Vacuum Heat Treating Services for the Aerospace Industry

Jones Metal’s vacuum heat treating services are high-quality, reliable and an efficient solution for a variety of industries and applications. Metal parts used in the aerospace industry, like aircraft engines, chassis covers and nose cones, can be difficult to form and experience high temperatures and extreme stress during application. One example is the swirl cup, which is where fuel is injected into a jet engine’s combustion chamber.

Metal parts in these high-stress aerospace applications, like the swirl cup, can benefit from vacuum heat treating services. In vacuum heat treatment, metals are heated and then cooled in an oxygen-free, computer-controlled environment to change the metal’s physical properties without altering shape. This helps harden, soften or stress-relieve metals. For example, difficult-to-form parts commonly used in aerospace applications, like the uniquely-shaped swirl cup, may require several operations to achieve the final result. Vacuum heat treating services provide an extreme benefit here because the process can soften parts for further forming. Vacuum heat treatment can also strengthen parts to withstand high-stress applications.

Many types of metals respond well to vacuum heat treatment services – steel, brass, bronze and super alloys. To begin the process, the metals are heat-treated in a vacuum chamber, from which all oxygen has been removed. Oxygen can react with metals in varying ways depending on the material, and while reactions can be minimal at room temperature, they are multiplied when combined with heat. Eliminating oxygen from the chamber prevents heat transfer through convection and mitigates the threat of contamination.

Once oxygen is removed, the chamber initially heats to up to a controlled 2400 degrees Fahrenheit before the temperature is lowered. The “soak” time usually depends on the part and the type of metal being treated, but the entire process typically takes between three and 24 hours. The lack of gases in the vacuum chamber prevents the parts from becoming discolored or oxidized and finished parts require no cleaning or polishing.

Vacuum heat treatment services are a great choice for the aerospace industry, as parts emerge from the chamber ready for further forming, without any blemishes, oxidation or discoloration, and without the need for additional cleaning.

To learn more about vacuum heat treating services from Jones Metal, call us at 740-545-6381.

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