In Today鈥檚 Medical Developments magazine, Mike Johnson, Director of Sales at our Western Pennsylvania facility, offers his insight into the medical industry outlook for 2026.

From a vacuum heat treater鈥檚 standpoint, the medical industry outlook for 2026 is extremely promising. All six 麻豆国产精品 locations are seeing strong growth in heat treating demand for medical raw materials and components. To support this momentum, we鈥檙e expanding with a new facility in Connecticut 鈥� strategically located to better serve our growing customer base and strengthen our support for the aerospace, medical, and commercial manufacturing sectors across New England.

As customers accelerate their use of automation, lights-out manufacturing, and robotics, the need for fast, reliable vacuum furnace processing has increased significantly. This rising demand has created ongoing scheduling challenges throughout 2025. In response, we鈥檙e assigning dedicated personnel to oversee medical workloads, adding new vacuum furnaces and clean room capacity, and encouraging customers to qualify alternate 麻豆国产精品 locations when possible to improve turnaround times.

The alloys driving most of our heat treat activity in 2025 include titanium, PH grades such as 17-7, 15-5, and 17-4, as well as 300- and 400-series stainless steels. With these sensitive materials, we鈥檝e seen prime OEMs refine their vacuum thermal cycles, prompting close collaboration with our furnace manufacturing division to ensure full compliance while keeping processing costs efficient.

After customers worked through excess inventories in 2023 and 2024 鈥� largely the result of lingering COVID-era supply chain disruptions 鈥� 2025 finally marked a return to stability and strong, sustained growth for the industry.

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1. My company machines metal parts. We outsource heat treating. My customer requires a Nadcap-accredited supplier for heat treating. How do I find one?

To view the official list of Nadcap-accredited suppliers for heat treating, you must create an account with PRI (Performance Review Institute) and access their database. Practically, you can also search for a heat treat supplier and check for a Nadcap accreditation statement. Nadcap accreditation is a major milestone鈥攊f a supplier has it, they鈥檒l promote it. Be sure to request their 鈥淪cope of Accreditation鈥� document to confirm the specific processes you require are included. With Nadcap, one size does not fit all; prior to the audit, suppliers must declare which materials and processes are covered.

2. I have some 17-4PH parts that were machined in condition H1150M, but the final callout is condition H1025 per AMS2759/3. Can I just age the parts to condition H1025?

Condition H1150M is an overaged condition that produces the lowest mechanical properties of any 17-4PH condition鈥攅ven lower than the annealed (condition A) state. Therefore, directly aging to H1025 will not achieve H1025 properties. Per section 3.3.7 of AMS2759/3, re-solution treating is required prior to aging to H1025. After re-solution treating, the material must be cooled to below 90掳F at a rate of 鈥渁ir cool or faster鈥� before beginning the age cycle. Failure to reach below 90掳F may prevent the required transformation and result in subpar final properties.

3. My customer is an aerospace prime. I am manufacturing a part made from Ti-6Al-4V that requires stress relieving without alpha case. I鈥檝e had bad experiences outsourcing this requirement. What鈥檚 the best way to avoid alpha case?

鈥淎lpha case鈥� is a brittle surface layer of oxygen-enriched alpha titanium formed at elevated temperatures in the presence of oxygen. Even lesser enrichment, short of a full alpha case layer, can be detrimental in service. First and foremost: don鈥檛 stress relieve in air鈥攊t will cause enrichment. Even in vacuum, enrichment may occur depending on furnace conditions. The best approach is to work with a vacuum heat treat supplier that operates an all-metal hot-zone vacuum furnace capable of achieving 5×10鈦烩伓 Torr or lower. At this vacuum level, residual water vapor is sufficiently low to prevent enrichment. Adding new, clean titanium foil to the load also increases titanium surface area, further lowering the risk.

