Marcisz¹, B. Garbarz¹, T. Tomczak¹, A. Janik¹, W. Zalecki¹, M. Burdek¹, M. Adamczyk¹
Starczewski², M. Gmitrzuk², R. Nyc² , M. Gołuński³, K. Żółkiewski⁴, P. Lubowiecki⁴, M. Skurczyński⁵
1) Łukasiewicz Research Network – Stanisław Staszic Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy
2) Wojskowy Instytut Techniki Pancernej i Samochodowej
3) Zakłady Mechaniczne „Tarnów” S.A.
4) ALCHEMIA S.A.
5) Heatmasters Poland sp. z o.o.

Abstract
This article contains results of research and analyses concerning application of nanostructured bainitic steel in the form of plates for manufacturing of armour components. The presented results of examination of microstructure and properties include a wide range of laboratory experiments and industrial tests, which resulted in the achievement of the assumed functional properties. In the period of 2017-2021, a scientific and industrial consortium consisting of Łukasiewicz – Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy (leader); WITPiS, Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów, Alchemia and Heatmasters Poland carried out a project funded by the POIR 04.01.04 programme aimed to develop the design and to manufacture an observation and defence container with a specified resistance to penetration by armour-piercing projectiles and with a lower mass of steel armouring in relation to that currently produced. The aim of the project was achieved by using armour plates made of nanostructured bainitic steel (nanobainitic), which are characterised by high resistance to high-energy impact concentrated in a small area. The technological tests carried out in the project mainly concerned the development of a new container and industrial technology of armour plates production and their application in the armour of this container. Based on the test results of the semi-industrial scale material, the optimum chemical composition for industrial scale melting and casting was determined. An industrial technology for the production of plates of nano-structured bainitic steel was developed, which includes the following processes: smelting and casting, preliminary heat treatment and ingot processing, as well as hot rolling, final heat treatment, and surface treatment. A test batch of the material in the form of 1500×2470 mm armoured plates was fabricated under industrial conditions. The final result of the project is a container armoured with bainitic nanostructured steel plates with implementation documentation and a technology for producing armoured plates from this steel under the technical and technological conditions of domestic steel manufacturers.

Keywords: nanostructured bainitic steel, production technology, plates, microstructure, mechanical properties, ballistic protection, observation and defense container

Introduction

Nanostructured bainitic (nanobainitic) steels with a relatively low content of alloying elements – typically in the range of 5-7% [1]- allow obtaining ultra-high strength (above 2 GPa) while maintaining acceptable ductility (elongation and impact strength) for many applications. The first research and theoretical analyses, which indicated the potential application of nano-structured bainitic steels, were carried out by Bhadeshia’s team [1-6]. Other articles, [7], were also published in the 1990s, covering the subject of nanostructured bainitic steels. The common denominator of the work carried out was the chemical composition of the steel, based on the Fe-C-Si-Mn system and the method of heat treatment, leading to obtaining a carbide-free lath lower bainite and residual austenite. A number of works concerned the design of new grades of nano-structured bainitic steels in order to improve technological properties and obtain the required set of functional properties. In the field of production technology, much attention was paid to the issue of shortening the time of isothermal transformation, while optimising the temperature of this transformation, e.g. by alloying elements. The temperature and time of isothermal transformation are the key parameters of the technology of manufacturing products made of nanostructured bainitic steels. A separate research problem is the role of residual austenite during the use of nanostructured bainitic steel products. The volume fraction, morphology, distribution, chemical composition and, consequently, thermodynamic and mechanical stability of residual austenite are the main research and technological issues in this field. The first works on nanostructured bainitic steels were carried out for high-carbon high-silicon steel grades [8]. As a result of the applied low temperatures of isothermal annealing (125°C), a bainite microstructure with an average lath width of 50 nm was obtained, and the strength reached the value of 2.5 GPa. However, attention should be paid to very long isothermal annealing times, amounting to several weeks. In [9] for steel with the chemical composition Fe-0.98% C-1.46% Si-1.89% Mn-1.26% Cr-0.26% Mo, annealing temperatures in the range of 125÷325°C and times respectively from more than 60 days to 1÷2 days were used. Based on the analysis of the kinetics of isothermal transformation, it was found that at temperatures from 125°C to 200°C, a diffusion-free bainitic transformation takes place. In [10], a thermodynamic model was used in conjunction with the results of research on properties and microstructure to optimise the chemical composition of nanostructured bainitic steel. The testing material consisted of steels with a content of 0.8÷0.7%C; 1.8÷1.9%Si; 2.2÷1.4% Mn; 1.0÷1.4%Cr; 0.30÷0.24% Mo; 1.31÷0.14% Co; 0.85÷0.75% Al, which, after austenitisation, were isothermally annealed in the temperature range of 200-300°C. The content of residual austenite was in the range of 2÷12%, depending on the temperature and time parameters of the heat treatment. The developed thermodynamic model and the test results confirmed the possibility of obtaining a hardness of 610 HV, strength of 1.5÷2.0 GPa with an elongation of 8÷15%. [11] deals with the issue of improving the impact strength of medium-carbon nanostructured bainitic steel with the following chemical composition: Fe-0.55% C-1.95% Mn-1.82% Si-1.29% Cr-0.72% Mo. The authors proposed a two-stage isothermal annealing, with the first stage below the M_s temperature, in order to partially convert austenite into martensite. The second stage of isothermal annealing was carried out at standard temperature, higher than M_s. The results of Charpy-V impact strength measurement showed a beneficial effect of the presence of martensite laths, which was tempered during the second annealing stage. Impact strength increased, depending on the test temperature, by approx. 50÷70% in relation to the variants of the standard treatment, consisting in annealing at a constant temperature of isothermal transformation, higher than M_s. The authors of [12] conducted research on nanostructured bainitic steels with a wide chemical composition: C from 0.49 to 1.00%; Mn from 1.82 to 2.39%; Si from 1.57 to 2.0%; Cr from 0.01 to 1.37%; Co from 0.0 to  1.70%; Mo from 0.27 to 0.80% with microalloying elements V, Ti and Al. The results of measurement of mechanical properties, microstructure studies and analyses of the manufacturing process of nano-structured bainitic steels, under the conditions of mass production, indicated the following optimal chemical composition: 0.56%C-2.0%Mn-1.76%Si-1.29%Cr-0.76%Mo as well as an isothermal transformation temperature of 225°C and time of 60÷72 hours. Tensile strength of 1.9 GPa; R_p0.2 of 1.3÷1.4 GPa; total elongation of 15% and hardness of 600 HV were achieved. The kinetics of isothermal transformation below the M_s temperature are the subject of [13]. The authors showed that after cooling below M_s, lamellae (or lath bundles) of athermal martensite are formed, the fraction of which increases with lowering temperature. The isothermal resistance below the M_s temperature causes the conversion of some austenite to bainite and possibly to isothermal martensite. For the tested bainitic nanostructured steels with a carbon content of 0.55% and 0.61%, a clear effect of shortening the time to start the isothermal transformation at a temperature below M_s was obtained, compared to the process which takes place at a temperature higher than M_s. [14] presents the results of research on nanostructured bainitic steels and methods of producing armour plates from these steels. Steels with two chemical compositions were tested: Fe-0.80%C-2.01%Mn-1.59%Si-0.24%Mo-1.0%Cr-1.51%Co and Fe-0.79%C-1.98%Mn-1.56%Si-0.24%Mo-1.01%Cr-1.51%Co-1.01%Al. The heat treatment parameters were as follows: austenitising temperature 900°C, cooling in salt and direct isothermal annealing at 250°C and 275°C for 6 and 12 hours. After annealing at 250°C for 12 hours, the material obtained strength of 2.0 GPa and elongation of 15%. The author of the work showed that the austenite deformation of 25% and 35% before isothermal transformation slightly slows down the formation of bainite. [15] presents the specific features of nanostructured bainitic steel, important for the industrial production process, on the example of the chemical composition of Fe-0.55%C-1.95%Mn-1.82%Si-1.29%Cr-0.72%Mo. The authors indicated the features of semi-finished products at individual stages of production: from casting, through plastic working, to final heat treatment – isothermal annealing. They discussed, among others, the tendency of nanostructured bainitic steels to interdendritic segregation during casting and its consequence, microstructure banding in hot rolled products. At Łukasiewicz-Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy, the research on this type of steel began in 2008 in a research and development project financed from structural funds [16]. As a result of the project, the chemical composition and method of producing a grade of nanobainitic steel under the name NANOS-BA^® [17] were patented. The next stage of the research was the implementation of the project including the phase of preparation for implementation, for the commercial use of NANOS-BA^® steel plates in armour components [18]. The test results quoted on the basis of the literature data and the analysed aspects concerning the production of nanobainitic steel products indicate that there is a potential for the use of this grade in conditions of high-energy impact loads.

In the aspect of the presented test results, in particular the achieved values of strength and plastic properties as well as impact toughness, the project – the results of which are included in this article – included experiments on a laboratory and industrial scale aimed at selecting the parameters for the manufacture of nanobainitic steel products for use in the ballistic shields of the observation and defence container. The armoured observation and defence container is intended for securing and protecting soldiers or officers performing operational tasks during the peacetime as well as during military or stabilisation operations (e.g. at control and defence points, bases or other strategic facilities, airports, borders, etc.). A container’s armour is an important parameter that often determines the possibility of its use. The use of nanostructured steel plates allowed for the improvement of two operational parameters of the container: an increase in the degree of ballistic protection, thus increasing the safety of the crew, and reducing the total weight of the object. Nanobainitic steel is characterised by a high resistance to point high-energy impact. The result of this type of interaction may be the puncture of the plate, its cracking or local weakening, contributing to the loss or reduction of the protective capacity. The plates used in the conditions of fire should be characterised by resistance to penetration of certain types of shells, in particular in the conditions of multi-hit fire. The innovative grade of bainitic nano-structured steel is characterised by a high ability to absorb and dissipate impact energy, and the changes in material properties at the point of firing occur in a very small volume, therefore it meets the requirements of the multi-hit test.

The scope of work included the design and construction of an innovative container, development of industrial technologies for the production and processing of armour plates made of bainitic nanostructured steel and testing the properties of these plates, including under high-energy dynamic loads. As part of the technological issues related to armour plates, an industrial technology for the production of plates made of nano-structured bainitic steel was developed, which includes the following processes: smelting and casting, preliminary heat treatment and ingot processing, as well as hot rolling, final heat treatment, and surface treatment. During the implementation of the various stages of the project, especially regarding the technology of armour plate production, a number of experiments and tests were carried out, the key of which are described in this article.

[1]The content of elements was given in weight %, unless specified otherwise

Testing material, scope and methodology

Laboratory material

The testing material consisted of flat bars made of 150x60x800 mm flat laboratory ingots made of nanostructured bainitic steel in four variants of chemical composition. The rolling of flat bars with a nominal thickness of 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 mm was carried out using the LPS/B-IMŻ line with a two-stand reversing rolling mill with rolls with a diameter of 550 mm. The flat bars were used to produce samples for dilatometric tests, for microstructure and mechanical properties tests, and for firing tests. The material characteristics of nanostructured steels were determined in terms of: CCT diagrams, mechanical properties, hardness, microstructure, including the content of residual austenite. When developing chemical compositions, particular attention was paid to the following issues related to the functional properties and technology of production of nanostructured steel plates for armour: obtaining high strength (above 2 GPa) while maintaining good plasticity (elongation in static tensile test of at least 12%) and fracture toughness (impact strength KV at room temperature of at least 12 J for 10x10x55 mm sample); the possibility of cooling plates with a thickness in the range of 6-8 mm from austenitising temperature to isothermal transformation temperature, freely in the air or in an accelerated manner with the use of fans, obtaining the lowest possible alloying content (Mn, Si, Cr and Mo) and striving to shorten the time of isothermal heating as much as possible. It is not always possible to meet all the mentioned conditions simultaneously. The key criteria for selecting the material were the results of the mechanical properties tests and the firing tests. Table 1 presents the chemical composition of nanobainitic steel laboratory heats. Laboratory ingots made using the method of smelting and vacuum casting met the requirements for the content of basic elements decisive for obtaining the final functional properties. The ingots also met the requirements for surface quality, shrinkage cavity size and extent, total weight and geometry (dimensions and shape) and were intended for further processing. Diffusion annealing was not used.

