Heat treatment of aerospace components is an important part of the manufacturing process, which makes airplanes, helicopters, and powerful engines perform better under stressful environmental conditions. Heat treatment is regularly used in airplane engine brackets, aircraft engine oil pans, cooling systems, and hydraulic fittings among hundreds of other components.
The main benefit of aerospace heat treating is changing the metallurgical properties of the metal parts to improve strength and offer a longer life. Besides increasing the strength, manufacturers also demand heat treatment for block forming, deep draw stamping, and hydroforming services.
A practical example of an aerospace application is the heat treatment of aluminum. Aluminum parts such as aluminum sheets, parts, and forgings are commonly used for treatment. Since heat treatment is a complex process that requires meticulous attention to detail, the process is only undertaken by professional treatment plants. Some of the heat treating operations include:
- Artificial aging: The process is used to heat metals at a high temperature enabling the metal to accelerate changes in its physical and chemical properties.
- Air Quenching: Using the process, heat treatment facilities rapidly cool the heated metal using different mediums such as air, water, inert gas, oil, and brine gas.
- Hardening: It is a process that consists of heating metals to a predetermined temperature followed by rapid cooling.
Finally, it’s important to remember that aerospace heat treatment is a complicated process requiring precision and technical expertise. Hence, you should only use a reputable and well-known facility for such tasks.