Abstract: An apparatus for heat treatment of coated semi-finished steel products may comprise a heatable continuous furnace having a conveyer for moving the coated semi-finished steel products. The conveyer may be comprised of a plurality of conveyer elements, such as rollers, for example, for supporting the coated semi-finished steel products. To prevent, or at least substantially prevent, interaction between semi-finished steel products having different coatings, a decoupling portion of the continuous furnace may include a first conveyer element group and a second conveyer element group, each having at least one conveyer element. The coated semi-finished steel products may be supported in the decoupling portion either by the conveyer elements of the first conveyer element group or by the conveyer elements of the second conveyer element group.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a die apparatus which cools metals after hot pressing. More specifically, the present invention relates to an immersion cooling type die apparatus, in which dies are immersed in a coolant to enhance a cooling rate of the dies while guaranteeing uniform quality. The die apparatus includes an upper die having a pressing surface formed on a lower surface thereof, a lower die having a pressing surface formed on an upper surface thereof, a coolant bath storing a predetermined level of coolant, and a pressing unit driven to lower and compress the upper die onto the lower die, to lower both the upper and lower dies in a compressed state, and to lift the upper and lower dies in a reverse sequence.

Abstract: A method for straightening an age hardened metallic form includes heating an age hardened metallic form comprising one of a titanium alloy, a nickel alloy, an aluminum alloy, and a ferrous alloy to a straightening temperature of at least 25° F. below the age hardening temperature, and applying an elongation tensile stress for a time sufficient to elongate and straighten the form. The elongation tensile stress is at least 20% of the yield stress and not equal to or greater than the yield stress at the straightening temperature. The straightened form deviates from straight by no greater than 0.125 inch over any 5 foot length or shorter length. The straightened form is cooled while simultaneously applying a cooling tensile stress that balances the thermal cooling stress in the metallic form to thereby maintain a deviation from straight of no greater than 0.125 inch over any 5 foot length or shorter length.

Abstract: A handling machine for handling rails, arranged in line immediately downstream of a rolling plant, which allows an optimal clamping of the rail along its longitudinal extension, thus effectively withstanding the deflection and its variations, while allowing a longitudinal movement of the rail caused by thermal shrinkage, thus avoiding damages both to the external surface of the rail and to the handlers. A process of handling the rail is also described, which optimizes moving, positioning along a roller table and maintaining the rail substantially rectilinear during the thermal treatment to which it is subjected.

Abstract: A method for straightening a solution treated and aged (STA) titanium alloy form includes heating an STA titanium alloy form to a straightening temperature of at least 25° F. below the age hardening temperature, and applying an elongation tensile stress for a time sufficient to elongate and straighten the form. The elongation tensile stress is at least 20% of the yield stress and not equal to or greater than the yield stress at the straightening temperature. The straightened form deviates from straight by no greater than 0.125 inch over any 5 foot length or shorter length. The straightened form is cooled while simultaneously applying a cooling tensile stress that balances the thermal cooling stress in the titanium alloy form to thereby maintain a deviation from straight of no greater than 0.125 inch over any 5 foot length or shorter length.

Abstract: A method of restrained-quenching of an annular member, that can readily ensure a sufficient effect of restraint, increase treatment efficiency of a quench hardening treatment, and suppress production cost of the annular member, includes a heating step, a first cooling step, a restraint step, and a second cooling step. In the heating step, a bearing ring formed as the annular member is heated to a temperature not lower than an A1 point. In the first cooling step, the bearing ring is cooled to a first cooling temperature not higher than an MS point. In the restraint step, the bearing ring is restrained with a restraint member. In the second cooling step, the bearing ring is cooled to a second cooling temperature lower than a restraint start temperature while it remains restrained.

Abstract: One or more of the following quenching methods and apparatus: a quenching press for quenching a steel ring, a method of quenching a steel ring, a corresponding set of quenching dies for quenching steel rings, a die handling tool and related method to lift the corresponding set of quenching dies, and a die handling apparatus to load and unload dies to a quenching press.

