Abstract: A method for producing partially hardened steel components in which a blank composed of a hardenable sheet steel is subjected to a temperature increase and shaped into a component; the component is transferred to a tool in which the heated component is cooled and thus quench hardened; during the heating of the blank or component in order to achieve the temperature increase to a temperature required for the hardening in regions that are to have a lower hardness and/or higher ductility, cooling elements are spaced apart from the surface by a small gap; the cooling element is dimensioned so that the thermal energy acting on the region that remains ductile flows through the component into the cooling element, characterized in that in order to space the cooling element apart from the component, micro-nubs or knobs are used, which are distributed over the area of the cooling element.

Abstract: Crystallizer for the continuous casting of long metal products such as blooms or billets, of the type cooled by an external cooling jacket, in which, at least in the zone of maximum thermal peak, positioned around the zone of the meniscus or immediately below it, there are means present, made on the walls of the crystallizer, to condition the heat exchange between the walls of the crystallizer and the cast steel. The means to condition the heat exchange comprise concavities or depressions made on the internal wall of the crystallizer, made around the zone of maximum thermal peak, and having a distribution that, in terms of the overall area occupied by them per surface unit, is reduced until it is canceled toward the bottom at a certain distance from said zone of maximum thermal peak.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming longitudinal thermal fatigue cracks. A heating unit has an induction coil disposed adjacent to an outer circumference of one side of a tubular test piece, on an inner surface of which a notch is formed. A cooling unit has a cooling water pump and a cooling water hose which forcibly injects cooling water from a cooling water storage source into an inner circumference of the tubular test piece. A control unit controls operation of the heating and cooling units. A cooling block partially encloses the outer circumference of the tubular test piece so as to control a magnitude of y-axial stress, is supplied with a cooling source of fluid or gas from an outside so as to repetitively cool the tubular test piece heated by the heating unit to adjust a temperature gradient, and has a longitudinal slit for controlling crack positions.

Abstract: A secondary cooling apparatus capable of gradually cooling cast thin pieces and a cast apparatus that uses it are provided. A comb tooth-shaped device is arranged inside a vessel of the secondary cooling apparatus; the cast thin pieces are piled on the comb tooth-shaped device; and crushed small pieces are placed thereon. After the cast thin pieces and the crushed small pieces are gradually cooled, the cast thin pieces are crushed by a pressing device. The crushed small pieces are rapidly cooled by being in contact with a surface of a bottom wall and side faces of cooling teeth. Nd-rich phases or R-rich phases can be annealed by the gradual cooling, and after the crushed small pieces are rapidly cooled to its oxidation temperature or below, the crushed small pieces can be taken out to the air atmosphere.

Abstract: A steel-member manufacturing facility that can suppress distortion occurring in a quenching process while preventing increase in manufacturing cost includes: a die-cutting apparatus to form a washer; a high-frequency induction heating apparatus for quenching purpose as well as a mold-constraining cooling apparatus that heat the washer as formed and thereafter cool the washer so as to quench-harden the washer; and a high-frequency induction heating apparatus for tempering purpose that heats the quench-hardened washer so as to temper the washer. The high-frequency induction heating apparatus for quenching purpose can heat the washer by induction heating to the temperature of at least Ac1 point. The mold-constraining cooling apparatus uses a mold to constrain the heated washer while using the mold as a cooling member, thereby cooling the washer to the temperature of at most Ms point.

Abstract: In order to cool a metal strip (2) which moves in a continuous manner: the strip (2) is pressed onto a main cooling roller (10) so that the strip forms an arc whose inner face delimits, with the outer face of this roller, a contact zone which is suitable for discharging part of the heat of the strip towards the inner side of the roller, the strip (2) is held in contact with the main cooling roller (10) by means of a support roller (14) on the outer face of the strip, which roller is constituted by a resiliently deformable and thermo-capacitive material, and the heat transmitted from the strip (2) to the support roller (14) is discharged using secondary cooling means (16).

