Solution Treatment Furnace

Client

Leading UK metal component manufacturer

Services / Products

• Furnaces
• Mechanical, electrical and control design
• Manufacture and procurement of system elements
• Project management
• Site installation
• Commissioning and certification trials

Background

The project included the turnkey supply of a Solution Heat Treatment Furnace for Aerospace Components.

After forging, components destined for use in the aerospace industry require heat treating to relieve stresses created during forming, and to produce the required metallurgical properties.

To ensure the high quality required for this application, the temperature distribution within any furnace used for this process has to be extremely uniform, and compliant with the requirements of any certifying authority, in this case Rolls-Royce PLC.

Using the concept of a working envelope within the furnace, the required temperature uniformity for this unit was required to be +/-6°C at operating temperatures below 750°C, and +/-10°C at operating temperatures above this; the operating temperature range for the furnace was specified to be 650-1150°C.

Given that the life of the furnace is expected to be long, fuel efficiency was also considered important, in order to minimise operation costs. Consequently, heat recuperation technology and low thermal mass principles were incorporated into the design of the unit.

Scope of Service

Benefits of our work

• Reliable, energy efficient furnace
• Certification compliant for forged aerospace components
• Cost effective operation and competitive in this market sector