Abstract: A method for producing beryllium-copper containing at least Be and Cu, includes holding the beryllium-copper for a predetermined solid solution time in a solid solution temperature range in which the Be is dissolved into the Cu, cooling the beryllium-copper at a cooling speed at which the Be remains dissolved in the Cu, applying plastic strain to a cooled beryllium-copper over multiple times in a processing temperature range in which the Be is not precipitated, and holding the beryllium-copper for a predetermined age hardening time in a precipitation temperature range in which the Be is precipitated.

Abstract: The present invention provided a method of manufacturing a duct for a gas turbine engine or the like from sheet metal material; the method comprising the steps of: fabricating a duct from sheet material (10,12,14) including rolling or folding metal sheet along ruled lines to form a ruled surface geometry approximately corresponding to at least part of a desired irregular final duct geometry; welding corresponding rolled or folded parts of the duct skin together and positioning the duct on a heat treatment fixture (30) having a shape corresponding to the said desired irregular duct geometry; the material of the heat treatment fixture having a greater thermal expansion coefficient than the duct material; heating the duct and fixture substantially to a stress relieving temperature of the duct material such that differential thermal expansion of the duct and fixture at the said stress relieving temperature causes the duct to distort and adopt the shape of the exterior surface of the fixture on which the duct is l

Abstract: A rail manufacturing method is provided, in which a billet is hot-rolled into a rail form and the rail is cooled to ambient temperature. The foot part of the rail can be mechanically restrained to improve the straightness of the rail during at least the period of cooling where the surface temperature is between 800° C. and 400° C. In the subsequent cooling process, at least while the surface temperature of the foot of the rail is between 400° C. and 250° C., the rail is kept in an upright state, and cooled naturally without using insulation or accelerated cooling.

Abstract: A method of sizing a cylindrical part following shaping, by plastic deformation, of a metallic material that has maximum structural shrinkage at a maximum-shrinkage temperature between a first temperature and a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature, is disclosed. The method includes placing the part in a shaft furnace, heating the part to the first temperature, lowering and fitting into the part an internal-sizing tool with an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of the part at maximum structural shrinkage, transporting the assembly formed by the part and the sizing tool to a tempering vessel, cooling the part to a temperature below said second temperature, and extracting the internal-sizing tool. The method applies to the manufacture of turbomachine casings.

Abstract: A method for preventing distortion in a flange of a metal part during heat treatment is provided. A method of preventing distortion includes engaging a bottom surface of the flange with a first boltless ring, engaging a top surface of the flange with a second boltless ring, locking the first and second boltless rings into a fixed position relative to each other and relative to the flange, heat treating the part, unlocking the first and second boltless rings from each other, and removing the first and second boltless rings from engagement with the flange.

Abstract: A fixture for preventing distortion in a flange of a part during heat treatment. The fixture includes a first support for engaging a bottom surface of the flange, and a second support for engaging a top surface of the flange. A boltless locking ring locks the first and second supports into a fixed position relative to each other and to the flange during the heat treatment. In a method of preventing distortion, the steps include engaging a bottom surface of the flange with a first boltless ring, engaging a top surface of the flange with a second boltless ring, locking the first and second boltless rings into a fixed position relative to each other and to the flange, heat treating the part, unlocking the first and second rings from each other, and removing the first and second rings from engagement with the flange.

Abstract: A heat treatment operation can be executed, suppressing a wave-shaped deformation at a non heat-treatment region of an article to be heat treated. To an elongated-shaped article to be heat treated to which a raised portion extending in the longitudinal direction is formed, a hardening region, as a heat-treated region defined to extend in a longitudinal direction at a part of the raised portion, and a non-hardening region, as a non-heat-treated region defined to extend in the longitudinal direction at flange portion, and other parts of the raised portion are arranged side by side in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The flange portion is clamped by a first and a second clamp, arranged in the longitudinal direction, and one first clamp is a tight clamp for holding fixedly the flange portion and a plurality of second clamps are loose clamps for clamping loosely the flange portion, allowing the article to be heat treated to be convex on the side of the heated hardening region.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of manufacturing a wire mesh laminate includes wrapping a central core with multiple layers of mesh screen and a barrier layer having a higher melting point than the mesh screen to form a spool assembly. The spool assembly is then surrounded by an outer cover and is heated to sinter or fuse together the layers of mesh screen.