4. I am having issues with distortion from oil quenching intricate 4340 parts processed to AMS2759/2. What can I do?

Consider vacuum heat treating with high-pressure gas quenching to reduce distortion. AMS2759/2 now permits validation of high-pressure gas quenching of 4340 per Appendix A. Review the requirements carefully and coordinate with your vacuum heat treat supplier to ensure compliance. While the process is strict, gas quenching is less severe than oil quenching and may still deliver the required properties with reduced distortion.

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1. What are some of the first steps I should take before sending parts out for vacuum heat treating?

Before vacuum thermal processing, ensuring the parts are free of foreign object debris (FOD) is essential. This includes removing contaminants like manufacturing oils, coolants, and machining residue. It’s also important to communicate whether the coolant used was water-based or oil-based鈥攖his helps your heat treater select the most effective cleaning method.

Many vacuum heat treaters use solvent degreasers for oil-based coolants and hot water/soap-based rinses for water-based coolants. Providing this information up front helps determine how to best prepare your parts for heat treatment.

Bottom line: Failing to address FOD can result in spotting, discoloration, or worse鈥攕urface contamination.

2. You made sure the parts are clean; now, how about the vacuum furnace?

Much like a home oven, vacuum furnaces require periodic cleaning鈥攔eferred to in our world as a 鈥渂ake-out.鈥� This process removes residual FOD or contaminants left from previous runs.

Typical bake-out temperatures:

• Austenitic (300-series) steel grids, fixtures, and baskets: ~2150掳F
• Furnace-only bake-out: ~2300鈥�2400掳F

Reaching these temperatures ensures even entrapped moisture in graphite components is eliminated鈥攃rucial for maintaining a clean process environment.

3. Okay, so the parts are clean and the furnace is clean. Are we ready to run?

Almost! One final but critical step: check the furnace leak rate.

• For most steels, aim for 20 microns/hour or less
• For reactive metals (like titanium), 5 microns/hour or less is ideal

Remember, all vacuum furnaces leak to some degree鈥攑erfection doesn’t exist in commercial heat treating. But keeping leak rates low is key to producing bright, shiny, contamination-free parts.

4. Now for the easy part: the thermal cycle. Right?

Well鈥� not quite!

If you’re using partial pressure gas or backfill gas (nitrogen, argon or helium), you must also monitor the dew point and oxygen content of the process gas. When treating alloys that oxidize easily鈥攅ven small traces of water vapor or oxygen can cause surface issues.

While dew point measures moisture, it does not measure oxygen. Using oxygen sensors alongside dew point monitoring provides a more complete picture of gas purity, ensuring optimal conditions for clean, bright results.

Also, consider the vacuum level:

• For 300/400 series stainless steels or PH alloys, a vacuum in the 10鈦烩伌 Torr range (graphite hot zone) is typically sufficient.
• For titanium or reactive alloys, you鈥檒l need a 10鈦烩伓 Torr vacuum, which usually requires an all-metal (molybdenum) hot zone.

While graphite furnaces are capable, all-molybdenum systems offer superior part cleanliness for highly reactive materials.

Lastly, ensure proper thermocoupling of the load. Use contact thermocouples directly in a part or in a heat sink that represents the maximum cross-section. Poor thermocoupling can lead to a false sense of temperature stability鈥攜ou may think the load is cool, but when the door opens, parts could still be hot enough to oxidize instantly (turning blue).

5. I followed all your recommendations, and the parts are still discolored! Why?

Even with every precaution, discoloration can still occur鈥攁nd it鈥檚 understandably frustrating. But it’s important to distinguish between:

• Discoloration, which is superficial and doesn鈥檛 impact performance
• Surface contamination, which is detrimental, as it alters the surface microstructure

To confirm the difference, consider sending a representative part to a metallography lab. These labs can characterize the near-surface condition, helping you determine next steps鈥攔anging from simple Scotch-Brite cleaning, to a chemical or mechanical etch that removes a few thousandths of material.

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1. What type of furnace do I need?