Table 1. Chemical composition of nanostructured bainitic steel laboratory heats; weight %

Industrial Material

Nanobainitic steel smelting and casting

Table 2 presents guidelines for the production of industrial heats regarding the chemical composition, and Table 3 presents the results of the chemical composition analysis of the test heats. In the industrial process involving electric arc furnace (EAF) smelting, secondary vacuum furnace treatment (VAD) and uphill casting, the main elements (C, Mn, Si, Cr, Mo) were at the correct level, and only the phosphorus content was slightly exceeded. A material in the form of ingots from two nanostructured bainitic steel heats were produced. While cooling after casting, the ingots, after reaching the temperature of approx. 700°C, were placed in a heating furnace and subjected to softening and annealing at 720°C. A low hardness of approx. 260 HB was achieved on the surface. After soft and stress-relief annealing, the material was intended for forging into flat slabs.

Table 2. Guidelines for the chemical composition of industrial heats of nano-structured bainitic steel, weight %

*) the lowest possible content in the applied technological process

Table 3. Chemical composition of industrial test heats P1-882917 and P2-883040.
The heat analysis was carried out at Alchemia and Łukasiewicz-IMŻ, weight %

Nanobainitic steel ingot forging

The ingots were forged into 120x800x1350 mm slabs which constituted the feedstock for the rolling mills. The ingots were heated with the furnace to 1200°C, and then held at this temperature for 30 hours in order to reduce the degree of segregation. During forging, the temperature range of 1200-900°C was used with an acceptable temperature drop in the area of the corners and the surface layer to approx. 850°C. The slabs were transported to the furnace immediately after forging and cooled down with the furnace to ambient temperature. Then, the slabs were subject to the process of cold straightening. No surface defects were found that could significantly affect the further process of plastic working using hot rolling. The slabs met the requirements for geometry and surface quality for further processing. In the field of the preliminary heat treatment process and hot forging of bainitic nanostructured steel at ALCHEMIA S.A. the highest level of technological readiness was achieved.

Hot rolling of nanobainitic steel plates

Industrial research of hot rolling of nanobainitic plates was carried out, as a result of which 1500 x 2470 mm plates with a thickness in the range of 6-9 mm were produced. The plates, immediately after rolling and cooling in the air to the temperature on the surface of approx. 200-300°C, were stacked and cooled down to ambient temperature. Due to the high hardenability of the steel resulting in a hardness of 60 HRC (approx. 735 HV), the material in this state could not be cut with guillotine shears. A sample was taken from 6 mm thick plates from heat P1 after rolling for preliminary material tests. In order to reduce hardness, the plates were subjected to soft annealing at 680°C. After softening, the hardness was 350 HB. Fig.1 presents photographs of the plates during rolling.

Final heat treatment of plates in industrial conditions

Heat treatment of nanostructured bainitic steels is a key production stage. The process consists of several immediately consecutive stages: heating, austenitising, controlled cooling and isothermal annealing, as well as cooling to ambient temperature. Preliminary cycles of heat treatment were performed using the following parameters of the individual stages: austenitising at 950°C, controlled cooling with air blowing to cool the plates at a rate of min. 1°C/s and isothermal annealing in the temperature range of 210-225°C. As a result of examining the microstructure and mechanical properties as well as firing tests carried out on steel plates, the following parameters of the final heat treatment were determined: austenitising temperature of 950°C and time of 30 minutes, accelerated cooling with the use of two mobile fans and isothermal annealing immediately after cooling at two temperatures at 225°C for 12 hours and then at 210°C for a total of both temperatures – including the time needed to reach 210°C – for 96 hours (Fig. 2). The time of cooling from higher to lower temperature was approx. 1 hour. Plates with a thickness of 7-9 mm were produced in such manner. “Witness” strength samples were used in each research bundle (cycle). A research batch of plates was produced and components of the container armour were prepared in the form of plate  formats with the assumed functional properties, dimensions and surface quality.

Testing methods

The microstructure of nanobainitic steels was examined using a light microscope (LM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The EBSD method in SEM was used to investigate the morphology, distribution, size distribution and volume fraction of residual block austenite. The content of residual austenite was also measured with an X-ray diffractometer using filtered cobalt radiation in the configuration with a Pixcel detector. The morphology of residual austenite in the form of laths was studied using TEM. A static tensile test was used to determine mechanical properties (R_m, R_p0.2, A). Charpy-V impact strength was measured on 7.5x10x55 mm samples at -60 to +40°C. The nominal height of the sample below the notch was 8 mm. The hardness measurement was carried out using the HRC, HV and HB methods. Additionally, uniaxial compression tests of cylindrical samples with strain rates up to 100s^-1 were carried out using a  Gleeble 3800 GTC simulator. The firing tests for the plates were carried out at WITPiS with the use of ballistic barrels. The barrel’s quadrant elevation was 0° and 30°. The shell impact velocity was calculated using a PVM-2008/21 chronograph. A control “witness” plate, i.e. a 0.5 mm thick aluminium plate, was placed behind the sample at a distance of 150 mm. The firing was carried out at ambient temperature, without the samples’ temperature being controlled, and the number of shots was determined during the tests depending on the subsequent test results.

Test results for laboratory material

Results of microstructure examination and measurement of mechanical properties

In the first stage of testing the laboratory material, dilatometric measurement and heat treatment tests were carried out in order to determine the possibility of obtaining the desired mechanical properties. The dilatometric tests included the determination of characteristic temperatures, the development of a fragment of the CCT phase diagrams (an example for the laboratory melt is presented in Fig. 3) and the final heat treatment including austenitisation, controlled cooling and isothermal annealing in the temperature range of 180-240°C for up to 120 hours. Under the conditions of laboratory heat treatment of strength samples, the required degree of similarity to the industrial research planned at a later stage regarding the final heat treatment of metal sheets was maintained. M_s temperature changes for a wide range of cooling rate are marked in Fig. 3. The kinetic curves indicate that, for the time range used, the conversion takes place to a large extent at 210-240°C. After isothermal annealing, the samples were subjected to microstructure tests and hardness measurement. As a result of isothermal annealing at temperatures of 210-240°C, a typical microstructure of carbide-free nanolath bainite and residual austenite were obtained, similar to the results of [10-14]. Based on the results of dilatometric tests, experiments of heat treatment of strength and impact samples were carried out. The samples were heated to 950°C and annealed for 30 minutes and cooled in air to the temperature of isothermal transformation. Then, direct isothermal annealing was applied in the temperature range of 200-240°C for 72 to 137 hours.

Hardness measurement and microstructure tests were performed on the non-deformed gripping parts of the strength samples. Fig. 4 presents typical images of the tested samples’ microstructure. Depending on the temperature of isothermal transformation, the steel microstructure consists of lath packets of carbide-free bainite and residual austenite, and in the case of transformation temperature below M_s, additional lath martensite is formed, which is tempered. The value of the isothermal annealing temperature affects the width of bainite laths and the content and form of residual austenite, in such a way that the higher the transformation temperature, the greater the width of the laths and the greater the content of residual austenite. The principle mentioned above, due to the heterogeneity of the material, typical for the production conditions related to the casting method, and slight differences in the applied temperatures of isothermal annealing, is not always met. The results of measurement of the austenite content for laboratory heats and selected variants of heat treatment are presented in Table 4. The preliminary correlation analysis of the austenite content and the mechanical and functional properties of the material indicates that the optimal volume fraction of residual austenite should not exceed 20%, and most preferably be within the range of 13-18%. The results of the measurement of mechanical properties in a static tensile test are presented in Table 5. Taking into account the values of mechanical properties, the nature of the tensile curves in terms of strengthening and the value of the R_m/R_p0.2 ratio, variants were selected for the production of plates for firing tests. Mechanical properties assumed in the project: R_m min. 2000 MPa, A min. 12% and impact strength KV min. 12 J at ambient temp. were met for the developed chemical compositions of steel and most of the applied heat treatment variants.

Table 4. Results of residual austenite content measurement. Laboratory heat 640

Table 5. Results of measurement of mechanical properties in static tensile test Laboratory heats

Firing test results

Firing tests of material from laboratory heats were carried out with the use of 7.62×51 mm API BZ ammunition and, additionally, 5.56×45 mm M193 ammunition. Two plate sections (flat bars) from laboratory heats 617, 640, 641 and 648 were prepared for the firing tests. Firing tests were carried out at an angle of 0° for the actual thickness in the range of 7.0-8.5 mm and at an angle of 30° for plate thickness in the range of 5.3 – 6.3 mm. Based on the observation immediately after the firing, no cracks were found on the plate as a result of multi-hit firing. Typical test results and photographs of plates after the firing are presented in Table 6 and Fig. 5, respectively.

Table 6. Firing test results for laboratory heat plates

For selected variants of heat treatment and test parameters, microstructure tests were performed at projectile impact sites. The purpose of the tests included the assessment of the degree of degradation and depth of penetration. Based on the test results, a comparative analysis of the materials was carried out in terms of puncture resistance, including in terms of the occurrence of shear bands, macro- and microcracks and the bullet core penetration depth or the degree of knocking out of the “plug” (also the tendency to the formation of secondary shrapnel). Two typical penetration mechanisms were observed: adiabatic shear for the M193 shell and erosion for the incendiary AP shell (Fig. 6). The assessment of the degree of degradation of the firing locations was used in the final stage of selecting the chemical composition and parameters of material production on an industrial scale. The results of the research indicated, among others, the influence of the segregation of elements formed during solidification – and, consequently, the banding of the microstructure – on the puncture resistance of the plates.

Test results of material produced in industrial conditions

Preliminary results of the study of microstructure and mechanical properties

The preliminary tests were carried out on a 6 mm thick plate section from heat P1 after hot rolling. The scope of the tests included microstructure characteristics and hardness measurement. Subsequently, heat treatment of softening annealing and austenitising, as well as a final treatment including austenitising and direct isothermal annealing were performed. The microstructure of the plates after rolling and slow cooling in a stack was composed of martensite, bainite and pearlite (Fig. 7a). There was a microstructure banding typical of hot-rolled plates, with bands distributed evenly on the thickness (Fig. 7b). The results of the plate’s surface quality examination showed that the thickness of the oxidised layer was approx. 20 mm. Despite cooling, the stacked material reached the hardness of approx. 60 HRC. Heat treatment was carried out to soften the steel. A temperature of 690°C and cooling with the furnace were applied. The microstructure of the steel after this heat treatment, causing recrystallisation of the matrix and the precipitation and growth of carbides, was made of ferrite and partially coagulated carbides with a diameter below approx. 200 nm (Fig. 7c). As a result of the softening, the hardness of the material was reduced to 33 HRC (318 HV). In the next stage of the study, the austenitising process was analysed, as a result of which a homogeneous austenite with the smallest grain size should be obtained (without carbides that should dissolve). For this purpose, heat treatment was carried out with two temperatures of 930 and 955°C and a holding time of 30 minutes. After heat treatment, microstructure tests were performed in order to verify the correctness of the parameters used, based on the presence of primary precipitates and grain size. After austenitising at 930°C, the presence of single Cr and Mo carbides was observed. After austenitising at 955°C, carbides smaller than 200 nm were sporadic. Based on the research, the austenitising temperature in the final heat treatment process was determined to be 950°C and the holding time at this temperature was 30 minutes. In the last stage of the preliminary tests, the final heat treatment was carried out, consisting in isothermal annealing immediately after austenitisation and controlled cooling. Based on the tests carried out on the material produced in laboratory conditions, an isothermal annealing temperature of 215°C and a time of 96 hours were used. The transverse strength samples (perpendicular to the rolling direction of the plates), which were the material for the study of microstructure and mechanical properties, were processed. A typical tensile curve is presented in Fig. 7d. The assumed properties were obtained: strength higher than 2000 MPa and elongation above 12%, with a yield strength of approx. 1500 MPa. During quasi-static tensile tests, the samples exhibited a distinct narrowing and the ductile nature of the fracture surface. In the areas of the holders of strength samples, microstructure studies were performed using a scanning electron microscope, which were nanobainite bundles without the presence of carbides.

