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Vacuum Heat Treatment

To obtain a perfect control of the thermal performance of its furnaces, ECM manufactures its own molybdenum resistors. This allows furnaces to have excellent repeatability of processes, a mastery of temperatures and the best treatment quality.

All furnaces manufactured by ECM Technologies respond to strict quality standards. Moreover, additional certifications such as the AMS2750 for aeronautics, CQI9 for automotive are available, and a high level of automation can be reached thanks to ECM Technologies’ in-house robotics department.

While not an exhaustive list, here are some common parts that undergo vacuum heat treating:

  • Gears: heat treated to improve their wear resistance and strength, ensuring they can withstand the stresses of operation
  • Shafts: heat treated to increase their strength and wear resistance, especially those used in machinery and automotive applications
  • Springs: heat treated to improve their elasticity and durability
  • Tooling: Various types of tools (drills, saw blades, cutting tools, dies,...) are heat treated to enhance their hardness and wear resistance
  • Fasteners: Components like bolts, nuts, screws, and studs are heat treated to increase their strength and toughness
  • Bearings: Heat treated to enhance hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength
  • Valve components: Components (stems and seats) are heat treated to improve wear resistance and corrosion resistance
  • Pistons: Commonly heat treated to improve hardness and wear resistance
  • Crankshafts: Heat treated to increase strength, toughness, and wear resistance
  • Connecting rods: Connecting rods in engines are heat treated to improve strength and fatigue resistance
  • Axles: heat treated to increase strength and durability
  • Chains: Chains used in various applications (industrial machinery and vehicles) are heat treated to enhance strength and wear resistance
  • Firearms components: Parts of firearms (barrels, bolts, and receivers,...) are heat treated to improve strength and durability
  • Cutlery: Knives, scissors, and other cutting tools are commonly heat treated to achieve desired hardness and edge retention
  • Surgical instruments: Instruments used in surgeries are heat treated to ensure necessary strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance

It's important to note that the specific heat treatment process and parameters can vary depending on the material composition, desired properties, and intended application of the metallic part.

Low pressure carburizing (LPC), also known as vacuum carburizing or vacuum case hardening is achieved under vacuum, in a vacuum furnace. ECM Technologies’ ICBP® low pressure carburizing installations use the Infracarb® patented process. Infracarb® consists in an alternation of enrichment phases and diffusion phases (C2H2 hydrocarbon and a neutral gas N2 for diffusion). The number and the length of the phases depend on the targeted carburizing depth.

  • Gears: enhance durability and lifespan
  • Bearings: extend operational life and reliability
  • Shafts: especially in critical load-bearing applications
  • Dies and Molds: (for metal forming and injection molding processes) prolong service life and maintain dimensional accuracy
  • Sprockets and Chains: reduce friction and increase durability
  • Valve Components: extend service life under harsh operating conditions
  • Camshafts: ensure precise and reliable valve timing and operation over extended periods
  • Crankshafts: reduce the risk of fatigue failure and enhancing durability
  • Transmission Components: (gears, shafts, and synchronizer rings,…) ensure smooth and reliable operation
  • Piston Rings: reduce friction and enhance engine efficiency and longevity
  • Turbine Components: ensure efficient power generation and extended service life

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Low pressure carbonitriding (LPCN) is a thermo-chemical surface treatment in which Nitrogen – obtained from ammonia NH3 dissociation – interacts with carbon during three phases. In low pressure, the efficiency of introducing nitrogen in the materials is proved when ammonia is introduced into the combustion chamber during certain stages of intermediate and final diffusion.

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Induction furnaces offer the possibility to carry out complex processes at high temperatures (up tp 3000°C), with a rapid rise in temperature (30°C/s). ECM induction melting solutions are dedicated to the elaboration of materials and more especially, to materials with strong added value.

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ECM vacuum tempering furnaces are used for high-speed and alloy steels to produce a scale-free finish. Tempering is almost always required after hardening to reduce the hardness (and brittleness) of the treated material to a desirable level - both in an atmosphere and vacuum furnace.

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