Atmosphere or air furnaces work well for bar, sheet, or plate materials that will have stock removed afterward. Finished machined components and additive manufactured builds should be done in a vacuum furnace. When choosing a furnace, you must know if the furnace can hold the proper temperature tolerance throughout the run. If parts need to comply with industry and aerospace specifications, the furnace must demonstrate it can maintain 卤10掳F in the furnace work zone envelope.

2. Can I combine varied sizes and thicknesses in the same run?

There鈥檚 no need to run two loads if all can be done in one. AMS2759/3, Table 4 will give you an idea of thickness overlaps. A well-spaced load, not densely packed, will always achieve the best results. I鈥檝e personally heard of bars being aged in their received bundles, which predictably causes a wide range of hardness variations. This is a clear sign of over and under-aging conditions, with the inside not getting hot enough and the outside exposed to heat for too long.

3. Everything went well with the aging cycle, but the hardness levels are nonconforming.

We operate at risk when we only complete the age harden of PH alloys. We must assume the upstream solution treatment (typically done at the mill) was performed accurately. This includes making sure the PH grade is cooled to below a specific temperature before the age harden. I assume the furnace was loaded (not densely packed), calibrated, surveyed, and thermocoupled correctly. When diagnosing a problem like this, you must take a piece, solution treat, and age it. If the hardness falls within the specified requirement, improper solution treatment was the root cause.

4. My customer is asking for H900, which develops a 40-47 HRC. However, my customer wants 40-43 maximum HRC.

We鈥檝e seen these types of requests for HRC ranges that have only one or two points. In many cases, you must explain what鈥檚 feasible. PH Stainless grades usually have wider hardness ranges because there鈥檚 variability in chemistry and/or the response to the age harden. Plus, many specifications don鈥檛 allow you to deviate on the initial age harden cycle. H900 requires 900 卤10掳F for 1 hour +15 minutes -0 minutes. That鈥檚 it. That鈥檚 where you must start. From our experience, this cycle typically develops a 44-46 HRC, so now you鈥檙e anywhere from 1HRC to 2HRC over the maximum.

If hardness exceeds the maximum specified, you can re-age at the same temperature (recommended) or even go 10掳F higher to reduce the hardness by a point or two. But re-aging may cause the hardness to fall below 40HRC, resulting in a re-solution anneal and starting all over again.

5. Will my finished parts distort? Is there any concern about size change or distortion in raw bar stock?

People use PH grades because they believe they don鈥檛 move dimensionally. Not true. They distort minimally when compared to other quench and tempered alloys. Major steel mills have literature with predictable size contraction based on the age harden or H COND. Distortion, however, is very unpredictable, especially for parts made from hardened bars. In these situations, AMS2759/11 also discusses stress relieving of PH alloys 100掳F below the final age temperature. I鈥檝e seen this minimize distortion and heard of less movement of the parts, especially in elevated temperature applications.

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1: When I send my 17-4PH parts out for vacuum age hardening they are returned with discoloration. Isn鈥檛 the purpose of vacuum heat treating to eliminate that?

It is not uncommon for 17-4PH and similar alloys (15-5PH, 13-8MO etc.) to exhibit some discoloration even after being processed in a vacuum furnace. 17-4PH is precipitation age hardened at a low temperature, between 900掳F-1150掳F, where even a relatively low residual of water vapor in the vacuum furnace may produce a slight Chromium oxide during the cycle. This is commonly called 鈥渉eat tint鈥�. Discoloration may also be caused by inadequate cleaning.

2: I have some 17-4PH parts with heat tint and my customer will not accept them as-is. What do I do?

Consider glass bead blasting if acceptable to your customer. If glass bead blasting is not acceptable, parts could potentially be solution treated and re-aged. The solution heat treatment temperature is 1900掳F. When vacuum is used, this temperature is in the range of Chromium oxide reduction. It is recommended to utilize a partial pressure with Argon to prevent the vaporization of the copper that exists in 17-4PH (not a concern at age hardening temperatures). A challenge is 17-4PH must be cooled below 90掳F after solution treatment (Ms finish) and this is generally not possible to achieve without removing the parts from the furnace, thereby reintroducing new water vapor between solution and age. There is a risk of size change or distortion from this process, and it should be avoided if possible.

