The heat treatment and performance of high-temperature superalloys, and Inconel® 718 in particular, has always been of interest to The Doctor.

Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) agreed to sell two non-core forging facilities to Wynnchurch Capital for $37 million. These facilities, located in Portland, Ind., and Lebanon, Ky., are part of ATI’s High Performance Materials & Components (HPMC) segment. They use primarily traditional forging methods to produce carbon-steel forged products for use in the oil and gas, transportation, construction and mining industries. Their capabilities include comprehensive forging processes complemented by in-house design and engineering, product machining and heat-treating services.

The Timken Company acquired Diamond Chain Company, a supplier of high-performance roller chains for industrial markets, from Amsted Industries. Indianapolis, Ind.-based Diamond Chain has manufacturing operations in the U.S. and China and employs approximately 370 people. The company uses enhanced heat-treatment processes that help pins maintain rigidity in the most challenging environments. Diamond Chain also utilizes laser fabrication to drastically cut manufacturing times for custom-made chain attachments.

Epiroc, a productivity provider for the mining and infrastructure industries, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new heat-treatment plant for rock drills in Örebro, Sweden. The 1,400-square-meter facility, which will be able to run 24 hours a day due to automation, is expected to be up and running by late 2020. The plant was designed for energy efficiency. For example, residual heat will be recycled internally to heat buildings.

The application of ion/plasma nitriding to powder-metal (PM) products is recommended over the gas nitriding method. Ion/plasma nitriding results in surface hardening while gas nitriding causes unintended through-nitriding, making the treatment not suitable for a majority of engineering components made of PM.

Family-owned heat-treatment company GalvanoTechnik of Lombardy, Italy, expanded its portfolio to include Nitreg-controlled nitriding, Nitreg-C nitrocarburizing and ONC in-process oxidation treatments. The company invested in a compact Nitrex system configured to process 23.5-inch-diameter x 35.5-inch-high workloads that weigh up to 1,300 pounds. The system complies with the temperature-uniformity requirements of AMS 2750E and meets the specifications of ASM 2759/10, which make it possible to consistently achieve the required metallurgical and mechanical properties for controlled nitriding.

SECO/WARWICK Group’s subsidiary based in Meadville, Pa., has been awarded a major contract to build and commission a specialized aluminum solution heat-treating furnace for a U.S. manufacturer. The furnace, which is AMS 2750-compliant and Nadcap-capable, will be engineered to load, heat treat, quench and discharge with minimal operator assistance. It will be used to heat treat products for automotive, aerospace and medical applications.

No. 934 is an 850°F (454°C) cabinet oven that can be used for heat-treating processes.

Heat treatment plays an important and – most would agree – critical role in gear manufacturing.

Gears perform the critical functions of transmitting power or carrying motion in mechanical assemblies.