have led to increased attention being paid to diffusion bonding. This method is widely used for production of thin-metal components and parts with very complex shapes. Joints made by diffusion bonding meet the requirements for most critical structures in terms of strength, toughness, tightness and resistance to heat and corrosion. Since the process is conducted under a vacuum, a diffusion-bonded joint has minimal impurity content, even in the case of highly reactive metals. This is the reason diffusion bonding has found significant application for the fabrication of complex titanium-alloy components.

You can read this September 2017 TAV Vacuum Furnaces article at www.industrialheating.com/diffbond.

We trust you will enjoy these articles as much as other readers have in 2018. You can further mine the depths of melting, forming or joining website by going to www.industrialheating.com/mfjor using the QR Code provided.