Fig. 7. Microstructure of nanostructured bainitic steel after rolling (a, b) after softening annealing at 690°C for 6 hours (c) and tensile curve of nanobainite steel for the 215°C/96 hours variant. Heat P1, transverse samples (perpendicular to the rolling direction) (d)

Results of dilatometric tests

Figs. 8 and 9 present CCT phase transformation diagrams for industrial test heats. The following temperatures characteristic for heating were determined based on the analysis of dilation curves. P1: Ac₁= 747°C; Ac₃ = 847°C; P2: Ac₁ = 750°C; Ac₃ = 848°C. The austenitising temperature used before isothermal annealing for samples from both test heats was 950°C. The experiments and studies of the austenitising process carried out so far have confirmed that annealing at the temperature of 950°C for 30-60 minutes guarantees obtaining a homogeneous austenite solution without the presence of carbides and does not lead to excessive growth of austenite grains. M_s temperatures for industrial heats were determined after austenitising at 950°C for 600 s and with cooling with a rate of 1-100°C/s. The cooling rate applied in practice is within the following range: 1-5°C/s. For this range of cooling rate, the M_s temperature ranges from 201 to 220°C for heat P1 and from 197 to 205°C for heat P2.

Test results after final heat treatment in laboratory furnaces

Before the guidelines for the technology of heat treatment of metal plates were developed, a wide range of tests and analyses of industrial material was carried out, which was subjected to heat treatment at Łukasiewicz-IMŻ. Characteristics in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties were developed for this material, and its protective effectiveness was assessed in firing tests. The test results were the basis for indicating the conditions for industrial heat treatment, which is a key stage of technology, shaping the functional properties.

Results of microstructure examination

Fig. 10 presents microstructure images of nanobainitic steel after final heat treatment. The range of magnifications used in the light microscope enables the observation of the following features characterising the material: banding, surface oxidation and decarburisation, non-metallic inclusions larger than approx. 1 mm, microstructure components up to a specific level of detail. In the case of nanobainitic steel plates, there is microstructural banding, and the distance between adjacent bands is from 10 to 20 mm. The microstructure of the material after the final heat treatment consists of bundles of nanobainite laths. At higher magnifications, in particular in the areas of segregation with a higher content of elements than the average composition (in light bands), individual grains of residual block austenite can be observed (Fig. 10a). A detailed analysis of the residual austenite morphology can be assessed using a scanning microscope (block austenite – A_B) and a transmission electron microscope (lath austenite – A_L). Fig. 10b presents the results of investigation of the microstructure of nanobainitic steel from the P2 heat – variant 215/96 – using SEM. The microstructure was lath nanobainite. Slight differences in nanobainite morphology were observed in the segregation (banded) areas. A typical microstructure consisting of nanobainite laths was present in areas depleted in alloying elements (Mo, Cr, Mn, Si). In areas enriched with the above-mentioned alloying elements, a higher content of components in the form of blocks, including residual austenite, was observed. A clear identification of residual block austenite using observation with the applied magnifications and the method of revealing (etching) the microstructure is not possible. Therefore, detailed morphology studies and measurement of the volume fraction of residual block austenite were performed using the EBSD method.

The study of the microstructure of nanobainitic steel with the use of a transmission electron microscope allows the identification of the following microstructure components: carbide-free bainite nano-laths, residual nano-lath austenite located between bainite laths, residual block austenite and precipitates – if thermodynamic conditions for their formation occurred in the manufacturing process.

TEM microstructure examination results are presented in Fig. 11. The observed type of residual lath and block austenite morphology using the electron diffraction method and the dark field of view technique confirmed the presence of two austenite fractions in nanobainitic steel after the final heat treatment. No carbide precipitates were observed in the study.

1. Light field
2. Electron diffraction
3. Dark field in the reflex of residual lath austenite.

Results of residual austenite examination

The results of residual austenite volume fraction measurement are presented in Table 7. Table 7 also presents the results of measurement of the volume fraction of residual block austenite determined using the EBSD method for the 5000x and 8000x magnifications. At a magnification of 8000x, the minimum size of the area (austenite phase) that can be analysed is between 100 and 200 nm. For the tested heat treatment variants from heat P1, the content of austenite was 15-17%. In the case of the P2 heat, the austenite content for the same heat treatment parameters as for P1 ranged from 20 to 25%. Similar contents of residual austenite were obtained by the authors of [8], which seems to be typical for nanobainitic steels and the isothermal transformation temperatures used. The volume fraction of residual austenite determined using the X-ray method is higher than the values determined using the EBSD method. This is confirmed by the presence of a nanolath austenite fraction, which is not identifiable using the EBSD method.

Table 7. Results of residual austenite content measurement using the XRD and EBSD method

The investigation of the morphology and volume fraction of residual block austenite was performed in SEM using the EBSD method at three magnifications of 3000x, 5000x and 8000x. The smallest of the magnifications allowed for the analysis of the uniformity of block austenite distribution – e.g. in the areas of banded microstructure, but the minimum identifiable grain size of the austenite phase was limited to approx. 1 mm. Therefore, the content of residual austenite determined at the magnification of 3000x does not take into account the entire block austenite fraction. Block austenite grains/laths with sizes ranging from 100-200 nm (0.1-0.2 mm) were observed at 5000x and 8000x magnification. The measurement results of the fraction of residual austenite block volume at a magnification of 5000x were used for further analyses, e.g. to determine the content of nanolath austenite.

Fig. 12 presents exemplary test results for residual block austenite in the P2 heat material after the final heat treatment. Studies at 3000x magnification showed the occurrence of inhomogeneity in the distribution of residual austenite with a grain size greater than 1 mm. This austenite fraction was characterised by a morphology close to equiaxed (globular) (Fig. 12 a,b). The distances between the zones with an increased content of block austenite (10-20 mm), the location of these zones and their width correspond to the banding of the microstructure of the plates found using the light microscopy examination. At the magnification of 5000x and 8000x, two types of residual austenite morphology were observed: globular grains and laths. The width of the laths and the mean linear intercept were in the range of 0.1-1.0 mm, and the maximum length of the laths reached approx. 3 mm (Fig. 12c-e).

Results of measurement of mechanical properties in static tensile test

The measurement of mechanical properties was taken on flat samples taken from hot-rolled plates, which were finally heat treated in heating furnaces at Łukasiewicz-IMŻ. The results of the measurement of the mechanical properties are presented in Tables 8 and 9, respectively, for the P1 and P2 heats, and in Table 10, the results of the impact strength measurement. In accordance with the assumptions of the project, the tensile strength was obtained for several variants of heat treatment and for both heats, with a total elongation greater than 12%. Nanobainitic steel is characterised by a wide range of deformation strengthening after exceeding the yield point (R_p0.2) of 1300 to 1500 MPa for the following ranges of isothermal annealing parameters: temperature T = 210, 215, 225°C; time t = 120, 96, 72 hours, respectively. The obtained results of the measurement of properties in the static tensile test are similar to the results of [3-10] in terms of strength, however, a higher elongation of 15% was obtained. It should be noted that most of the published results of studies on nanobainitic steels are conducted for a material with a higher carbon content, e.g. 0.9%, and a different content of alloying elements. Figs. 13 and 14 present typical tensile curves. The uniaxial compression tests were also carried out in the range of strain rate up to 100 s^-1. The test results are presented in Fig. 15. A stress level above 2500 MPa with a strain value up to 0.9 was obtained. During compression, the samples exhibited good ductility and a wide range of deformation hardening. The strength value is analogous to that obtained in [8] for steel with a higher carbon content and similar content of alloying elements.

Table 8. Results of the measurement of mechanical properties in a static tensile test, nanobainitic steel, heat P1

Table 9. Results of measurement of mechanical properties in static tensile test
Nanobainitic steel, heat P2

Two-stage isothermal treatment

An alternative method of final heat treatment has been proposed, consisting in isothermal annealing at two temperatures successively, which contributes to the improvement of the homogeneity of the properties distribution on the surface of the plate. The reason for the heterogeneity of the properties and microstructure of the plates is primary segregation and the resulting banding of the microstructure. The degree of primary segregation in industrial ingots varies between the “head” and the “foot” and as a result, the obtained plates may differ in quality in terms of material homogeneity. Examples of research and analysis results that were used to develop the heat treatment parameters in industrial conditions are presented below. On the basis of earlier tests, the first treatment temperature was selected at 225°C, and the second at 210°C. Times from 6 to 20 hours at 225°C and from 89 do 51 hours at 210°C were applied. The total transformation time, including the cooling time, as the temperature dropped from 225°C to 210°C, was either 72 or 96 hours. The temperature change from 225°C to 210°C was carried out in the furnace by reducing the set temperature during approx. 1 hour. Fig. 16 presents transformation kinetics curves for isothermal annealing variants in two temperatures. After heat treatment, the samples were subjected to microstructure examination and hardness measurement. The results of the analysis showed the optimal variants of this type of treatment from the point of view of mechanical properties and puncture resistance. The transformation time at 225°C was established to be 12 hours followed by 60 or 84 hours at 210°C. These variants were subjected to further microstructure and mechanical properties tests, and the plates were prepared for firing tests. The results of testing the mechanical properties of samples after isothermal annealing at two temperatures are presented in Table 11, and Table 12 presents the results of impact strength measurement. Figures 17 and 18 present typical results of the examination of properties and microstructure. The comprehensive analysis of the test results indicated the final parameters to be used in the technology of heat treatment of plates in industrial conditions.

Table 11. Results of measurement of mechanical properties in static tensile test

T and t – temperature and isothermal annealing time, respectively; austenitising parameters: 950°C / 30 minutes

Firing test results for industrial material after heat treatment in laboratory furnaces

The results of the firing tests were a key stage of the verification of the applied plate production technology parameters. In the field of final heat treatment, based on the results of microstructure tests, measurement of mechanical properties and the results of firing tests, the range of temperature and time of isothermal annealing was determined, after which plates made of nanobainitic steel with a thickness of 7.5-8.5 mm show resistance to puncture under the conditions of firing according to STANAG 4569 – level 2. In the first stage, the research material consisted of industrial scale plates, which were subjected to various parameters of isothermal annealing in laboratory conditions. Based on the results of firing tests with the first series, variant P1.215.96 was selected. The plate with a nominal thickness of 8.5 mm made of this material passed the firing test with a 7.62×39 API BZ ammunition at an angle of 0°, in the entire velocity range specified in Stanag 4569 – level 2 (695-715 m/s) and additionally at velocities significantly higher than the upper limit according to the above-mentioned document, amounting to 757 and 775 m/s. For the second series of firing tests, P1 and P2 heat plates were prepared with a wider range of parameters of the final heat treatment. Very good protection properties were demonstrated for the P2 heat plates. The requirements for level 2 according to Stanag 4569 were met by plates with a nominal thickness of 7.5 mm in three heat treatment variants (210.96; 215.96 and 225.72). In addition, these plates exhibited resistance to puncture with a 7.62×39 mm shell (0° angle) for a velocity of 765 m/s. In the second series of tests, the positive result obtained in the first series was confirmed for 8.5 mm plate from the P1 heat in the 215.96 variant, and additionally for this material, a positive result was obtained for the 8.5 mm thick plate in the 210.96 variant.

500X500 mm plates from heat P2 were prepared for the third series of puncture resistance tests. Heat treatment with the use of a furnace and a fan cooling system was carried out for these plates. The use of a fan may have the effect of surface cooling of a thin layer of material, including scale, as a result of which the temperature of the centre of the plate is higher than that measured on the surface with an optical pyrometer. Then, there is a risk of the formation of upper isothermal bainite when the temperature of isothermal annealing is reached, which is particularly unfavourable if it separates at grain boundaries of former austenite. Disparity of the plates’ properties on the surface was found. There was a puncture in a specific zone of the plate, and in the second part the test results were positive, also for the highest possible velocity for the 7.62×39 mm API BZ ammunition. For example, in the area of one 500×500 mm plate, for the velocity of 746 m/s, the test was positive, and for the velocity of 696 m/s, it was negative. In the third series of tests, a positive test result was obtained by firing at a plate with a thickness of 6.6 mm P2.215.96 at an angle of 30° in accordance with the requirements for Stanag 4569 level 2. It was assumed that the cooling of the plates after austenitisation would be carried out in the air, the more so as the alloying nature of P2 steel ensures sufficient hardenability (critical cooling rate) for the correct implementation of the plate manufacturing process. Fig. 19 presents the photographs of nanobainitic steel plates after firing.

