Rychlá a efektivní optimalizace procesů tepelného zpracování pomocí softwaru HTO

Šuchmann Pavel - COMTES FHT a.s. (Czech Republic)

Co-authors: U.Diekmann, J.Prehm

Heat treatment, particularly that of large tools and machine parts, always requires optimum heating and cooling rates in order to avoid cracking and distortion. On the other hand, the process should produce the desired final microstructure and properties at reasonable costs. The essential point is to minimize the temperature difference between the hottest and the coldest point in each part during the entire process. For this purpose, thermocouples can be used in many cases. Several types of large tools (typically injection molds) are even provided with holes for measuring temperature curves in the center of the tool’s cross section. However, in many tools and machine parts, temperature measurement below the surface is not possible. In such cases, heat treaters usually apply a conservative heating and cooling strategy with quite moderate temperature gradients. Another option is to use FEM simulation tools for calculating the optimum heat treatment approach. Such calculations usually involve high costs and computation times. The FEM-based HTO (Heat Treatment Optimizer) software tool which is being developed by Metatech GmbH makes it possible to perform calculations of optimum heating and cooling rates very quickly and easily. Users are not expected to have any knowledge of FEM. The only user-defined inputs are the geometry of the part (e.g. a step file), the steel grade and the heating/cooling rate to be applied. HTO calculates the highest and lowest temperature of the part for the entire process duration within a short time (typically less than 3 minutes). The present article describes several examples of calculations made using HTO and their verification on real parts with measurement by thermocouples.

Zpět na výpis příspěvků