RESOURCES, INSIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

Gas fan quenching is the process of introducing a gas into a vacuum furnace in order to quickly and reliably cool the heat-treated parts at a controlled rate. The types of gases that can be used in this process include: Argon Helium Hydrogen Nitrogen Sometimes, these gases are used in combination to quench parts. At Read more…

Stress relieving and normalizing, two heat treating processes, can be used to improve the quality and reduce the imperfections in iron and steel parts. Stress relieving heat treatment will reduce, or relieve, the internal stresses of parts after fabrication by heating parts to a temperature below their critical point and cooled slowly. After being welded, Read more…

Vacuum tempering is a heat treatment process that is used after an initial hardening process. Parts are placed in vacuum chamber, reheated and cooled based on specific parameters to achieve the following results: Enhance toughness Prevent corrosion Achieve the desired hardness Reduce brittleness Avoid discoloration Achieve a bright and scale-free finish Many parts made of Read more…

Vacuum annealing is a heat treatment process that uses a controlled vacuum environment and heat to alter the properties of metal components. The process is capable of providing a number of desirable results, including: Achieving the desired hardness to make them easier to work and shape Relieving stress to improve longevity and overall performance Preventing Read more…

Vacuum hardening is a heat treatment process for metal components that uses a controlled vacuum or partial pressure, high heat and rapid quenching to improve strength, durability, surface brightness and cleanliness, stability and a variety of other properties. This process is exceptionally suited for metals including tool steel, stainless steel and titanium and is one Read more…

What is Anodizing Dye? Dyes used in the metal anodizing process are used to imbue the substrate of the parts with a range of available colors. Different hues can be created by altering the concentration of the dye, based on the specific needs of the part being anodized. The eventual application of the part will Read more…

Since its initial development in the 1980s, 3D printing has been gaining momentum in the manufacturing industry. Instead of subtracting from a block of raw material or injecting into a mold, a part is created by building the structure layer by layer using a computer file as the “recipe” and raw material typically in the form of a powder, resin, or synthetic filament.

Every year, major coating and finishing shops across North America participate in Products Finishing’s Top Shops program helps finishers identify optimal shopfloor practices and improve business operations and procedures. Based on the Top Shops Benchmarking Survey, Top Shops is much more than awards program. Reports containing a data driven analysis of the shops performance in numerous Read more…