EP0955384A2 - Procédé de trempe à gaz de pièces à usiner et installation de traitement thermique pour la mise en oeuvre de ce procédé - Google Patents

Procédé de trempe à gaz de pièces à usiner et installation de traitement thermique pour la mise en oeuvre de ce procédé Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0955384A2
EP0955384A2 EP99104318A EP99104318A EP0955384A2 EP 0955384 A2 EP0955384 A2 EP 0955384A2 EP 99104318 A EP99104318 A EP 99104318A EP 99104318 A EP99104318 A EP 99104318A EP 0955384 A2 EP0955384 A2 EP 0955384A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
heat exchanger
refrigerant
quenching
heat
workpieces
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP99104318A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0955384B1 (fr
EP0955384A3 (fr
Inventor
Gerhard Dipl.-Ing. Dannehl
Klaus Dr. Löser
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH
Original Assignee
ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH filed Critical ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH
Publication of EP0955384A2 publication Critical patent/EP0955384A2/fr
Publication of EP0955384A3 publication Critical patent/EP0955384A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0955384B1 publication Critical patent/EP0955384B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
    • C21D1/74—Methods of treatment in inert gas, controlled atmosphere, vacuum or pulverulent material
    • C21D1/767—Methods of treatment in inert gas, controlled atmosphere, vacuum or pulverulent material with forced gas circulation; Reheating thereof
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
    • C21D1/56—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering characterised by the quenching agents
    • C21D1/613—Gases; Liquefied or solidified normally gaseous material
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
    • C21D1/74—Methods of treatment in inert gas, controlled atmosphere, vacuum or pulverulent material
    • C21D1/773—Methods of treatment in inert gas, controlled atmosphere, vacuum or pulverulent material under reduced pressure or vacuum

