One Minute Mentor: Type W1 Tool Steels

W1 steels are capable of hardening to high surface hardness and soft core, which is useful in some shock applications. They are low-cost tool steels with fair to good wear resistance as carbon content increases. As they are water quenched and have poor dimensional stability, their use is limited to fairly uniform sections with a minimum amount of stress risers; in other applications quench cracking can occur. Figure 1 shows an isothermal transformation diagram for a W1 steel.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 1.Rafael Agnelli Mesquita; Reinhold Schneider; Cristiane Sales Gonçalves, *Heat Treating of Cold-Work Tool Steels — Low- and Un-Alloyed Water and Oil Hardening Steels*, ASM International, 2014 [https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005972](https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005972)

Automaker modernizes heat-treatment operations with Nitrex technology

Automaker modernizes heat-treatment operations with Nitrex technology

Nitrex, Quebec, announced that a major automotive manufacturer has selected its EndoFlex L generators to upgrade heat-treatment operations. This initiative supports the automaker’s commitment to improving production efficiency while advancing sustainability and cost management efforts.

The facility specializes in manufacturing engine components that require carburizing, a heat-treatment process that enhances surface durability by introducing carbon into the material. Previously, the site relied on aging, gas-heated generators to produce endothermic gas for this process. However, these generators had become inefficient, consuming excessive natural gas and increasing CO₂ emissions. To address these challenges, the manufacturer has chosen Nitrex’s electrically heated EndoFlex L endothermic gas generators to optimize efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Designed specifically for carburizing applications, the EndoFlex L features a multi-retort design and precise temperature control, ensuring a consistent and stable supply of high-quality endothermic gas. The system operates on demand, significantly reducing gas consumption and emissions, making it a more sustainable and cost-effective solution.

Daniel Panny, head of sales Europe at Nitrex, emphasized the company’s long-standing relationship with the automaker, noting that previous projects included upgrading legacy generators with the EndoInjector gas injection system. He stated that this latest investment demonstrates how sustained partnerships can drive meaningful advancements in industrial manufacturing.

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Wisconsin Oven delivers two-zone belt conveyor oven for steel tempering

Wisconsin Oven Corporation, East Troy, WI, announced the shipment of a two-zone belt conveyor oven designed for tempering steel parts following induction hardening. The system is engineered for precise temperature control and enhanced energy efficiency, meeting industry specifications for uniform heating.

The oven has the capacity to heat 2,400 pounds of steel per hour from 70°F to 350°F, with a maximum temperature rating of 500°F. It features a top-down airflow recirculation system with a 32,000 CFM blower, evenly distributed between the two heating zones. Temperature control is managed by a Watlow F4T digital recorder/controller, which includes Ethernet communication capabilities and adaptive PID temperature control. A temperature uniformity survey verified uniformity within ±10°F at 350°F, ensuring compliance with AIAG specification CQI-9.

The conveyor system utilizes a continuous belt with a variable frequency drive for speed adjustments, and the work zone measures 4’0” W x 21’0” L x 14” H. To improve energy efficiency, the oven is equipped with the E-Pack™ Energy Efficiency Package, which includes additional insulation and variable frequency drives on the recirculation blowers. These features reduce energy consumption and operational costs, potentially providing substantial annual savings depending on utility rates and operating conditions.

The system’s design optimizes heat-up efficiency and uniformity, making it well-suited for high-volume steel tempering applications. The oven incorporates programmable temperature controls with auto-tuning functionality, ensuring consistent and repeatable performance for industrial heat treatment processes.

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One Minute Mentor: Improving the Homogeneity of the Distortion Behavior

Controlling out-of-roundness is important for certain precision applications, such as class C and D cutting hobs made of high-speed steels. Class C and D hobs must be held close to size limits because they are not ground to size after heat treatment, but rather are used in the unground condition.

Normal size distortion in hardening and tempering can be accommodated by making the tool slightly oversize or slightly undersize, as required, before heat treating. High-speed steel bars, however, have been observed to go out-of-round as much as 0.05 mm (0.002 in.) during heat treatment. The pattern of size distortion shown in Fig. 8 can occur. It appears to be related to the initial shape of the cast ingot and to the specific primary-mill processing used to reduce the ingot into bars.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 8. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980

Wisconsin oven ships pin conveyor oven to automotive manufacturer

Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, has shipped one electrically heated conveyor oven to an automotive manufacturer, which will be used for tempering automotive parts. The conveyor oven features a chain style conveyor system with vertical pins, ensuring the uniform transfer of parts through the heating and cooldown zones of the oven. The maximum temperature rating of the conveyor oven is 260° C, with interior chamber dimensions of 3’6” W x 20’10” L x 9” H.

The conveyor oven also features a top-down bottom-up airflow configuration designed with a 55,000 CFM @ 50 HP blower, ensuring optimal temperature uniformity of ±2.5° C at 163°C, documented with a temperature uniformity test. The oven is equipped with a continuous chain conveyor with vertical pins, programmable temperature controller, and recorder with Ethernet capabilities.

The unique features of this tempering oven include the ability to automatically scan the parts while being loaded onto the conveyor and validate that the correct part is being loaded, providing a pass/fail regarding heating time and temperature. The conveyor oven also includes an ambient cooldown zone and supervised installation with start-up and training.

Mike Grande, vice president of sales,said that, “Our continuous designs provide customers with innovative solutions to meet their load and process requirements. This conveyor oven was designed with high-velocity impingement air nozzles for rapid, uniform heating and optimal part results.” The equipment was fully factory tested and adjusted prior to shipment from the facility, ensuring it met all Wisconsin Oven quality standards. The equipment comes with a 2-year warranty, providing peace of mind for the automotive manufacturer.

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Constellium to sponsor skilled trades scholarships

Constellium, Paris will sponsor ten new skilled trades scholarships at West Virginia University, Parkersburg. Now in its second year, the program provides financial assistance to selected high school graduates to help them earn an associate degree in Multi-Craft Technology or Reliability and Maintenance Technology.

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Nitrex supplies Alugen Aluminum with nitriding system

Nitrex Metal Inc., Montreal, has supplied the Turkish aluminum extrusion company, Alugen Aluminium, with a high-performance compact nitriding/nitrocarburizing system allowing the company to bring all manufacturing operations in-house for more optimal work planning and quality control. Founded in 2012, Alugen is a dynamic company and the only business of its kind in Turkey operating in a free trade zone, with customers in various European countries.

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