Results of microstructure examination within projectile impact areas

The study of the microstructure in the area of the projectile impact was performed in order to determine in detail the penetration depth and material characteristics in the form of microcracks, shear bands, etc. Such tests provide additional information in terms of, for example, the margin of safety that a given material variant exhibits. Fig. 20 presents the results of macro- and microstructure examination within the projectile impact areas. Shear bands and cracks formed as a result of the firing were observed. There were also cracks with a characteristic curve in the direction parallel to the banding of the plate’s microstructure. As part of the quality assessment, the hardness distribution in the thickness of the plates, which successfully passed the firing tests, was determined. The results of this measurement showed that in the subsurface zone with a depth of approx. 0.3 mm, the hardness decreased to approx. 500 HV, and in the remaining part the hardness was from 600 to 630 HV. Asymmetrical hardness distribution was observed along the plate’s thickness. From one surface of the plates to a depth reaching half the thickness, the hardness was in the range of 600-610 HV, and on the other surface, the hardness was higher – in the range of 620-630 HV. The reason for this phenomenon could be one-sided decarburisation of the plate during the manufacturing process, e.g. during long-term softening annealing. The results of the effect assessment of the firing showed a positive reaction of nanobainitic steel to point high-energy impact. The research showed the occurrence of various depths of penetration, among others due to the typical heterogeneity of the material and the uniqueness of some parameters of the firing tests, including the alignment impact of the core, its shape and mass.

The test panels were subjected to ballistic tests. For the first series, panels were prepared that reflect the critical structural nodes of the container from the point of view of protective capacity. The armour of the panels consisted of nanobainitic steel plates from P1 and P2 heats, heat treated in the conditions of Łukasiewicz-IMŻ. As a result of the firing, the vast majority of tests were positive, including tests using a projectile velocity higher than the required one. There were single negative tests resulting from a local change in material properties caused by heterogeneity (primary segregation). For this purpose, additional firing tests were performed with the use of aramid laminate used as additional protection in the case when the base armour material meets the protective requirements, but there are single negative tests and/or borderline cases, e.g. in the form of secondary shrapnel. Table 13 presents typical firing test results and photographs of panels after testing. In the second series, the systems simulating the container walls with the use of armour made of nanobainitic plates, which were heat treated with modified parameters, were tested (Table 14). Contrary to the research conducted so far, a significant change was introduced in the final heat treatment technology and it was carried out at two temperatures with experimentally selected annealing time in each of them. The firing test results showed an improvement in protective parameters. In the vast majority of multi-hit firing tests, the requirements specified in Stanag 4569 for level 2 were met in 100%.

Results of research on the microstructure and properties of nanobainitic steel plates produced in a full industrial process

The examination of the microstructure of test samples heat-treated in industrial conditions was carried out on the cross-sectional areas of the gripping parts of the samples after tensile tests. Fig. 21 shows the microstructure images of the subsurface layer of the samples observed with a light microscope. Incomplete decarburisation to a depth of 0.12-0.15 mm was observed, which resulted in the formation of a different type of microstructure (lath bainite and acicular ferrite) than nanobainite in this layer. Total decarburisation, which results in the formation of preutectoid ferrite, is in the form of single ferrite grains (Fig. 21a) or in places – a continuous thin ferrite layer with a thickness not exceeding 25-30 μm (Fig. 21b). Subsurface layer fragments not exhibiting complete decarburisation were also observed. When comparing the subsurface microstructure of the test samples with that of heat-treated plates with these samples, it should be taken into account that the surfaces of the samples were ground before heat treatment, while the surfaces of the plates were not cleaned or machined. The images of microstructure in the central area of the cross-section are presented in Fig. 22. Based on light microscopic observation of the microstructure of P1 and P2 steel samples heat-treated in an industrial process in bundles together with the plates, the following conclusions can be drawn:

– The type of microstructure is correct for all tested variants – with slight deviations unavoidable in the industrial process, i.e. nanobainite is the matrix, and the remaining phase components are residual austenite in granular (block) form and – in some variants – traces of lamellar martensite (residual austenite less than approx. 0.5 μm cannot be identified using light microscopy).

– The microstructure is characterised by moderate banding, resulting from the segregation of alloying elements inherited at individual technological stages, formed during solidification of the steel; in light bands (with a higher concentration of elements) there is a higher content of residual austenite, and in darker bands (with a lower concentration of elements), in some variants, individual martensite lamellae were formed, due to the higher than the average M_S temperature for steel.

– There was no clear correlation between the microstructure features observed with a light microscope and the established differences in mechanical properties. This shows that the analysed small differences in the mechanical properties of the P1 and P2 steel plates presented in Table 15 depend on the parameters distinguishable in the nanoscale, such as the proportion of the amounts of individual morphological types of residual austenite and the dimensions and substructure of bainitic ferrite nano-laths as well as the form and distribution of carbon in residual austenite and bainitic ferrite.

For scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies, samples were selected that represent the morphological features of the microstructure in light microscopy studies. Images produced in SEM with the use of secondary electrons (SE – secondary electrons – images) show mainly the surface morphology – in this case, an etched relief derived from microstructure components – and therefore do not contain information on phase composition [19]. It was confirmed by comparative studies that with the SEM imaging method, also using the BSE – back scattered electrons – method, it is not possible to unequivocally identify areas of residual austenite. This shows that the grains of residual block austenite cannot be distinguished in the SEM images presented in Fig. 23. The SEM-SE images reveal the detailed structure of the steel matrix in the form of bainitic ferrite nanolath bundles and sporadically occurring martensite lamellae (examples in Fig. 23b, marked as M). In some segregation areas with increased content of alloying elements, fine particles of undissolved carbides were found. In the tested samples, no high-temperature phase transformation products, such as upper bainite or pearlite, were found. The achieved microstructure type is analogous to the test results published in [6].

In order to verify that the microstructure of the test material (from the holders of strength samples) is representative of the microstructure of heat-treated plates in industrial conditions, samples were cut from P2 steel plates with a thickness of: 6.8 mm, 8.3 mm and 9.0 mm and tests were performed using a scanning electron microscope. Typical SEM images of the mentioned plate samples are presented in Fig. 24. The comparison of the microstructure of samples cut from plates with the microstructure of test strength samples heat treated in bundles together with the plates shows that the microstructure of strength samples is made of identical bainitic ferrite nano-lath bundles as the matrix of microstructure of plates randomly selected for the testing, and the number of individual martensite lamellae and areas containing undissolved carbide particles and the sizes of these particles are very close to the morphological parameters of the microstructure observed in the micrographs of strength samples. On this basis, it was assumed that the strength test samples represent the microstructure and mechanical properties of the plates processed with these samples in individual bundles.

Fig. 25 shows the SEM images covering the edges of the P2 steel plate heat-treated in industrial conditions, illustrating the depth of decarburisation. Total (complete) decarburisation, resulting in the formation of preutectoid ferrite grains, is small – it reaches a depth of approx. 50-60 μm and is approximately twice as large as the complete decarburisation of ground strength samples, which was assessed at 25-30 μm. The depth of incomplete decarburisation, reaching the point where the average hardness of the steel core is obtained, for a plate with a thickness of 6.8 mm is approx. 0.5 mm. The microhardness diagram in Fig. 26 also shows the fluctuation of properties on the plate’s cross-section resulting from the influence of element segregation. In the presented example, this causes the variability of the microhardness of the bands of approximately ±10 HV in relation to the average value.

Results of tests of residual austenite in test samples and plates heat-treated under industrial conditions

The measurement of the total residual austenite (RA) content and the amount, morphology, size distribution and  distribution of residual block austenite (RbA) after industrial heat treatment including a two-stage bainite transformation were performed on test strength samples (on the gripping part) suspended in bundles of plates. The method of EBSD was used in a scanning electron microscope to determine the content and morphological parameters of RbA. The measurement was taken at a 5000x magnification with the use of a single measurement area of 22.79 x 51.81 µm. The smallest size of RbA grains detectable using the SEM-EBSD method was estimated at 0.15 µm. The segregation of elements, which was formed as a result of solidification and generally has the character of microsegregation, may appear in some places as a macrosegregation and has an influence on the heterogeneous distribution of RA grains and on the dispersion of the results of measurement of the content and morphology of RA.

The results of the measurement of the content, morphology and size distribution of residual austenite grains lead to the following conclusions:

– The average total RA content (measured using the XRD method) in the test samples made of steel P1 is 19.1 vol%, and in the test samples made of steel P2 it is 24.6 vol%. In the samples cut from P2 steel plates heat-treated together with the test samples, an average of 23.7 vol% of RA was obtained.

– The average content of residual block austenite RbA with grains larger than 0.15 μm (measured using the EBSD method) in the test samples of steel P1 is 5.2 vol% (in individual samples from 2.9% to 11.0%), and in test samples made of the P2 steel it is 3.5 vol% (in individual samples from 1.9% to 5.1%). In the samples cut from plates heat-treated together with the test samples, an average of 8.7 vol% of RbA (8.1 to 9.1%) was obtained.

– Based on the EBSD analysis, average and maximum RbA particle sizes were determined; for test samples made of steel P1, the average value is 0.39 μm and the maximum value is 1.13 μm, for test samples made of steel P2 the average value is 0.41 μm and the maximum value is 1.10 μm, and for samples cut from heat-treated plates together with test samples the average value is 0.57 μm and the maximum value is 1.63 μm.

The given quantitative characteristics of residual austenite in nanobainitic steel after two-stage treatment differ statistically significantly from those after one-stage treatment.

Assessment of the effects of two-stage treatment

The mechanical properties of nanobainitic steel, in particular the resistance to impact, largely depend on the content, morphology, uniformity of distribution and dimensions of grains, lamellae and laths of residual austenite. Based on the laboratory tests carried out in this project, it was found that the final treatment leading to the production of a nanobainitic steel matrix, carried out in stages successively at two temperatures with a strictly defined holding time at each of these temperatures, leads to the formation of a microstructure containing residual block austenite with more favourable morphological parameters – a larger population of RbA grains with a smaller size and a smaller size of the largest regions of RbA was obtained. This regularity is illustrated by the comparison of the grain size distribution of RbA in P1 and P2 steel samples processed in laboratory conditions with the use of single-stage annealing (Figs. 27a and 28a) with two-stage annealing (Figs. 27b and 28b). An additional effect of the two-stage treatment is the increase in the total amount of RA in relation to the one-stage treatment, for P1 and P2 steels on average from 15-17 vol% to 21-24 vol%. As a result of the two-stage treatment in industrial conditions, the distribution of RbA grains with similar characteristics as in Figs. 27b and 28b was found, which confirms the adequate effect of the two-stage treatment on the grain refinement of the RbA phase.

Measurement results for mechanical properties of heat-treated plates under industrial conditions

“Witness” strength samples were attached to plates processed under industrial conditions. The results of the measurement of mechanical properties of “witness” samples are presented in Table 15. The required mechanical properties were achieved, which confirmed the the correctness of the process. In the vast majority of cases, the assumed mechanical properties determined in the static tensile test were achieved. Single slight deviations from the requirements may result from the specific location of the samples in extremely unfavourable places of the bundle (e.g. in the corner area of the plate) and from a significantly smaller sample weight in relation to the plate’s weight.