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for quenching workpieces in a treatment chamber by means of a quenching gas, in which a heat exchanger is provided, through which the quenching gas is circulated for quenching the workpieces and which works with a refrigerant evaporating in the heat exchanger.
  • the invention further relates to a heat treatment plant for carrying out the method.
  • a method and a device of the above type are the subject of DE 44 22 588 C1.
  • a cooling unit is arranged outside the treatment chamber in which the heat treatment takes place.
  • the refrigerant is circulated through the heat exchanger in the treatment chamber and through the refrigeration unit, so that the heat absorbed in the treatment chamber can be dissipated to the outside.
  • a refrigerant is selected which evaporates in the heat exchanger like in a refrigerator, so that the heat of vaporization can also be used for the cooling effect.
  • the device according to DE 44 22 588 C1 is very complex because a cooling unit with a condenser and a compressor must be arranged outside the treatment chamber. Because the workpieces must be quenched as quickly as possible, it must be done in a relatively short time a lot of heat is dissipated, so that the condenser and the compressor must have a high output.
  • the invention is based on the problem of designing a method of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the fastest possible quenching of workpieces within a treatment chamber is possible with as little equipment outlay as possible. Furthermore, a simple device for carrying out this method is to be found.
  • the first-mentioned problem is solved according to the invention in that the heat exchanger is at least partially filled with the liquid refrigerant before the quenching process begins, while there is a vacuum in the treatment chamber, and in that the cooling of the quenching gas is effected by the cooling capacity of the heat exchanger and the evaporation of the filling quantity during the circulation Quench gas occurs while cooling a batch of workpieces.
  • This procedure is based on the knowledge that the heat exchanger is thermally insulated from the batch by the vacuum in the treatment chamber. As a result, there is no undesired cooling of the workpieces and no convective heat absorption of the heat exchanger from the environment during the filling of liquid refrigerant into the heat exchanger of the treatment chamber. Only when the quenching gas is introduced into the treatment chamber and circulates in it and thereby flows through the heat exchanger does the heat supplied to the heat exchanger lead to heat exchange and in particular to an evaporation of the refrigerant. As a result of this evaporation, a great deal of heat is extracted from the quenching gas, so that the batch can be rapidly cooled in the upper temperature range, which is crucial for the quenching.
  • the amount of coolant required is particularly low if, according to an advantageous development of the method, a heat exchanger with heat exchanger surfaces with high heat storage capacity is used.
  • a heat exchanger can be cooled to a low temperature before the quenching phase, so that not only the refrigerant is available for the heat absorption during the quenching phase.
  • the thermal insulation of the heat exchanger due to the prevailing vacuum also makes it possible to use a treatment chamber with a furnace area and the heat exchanger in a common housing and to fill the heat exchanger with the refrigerant while the furnace is working.
  • the method according to the invention can also be used in a separate treatment chamber serving to quench workpieces, without a heater arranged therein.
  • the inert gas is usually supplied in liquid form and converted into the gaseous state in the required amount in an inert gas supply system which has an evaporator.
  • an inert gas supply system can be dispensed with if, according to another advantageous development of the invention, the evaporated refrigerant is collected in a gas collection container and used as an inert gas.
  • At least part of the refrigerant evaporated to cool the quench gas can be used in the heat treatment system itself, if the evaporated refrigerant is used to flood the treatment chamber after quenching the workpieces.
  • the inert gas can therefore be used during quenching to build up pressure from, for example, 1 bar to 6 bar, after quenching for further batches or within the system (with intermediate buffer) for other process chambers or as control gas.
  • the refrigerant is particularly inexpensive and can be used as an inert gas if it is liquid nitrogen.
  • other liquid gases can also be used, for example air.
  • the second task namely the creation of a heat treatment system for carrying out the method according to the invention is achieved in that the heat exchanger is designed to be at least partially filled with the liquid refrigerant and that the cooling capacity of the heat exchanger is completely due to the evaporation of the filling quantity when the quenching gas is circulated Cooling of a batch of workpieces is dimensioned.
  • Such a heat treatment system is very inexpensive to build because it does not require a refrigeration unit with a condenser and with a compressor for the refrigerant. Furthermore, it is able to cool the quenching gas particularly effectively because the refrigerant evaporates in the heat exchanger during the circulation of the quenching gas and therefore much heat is extracted from the quenching gas by the heat of vaporization absorbed by the refrigerant.
  • the heat exchanger itself does not need to be redesigned, or only slightly, in comparison with the heat exchangers used with brine.
  • the amount of refrigerant required to cool the quenching gas can be particularly low if the heat exchanger is equipped with heat exchanger surfaces with high heat storage capacity.
  • the treatment chamber has a furnace area and the heat exchanger in a common housing.
  • the evaporated refrigerant can be used for a further purpose if a gas collection container is provided for the refrigerant evaporated in the heat exchanger.
  • the heat treatment system according to the invention requires a very particularly small amount of refrigerant to operate if, according to another development of the invention, two heat exchangers are connected in series in the treatment chamber and if only one heat exchanger is designed as an evaporator for the refrigerant, while the other heat exchanger is used to circulate a refrigerant or Water or heat transfer medium is connected to an external coolant unit.
  • the drawing shows a treatment chamber 1, which has a heat exchanger 3 and a furnace area 4 in a common housing 2, in which there is a batch 5 with the workpieces to be treated.
  • a fan 6 is arranged behind the heat exchanger 3, by means of which a quenching gas can be circulated within the treatment chamber 1 through the charge 5 and the heat exchanger 3.
  • the drawing also shows a storage container 7 for liquid nitrogen. From this storage container 7, a smaller amount of nitrogen is filled into an intermediate container 8, from which liquid nitrogen can be filled into the heat exchanger 3 by opening a valve 9. Nitrogen evaporated in the heat exchanger 3 is able to reach a gas collecting container 11 via a line 10. Via a line 12 in which a valve 13 is connected, the pressure in the gas collection container 11 can be applied to the intermediate container 8 in order to press liquid nitrogen from the intermediate container 8 into the heat exchanger 3. The nitrogen evaporated in the heat exchanger 3 passes through a non-return valve 14 into the line 10 and thereby into the gas collection container 11. If the pressures are too high, a pressure relief valve 15 allows nitrogen to flow out into the atmosphere. To flood the treatment chamber 1 with nitrogen from the gas collection container 11, the line 10 is connected to the treatment chamber 1 via a valve 16.
  • the heat treatment of a batch 5 is carried out under vacuum by first heating the batch 5 to, for example, 1000 ° C.
  • the heat exchanger 3 is filled with liquid nitrogen from the intermediate container 8.
  • the treatment chamber 1 is flooded by opening the valve 16 with gaseous nitrogen as the quenching gas and the fan 6 is switched on.
  • the quenching gas circulates in the treatment chamber 1 between the charge 5 and through the heat exchanger 3. Since this takes heat from the charge 5 and thereby heats up, when the heat exchanger 3 flows through it, the liquid nitrogen previously filled in it evaporates and, as a result, heat is removed from the quenching gas.
  • the evaporated nitrogen is able to reach the gas collection container 11 via the check valve 14 and the line 10.
  • An overflow valve 17 makes it possible for gas to flow from the heat exchanger 3 into the treatment chamber 1 if the pressure in the heat exchanger 3 is too high (for example above 6 bar).
  • the method according to the invention is also possible in systems in which the batch 5 is heated and quenched with the quenching gas in separate chambers. It is only essential for the method according to the invention that a vacuum prevails in the chamber receiving it during the cooling of the heat exchanger, so that the heat exchanger only begins to work effectively when the batch is to be cooled by means of the quenching gas.
  • the method according to the invention also allows the vaporized gas to be reliquefied in a compressor system.
  • the demands on the purity and quality of the evaporating gas (coolant) are low.
  • the heat exchanger also works in non-evacuated chambers.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Heat Treatments In General, Especially Conveying And Cooling (AREA)
  • Furnace Details (AREA)
EP99104318A 1998-05-06 1999-03-04 Procédé de trempe à gaz de pièces à usiner et installation de traitement thermique pour la mise en oeuvre de ce procédé Expired - Lifetime EP0955384B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19820083A DE19820083A1 (de) 1998-05-06 1998-05-06 Verfahren zum Abschrecken von Werkstücken und Wärmebehandlungsanlage zur Durchführung des Verfahrens
DE19820083 1998-05-06

