Importance of Thermal Profiling System for Bearing Manufacturing Process

Importance of Thermal Profiling System for Bearing Manufacturing Process

Bearing Steel Heat Treatment: In the process of heat treating bearing steels, maintaining precise temperature control is crucial at every stage to achieve the desired structural changes. To accomplish this, the steel undergoes a series of steps in a furnace, with the help of a thermal profiling system to ensure accuracy and uniformity.

The journey begins by heating the steel to a high temperature, typically ranging between 800°C and 1000°C. This is where the thermal profiling system comes into play. Throughout the heating process, the temperature sensors continuously monitor the temperature, providing real-time data for precise control and uniformity. By accurately measuring the temperature, metallurgists can ensure that the steel reaches the required temperature for the transformation from pearlite to austenite.

Fig:Thermal Barrier Box installed in cage for heat treatment process

Once the desired temperature is achieved, the steel enters the critical phase of rapid cooling, known as quenching. Even during this stage, the thermal profiling system remains active, monitoring the temperature to ensure that the steel undergoes the necessary transformation from austenite to martensite. Precise control of the cooling rate is essential to achieve the desired hardness and prevent the formation of excessive retained austenite.

Fig:Thermocouple attached to various point in the cage for TUS

By employing a dependable thermal profiling system, the heat treatment process is carried out accurately and consistently. This system enables the necessary control and monitoring of temperatures, minimizing issues related to dimensional stability caused by metallurgical growth. Ultimately, the reliability and performance of high-quality bearings are guaranteed.

Fig: Bearing sample loaded into the cage with thermal profiling system.

Fig.: Thermocouple mounted at different location

Monitoring and Recording Temperature Data:

For instance, the temperature within the furnace rises continuously over time throughout the heating phase until it reaches 800°C to 1000°C. The temperature curve, however, can show that some parts of the furnace are hotter or cooler than others, requiring adjustments to ensure that the furnace's temperature is uniform. In a similar manner, the temperature is held at 850°C for the required 2 hours during the holding phase to guarantee that the bearings are heated evenly and consistently. The temperature of the bearings rapidly declines when they are quenched in either a salt or oil bath during the quenching step, ensuring that they cool fast and uniformly and tempered to increase ductility.

Fig.: Mesh belt furnace used for heat treatment process

Fig.: Schematic of inside of furnace

Analysis of Temperature Curves:

The performance of the heat treatment process may be understood and any possible problems that might affect the quality of the bearings can be found by examining the temperature curves produced by the thermal profiling system. Using the temperature curve data, manufacturers can refine their procedures to get the desired effects.

Fig: Graph generated by a SmarTrack 10 for a Gas fired tube burner Belt furnace

For bearing manufacturers who want to make sure that their products have the finest quality and consistency, the implementation of a thermal profiling system is important. Manufacturers may create high-quality, dependable bearings that satisfy the requirements of their intended applications with the use of a thermal profiling system.

Fig: Sample bearing cage before and After Heat Treatment process

Fig. Thermal Barrier box after heat treatment process at 850°C.

Solution Provided by Tempsens:

SmarTrack Software comes with a Thermal Profiling System, SmarTrack 10 Data logger, and "K" type standard thermocouples. The entire system will help in temperature data recording and monitoring. For each stage, choose on desired temperatures and time frames. Keep track of the temperatures that the thermal profiling equipment recorded throughout the heating, holding, quenching, and tempering processes. Find any variances or departures from the desired temperature profiles using the temperature curves the system has created. Put control mechanisms in place to modify the process's parameters and guarantee even and consistent heating, cooling, and tempering.

Dimension of the evaporative barrier box is 450 mm * 300 mm * 175 mm.

Fig.: Temperature/Time Characteristics for the Evaporative Barrier Box

Analyse the thermal profiling system's temperature curves and data to discover areas for process improvement. Use the insights provided from temperature data analysis to fine-tune the heat treatment process, improve efficiency, and improve the quality and uniformity of the bearings. After the heat treatment procedure, you should routinely check and test the bearings to evaluate their dimensional stability, hardness, and general quality. Make sure the heat treatment procedure conformed to the necessary standards and demands as directed by the thermal profiling system.

Bearing manufacturers may maintain exact temperature control, achieve the appropriate structural changes, and create high-quality bearings with constant performance and dimensional stability by using a dependable thermal profiling system.

Fig.: Software Interface for data logger setup.

Fig.: Software Interface for exporting data/graph

After the procedure is completed, the data from the data logger can be downloaded and converted into useful data using TEMPSENS' SmarTrack Software. After monitoring and statistically analysing the data, one can make rapid and precise decisions to correct difficulties with the heat treatment process, improving quality and productivity. A simplified data logging technique can be used to retrieve data in graphical mode, numerical data, and report formats.

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