Table 15. Results of measurement of mechanical properties.
“Witness” strength samples attached to plates during heat treatment in a test cycle

Results of impact strength measurement for samples after two-stage heat treatment

The results of impact strength measurement are presented in Table 16. The achieved impact energy values were converted to a standard sample width of 10 mm. The nanobainitic steel in the P1 variant, after treatment with 225/12+210/84, obtained the impact strength values of approx. 19 J and 11 J at +23 and -40°C, respectively. Slightly higher impact strength values were obtained for the P2 heat, which for the same heat treatment parameters amounted to approx. 21 J and 15 J, respectively at +23 and -40°C. The high level of impact strength, especially at -40°C – defined in the standards as a minimum of 12 J for a Charpy-V sample, ensures the resistance of the tested steel grades to cracking under impact loads. Impact strength values similar to those achieved in the project are required for martensitic steels widely used in ballistic shields.

Table 16. Results of Charpy-V impact strength (KV₂) measurement for material after two-stage heat treatment.

Firing test results for plates produced in a full production cycle under industrial conditions

Firing tests were carried out for the plates’ nominal thickness of 8.0 mm for the armour of the container’s walls and for plates with a nominal thickness of 6.0 mm for the container’s roof armour. The test result confirmed the achievement of the assumed protection level of the container’s wall and roof models. Typical photographs of the plates after firing are presented in Fig. 29. The results of the firing tests showed the high potential of plates with the designed mechanical properties and thickness to meet the requirements of puncture protection in accordance with Stanag 4569 Level 2. In the serial plate production process, special attention should be paid to ensuring the uniformity of the chemical composition and properties on the surface and in the volume of a single plate. The results of firing tests indicated the necessity to strictly control the parameters at individual stages of production – from smelting and casting, through processing, to the final heat treatment – in order to meet the protection requirements.

Summary

Based on the tests of the material produced in laboratory conditions, the chemical composition of two grades of nano-structured bainitic steel was developed and guidelines for the following stages of industrial plate production: smelting and casting, heat treatment of ingots before forging and slabs after forging, critical cooling rates and required temperature values during the process of rolling and immediately after rolling the plates. The material characteristics of industrial heats of two grades of nanobainitic steel were developed on the basis of dilatometric tests, measurement of mechanical properties and the volume fraction of residual austenite, including microstructure examination in terms of the content of block and nanolath austenite. The main results of research and tests of plates made from the developed steel grades intended for the armour of the observation and defence container are presented below.

– The following mechanical properties assumed to be achieved: R_m > 2.0 GPa, R_p0.2 > 1.3 GPa, A > 12%, were met (or reached the level very close to the required values) by 79% of the test samples, while a few samples, to a relatively small extent, did not meet the established minimum levels of mechanical performance. No case was found that would disqualify the material in terms of the level of mechanical properties. This result should be considered very good for the first batches of plates heat-treated under industrial conditions. The average values of parameters determined in a tensile test for all test samples are:

–  for steel P1: R_m = 2041 MPa, R_p0.2 = 1435 MPa, A = 12.2%,

–  for steel P2: R_m = 2024 MPa, R_p0.2 = 1359 MPa, A = 12.8%.

– The correct type of plate’s microstructure was obtained for all tested variants of heat treatment – with small deviations unavoidable in the industrial process, i.e. the matrix is nanobainite, and the remaining phase components are residual austenite in granular (block) form and – in some variants – traces of lamellar martensite . Attention is paid to the influence of primary segregation and the resulting microstructure banding, which at a certain intensity (difference in the content of key elements, i.e. Mo, Mn, Si and Cr in individual bands) can significantly change the functional properties of the material locally.

– The final treatment leading to the production of a nanobainitic steel matrix, carried out successively at two temperatures with a strictly defined holding time at each of these temperatures (225/12+210/84), leads to the formation of a microstructure containing residual block austenite with favourable morphological parameters- a large population of RbA grains with a smaller size and a smaller size of the largest regions of RbA was obtained. An additional effect of the two-stage treatment is the increase in the total volume fraction of RA in relation to the one-stage treatment, for P1 and P2 steels on average from 15-17 vol% to 21-24 vol%. The distribution, morphology and size distribution of grains and laths of residual austenite are strongly dependent on the microsegregation of elements. The occurrence of segregation areas, especially with increased Mo content, was found, in which the estimated content and size of block austenite grains were larger compared to the areas of bands depleted in alloying elements.

– Nanobainitic steel – P1 heat, after treatment 225/12 + 210/84, obtained impact strength values of approx. 19 J and 11 J at +23 and -40°C, respectively. Higher impact strength values were obtained for the P2 heat steel, which for the same HT parameters amounted to approx. 21 J and 15 J, respectively at +23 and -40°C. Similar impact strength values are required for quenched and tempered martensitic steels widely used in ballistic shields.

The results of the firing tests showed the high potential of plates with the designed mechanical properties and thickness to meet the requirements of puncture protection in accordance with Stanag 4569 Level 2. In the serial plate production process, special attention should be paid to ensuring the uniformity of the chemical composition and properties on the surface and in the volume of a single plate. The results of firing tests indicated the necessity to strictly control the parameters at individual stages of production – from smelting and casting, through processing, to the final heat treatment – in order to meet the requirements for ballistic protection.

References

Republished on 9.9.2024.
Link to original publication: http://dx.doi.org/10.32730/imz.2657-747.20.2.1

We’re excited to announce that Heatmasters has successfully participated in a shutdown maintenance project together with Saint-Gobain, at their production facilities in Hyvinkää, Finland!

Heatmasters provided heating for a glass duct, while maintenance activities took place at a glass-melting furnace.

During the project, we utilized four Heatmasters’ 500 kW gas burners, controlled with our legendary Rigel26 digital controllers. Heatmasters gas burners were running non-stop throughout the 6-week project. This was important, as the glass duct had to be kept at a constant temperature of 1000 °C for the entire duration, to be able to start up production immediately after maintenance activities were completed.

In glass manufacturing, the “glass duct” or “glass furnace flue” is crucial for transporting molten glass between stages of processing. Maintaining a high temperature in this duct is crucial to prevent the glass from cooling and solidifying before it reaches its intended destination.

A huge thank you to our team for their hard work and to the Hyvinkää factory personnel for their cooperation!

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From establishing Finland’s very first professional heat treatment company in 1974 to introducing groundbreaking innovations like the first 6-channel transformer with a microprocessor controller in 1982, Heatmasters has always been a pioneer in the heat treatment industry.

Today, we continue to lead the way by constantly developing and supplying innovative equipment and high-quality services to customers around the world.

Our commitment to excellence and safety drives everything we do, and we couldn’t have achieved this milestone without our incredible wizards of metal, who make all the “magic” possible. 🧙

Here’s to 50 years of heat treatment and to many more ahead! 🥂

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Heatmasters has entered into an exclusive agency contract with TAV VACUUM FURNACES for the Nordic region, specifically Finland, Sweden, and Norway. This collaboration is a major step forward in our mutual goal to improve the distribution and delivery channels of vacuum furnaces in the region. Heatmasters looks forward to working together with TAV VACUUM FURNACES to expand our existing furnace portfolio and provide vacuum furnace technology to our existing and new customers.

“We are very excited to have TAV VACUUM FURNACES onboard and look forward to expanding into new markets and applications utilizing vacuum technologies. Thanks to TAV VACUUM FURNACES being one of the leaders in their market, we can confidently provide high-quality vacuum furnaces to the Nordic region.”
-Ilkka Mujunen, President & CEO @ Heatmasters

Introduction to Vacuum Furnaces and Their Applications

Vacuum furnaces are essential to multiple modern industrial processes, offering a reliable solution for various applications. These specialized furnaces create a controlled environment allowing precision heat treatment, brazing, sintering, additive manufacturing, ceramics processing, diffusion bonding, aluminizing, and other processes happening under a vacuum.

Applications in Focus:

Heat Treatment

Vacuum furnaces ensure optimal heat treatment outcomes as they combine vacuum, which is the ideal environment for material processing at high temperatures, with fast quenching speed for increasing material performances.

Brazing

The controlled atmosphere within vacuum furnaces facilitates clean and precise brazing operations, resulting in robust joints between materials.

Sintering

Industries rely on vacuum furnaces for sintering powdered materials, as vacuum speeds up cycle times and guarantees temperature uniformity with more predictable results.

Additive Manufacturing

In additive manufacturing processes, vacuum furnaces are used for different materials and different processes, ranging from heat treatment to thermal de-binding and sintering.

Ceramics Processing

Vacuum furnaces play a crucial role in ceramic processing, ensuring the desired properties of ceramics through precise heating and a controlled atmosphere.

Diffusion Bonding

Vacuum furnaces enable strong bonds between materials in diffusion bonding applications, fostering durability and reliability in end products.

Aluminizing

Industries benefit from vacuum furnaces in aluminizing processes and enhance corrosion resistance on steel and nickel alloy surfaces operating in high-temperature conditions.

Thanks to their extensive knowledge of vacuum and high-temperature engineering as well as a large team of experienced mechanical and automation engineers supported by the most advanced software and instrumentation, end-users worldwide recognize TAV VACUUM FURNACES as a proven and reliable solution provider in vacuum technology.

“Flexibility, innovation, and technology are TAV’s core values. Heatmasters shares the same values and attitude, meaning our collaboration is a perfect match that allows us to deliver higher value to our Scandinavian customers. The possibility to cover a wider range of processes to the market through the products and services that both companies are offering will benefit the Scandinavian market and will foster mutual growth.”
-Guido Locatelli, General Manager @ TAV VACUUM FURNACES SPA

This collaboration between Heatmasters and TAV VACUUM FURNACES signifies a significant step forward in our commitment to providing state-of-the-art technology to our clientele. With TAV’s expertise in furnaces utilizing vacuum technology complementing Heatmasters’ existing furnace offerings, we can meet the evolving process requirements of our customers across many industries and applications.

Find out more about TAV Vacuum Furnaces here.

Heatmasters and Axiom Heat Treatment join forces through a distributorship agreement to enhance the distribution and delivery of Heatmasters’ innovative heat treatment equipment and control systems to the US market.

Since 1974, Heatmasters has designed and manufactured state-of-the-art technology for the heat treatment of metals. The design of our heat treatment equipment is rooted in half a century of expertise using the equipment and technology in the field. Our extensive heat treatment equipment range provides our customers across the globe with modern heat treatment furnaces, heat treatment units, temperature control systems, and all related tools and accessories.

Cooperation with Axiom Heat Treatment will provide Heatmasters’ customers within North America with improved access to reliable, modern, and cost-effective heat treatment equipment. Through this cooperation, Axiom Heat Treatment will also expand its fleet of equipment with Heatmasters HM406T_R26 heat treatment units.

“Heatmasters has been in the North American market now for a decade and especially our temperature control systems are very well known here. Through this distribution partnership with Axiom Heat Treatment, we are further improving our position by actively and professionally offering the whole range of Heatmasters’ heat treatment equipment and industrial heating solutions across the nation.”
-Ilkka Mujunen, President & CEO @ Heatmasters

Axiom Heat Treatment is a full on-site service company that provides preheat, post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), bake out, and all other field heat treatment services to its customers within the United States. With over 100 years of heat treatment knowledge across Axiom’s executive team, the company takes pride in its ability to plan, budget, and schedule large complex heat treatments that meet or exceed the most stringent code stipulations.

“Leading companies continue to innovate, and while searching for a partner, innovation, as well as quality of existing products, were uppermost in my mind, Heatmasters ticked all the boxes and more. I am very excited to start cooperation with Heatmasters and look forward to seeing mutual growth in both companies!”
-Gerry McWeeney, Founder & CEO @ Axiom Heat Treatment

Find out more about Axiom Heat Treatment here.

Heatmasters completed PWHT on a welded bottom ring at the IP Huse mechanical workshop in Norway, located on the Harøy island between Ålesund and Molde.

IP Huse is a world leader in the design and production of winches for anchor handling vessels as well as winches and related equipment for special vessels and floating installations. IP Huse also provides services and solutions for various products in areas such as equipment for hydropower plants, sub-sea, and handling solutions.