3: What is the best way to reduce the risk of heat tint when vacuum age hardening 17-4PH?

The best way to avoid heat tint is to utilize an all-metal hot-zone vacuum furnace that will achieve a very low vacuum level, around 5×10^-6 Torr. In this case, the residual water vapor level will be so low heat tint should not be observed.

4: I currently only have access to a graphite-insulated vacuum furnace, what can I do to avoid heat tint during age hardening?

If the vacuum furnace hot-zone is graphite-insulated (the most common type of vacuum furnace), parts may be shielded with stainless steel or titanium foil. This is generally effective however it increases the total processing time (and cost) since parts are shielded from the energy in the furnace. Foil is not inexpensive and further increases cost. Foil is also a safety hazard; the edges are sharp and one wrong move can cause deep cuts to skin.

5: Is gas purity, dewpoint, and leak rate of the vacuum furnace a consideration in avoiding heat tint?

Yes! Process gas should have no more than about 10PPM of residual oxygen and a dewpoint below about -80掳F. If the gas isn鈥檛 clean and dry, everything else will have been in vain. This is usually monitored at the point furthest from the supply to detect any leaks in the overall system. The vacuum furnace should also have a very low leak rate, normally about 10 microns per hour or less. At that rate, assuming the rise is linear (which it will not be, it slows down as the Delta P decreases) it would take nearly 9 years for the furnace to leak up to atmospheric pressure.

For more information: 听Vacuum Age Hardening

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1. Why would I want to use vacuum oil quench (VOQ) instead of a high-pressure gas quench (HPGQ)?

Good question. We all understand a high-pressure gas quench is often better for dimensional stability and guaranteed bright and shiny parts. Unfortunately, HPGQ is no match for the cooling rate of conventional liquid quenchants (water, oil, polymer, salt) when it comes to certain alloys and large cross-sectional thicknesses. Sometimes the part is just too big to effectively cool with a gas, no matter the pressure.

Another limiting factor to be considered when choosing a quench medium is the customer specification itself. For example, AMS2759 / 1 does not allow HPGQ of 4130, 4140 or 4340 steel. These alloy steel grades are frequently used to make various aircraft parts. The requirements are very clear, only oil/polymer shall be used. When you add other requirements for things like surface finish, surface contamination and distortion control, VOQ is the only option.

2. Does VOQ minimize distortion vs. traditional quench and temper processes?

Yes. Keep in mind that a VOQ furnace, really all vacuum furnaces, are loaded at room temperature to avoid any initial thermal shock. Second, vacuum furnace loads are heated uniformly via radiant heating around the part, limiting temperature variation during the ramp. These factors have proven to minimize distortion over traditional practices. Then there鈥檚 the transfer mechanism from the vacuum furnace chamber to the oil quench tank itself. With transfer times of less than 30 seconds, you do not have to worry about areas of the furnace load beginning to cool excessively before it hits the oil. Plus, there鈥檚 oil quench itself. Oil is the Goldilocks quenchant for steel. Not too fast resulting in excessive distortion or quench cracking but also not too slow for incomplete hardenability.

3. Do I still have to worry about decarburization or oxidation in a VOQ furnace?

The hardening in a VOQ furnace is done after pumping the furnace down to less than 100 microns. We have examined bolts, nuts, landing gear, pistons and everything in between with no measurable layer of decarburization. There鈥檚 no discernable surface contamination period. At elevated temperatures, the source of most surface contamination in non-ferrous and ferrous alloys is the air we breathe. By holding a 100 micron or lower vacuum chamber pressure, we can remove the oxygen to eliminate any risk of oxidation or decarburization. Also, without any oxygen, there鈥檚 no risk of combustion meaning no flames during the quench. It is a much safer process.

