Annealing in Vacuum
Annealing in Vacuum
Annealing heat treatment is a process where the parts are heated up and then cooled slowly down to obtain a softer structure of the part and to optimize material structure for subsequent forming steps.
Generally speaking, all kinds of annealing processes can be provided by ALD’s HTS division. When annealing under vacuum the following benefits are provided in comparision with treating under atmosphere:
- avoiding intergranular oxidation (IGO) and surface oxidation
- avoiding de-carburized areas
- metallic, blank surfaces
- clean surfaces of parts after heat treatment, no washing of parts necessary
The most popular annealing processes are:
Stress-relief annealing is performed at temperatures about 650°C aiming to reduce the inner stress of the components. These residual stresses are caused by prior process steps such as casting and green machining operations.
Residual stresses can lead to unwanted distortion during the heat treatment process especially for thin-walled components. Therefore it is recommended to eliminate these stresses before the “real” heat treatment operation by stress-relief treating.
Recrystallisation annealing is needed after cold forming operations to gain back the initial microstructure.
Other treatments such as:
- Normalizing
- Precipitation hardening or
- Solution annealing
are offered as well by ALD’s HTS division.
Related Industries
Automotive
Heat treatment is essential in the automotive industry for enhancing strength, wear resistance, and fatigue life of critical components such as gears, shafts, bearings, and fasteners.
Aerospace
In aerospace applications, heat treatment improves mechanical properties while meeting strict requirements for strength, weight, and reliability.
General Industry
Heat treatment provides general industrial components with improved durability, wear resistance, and material consistency.
Tool and Die
For the tool and die industry, heat treatment is critical to achieving precise hardness, toughness, and dimensional stability.
Medical
In the medical industry, heat treatment enhances strength, corrosion resistance, and fatigue performance of precision components used in surgical instruments and medical devices.
Energy and Mining
Heat treatment is vital in the energy and mining sectors for improving toughness, wear resistance, and resistance to fatigue and impact.
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