The heated item is a bottom ring component for a Francis turbine, which will be delivered to a hydropower plant. The component had a diameter of 5.5 meters, a height of 1.1 meters, and weighed more than 70,000 kg. The component is made out of welded plates of carbon steel S355 material. Due to the plates having a thickness of up to 200mm and a significant amount of welding (24 stiffeners inside, consisting of 90 mm plates), there was a need for stress relief after welding, before the final machining of the ring could be started.

Heat treatment was completed utilizing a Heatmasters temporary furnace. Temporary furnaces are a cost-efficient solution for heat treatment for large objects, such as pressure vessels, boiler parts, and off-shore components. Our heat treatment specialists utilized Heatmasters’ digital temperature control system to accurately control heaters installed into the furnace and digital documentation of the heating process.

“The Heatmasters team performed an excellent job, with a calm and professional approach and attitude to the different tasks during the entire project. From the very beginning with the establishment of communication and commercial offer to the final delivery of documentation after PWHT was performed, Heatmasters has performed in the utmost professional manner. Good job and well done!”
– Magne Runar Harnes, Project Manager at IP Huse AS

Heatmasters is your partner for successful heat treatment and industrial service projects. From single heat treatment jobs to turn-key solutions and value partnerships designed according to your needs.

Heatmasters delivered a new heat treatment furnace to RAFAKO S.A in Poland. The heat treatment furnace will further expand and optimize the in-house heat treatment processes at RAFAKO.

RAFAKO has over 70 years of experience providing specialized solutions to power generation, heat generation as well as oil and gas sectors both in Poland and abroad. The company manufactures boiler elements including membrane walls, drums, coils, rotary air and flue gas preheaters, air and flue gas ducts, steel structures and heat exchangers as well as other pressure equipment.

Click here to read more about RAFAKO.

Heatmasters has provided innovative, custom-tailored heat treatment equipment since 1974. In-depth heat treatment know-how accumulated during the last half a century, customer orientation, and our capability to adapt to industry needs has forged us into pioneers in heat treatment solutions. We design and manufacture high-quality custom-tailored industrial and heat treatment furnaces for companies that have decided to invest in in-house heat treatment capabilities and know-how. Each furnace is designed together with the customer, to ensure each furnace also meets current and future heating requirements.

“Based on our cooperation during this project, Rafako would like to thank Heatmasters company for their work towards our new investment. The decision to buy a new moveable furnace from Heatmasters provided us the opportunity to be more flexible and reduce the time and cost of our in-house heat treatment processes. Investing into this new furnace from Heatmasters allows us to extend our facilities’ capabilities and scope of offering to our clients.
On behalf of the Rafako team, I would like to wish you all the best and we are looking forward to more cooperation in the future!”
-Jakub Konior, Plant Director/Proxy at RAFAKO S.A

Heatmasters completed the design and engineering work for this furnace and provided heating technology, as well as installation and commissioning services. As a cost-effective solution, the steel works for the furnace were completed locally by RAFAKO, under the supervision of Heatmasters.

The dimensions of this new furnace are 6 x 6 x 2 meters. The furnace has a maximum operating temperature of 800 °C and a heating power output of 216 kW.

The furnace of course includes Heatmasters’ digital temperature control system with a Rigel26 controller. This provides RAFAKO with accurate, repeatable heat treatment processes, digital process control, and documentation of each heat treatment.

Heatmasters is happy to have another end-user utilizing a modern and efficient Heatmasters furnace. We look forward to future cooperation with Rafako, as it was also a pleasure to work with their professional team during this project.

Heatmasters furnaces and equipment are supported by modern, high-tech features and backed by the industry’s most comprehensive life-cycle services to ensure smooth and efficient heat treatment operations for years to come.

During Q1 2023, Heatmasters heat treatment experts were once again in Uruguay, during the annual maintenance shutdown of the Montes del Plata Mill, officially called “PGP 2023” (Parada General de Planta). Over 3,000 people worked simultaneously during the maintenance shutdown to complete maintenance, improvement and inspection works at the plant. Heatmasters heat treatment experts were excited to be a part of this project, providing heat treatment services on-site and working with ANDRITZ Uruguay specialists.

The annual maintenance shutdown ensures the plant meets its’ goals related to pulp and energy production, environmental safety, quality, and sustainability as well as the health and safety of people, which is the number one priority for the plant.

Scope of Heat Treatment Works

During the annual maintenance works bends and tubes in the superheaters II, III and IV of the recovery boiler were to be replaced. The repair of high-grade materials used in superheaters often requires special welding techniques and heat treatment. During this project, annealing was required.

Annealing is a controlled heating and cooling process used to alter the microstructure of a metal or alloy, providing desirable properties such as stress relief, softening, improved ductility, refined grain structure, and homogenization of alloying elements.

Return bends and tubes were heated by our heat treatment experts during their replacement. In total, around 80 welds were heat treated during this project, with each heating process digitally documented thanks to Heatmasters’ modern heat treatment equipment and integrated temperature control systems.

Heat Treatment Equipment

Heatmasters’ heat treatment specialists were equipped with multiple HM406T_R26 heat treatment units which have a power output of 40kW and 6 heating channels. These fully automatic thyristor-controlled heat treatment units for the annealing of metal parts have been designed with usability in mind: their simple and lightweight structure allows effortless mobility and efficient heat treatment work at any location.

During the previous projects at the Montes del Plata Mill, our team received positive feedback regarding the equipment’s compact design, which allowed the units to stay in place on the narrow hallways of the plant without causing any issues and reducing time spent moving equipment during the works.

The units’ computerized state-of-the-art temperature control system provides digital, easy, and accurate setting, controlling, monitoring, and digital documentation of the heat treatment process, even remotely. This allowed our team to provide the customer with heat treatment certificates of each process in PDF format. Thanks to the digital control system, an external temperature recorder is also not required. Heatmasters heat treatment units are almost maintenance-free, ensuring cost-efficient and trouble-free heating operations, which is why they come with a 3-year warranty.

Montes del Plata Mill

The Montes del Plata Mill is a eucalyptus wood pulp mill located in Southern Uruguay. It is run as a joint venture between Stora Enso and Arauco. Montes del Plata produces 1,400,000 tons per year of bleached eucalyptus pulp, which is exported to North America, Europe and Asia. For eight years the industrial plant has been operating in Punta Pereira, Conchillas, in a high-tech industrial complex that in turn generates renewable electricity.

The Montes del Plata Industrial Complex is environmentally friendly, incorporating the latest technological advancements which guarantee minimal environmental impact, meeting all environmental regulations established by the European Union (IPCC), and operating according to the industry’s best available techniques (IPPC-BAT).

Montes del Plata owns 190 000 hectares of land and leases 56 500 hectares of land, and the company has incorporated standards of responsible forest management – FSC® and internationally recognized PEFCTM-, which certify 100% of its plantations. Montes del Plata is also the largest private power generator in Uruguay, the third-largest producer after the hydroelectric stations of Salto Grande and Palmar. The mill delivers its surplus energy of around 500 GWh per year to Uruguay’s national grid, which equates to around 5% of the country’s total energy needs and is a contributor to the country’s conversion of its energy matrix to renewables, minimizing fossil fuel use.

Pulp Production Process

From the production of seedlings in its own nursery to the export of cellulose, Montes del Plata involves more than 6,000 people throughout its production chain. Find a short summary of the pulp production process below.

Wood Chipping

Wood is transported to the industrial complex on trucks and barges, after which it is converted into smaller pieces called chips to reduce and standardize their size whilst facilitating the digestion process.

Cooking

The chips enter the digester. A mixture of water and chemicals called white liquor is added to the chips, causing cellulose fibres to separate from lignin, a high-energy wood component, at high pressure and temperature.

Bleaching

The pulp from the cooking process is filtered, washed, and then bleached. This changes the color of the pulp from brown to white.

Drying

White sheets pass through dryers until the water content is less than 10%. After this, they are cut, grouped into bales, and packaged.

Chemicals and wood components from this process are concentrated and burned, generating steam and electricity. Non-combustible components are reintegrated into the pulp production process. The plant’s energy and chemical inputs are recovered and reused, making the Kraft process economically and environmentally viable. Atmospheric emissions are 99% water vapor and meet the most demanding national and international environmental standards, just as liquid effluents do.

Heat Treatment Services

Heatmasters looks forward to future heat treatment projects utilizing our knowledge and long-term experience in high-quality heat treatment and industrial services.
In addition to on-site pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solutions including:

• Heat treatment of workpieces in fixed furnaces
• Heat treatment of large workpieces in portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems, etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

Click here to read more about Montes del Plata.
Click here to read more about Stora Enso.

Gaujas Koks is a large and well-known raw wood processor and producer of structural wood in Latvia. Products manufactured include sawn KD boards, machine-strength graded structural timber, and various profiles of decking boards. Established in 1990, the company has shown continuous growth and now focuses on becoming more efficient and modern.

During this project, Heatmasters qualified specialists used 1 MW propane burners with calibrated controllers to complete the dry-out processes at the customer’s site. A temporary gas installation supplied propane for the burners.

Heatmasters’ burner systems include burners with a power output between 0,5 and 1 MW, and depending on the project, we can also utilize heating elements for dry-outs and other heating processes.

All our heating systems, including burners, utilize Heatmasters’ advanced digital temperature control systems. When using gas-fired burners, the digital temperature control system allows for precise burner control, ensuring accurate heating processes according to dry-out curves or set temperature parameters, and finally, digital documentation of the entire heating process.

In Gaujas Koks, two separate objects were heated, and for each process, thermocouples were installed directly on the combustion chamber’s lining surface. This allowed for precise temperature readings and appropriate control of the burners.

Despite difficult weather conditions on-site, all dry-out processes were completed on time and in accordance with the set parameters from dry-out curves and manufacturer instructions.

Cooperation with the client was exemplary and our team appreciates feedback received from Gaujas Koks, the best confirmation of a job well done!
“Thanks to the entire Heatmasters team for the high level of services provided during dry-outs in Gaujas Koks.”
– Romāns Kazaks, Technical Director of Gaujas Koks

In addition to providing professional refractory dry-out services around the world, Heatmasters has a strong track record of cooperation with process facilities, manufacturers, and other parties’ heat treatment services, equipment, or for example, turn-key greenfield projects.

Find out more about our heat treatment services.

Interested in heat treatment equipment or furnaces?

To find out more about Gaujas Koks, click here.

On-site heat treatment at one of the world’s largest oil shale-fired thermal power plants. Heatmasters operators were on-site, providing heat treatment services around the clock.

The power plant unit where the work took place utilizes circulating fluidized bed boiler technology. Heatmasters has decades of experience in the heat treatment of superheater and CFB boiler components.
Our operators were on-site for 3 weeks, during which all heat treatment processes included in this project’s scope were completed successfully and on time.

300 superheater welds and other components related to high-temperature superheaters and high-temperature reheaters were accurately heated to a temperature between 650 °C and 800 °C. Thanks to the Heatmasters digital temperature control system, our operators had complete control of heat treatment parameters and digital documentation along with certificates were provided to the customer. This is one of the benefits of our advanced temperature control system, which is integrated into our fully automatic heat treatment units as well as many furnaces.

The temperature in the working areas was only around 6 °C, but luckily this was comfortably warm compared to the winter weather back home in Finland. According to our team, the only real challenge during this project was the tight spaces within the facility, which were also managed thanks to the equipment utilized. Our team was equipped with several HM406T_R26 mobile heat treatment units, perfect for heat treatment operations inside a facility such as this power plant, where mobile and lightweight units with minimized maintenance requirements are needed.

Heatmasters’ experts have a strong track record of successful heat treatment and industrial services projects completed in accordance with rigorous quality standards across various process facilities worldwide.

Heatmasters Oy, an international supplier of heat treatment services and equipment, founded in 1974, is teaming up with a surface treatment company. The parent company of Heatmasters, Haarniska Holding Oy, has acquired the majority of the stock of Carelia Corro, which specializes in outsourced surface treatment and surface treatment consultation services. The acquisition is already the third since Heatmasters transferred from Panostaja Oyj to Haarniska Holding’s ownership in the summer of 2021.