4. What鈥檚 the transfer time from the furnace chamber to the oil tank?

The transfer time from the vacuum chamber to the oil quench vestibule is anywhere from 20 to 45 seconds depending on how the transfer mechanism is set. Because the entire process is fully automated, load thermocoupled and video recorded there is no variation from load to load. And because it is so fast, there is no risk of excessive temperature loss before the furnace load hits the oil. Which, as we already discussed, helps ensure quench uniformity and minimize distortion.

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5. I have a Prime specification that calls out different oil temperatures. Can the oil temperature be changed? What about Martempering?

The VOQ can utilize different types of quench oil. Solar uses a medium speed quench oil with a preferred operating temperature of between 120掳F and 160掳F. With an external oil heater, the oil temperature can be adjusted as needed to meet the required quenchant temperature. So, if you switch out a standard quench oil for a marquench fluid, then you could very easily convert it to a vacuum marquench furnace.

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1. I have a requirement for magnetic annealing, what is the purpose of this process?

Magnetic annealing is performed to increase the magnetic permeability of certain materials. The annealing process removes residual strain from the manufacturing process and recrystallizes the material. This maximizes the metal鈥檚 properties as an effective magnetic shield, or to ensure the material will magnetize easily (low coercivity) then demagnetize easily (low remanence) in a magnetic solenoid device.

2. Do I perform the magnetic annealing process before or after machining operations? I would like to anneal the raw material then machine afterwards for ease of manufacturing.

Since one of the main reasons of the magnetic annealing process is to reduce strain from the manufacturing process, optimum properties are always achieved after all other manufacturing processes take place. Challenges are then encountered in the fixturing of components during annealing due to finished surfaces being present. Challenges may also be present during post-anneal handling and packaging/shipping. This is due to the material鈥檚 loss of relative strength and increased ductility. Choose a heat-treat supplier that is versed in magnetic annealing and they will be able to partner with you to solve these challenges and mitigate the inherent risks.

3. What is the ideal type of furnace for magnetic annealing?

Historically a hydrogen atmosphere furnace was preferred for magnetic annealing. This method prevents surface oxidation that would need to be mechanically removed prior to service. A hydrogen atmosphere is also reducing and can improve the material鈥檚 properties by degassing certain undesirable residual elements from the base metal. Of course, hydrogen is very reactive and there are considerable safety concerns with this type of furnace/method. In modern manufacturing scenarios a vacuum furnace utilizing a hydrogen partial pressure is widely chosen as it is safer than a full hydrogen atmosphere, prevents surface oxidation, and is an effective reducing atmosphere.

4. I just received my parts back from magnetic annealing and the parts have a crystalline appearance. Should I be concerned?

No, this is what you want to see! This appearance means the parts are 鈥渢hermally etched鈥� and the strain that occurred at the grain boundaries during the manufacturing process is effectively relieved. This also means the atmosphere controls that were in place during the annealing process proved to be correct and effective. This appearance is not always evident based on the alloy and required annealing process, however, in this case it is an indicator of a quality magnetic annealing process.

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1. My parts have been laser printed. Is cleanliness still a concern?

Generally, laser printed parts are free of oils and coolants that haunt traditional manufacturing practices. However, we have seen build plates with contamination (especially large ones with lifting holes) that have been resurfaced via conventional machining. Often these post-AM geometries hold residual oils and debris. These materials, if not removed, can discolor, and contaminate your build. Also, you should consider extraneous powder inside the build itself. You would be surprised at how much powder comes out of a complex build by just blowing it off with 80 PSI of air. While these powder particles may not affect the integrity of the build, they may end up deposited on your furnace shielding and heating elements. Expect to replace parts should this happen to your furnace.

2. To keep my build bright and clean, what vacuum levels should be achieved when stress relieving, annealing or aging?

Great question, but don鈥檛 stop there! Many of the new additive AMS specifications are providing guidance on vacuum levels that should be maintained (i.e., 1×10^-4 Torr or lower or less than 5×10^-5 Torr) during processing. These vacuum levels, in a clean, baked out furnace with clean fixturing, should be relatively easy to achieve and maintain. The bigger question is, do you know how to perform a proper leak rate in your furnace? Limiting leak rates to 5 or 10 microns/Hg per hour is very important when processing many titanium alloys, PH grades and all Zirconium / Niobium alloys.

