After casting, multi-stage heat treatment is often necessary. For processes such as the T6 heat treatment of aluminum (solution annealing, quenching and ageing) or the hardening of steel, quenching and tempering plants are used. Due to the design consisting of one or more furnaces in combination with a quenching tank or a cooling station, the quenching and tempering process can be carried out manually, semi-automatically or even fully automatically.
In horizontal quenching and tempering plants, the quench tank is positioned in front of the chamber furnace. The charge is transferred horizontally into the furnace by a 2-axis manipulator and, after heat treatment, is removed hot and quenched. As the movement technology in this plant concept is only in the hot furnace chamber for a short time, temperatures of up to 1300 °C are possible.
Drop-bottom furnaces are used for solution annealing and subsequent rapid quenching of aluminum alloys. Especially for thin-walled aluminum components, quenching delay times of only 5 seconds from the start of door opening to complete immersion in the quenching bath can be realized.
The modular design of our systems enables a wide range of design options for the plant and, with appropriate planning, also the possibility of later expansion.
For detailed information, please also see our catalog
Thermal Process Technology.