Abstract: A method of forming a vehicle component, particularly an elongated impact beam, having an open section structure, in a manner to provide predetermined strategically strengthened portions, comprising the steps of cold forming unhardened steel into a workpiece having mounting surfaces, selectively fixturing the mounting surfaces, static induction heating the workpiece with lengthwise surface eddy currents on selected portions, followed by quenching of the fixtured heated workpiece to form strengthened portions, and unfixturing the resulting component. Also disclosed is apparatus to accomplish this, and the resulting novel vehicle component.

Abstract: A method of performing a heat treatment on steel rings, in particular for bearings, whereby the outer surface and inner surface of a preheated ring are exposed to different flows of a cooling medium such that the regions of the ring adjacent those surfaces are subjected to different cooling processes. The flow supply of the cooling medium is controlled in such a way that a desired internal stress pattern is obtained in the ring. The cooling medium includes of a combination of liquid and gas. An apparatus for performing a heat treatment on steel rings includes a support means for a ring to be treated; first and second supply means for supplying a spray or mist of a liquid, gas or combination thereof to the outer surface or inner surface of the ring, control means for controlling the supply of the spray or mist is also disclosed.

Abstract: A conventional steel C-channel used as a side rail in a truck frame is strengthened by forming, after heat treating, strengthening lips on the edges of the C-channel flanges while the C-channel is still hot from the final tempering step of the heat treating process. The method obviates the need to use more expensive quenching dies and is advantageously performed immediately after tempering.

Abstract: Process and device for hardening a rail. The process for hardening a rail or part thereof by transforming it from an austenitic structure into a different microstructure that is stable at room temperature comprises aligning, horizontally positioning, and fixing in axial alignment to secure against bending, the rail in its austenitic state; and while keeping the rail fixed in axial alignment and secured against bending, force-cooling the rail or part thereof to allow the austenitic structure to be transformed into said different microstructure. The device for hardening a rail or part thereof by force-cooling comprises a support for supporting the rail; a cooling device for force-cooling the rail or part thereof; and at least two fixing devices for axially aligning and securing the rail against bending during the force-cooling.

Abstract: Hardening is accomplished by heating a longitudinal section of a workpiece such as an odd-shaped bar, and by quenching while constraining the workpiece section in dies. The quenching is executed while the workpiece is pressed in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction by a pressing device which is installed adjacent to the workpiece section constrained in the dies. Warping by quenching can thus be minimized in odd-shaped workpieces, such as an automobile steering rack bar.

Abstract: A method and device for thermal creep-sizing an annular-shaped structure. The creep-sizing device includes a ring member with through-holes present between the inner and outer diametrical boundaries of the ring member, and with through-slots alternatingly extending from each through-hole to either the inner or outer diametrical boundary. In use, the ring member is placed within the annular-shaped structure, and pins are installed in the through-holes in the ring member to cause the outer diametrical boundary of the ring member to diametrically expand. The structure and creep-sizing device are then heated so that the mechanically expanded ring member causes the structure to undergo thermal creep-sizing.

Abstract: A heat treat fixture is provided for supporting thin sheet-like work pieces, such as metal gasket layers, during heat treatment to achieve uniform hardness and properties of the work piece while preventing warpage. The fixture has porous, planar support walls that engage the opposite sides of the work piece. The walls include a coarse porous exoskeleton of expanded metal and an inner liner of wire mesh panels that are considerably finer than the coarse exoskeleton. The porous walls permit liquid heating and cooling media during heat treatment to flow freely through the walls for intimate contact with the work piece to achieve rapid uniform heating and cooling. The work piece is supported by the porous walls against movement out of its plane while being permitted to expand and contract within its plane to minimize warpage.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for temper hardening flat metal products, comprising the following steps:introducing a flat product coming out of the furnace into a temper-hardening bay, depositing this flat product on supporting elements forming a lower substantially horizontal supporting table, causing a sudden cooling of the flat product in the deposited position, by spraying a temper-hardening liquid simultaneously on the whole of its upper surface and on the whole of its lower surface, removing the flat product from the temper-hardening bay, and further, before the sudden cooling, transferring retaining elements forming together a substantially horizontal retaining table to a horizontal retaining plane at a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the flat product and, during the sudden cooling, optionally retaining the flat product on the upper retaining table, within the limits imposed by the said horizontal plane. The invention also discloses a device for implementing this method.