3. How do I ensure proper temperature on my AM part?

We all know that we should use calibrated / surveyed furnaces along with contact work thermocouples (Work T/C鈥檚). If the Work T/C鈥檚 cannot be placed into the part, they should be placed into a representative cross-sectional thickness block of the same alloy. However, in many cases the placement of Work T/C鈥檚 in AM parts is different. Consider .250鈥� thick printed parts on a 12鈥� sq. build plate that is 3鈥� or 4鈥� thick. Just placing a Work T/C into the thickest section of your build plate will not work. These build plates act as a heat sinks and will prevent the printed parts from reaching the required temperature for the full amount of time specified. In addition, nothing is worse than pulling your AM parts out of the furnace only to watch it all turn blue right before your eyes because the build plate is still over 500掳F! Consider placing a Work T/C in the thickest portion of the build block for reference, you may be surprised what you see.

4. My furnace is clean, parts are clean, what else should be considered?

I hate to say it, but it doesn鈥檛 stop there. Not only should you know the purity and dew point of your process gasses (nitrogen, argon, helium and hydrogen), but oxygen levels should also be checked. The furnace can be tight, clean, and hold a deep vacuum for the duration of the run but then be ruined by cooling the load with contaminated process gas. Solar has written extensively on process gas purity and how to properly monitor gas quality. Reach out to us to discuss in more detail. You should be able trust your gas certification. But it鈥檚 never a bad idea to verify.

5. My build contains many different cross-sectional thicknesses / geometries. How can I minimize distortion?

No doubt that AM is exploring geometries that could never be achieved by traditional machining. Some of these builds will never uniformly heat or cool and that can contribute to distortion. Solar has a good video outlining steps to minimize distortion by stress relieving. The video specifically discusses heating ramp rates, cooling rates and thermocouple differentials. We recommend you start there and see if those variables can fix the problem. Recently we had an extremely complex build with an indescribable configuration. Even with a picture you couldn鈥檛 fully appreciate the configuration complexity. Let鈥檚 just say it went from 1鈥� thick from the build plate to .090鈥� thick then back to 1鈥� thick. Plus, along the build height, there were holes, vents, pockets, large voids, etc. It was scrap waiting to happen! We convinced the customer to print a 3D clam shell (two halves) to place around the part to assist in uniform heating and cooling. Sometimes complex geometries require prior dialog and a willingness to take reasonable risks.

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1. I want to join 304 stainless steel to copper, can I utilize vacuum brazing for this?

Yes. 304 stainless steel may be effectively vacuum brazed to copper using various braze filler metal (BFM) types and chemistries. Filler metals based on gold, silver, and nickel can work. Careful attention must be given to the joint configuration since copper expands slightly more than 304 stainless steel. The copper will be very low in strength afterwards, so it may yield to match the size of the stainless steel without notable distortion.

2. My parts must be fit for cryogenic service, will the braze joint survive that?

Brazed assemblies are routinely placed into service as low as 4掳K. As always, there are design considerations and limitations, however gold and silver-based filler metals are commonly utilized in this kind of application.

3. I have a very complicated assembly and do not believe it can be brazed all at once. Plus, I need to inspect some joints that would be impossible to inspect if I brazed all at once. Are there options to braze an assembly in multiple braze cycles?

Yes! An expert braze supplier can help organize a multi-step brazing process. Consideration must be given to the base materials and BFMs so that the original braze joints do not remelt during subsequent braze cycles. Typically, the first cycle runs hotter than a subsequent cycle and with a BFM that will not remelt during a subsequent cycle. Sometimes the BFM is so active in diffusing a constituent into the base material(s) that returning to the same temperature may not cause a remelt situation. Multi-step brazing can be a convenient and effective tool in the manufacturing of high value medical components.

