The Future of the Integral Quench Furnace

The heat treat industry is constantly advancing and carburizing is no exception.. Atmosphere gas and low-pressure vacuum carburizing are well known, well-established and distinct processes. However, rarely do these two technologies compete in the same commercial space. Gas carburizing in integral (sealed) oil quench furnaces is the workhorse of the industry while low-pressure carburizing produces the absolute best quality. Combining the best of both methods will result in a more competitive future!

The changing workforce and the demand for global competitiveness in manufacturing (higher quality, repeatability, lower part unit cost, flexibility, predictive maintenance, on-demand operation, sophisticated process control) are the motivating factors behind combining the best of both atmosphere and vacuum carburizing technology into a single piece of equipment whose total cost of ownership makes the technology competitive.

Engineers have been struggling for years to find an alternative to the use of endothermic gas and/or nitrogen-methanol system to create and control a carrier gas atmosphere. The future demands no endothermic gas be used.

After several years of research, a practical solution has emerged, been tested, and equipment deployed, and this paper provides some of the extensive results, features, motivation and plans for the next generation of integral quench furnace.