Application of Heat Treatment Vacuum Furnace in the Metal Industry
09-10-2025 Author: KJ technology
The application of heat treatment vacuum furnaces in the metal industry is extensive and in-depth. Its core advantage lies in achieving non oxidizing and pollution-free heat treatment through a vacuum environment, significantly improving material performance and processing quality, while meeting the needs of energy conservation, environmental protection, and high-precision manufacturing. The following is an analysis of its specific applications and advantages in the metal industry:
1. Core application areas
aerospace field
High temperature alloy blade treatment: Vacuum furnace improves the creep resistance of blades through solid solution aging treatment. For example, after vacuum treatment, the durability of a certain type of aircraft engine blade is extended at a high temperature of 650 ℃.
Precision machining of titanium alloy: Vacuum environment avoids the reaction of titanium with oxygen and nitrogen, ensuring the purity of the material. After vacuum quenching, the fatigue strength of a certain aviation fastener is improved and the fracture toughness is high.
Lightweight structural component manufacturing: Vacuum sintering technology achieves high-density forming of lightweight materials such as aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys. After vacuum sintering, the density of a certain aerospace bracket is high and the specific strength is improved.
Semiconductor and Electronics Industry
High precision brazing: Vacuum brazing technology achieves seamless connection of microelectronic devices, with high weld strength and lower leakage rate after vacuum brazing of a certain chip package.
Crystal growth and annealing: Vacuum environment controls crystal defects. After vacuum annealing, the dislocation density of a certain silicon chip decreases, and the minority carrier lifetime is extended, meeting the requirements of IGBT devices.
Automotive manufacturing field
Strengthening of gears and shaft components: Vacuum carburizing technology achieves a composite performance of high hardness on the gear surface and high toughness in the center. After vacuum carburizing, the wear resistance of a certain transmission gear is improved, and its service life is extended.
Heat treatment of mold steel: Vacuum quenching+tempering process eliminates internal stress in the mold, resulting in lower deformation and extended mold life for a certain automotive cover mold after vacuum treatment.
Powder metallurgy and new materials field
Preparation of Hard Alloy: Vacuum sintering increases the density of hard alloy, resulting in higher hardness and improved bending strength of a certain cutting tool material after vacuum sintering.
Post processing of 3D printed metal parts: Vacuum annealing eliminates internal stresses during printing, resulting in reduced residual stresses and decreased dimensional stability of a titanium alloy bracket after vacuum processing.
2. Analysis of Technical Advantages
Non oxidation and surface purification
The vacuum environment blocks the oxidation reaction, resulting in low surface roughness of the processed workpiece and no need for subsequent polishing. For example, after vacuum treatment of stainless steel parts, the thickness of the oxide layer decreases and the material utilization rate increases.
Degassing and performance improvement
The vacuum degassing effect reduces the hydrogen content of the material. After vacuum quenching, the hydrogen content of a high-strength steel bolt decreases, eliminating the risk of hydrogen embrittlement and improving the fatigue life.
After vacuum treatment, the oxygen content of titanium alloy decreases and the elongation rate increases.
Accurate temperature control and uniformity
The temperature uniformity of the vacuum furnace is within ± 5 ℃. After vacuum quenching, the martensitic structure of a certain high-speed steel is uniform and fine, with high hardness and improved wear resistance of the cutting edge.
The deformation of thin-walled parts during vacuum treatment is low, far superior to that of air furnaces.
Energy saving and environmental benefits
The vacuum furnace has high thermal efficiency and reduces energy consumption for single batch processing.
Unprotected gas or quenching oil emissions, reducing VOCs emissions annually.
3. Typical Process Cases
Vacuum carburizing+gas quenching process
A certain automobile gear adopts high-pressure gas quenching after vacuum carburizing, which reduces surface hardness, increases core hardness, and reduces deformation. It replaces the traditional carburizing+oil quenching process and improves the yield rate.
Vacuum brazing technology
The aviation engine heat exchanger adopts vacuum brazing, with high weld strength and low leakage rate, meeting the requirements for use in high-altitude and low-pressure environments.
Vacuum sintering dewaxing process
Hard alloy cutting tools are vacuum sintered, dewaxing and sintering are completed in one step, resulting in high density, high hardness, high bending strength, and shortened production cycle.
4. Industry Development Trends
Intelligent upgrade
The AI algorithm optimizes the heating curve in real-time, and the digital twin technology achieves fault prediction. A certain vacuum furnace reduces temperature fluctuations and energy consumption through intelligent control.
Multi functional integration
The vacuum furnace integrates functions such as plasma cleaning and ion nitriding, and a certain equipment realizes the composite process of "vacuum brazing+nitriding", which shortens the processing time and reduces the cost.
green manufacture technology
Graphene heating elements improve thermal efficiency, waste heat recovery systems reduce energy consumption, and a certain enterprise's vacuum furnace significantly reduces annual energy savings and carbon emissions.