Abstract: A method of straightening a wire rod of titanium or titanium alloy wherein the rod is hot-straightened to a straight rod at the straightening temperature T and elongation .epsilon. satisfying the expression (1) or (2). The method includes hot rolling a titanium billet of .beta. titanium alloy, (.alpha.+.beta.) titanium alloy or a near .alpha. titanium alloy into a wire rod, winding the hot rolled wire rod into a coil, cold drawing the wire rod, cutting the wire rod to obtain a bent wire rod, heating the bent wire rod to a straightening temperature T while both end portions of the bent wire rod are fixed, applying a predetermined elongation .epsilon. to the wire rod, maintaining a straightening temperature T, hot-straightening the wire in accordance with the expression (2).epsilon.(T-400).gtoreq.400 (1).epsilon.(T-500).gtoreq.200 (2)and cooling the wire rod while applying tension. The method is suitable for preparing a straight rod for use in an engine valve.

Abstract: This invention relates to the working of a metallic strip. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of working a length of metallic strip by heat treating under tensile force, to a length of metallic strip and to an apparatus for use in working a length of metallic strip.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the manufacture of a metallic molded structural part (1) for motor vehicle components such as door impact girders or bumpers with areas (2) with a higher ductility in relation to the rest of the structural component part. For this purpose, partial areas (2) of a plate (5) are initially heated to a temperature of 900.degree. C. within a period of less than 30 seconds. Subsequently, the thermal-treated plate (5') is shaped in a pressing tool (7) to form the molded structural part (1) and is heat-treated in the pressing tool (7).

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for induction heat treating, restraint quenching, and straightening an associated carbon steel truck structural member (30), having a web (32) and at least one flange (34) substantially perpendicular thereto, comprises a heat treating apparatus (22) for induction heating and restraint quenching the associated structural member (30). The heat treating apparatus (22) is operatively connected to a cooling conveyor (50). The cooling conveyor (50) is adapted for receiving the associated structural member (30) from the heat treating apparatus (22). A testing apparatus (24) is included for hardness testing the heat treated associated structural member. The testing apparatus (24) is adapted for receiving the associated structural member (30) from the cooling conveyor (52). A conveyor (54) is adapted for receiving the associated structural member (30) from the testing apparatus (24). A roller straightener (26) is operatively connected to the conveyor (54).

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for induction heat treating, restraint quenching, and straightening an associated carbon steel truck structural member (30), having a web (32) and at least one flange (34) substantially perpendicular thereto, comprises a heat treating apparatus (22) for induction heating and restraint quenching the associated structural member (30). The heat treating apparatus (22) is operatively connected to a cooling conveyor (50). The cooling conveyor (50) is adapted for receiving the associated structural member (30) from the heat treating apparatus (22). A testing apparatus (24) is included for hardness testing the heat treated associated structural member. The testing apparatus (24) is adapted for receiving the associated structural member (30) from the cooling conveyor (52). A conveyor (54) is adapted for receiving the associated structural member (30) from the testing apparatus (24). A roller straightener (26) is operatively connected to the conveyor (54).

Abstract: A constrained quenching apparatus is provided for hardening a workpiece such as an asymmetrical bar which has a notable tendency to warping when quenched, without warping the workpiece. The apparatus comprises a set of two or more dies having plural projections provided on the inner side thereof, the projections coinciding with the contour of the workpiece when the dies are closed so that their die faces in contact with one another, and having plural recesses therein defined by the projections. The recesses are provided with one or more cooling liquid blow holes. The apparatus does not exert pressure on the workpiece at the start of the quenching when the workpiece is soft, so the flattening of the hollow workpiece such as a pipe, can be prevented.

Abstract: Disclosed is a constraining apparatus, for constraining cambered leaf spring blanks when they are quenched in an quenching oil in the oil tank of a quenching systems so as to prevent any possible distortion in the directions of the thickness and width of the blanks. The constraining apparatus basically consists of a drive system having a pair of sprockets, a drive shaft for driving the sprockets, a fixed disc and a pair of endless chains extended across the sprockets and the fixed disc, with a plurality of constrainers attached across these chains.