Whether you're in the business of fabrication or oversee metallurgy operations, here are some of the conventional treatments used in fabrication that you should know. Every entrepreneur or industrial heaters manufacturers must be aware of these treatments. Understanding the fundamentals of these systems can help you make the right choice. Before diving into the different types of treatments, however, it's essential to understand the basics of heat treatments.

What Is Heat Treatment?

Heat treating is a group of metalworking processes used to change the physical and chemical properties of a material. It entails the use of heating or chilling to extreme temperatures to achieve the desired results - hardening or softening of a material. The most common types of heat treatments are Annealing, Normalizing, Quenching, Tempering, and Hardening. Now, that we understand the heat treatment process, let's understand types of the heat treatment process.

Types Of Heat Treatment

Annealing

This process refines and makes the material more comfortable to work with. Metals are heated to a specified temperature for an extended period and then undergo cooling. Depending on the material, the cooling process can be fast or slow.

Normalizing
The process to achieve consistent grain size and composition throughout an alloy is called normalizing. This technique is frequently used on ferrous alloys. After normalizing, the metal cools in the open air. This process induces the production of martensite, pearlite and bainite; products that make steel malleable.

Quenching

The process of quenching involves cooling a metal at swiftly. Nitrogen gas is commonly used for this process, though sometimes even liquids and oils can be utilized. The impact of this process varies from alloy to alloy. Non-ferrous alloys become softer, and ferrous alloys harden when they undergo this process.

Tempering

Tempering releases the stress built up in material during the quenching processes. The metal is reheated at a low temperature, to attain a desirable combination of strength, hardness and durability. The time and temperature of tempering are highly controlled.

Hardening

Hardening is a process meant to increase the durability of metal. During this process, the metal heats above the critical transformation temperature. Later it is cooled using quenching. Often hardening is followed by tempering to release stress.

As an entrepreneur who oversees the metallurgical sector, these are the conventional treatments used in fabrication, you must know. With the right understanding of these treatments and the heat treatment process, you are equipped to make the right decisions.