How to choose the temperature for vacuum heat treatment furnace?

The selection of temperature for vacuum heat treatment furnace is a complex process that requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors, including the material of the workpiece, technical requirements, service conditions, heat treatment process types (such as annealing, tempering, heat treatment, etc.), as well as the heating capacity and performance of the vacuum furnace. Let’s take a look at the principles and steps for selecting a vacuum heat treatment furnace below!

Commonly used vacuum furnaces (click on the image to view product details)

1. Determine the type of heat treatment process
Firstly, it is necessary to clarify the type of heat treatment process required for the workpiece, as different process types have different temperature requirements. For example:
Annealing: usually used to reduce the hardness of materials, improve plasticity, and facilitate processing. The annealing temperature is generally below the recrystallization temperature of the material.
Tempering: The purpose is to eliminate residual stress inside the quenched workpiece, reduce its brittleness, and improve its plasticity and toughness.
Heat treatment: By heating, insulation, and cooling, the internal microstructure or surface chemical composition of metal materials is changed, thereby endowing or improving their performance.

2. Consider the material and technical requirements of the workpiece
Material type: Different materials have different heat treatment temperature ranges. For example, carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, etc. all have their specific heat treatment temperature ranges.
Technical requirements: Determine the required performance indicators such as hardness, strength, and toughness based on the usage requirements of the workpiece. These indicators will directly affect the selection of heat treatment temperature.

3. Heat treatment specifications for reference materials
For common metal materials, there are usually corresponding heat treatment specifications or standards. These specifications provide detailed parameters such as temperature range, insulation time, and cooling method for different materials under different heat treatment processes. When selecting the heat treatment temperature, one should first refer to these specifications or standards.

4. Consider the heating capacity and performance of vacuum furnaces
Heating temperature range: The heating temperature range of a vacuum furnace is one of its basic performance indicators. When selecting the heat treatment temperature, it should be ensured that the selected temperature is within the heating temperature range of the vacuum furnace.
Temperature uniformity: The temperature uniformity inside the vacuum furnace has a significant impact on the heat treatment effect. A vacuum furnace with good temperature uniformity should be selected to ensure consistent heat treatment effects on all parts of the workpiece.
Heating speed: Heating speed can also affect the heat treatment effect. The appropriate heating speed should be selected based on the material and size of the workpiece.

5. Specific selection steps
Determine the type of heat treatment process: Determine the required type of heat treatment process based on the usage requirements of the workpiece.
Reference Material Heat Treatment Specification: Search and refer to the heat treatment specifications or standards of the corresponding material to determine the preliminary heat treatment temperature range.
Considering the actual situation of the workpiece: Adjust the preliminarily determined heat treatment temperature range based on the material, size, shape, and technical requirements of the workpiece.
Evaluate the performance of the vacuum furnace: Ensure that the selected heat treatment temperature is within the heating temperature range of the vacuum furnace, and consider factors such as temperature uniformity and heating speed.
Develop heat treatment process parameters: Based on the above factors, develop detailed heat treatment process parameters, including heating temperature, insulation time, cooling method, etc.

6. Precautions
When selecting the heat treatment temperature, it is advisable to avoid choosing excessively high temperatures to reduce the deformation and cracking tendency of the workpiece.
For workpieces with complex shapes or large sizes, it may be necessary to use a graded preheating method to reduce temperature stress.
During the heat treatment process, temperature and time should be strictly controlled to ensure consistency and stability of the heat treatment effect.

A vertical graphite vacuum heat treatment furnace with a temperature of up to 2000 ℃ (click on the picture to view product details)

Overall, the selection of temperature for vacuum heat treatment furnaces is a process that comprehensively considers multiple factors. By reasonable selection and control, ideal heat treatment effects can be achieved, improving the performance and service life of the workpiece.Click to learn more Vacuum Furnaces! Or click on online customer service to learn more about product information!