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A new, cost-effective technology to heat treat ferrous materials promises higher quality, reduced cycle times and more applications than other comparable methods. Radiant Heat Treating, or RHT, offers numerous advantages over other localized heat treating services, such as induction, flame, laser and electron beam.

Adaptive Coating Technologies, LLC, Waunakee, Wis., developed RHT as part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award, and the company plans to offer the RHT service in December. The primary applications are heat treatable mechanical components having simple or complex geometries.

RHT can heat treat most carbon steel and steel alloys, as well as tool steels and martensitic stainless steels. A variety of heat treatments, including stress relieving, quenching and tempering, austempering, martempering, and annealing can be performed to produce the desired hardness range and/or microstructure.

PROCESS ADVANTAGES

RHT can heat treat selective areas or entire surfaces of flat, cylindrical or complex shapes. Parts may measure more than several square feet. See Figure 1, "Typical Part Geometries and Heat Treat Patterns."

CONCLUSION

Whether the part shape is flat, cylindrical or complex, most ferrous parts can be heat treated with Radiant Heat Treating. Using RHT may result in cost reductions and quality improvements.

Adaptive Coating Technologies, or ACT, is currently using RHT for a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project on armor plate fabrication. In Phase I, ACT successfully heat treated 1/2" thick titanium/steel plates to a hardness of 60Rc. Numerous commercial applications for RHT exist in the agricultural, mining, pump, oil, aerospace and automotive industries.

Red depicts possible RHT shapes. Areas can be heat treated individually or in any combination.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ACT, with trained technicians and experienced materials engineers, offers this cost effective heat treating service for a variety of applications. For further information about this new service, fax or mail drawings and specific requirements to John Krebsbach, Chief Engineer, Adaptive Coating Technologies, LLC, 315 Raemisch Road, Building H, Waunakee, Wis., 53597, 608-849-1908. Or e-mail us at [email protected].