Predicting strains key to evaluating heat-treat response
Quench hardening of steel components requires the components to be heated to a temperature such that the solid-state crystal structure of the material changes...
Nonlinear distortion response during gas quenching
High-pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) is touted as a way to reduce distortion of difficult-to-quench geometries. Quench pressures and quench gas flow velocities are chosen...
Press quenching tooling design using simulation
Steel powertrain gears are commonly carburized and quench hardened to improve strength and wear characteristics. However, solid-state phase changes occurring within the steel during...
Linear-elastic fracture toughness testing
Materials fracture occurs in all sectors of the economy — aerospace, nuclear, medical, transportation, oil and gas, petrochemical, commercial and residential buildings, etc. The...
Using welding simulation tools to model WAAM
In its simplest form, additive manufacturing has been used since before the common era where low temperature melting materials such as tin, silver, copper,...
Characterizing equipment using simple modeling tools
Often, the terms “digital twins” or ICME (Integrated Computer Materials Engineering) are used when talking about computer modeling of actual parts or the behavior...
Microstructural effect of Alloy 718 on fatigue strength
Gas turbine engines are widely used in aviation, power generation, and oil and gas industries. They are used in land, air, and marine. The...
Heat treatment techniques overview
Editor’s note » This is the third in a five-part series.
In this third segment of my series on heat-treating techniques, I will discuss the pros and...
Stress evolution during quench hardening of steel
Quench hardening of steel components involves complex, nonintuitive phenomena, particularly as it relates to the dimensional changes and stresses induced. Figure 1 shows a...
Fatigue failures in nickel-based austenitic Superalloy 718
Superalloy 718 is widely used for aerospace, nuclear, power generation, metal processing, medical, material processing, and chemical and petrochemical industries due to its excellent...
Gear inspection methods from heat-treat simulation
Gear design is a complex process, involving dozens of parameters, tolerances, and relationships to mating components. Generally, professional standards guide the gear designer to...
Heat transfer: Convection’s reach
Many years ago, as a mechanical engineering undergraduate student, an analogy was offered to help explain the interplay between convection and conduction in heat...
An overview of heat treatment techniques
Editor’s note » This is the second in a five-part series.
In this second segment of my series on heat-treating techniques, I will discuss the...
Gas turbine coating’s life cycle
Gas turbines on land, air, and at sea experience some extreme environments, such as high airflow, pressure, and temperature. Engines intake air from outside...
Learning from failure in bending stress
A couple of years ago, as I was finishing my graduate studies, I was lucky enough to participate in the Strong Bar competition put on...
Heat treatment process modeling development for age-hardenable alloys
Age-hardenable alloys, such as some aluminum alloys, maraging steel, and nickel-based alloys, get their strength not from quenching but from the precipitation that occurs...
Heat treatment techniques overview
Editor’s note » This is the fourth in a five-part series.
In this fourth installment of my series on heat-treating techniques, I will discuss the pros...
Stress modeling of the WAAM process
A thermal model was previously developed and executed to simulate the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process, using the Goldak Flux Distribution to model...
Low pressure carburization simulation of steel alloys with strong carbide forming elements
Low pressure carburizing (LPC) is quickly gaining popularity across many industries due to LPC’s reduced cycle time, lack of oxidation/decarburization at and near surface,...
Evaluating effect of heat treat on flank slope profile deviation of steel gears using...
The finish machining of a gear is undoubtedly one of the most important manufacturing steps. It sets the geometry, surface condition, and residual stress...
