Solving critical heat treatment challenges with practical process modeling

Heat treaters are encountering an ever-increasing need for practical process design and troubleshooting methods to effectively address quality, cost and production time requirements for thermal treatment of steel parts. Over the last two decades, substantial advances have been made in heat treatment process modeling, now permitting user-friendly and robust means for process engineers, designers, and other heat treatment technical professionals to readily apply advanced modeling technology to address complex, "real-life" heat treatment challenges. DANTE modeling software has now been implemented for ready application to carburizing and hardening processes with the consideration of phase transformation, following the process parameters input from heat treaters. This paper highlights a user-friendly and advanced modeling tool now available for solving practical heat treatment challenges. Several case studies using DANTE will cover induction hardening, press quenching and plug quenching, and low pressure carburizing. Also shown are the important benefits received from this technology, including minimization of the costly "trial and error" approach to troubleshooting, and evaluating the effect of process parameters on part quality.