4. I am having issues with small diameter tubing becoming blocked during the brazing process. How can I prevent this from happening?

This problem can be a challenge, but it can be solved! There are numerous methods that may be employed to prevent it, the most effective is using just the right amount of BFM. If the joint is small and the area is low, it may be surprising just how little BFM is needed to effectively braze the joint. Calculate the cubic area of the joint and try using only slightly more BFM than the calculated area. A joint design prone to blockage is a counterbore receptacle with the same ID as the tubing. This allows the BFM to travel right to the tubing ID by capillary action. Use a space at the end of the tube to create a break in the capillary action or design the joint so the tubing may protrude slightly beyond the joint area. These methods create a more difficult path for the BFM to travel to the tube end and will reduce the risk of blockage. Using just the right amount of BFM and creating a difficult path to the tube end is a recipe for success.

5. My customer wants a big braze fillet similar to a weld fillet. Is that the right approach?

This subject arises from time-to-time, and the reason must be questioned. Unlike a weld fillet, which creates strength in the joint, a big fillet in brazing adds nothing to the strength of the joint and wastes BFM, and it actually can be detrimental. It鈥檚 what is on the inside that counts. In fact, certain BFMs can be brittle in a large fillet due to a concentration of undiffused low-melt constituent. In this case, the fillet could crack under even mild fatigue and propagate into a catastrophic failure. In brazing, a slight continuous witness of the BFM at the joint interface is typically the most appropriate visual inspection criteria.

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1) What are typical temperatures for creep flattening titanium parts?

Almost all the titanium products are creep flattened above 1,000掳F. I would say creep flattening is usually performed between 1,250掳F 鈥� 1,350掳F but it鈥檚 alloy dependent. Temperatures and hold times will vary with composition. Typically, a two hour hold at temperature using work thermocouples is sufficient.

2) Can correcting or creep flattening titanium only be done in vacuum?

I wish, but no. We also do some jobs in our air atmosphere furnaces, but this is typically reserved for parts that have ample stock on them, such as rough machined parts, plates, blanks. Air furnaces allow customers some savings, but there must be enough stock to remove any surface contamination. For finished parts, it鈥檚 a different story. You need to bake out the vacuum furnace at 2,400掳F prior to the run and ensure vacuum levels remain in the 10^-5听Torr scale. Otherwise, you will see surface oxidation and the dreaded alpha case. Don鈥檛 forget to bake out the fixturing at a minimum of 150掳F higher than the creep flatting temperature.

3) What type of fixturing should I consider when creep flattening? Can I also creep a shape or detail into the titanium?

I like graphite tooling to flatten or even develop a shape or detail into titanium parts. We know metals expand and contract during the thermal process. Graphite allows these materials to move in the desired direction with little friction. Plus, it prevents movement along dimensional axes that must be held constant. We鈥檝e successfully used metallic fixtures in the past, but graphite is my go-to.

4) My titanium part is moving during machining, can creep flattening help?

Yes! This is very common. We perform in-process stress relieving to minimize movement typically seen during machining. Because creep flattening and stress relieving are often done at the same temperature, we can relieve the stress in a part while forming it back to the required shape for final machining. A lot of work takes place in the background to accomplish this, but it can be done successfully.

5) Will reheating titanium above 1,000掳F affect my material certification?

Give your heat treater your material certifications. Many mills will certify to aerospace material specification AMS 2801, AMS 4905, AMS 4911, AMS-H-81200, etc. The material often can be re-annealed while simultaneously creep flattening. Know the specification and/or the original mill anneal parameters beforehand. Then you can work within required temperature ranges while creep flattening or shaping titanium parts. Also keep in mind, when stress relieving or creep flattening in deep vacuum, you鈥檙e extracting hydrogen at the same time for free. Stress-relieving, shaping, degassing – there is a great deal of value added with creep flattening in a vacuum furnace.

For more information:听/vacuum-heat-treating/vacuum-creep-forming

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