TMK will upgrade pipe heat-treatment equipment at its Pervouralsk Pipe Plant (PNTZ) in Russia to reduce resource consumption and expand its size range of high-tech products. A roller-hearth furnace in a tube drawing shop has already been upgraded. The new technology allowed TMK to decrease the lower temperature limit in the furnace by 200C. The plant can now produce new products – ball bearings, precision and other pipes for the aerospace and automotive industries – with the mechanical properties required by Russian and European quality standards. As part of the upgrade, the furnace was equipped with a new digital process control system that runs a comprehensive equipment diagnostic and automatically adjusts the temperature parameters. PNTZ plans to upgrade two more furnaces in its tube drawing shops in 2021.

Abbott Furnace Company recently installed and commissioned a roller-hearth tube-annealing furnace at an aerospace and defense products manufacturer that fabricates precision tubular products. The high-temperature furnace quench-anneals superalloy tubing for its drawing operation. The electrically heated unit operates with an argon protective atmosphere. The high-speed roll drive quickly transfers the tubing from the furnace to the water-spray quench.

Tenova LOI Thermprocess received an order from Russian’s JSC Pervouralsk Pipe Plant for a roller-hearth continuous furnace system for bright annealing stainless steel pipes in a 100% hydrogen atmosphere. The heat-treatment system is designed as a roller-hearth furnace for the bright annealing of 2,000 kg/hour of austenitic stainless steel and nickel-based alloy pipes. The solution annealing of these high-alloy steel grades is carried out in the temperature range of 2012-2192°F (1100-1200°C). The tubes are heat treated in this continuously operating system using a 100% hydrogen atmosphere as process gas.

Danieli Olivotto Ferrè started up a tube roller-hearth annealing furnace at Tenaris Tamsa in Veracruz, Mexico. The furnace is designed to treat steel tubes coming from cold or hot processing with a maximum throughput of 5 tons/hour. It is able to perform different heat-treatment cycles, including normalizing, annealing, tempering and stress relieving. The pipe to be treated has an OD range from 15-120 mm, thickness from 1.5-20 mm and length up to 16 meters (52.5 feet).

Saarstahl is investing approximately $19 million to expand heat-treatment capacity at Saar-Blankstahl, its subsidiary in Homburg, Germany. The investment includes a roller-hearth furnace for heat treatment; construction of a 4,300-square-meter hall with cranes; and a straightening machine with a corresponding packaging unit. The new heat-treatment plant is scheduled to begin operation in fall 2020.

This article reviews industrial-gas technologies that the metals industry can use to respond, improve and even help transform advanced metal-parts manufacturing and processing.

In part 1, (Oct. 2016) we covered classification of high-temperature insulation wool, and we will now discuss the application of same.