Abstract: A device for use when hardening includes fixture parts (1, 4, 6) between which a workpiece is fixed during hardening. The device's fixture parts (1, 4, 6) are three or more so that two or more workpieces are fixed simultaneously in the device.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus efficiently removes an isolated point. A pixel area comprising a matrix area and a line area extending from the matrix area is defined. The matrix area includes a plurality of pixels forming a matrix so that a center pixel which is being processed is located in the center of the matrix. The line area includes a predetermined number of pixels along a scan line in which the center pixel is included so that the predetermined number of pixels extend from the matrix area. The center pixel is subjected to an isolated point removing process by referring to the pixels included in the pixel area.

Abstract: A heat treatment assembly and heat treatment methods are disclosed for producing different microstructures in the bore and rim portions of nickel-based superalloy disks, particularly suited for gas turbine applications. The heat treatment assembly is capable of being removed from the furnace and disassembled to allow rapid fan or oil quenching of the disk. For solutioning heat treatments of the disk, temperatures higher than that of this solvus temperature of the disk are used to produce coarse grains in the rim of each disk so as to give maximum creep and dwell crack resistance at the rim service temperature. At the same time, solution temperature lower than the solvus temperature of the disk are provided to produce fine grain in the bore of the disk so as to give maximum strength and low cycle fatigue resistance.

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: The disclosure is of apparatus for determining the transformation characteristics of a metal alloy by treating the alloy to render it austenitic and then monitoring the isothermal decomposition of the austenite by measuring the magnetic change in the alloy.

Abstract: Apparatus for differentially heat treating a turbine disk of a gas turbine engine so as to produce a dual property superalloy disk. The apparatus enables a process to achieve substantially uniform yet different temperatures in the rim and hub of the disk during heat treatment, so as to attain specific and different properties for the rim and hub. The process includes the steps of heat treating the entire disk to achieve a uniform structure having a fine grain size and fine precipitates. A device for heating the rim of the disk is then disposed at the disk's periphery, such that the rim is maintained at a substantially uniform temperature above the gamma prime solvus temperature of the superalloy so as to dissolve gamma prime precipitates present in the rim and cause grain growth in the rim.

Abstract: A roll cooling table (1) for steel pipes (3) having a group of interlocked castellated water-cooled rolls (5) which are located in a generally downwardly sloping plane at the entry side of the cooling table (1), and being situated adjacent to a sloping skid pan (11) of a kick-off table (6).

Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly quenching substantially flat metal workpieces which have been heated during a heat treatment process is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a substantially flat plate having a plurality of vapor relief apertures therein, a wick element which overlies the plate so that it substantially covers the apertures, and means for supplying a coolant such as water, to the wick element so that the coolant is substantially evenly dispersed therein. The apparatus is operable for urging a heated workpiece into face to face engagement with the wick element to effect intimate contact between the workpiece and the coolant in the wick element. As soon as the workpiece contacts the coolant in the wick element, at least a portion of the coolant is substantially instantaneously vaporized to effect rapid cooling of the workpiece, the vaporized portion of the coolant escaping from the wick element through the relief apertures in the plate so that it does not impede the quenching process.

Abstract: A device for gradient heating of a wire includes a vacuum chamber with a thermostatically regulated base and a means for producing a temperature gradient arranged thereinside. The means for producing a temperature gradient is designed in the form of a metallic cylinder with one end thereof having an electric heater and the other end being attached to the thermostatically regulated base of the vacuum chamber, serving as a cooler. The surface of the metallic cylinder is furnished with transverse grooves intended for locating therein a wire being heated and interconnected by a longitudinal groove intended for passing the wire from one transverse groove into the other.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically heat treating a plurality of elongated articles, wherein only a portion of the articles are subjected to the heat treating operation, the remaining portion thereof being enveloped and prevented from reaching a temperature during the heat treating operation that produces a hardening action thereon. The articles are transferred from a magazine assembly to a pick-up station, wherein the portions thereof that are protected from the heat treating operation are clamped between a jaw assembly, the jaw assembly being elevated to locate the exposed portion of the articles in vertical position within an elevated heating chamber. Thereafter the articles are lowered from the heating chamber to a cooling station and after a predetermined cooling period are deposited on a belt by the jaw assembly for removal to a collection station.