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0955384A2 true EP0955384A2 (fr) 1999-11-10
EP0955384A3 EP0955384A3 (fr) 2000-01-19
EP0955384B1 EP0955384B1 (fr) 2005-04-13

Family

ID=7866757

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99104318A Expired - Lifetime EP0955384B1 (fr) 1998-05-06 1999-03-04 Procédé de trempe à gaz de pièces à usiner et installation de traitement thermique pour la mise en oeuvre de ce procédé

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0955384B1 (fr)
DE (2) DE19820083A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2835907A1 (fr) * 2002-02-12 2003-08-15 Air Liquide Installation de trempe par gaz et procede de trempe correspondant
WO2007048664A1 (fr) * 2005-10-27 2007-05-03 Robert Bosch Gmbh Procédé et installation pour la transformation à sec d’une structure de matériau de produits semi-finis

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10054765A1 (de) * 2000-11-04 2002-05-16 Messer Griesheim Gmbh Wärmebehandlungsofen mit Tiefkühlsystem
DE20208536U1 (de) 2002-05-29 2002-09-05 Schmetz GmbH, 58708 Menden Wärmebehandlungsanlage
US8820098B2 (en) 2011-05-17 2014-09-02 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Method and apparatus for quenching of materials in vacuum furnace

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1452062A (en) * 1972-10-10 1976-10-06 Boc International Ltd Metal treatment
DE3346884A1 (de) * 1983-12-23 1985-07-11 Ipsen Industries International Gmbh, 4190 Kleve Industrieofen zur waermebehandlung metallischer werkstuecke
DE3501463A1 (de) * 1985-01-17 1986-07-17 Linde Ag, 6200 Wiesbaden Verfahren und vorrichtung zur waermebehandlung von werkstuecken
GB8928820D0 (en) * 1989-12-21 1990-02-28 Cambridge Vacuum Eng Apparatus and method for cooling a furnace load
DE4422588C2 (de) * 1994-06-28 1999-09-23 Ald Vacuum Techn Gmbh Verfahren zum Abschrecken von Werkstücken durch Gase und Wärmebehandlungsanlage zur Durchführung des Verfahrens
DE4435862C1 (de) * 1994-10-07 1995-08-24 Leybold Durferrit Gmbh Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Abkühlen, insbesondere zum Abschrecken, von Werkstücken durch Gase
DE59607067D1 (de) * 1995-07-21 2001-07-19 Ipsen Int Gmbh Ofen zur Wärmebehandlung von Chargen metallischer Werkstücke

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2835907A1 (fr) * 2002-02-12 2003-08-15 Air Liquide Installation de trempe par gaz et procede de trempe correspondant
WO2003068998A1 (fr) * 2002-02-12 2003-08-21 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme A Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Installation de trempe par gaz et procede de rempe correspondant
WO2007048664A1 (fr) * 2005-10-27 2007-05-03 Robert Bosch Gmbh Procédé et installation pour la transformation à sec d’une structure de matériau de produits semi-finis
US8715566B2 (en) 2005-10-27 2014-05-06 Robert Bosch Gmbh Method and installation for the dry transformation of a material structure of semifinished products

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0955384B1 (fr) 2005-04-13
DE19820083A1 (de) 1999-11-11
DE59911888D1 (de) 2005-05-19
EP0955384A3 (fr) 2000-01-19

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