“Heatmasters’ and Carelia Corro’s businesses support each other,” says Kalle Reponen, a shareholder of Haarniska Holding and Chairman of the Board of Heatmasters, and continues: “Heatmasters’ customers will now receive surface treatment from Carelia Corro from the same shop, and on the other hand, Heatmasters’ extensive contacts within the European manufacturing industry opens up unique opportunities for the implementation of Carelia Corro’s growth strategy.”

“From Carelia Corro’s point of view, it is great to become part of a dynamic industrial group, which from many points of view gives new ideas for the growth and development of the company”, says Carelia Corro’s CEO Miikka Kuutilo, who will also continue as a shareholder of Carelia Corro.

The two previous acquisitions have already supported Heatmasters’ equipment business, while the Carelia Corro deal will strengthen the group’s service business. Experience and know-how, flexibility and high quality are at the center of the operations of both companies.

“Heatmasters’ professional team has always been known among its customers for its wizard-like expertise. It is a pleasure and an honor to welcome another highly skilled company to Haarniska Holding’s chivalrous family,” Haarniska Holding’s shareholder and CEO of Heatmasters Ilkka Mujunen rejoices.

Heatmasters is a company specializing in heat treatment and other industrial services and equipment, with offices in Hollola, Turku, and Varkaus, as well as in Będzin, which is located in southern Poland. Heatmasters also operates in the Baltics through its associate company Heatmasters Baltic. Dubbed the wizards of metal, Heatmasters works on projects around the world in addition to their home market, and the company’s equipment is sold in more than thirty countries.

Carelia Corro, founded in 2017, specializes in industrial surface treatment and operates on the premises of its leading customers in Jyväskylä, Lievestuore, Savonlinna, and Varkaus. Carelia Corro has long-term surface treatment expertise with strong and versatile experience in anti-corrosion painting as well as extensive networks in the field. The company’s goal is to challenge the current players in the market with an agile and cost-effective business model.

Heatmasters’ heat treatment specialists provided heat treatment services during repair works at a paper mill in Egypt. Our team was on-site for several weeks, completing preheating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) services during several weld repairs on a drum pulper and its support rings.

During welding repairs, the integrity of a component where a crack has been found, such as this drum pulper, is restored. Cracks can appear during in-service or already in the manufacturing process. A slot is milled in order to remove the crack, after which it is filled. The welding process can be any kind of arc, beam, or gas welding process. However, manual arc welding is the most common method for repair welding. Preheating may be required during the welding process, and the component may need to be post-weld heat treated in order to reduce residual stresses and/or restore material microstructure. In this case, local heat treatment was possible, which means that only a part of the structure was heat treated. This is in contrast to global heat treatment where the entire structure is heat treated by placing it in a furnace.

Our technicians specialize in on-site local heat treatment works at nuclear power plants, power plants, oil refineries, pulp & paper mills, and within chemical and offshore industry projects. All of Heatmasters’s heat treatment solutions adhere to our comprehensive quality management system and industry regulations.

Thanks to our locations across Europe, we are also able to provide rapid responses for our customers, which is often a requirement for critical repair works. After being contacted by a customer, our teams are able to start heat treatment works within Europe in a matter of days. Click here to read more about a related paper mill repair project requiring rapid response from Heatmasters.

Find out more about Heatmasters’ heat treatment and industrial services.

Our wizards of metal use mobile heat treatment units are designed and manufactured by Heatmasters, equipped with modern temperature control systems. This ensures rapid and accurate heat treatment, along with digital documentation for each heating process completed.

During this project, Heatmasters experts were equipped with Heatmasters HM406T_R26 mobile heat treatment units. These portable, fully-automatic units have 6 channels and a power output of 40 kW with a weight of only 170 kg.

Read more about the equipment utilized during this project.  

Heatmasters Representatives across the globe provide flexible, high-quality heat treatment solutions and heat treatment equipment with local technical support and reliable service, ensuring Heatmasters end-users’ heat treatment challenges are solved comfortably, anywhere.

Arcent has provided professional solutions to their customers’ metal welding and cutting requirements in Singapore and the SEA region since 2011. Now, as part of their vision to be a one-stop solutions provider, Arcent will additionally provide their customers with high-quality heat treatment equipment from Heatmasters.

“Since 2011, we have been the trusted and reliable supplier of high-quality cutting and welding equipment for industry-leaders in Singapore and the surrounding countries. Our cooperation with Heatmasters will provide our customers with access to reliable, modern and cost-effective heat treatment solutions.”
-Jimmy Lim, General Manager, Arcent (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Arcent in Singapore Expo during the 2017 Manufacturing Technology Asia Show

Arcent currently has many active projects with companies like Keppel FELS Group, Sembcorp Marine Group, Singapore Technologies Marine, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Pratt Whitney Group, Rolls Royce Singapore, Hiap Seng Engineering, PEC Limited, HSL Constructor & Wong Fong Engineering Works (1988).

Heatmasters will provide Arcent and their customers with support and high-quality heat treatment equipment. Since many of Arcent’s customers are utilizing manual and semi-automatic welding and cutting solutions, we will also share knowledge with Arcent regarding the integration of heat treatment equipment into their end-users’ manual and semi-automatic welding and cutting processes.

Visit www.arcentwelding.com to find out more.

During the final months of 2021, the Wizards of Metal started an interesting heat treatment project at the Górażdże Cement plant, the largest, most modern cement plant in Europe. The project involved the fast mobilization of a large team of Heatmasters heat treatment specialists, equipped with multiple heat treatment units suitable for continuous preheating of the clinker rotary kiln’s components.

Górażdże Cement Plant

The Górażdże Cement plant is located in Chorula, a village in south-western Poland. The plant is owned by Heidelberg Cement Group and began operations in 1977. During the plants’ history, there have been many development and modernization investments, which have strengthened its position at the forefront of the largest and most modern cement plants in Europe.

The plant has technological lines for firing Portland clinker, including two rotary kilns for burning clinker and four cement mills. Raw materials used for production include limestone and marl which are obtained from two nearby mines.

Scope of Project and Heat Treatment at the Cement Plant

Our team received news of urgent repairs requiring preheating. Within a few days, they were on-site, ready to start working. The clinker rotary kiln’s components were to be repaired/replaced, and the process included disassembly, welding with continuous preheating, followed by reassembly.

 
Welding works were completed by one of our partners on-site. They were also responsible for the detachment of the rotary kiln components, welding works, and attaching the new components (requiring utmost accuracy).

The tube in the below images was rotated by 45 degrees for welding, twice per day. This meant that during the preheating process, cables from our heat treatment machines, and all the flexible ceramic heaters had to be reconnected several times.
 

 
Our operators utilized Heatmasters’ flexible heating elements, which were attached to the component with pins that were welded onto the surface.

 

Equipment for Preheating

Our operators were equipped with Heatmasters semi-automatic preheating units. These thyristor-controlled transformer-type units have been designed with usability in mind: their simple and lightweight structure allows effortless mobility and efficient pre-heating at any location.
Several HM403T heat treatment units and accessories such as thermocouple wire, insulation material, and Heatmasters’ flexible ceramic heating elements were required to get this job done.

 
These units are designed for on-site preheating works, and they feature our BTC Temperature Control System. It is a simple, bulletproof system that allows the user to set the holding temperatures and control heating and cooling ramps with just a few buttons.
The HM403T has a power output of 40kW and 3 heating channels. Heatmasters also offers 6-channel and higher power-output models.
 
For any heat treatment processes which require documentation, such as post-weld heat treatment, Heatmasters suggests and utilizes our fully automatic units. These feature a digital, computer-based temperature control system. This control system allows complete process control, digital documentation, and features such as on-site/remote

Half a century of experience in on-site works has allowed us to design equipment and solutions that are innovative and designed with industry requirements such as ease-of-use and a long product lifetime in mind!
 

Heat Treatment and Industrial Services

Heatmasters looks forward to future challenges utilizing our knowledge and long-term experience in high-quality heat treatment and industrial services.
In addition to on-site pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solutions including:
• Heat treatment of workpieces in fixed furnaces
• Heat treatment of large workpieces in portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems, etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

Click here to read more about the Górażdże Cement plant.

In the picture are Bo-Ole Lundqvist, CEO of Temptec (left), and Ilkka Mujunen, CEO of Heatmasters (right).

On 3.2.2022, Heatmasters has signed an agreement to acquire Temptec’s furnace- and maintenance business. With the acquisition, Heatmasters’ portfolio of furnaces and equipment will be further diversified, and we will significantly strengthen our position as a supplier and life-cycle services partner for the industrial and heat treatment furnace sector.

Temptec is a well-known supplier of high-quality electric and gas-fired industrial furnaces. Founded in 1995, the family-owned company has a long history in the furnace industry, and its’ customers are found in a wide range of industries, such as quarries, hot-dip galvanizing plants, forges, foundries, machinery, and manufacturing industry, chemical process industry, electrical engineering industry, and research and development laboratories.

Ilkka Mujunen, CEO of Heatmasters, comments:
“We are very pleased with this acquisition, which will reinforce Heatmasters’ process and product expertise in the furnace sector, whilst bringing new opportunities to cooperate with several industry-leading companies.”

The Temptec product range includes laboratory furnaces, chamber furnaces, pit furnaces, car bottom/bogie hearth furnaces, top-hat furnaces, continuous feed-through furnaces, drum furnaces, and hot-dip galvanizing equipment. All solutions are engineered to order.
In addition, we provide maintenance, measurement, and calibration services to the users of these furnaces.

“I look forward to meeting new customers so that we can continue to ensure the smooth operation of Temptec furnaces and galvanizing solutions.”
-Markku Pyykkö, Business Manager at Heatmasters

“From the beginning, Temptec has understood customer requirements for high-performance and reliable solutions, and the company aims to be a leader and pioneer in technical solutions. I am very pleased that Heatmasters’ professionals will continue to provide services for existing equipment base and also providing new industrial furnaces.”
-Bo-Ole Lundqvist, CEO at Temptec

 
In the picture above, a Temptec sintering furnace / gas-heated chamber-furnace.
Dimensions: 1,4m x 0,6m x 1,1m.
Operating temperature: 1200 °C

 
In the picture above, a Temptec fully-automatic convection furnace with continuous feed-through.
Dimensions: 0,9m x 0,4m x 2,2m.
Operating temperature: 500 °C

This is the second significant acquisition made by Heatmasters within the past six months. Heatmasters also acquired the service and maintenance business of Sarlin furnaces. Read more.

For more information, please contact:
Ilkka Mujunen
e-mail: ilkka.mujunen(@)heatmasters.net

Heatmasters is an international industrial services and equipment provider specializing in heat treatment, NDT -inspection, surface treatment, and other services for maintenance of process plants and the manufacturing industry.

Nanobainitic Steel

Nanostructured bainitic steels are a relatively new construction material with a strength value up to 2.5 GPa, at the same time characterized by acceptable ductility for many applications. One of the main applications of nanobainitic steel materials is ultra-strength plates utilized in armor systems.

LOOK Containers – Utilizing Nanostructured Ultra-Strength Steels

Heatmasters, along with other partners, took part in a project funded by the POIR 04.01.04 programme, which aimed to develop the design and to manufacture an observation and protective container with a specified resistance to penetration by armor-piercing projectiles and with a lower mass of steel armoring in relation to currently produced solutions.

Light Observation-Protective Container (LOOK) is a rapidly deployable solution designed to create defensive systems around military bases, airfields, checkpoints, or outposts. The shielded container is used to secure and protect personnel during observation and defensive tasks in warfare and peacekeeping operation conditions.

The aim of the project was achieved by using armor plates made of nanostructured bainitic steel (nanobainitic), which are characterized by high resistance to high-energy impacts concentrated in a small area. The technological tests carried out in the project mainly concerned the development of a new container and industrial technology of armour plate production and their application in the armor of this container. Based on the results of the investigation of the material, the optimum chemical composition for industrial-scale smelting and casting was determined. Industrial technology for the production of plates of nano-structured bainitic steel was developed, which includes the following processes: smelting and casting, preliminary heat treatment and ingot hot processing, as well as hot rolling, final heat treatment, and surface treatment. A test batch of the material in the form of 1500×2470 mm armored plates were fabricated under industrial conditions. The result of the project is a container armored with bainitic nanostructured steel plates with implementation documentation and a technology for producing armored plates from this steel under the technical and technological conditions of domestic steel manufacturers.

Heat Treatment of Nanobainitic Steel Plates

Heat treatment of nanostructured bainitic steels is a key production stage. The process consists of several immediately consecutive stages: heating, austenitising, controlled cooling, and isothermal annealing, as well as cooling to ambient temperature. Thanks to our vast experience in the field of heat treatment, Heatmasters was responsible for the heat treatment process of the plates used for the container.

Make sure to check the video of the heating process below!

Use the link below to access the full article, published in the Journal of Metallic Materials. The article contains results of research and analyses concerning the application of nanostructured bainitic steel in the form of plates for the manufacturing of armour components. The presented results of the examination of microstructure and properties include a wide range of laboratory experiments and industrial tests, which resulted in the achievement of the assumed functional properties.
Read Full Article

Heatmasters looks forward to telling you more about current and future development projects utilizing our decades of experience and knowledge in the heat treatment industry.

Questions for our experts?

During the final week of September, our team in Poland received news of immediately required repair works at a paper mill located in the idyllic countryside of Germany. Thanks to our capability for fast mobilization, our heat treatment specialists and heat treatment equipment started their journey towards the paper mill from our Service Center in Poland within a few days.

Scope of Project and Heat Treatment

One of our international partners is responsible for the continuous maintenance of this paper mill, and we are proud to be their trusted heat treatment partner. Our team has a long history of working with them on projects across the globe such as this one.

At this paper mill, there were two cracks on a support ring. Repairs had to be completed quickly to avoid costly downtime.

The cracks had a length of approximately 600mm. The job consisted of grinding and welding preheated material. Our wizards were responsible for the entire preheating process, from installing equipment to supervision and disassembly. As always, all operations were completed according to the highest quality standards and on time.

Equipment for Preheating

Our operators were equipped with Heatmasters semi-automatic preheating units. These thyristor-controlled transformer-type units have been designed with usability in mind: their simple and lightweight structure allows effortless mobility and efficient pre-heating at any location.

Two HM406T heat treatment units and accessories such as thermocouple wire, insulation material, and Heatmasters’ durable ceramic heating elements were required to get this job done.

The HM406T has a power output of 40kW and 6 heating channels. These units are designed for preheating, and they feature our BTC Temperature Control System. It is a simple, bulletproof temperature control system that allows the user to set the holding temperatures and control heating and cooling ramps with just a few buttons.

For any heat treatment processes which require documentation, such as post-weld heat treatment, we suggest our fully automatic units that utilize a digital, computer-based temperature control system. This control system allows complete process control, digital documentation, and features such as on-site/remote monitoring and control.

Half a century of experience in on-site works has allowed us to design equipment and solutions that are innovative and designed with industry requirements such as ease-of-use and a long product lifetime in mind!

Heatmasters looks forward to future challenges utilizing our knowledge and long-term experience in high-quality heat treatment and industrial services.

In addition to on-site pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solutions including:

• Heat treatment of workpieces in fixed furnaces
• Heat treatment of large workpieces in portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems, etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

Our team of heat treatment specialists at the Turku Service Center has expanded! We had some time to bombard the newest wizard – Mikko Kekkonen with a few questions. Mikko is well prepared for any challenges ahead and has already had some time to settle in among the wizards of metal. Who is Mikko, what does he do at Heatmasters or during his free time? Let’s ask him!

Who are you and what are your responsibilities at Heatmasters?

My name is Mikko Kekkonen. I am originally from Porvoo but have now lived in Turku for over 14 years. In addition to working as a heat treatment operator at Heatmasters, I also handle many administrative tasks.

When did you start working at Heatmasters?

I joined the team in the middle of August 2021.

Can you tell us about your educational background and prior experience?

I graduated from Porvoo Business School in 2003 and didn’t have much experience in heat treatment before joining Heatmasters. In 2006, I worked at the Neste oil refinery in Porvoo. After that, I started work at the Naantali refinery. At the refinery, I was working in a variety of maintenance-related roles for the past 14 years.

How would you describe your work at Heatmasters? What are the best and most challenging parts?

I have really enjoyed the work so far. It is not as physically demanding compared to working at the refinery, and the working environment is much safer. Learning all of the new things related to my administrative tasks will be the biggest challenge.

What do you think of Heatmasters as a company and employer?

The company seems well run and a good and fair employer.

What are you looking forward to in 2021?

Everything has started well and I hope that the work will continue with a similarly good vibe next year as well.

What do you do during your free time?

I of course spend a lot of time with my family and often play badminton or squash. Music and reading are also interests of mine.

Heatmasters has acquired the furnace services and maintenance business of Sarlin Oy Ab

Sarlin has provided heat treatment furnaces to various industries since 1935.

The Heatmasters team will continue to provide flexible and cost-effective furnace maintenance and modernization services to all users of Sarlin heat treatment furnaces.

I am excited about this expansion to our furnace services division, and look forward to meeting new faces and ensuring all furnace users are able to continue smooth operations.
-Markku Pyykkö, Business Manager at Heatmasters

If you have any questions, or would like to contact our team, you can send us a message via our Contact Us page!

Furnace Maintenance and Modernization to Ensure Safe and Efficient Processes

Heat treatment and industrial furnaces are under constant and heavy use, operating at high temperatures which can often change rapidly. This means regular maintenance along with modernization upgrades are required to meet evolving production requirements and to ensure safe and energy-efficient heat treatment processes.

In addition to delivering custom-tailored furnaces across the world, Heatmasters provides maintenance and modernization services for all brands of heat treatment furnaces and equipment.

Our comprehensive maintenance services include:

• Calibration of temperature control systems and temperature uniformity measurements
• Furnace inspections and safety checks
• Thermal imaging to check for leaks and disturbances in electrical cabinets
• Ensuring critical spare parts are available on-site
• And more!

Heatmasters Heat Treatment Wizards Provided Heat Treatment Services (Preheating and PWHT), Along With Hardness Testing of Welds at an Oil Refinery in Germany

The refinery is known as one of the most modern refineries in Europe, with a maximum processing capacity of 12 million tonnes of crude oil per year. The refinery has a comprehensive product range including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, LPG, naphtha, aviation fuel, bitumen, and methanol.

Our operators were on-site for 8 weeks and successfully completed all works without any issues. Our team was equipped with several of our mobile heat treatment units, which were perfect for heat treatment operations inside a facility such as this oil refinery, where mobile, lightweight units with minimized maintenance requirements are needed. Heatmasters heat treatment units also feature our integrated digital temperature control system, which enables complete control of heat treatment parameters, digital documentation and certificates along with many other benefits.

Heatmasters promises rapid responses and high-quality, flexible services. Our experts have a strong track record of successful heat treatment and industrial services projects in various process facilities across the globe.

📷 Photo courtesy of Alexander Stöhr
➡️ from stöhrfaktor – die wunderbare Welt des ho4587

Modern Electrical Heat Treatment Furnace Enables Expansion of Foundry’s Production Capabilities

Heatmasters has finished commissioning an electrical heat treatment furnace for a foundry in Europe.
With a loading capacity of 9000 kg and an operating temperature of 1000 °C, the furnace was designed according to the customers’ needs to further expand their production capabilities.

The furnace includes our famous digital temperature control system and full automation of two wagons and pneumatic doors. It also implements advanced safety logic developed by Siemens, which allows us to ensure the safe operation of the furnace in all conditions.

This furnace has been designed to meet the current and future heating requirements of the customer. Thanks to tight cooperation and communication between the customer and our experts, we were able to provide a cost-efficient, high-quality solution. Our wizards of metal will be able to provide support in the form of maintenance and modernization services to ensure the smooth operation of the furnace for years to come.

If you would like more information regarding this furnace, please don’t hesitate to contact our team.

Click the buttons below to read more about our high-quality heat treatment furnaces or digital temperature control systems!

Heatmasters Has Finished Commissioning of a Gas-Fired Furnace in Saudi Arabia

Featuring 2100 kW of heating power, and a movable wagon, this furnace was designed according to the customers’ needs to expand their production facilities’ in-house heat treatment capabilities.

The customer is an experienced pressure vessel, tank, and steel structure manufacturer for the oil and energy industry.

In addition to our famous digital temperature control system, we have also installed a new complete automation system that controls and monitors the burners, combustion fans, doors, cooling hatches, and wagon. This system ensures accurate, efficient, and repeatable heat treatment processes at the customers’ production facility.

This system allows the operator complete control of the furnace via the HM25 software.

It also implements advanced safety logic developed by Siemens, which allows us to ensure the safe operation of the gas-fired furnace in all conditions.

Click the button below to read more about our furnaces.

Heatmasters heat treatment furnaces are designed together with the customer to ensure that we provide a heat treatment furnace that is a perfect fit for your operations and heating processes.

Recently, Heatmasters delivered another preheating furnace that was tailor-made and delivered to a large multinational corporation providing integrated solutions for the marine industry. The customer will be utilizing this furnace for pre-heating works in a variety of locations worldwide.

After initial discussions with the customer and in-depth heat treatment needs analysis performed by our heat treatment specialists, the furnace features required by the customer were clear. During the design phase, Heatmasters is able to provide insight and consultation regarding the optimal design of the furnace, thanks to our experts having over half a century of experience designing, manufacturing, running, and maintaining heat treatment furnaces across the globe.

Some of the most important requirements set by the customer were that the furnace should be easy to use and transport. Once all parties were happy with the design, manufacturing began at the Heatmasters’ Service Center in Hollola, Finland.

Some information and features of this pre-heating furnace:

• Mobile design allowing the furnace to be transported as necessary
• One furnace control zone with magnetic thermocouple
• Operating temperature 0-150 °C
• Overheat protection
• Sealed door with gas-springs

Below, you will find a gallery of pictures from the different stages of the manufacturing process of this furnace, from design all the way to delivery.

2HeatmastersSolidworks

3HeatmastersFurnaceManufacturer

4HeatmastersFurnaceInstallingCladding

5HeatmastersFurnaceInstallation

6HeatmastersFurnaTemperatureControlSystemInstalled

7HeatmastersPreHeatingFurnaceTransportation

 
Heatmasters designs and manufactures high-quality custom-tailored heat treatment furnaces, from small pre-heating furnaces such as this one to larger gas and electric heat treatment furnaces and even temporary modular furnaces when required for large workpieces.

If you have a question about the furnace design or manufacturing process or require more information about our furnaces, our experts would be glad to help!

During the final months of 2020, the Wizards of Metal left Finland and headed towards Uruguay during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Equipped with Heatmasters heat treatment units, our specialists would be working with Andritz personnel to replace bends and ties on several superheaters, during which on-site heat treatment work was required. These works happened during the plants’ annual outage maintenance project, officially called “PGP 2020 (Parada General de Planta)”.
 

Montes del Plata Mill

The Montes del Plata Mill is a eucalyptus wood pulp mill located in Southern Uruguay. It is run as a joint venture between Stora Enso and Arauco. The Montes del Plata Industrial Complex is environmentally friendly, incorporating the latest technological advancements which guarantee minimal environmental impact, meeting all environmental regulations established by the European Union (IPCC), and operating according to the industry’s best available techniques (IPPC-BAT).

Montes del Plata owns 190 000 hectares of land and leases 56 500 hectares of land and the company has incorporated standards of responsible forest management – FSC® and internationally recognized PEFC^TM-, which certify 100% of its plantations. Montes del Plata is also the largest private power generator in Uruguay, the third-largest producer after the hydroelectric stations of Salto Grande and Palmar. The mill delivers its surplus energy of around 500 GWh per year to Uruguay’s national grid, which equates to around 5% of the country’s total energy needs and is a contributor to the country’s conversion of its energy matrix to renewables, minimizing fossil fuel use.

The Mill’s Pulp Production Process

Wood Chipping

Wood is transported to the industrial complex on trucks and barges, after which it is converted into smaller pieces called chips to reduce and standardize their size whilst facilitating the digestion process.

Cooking

The chips enter the digester. A mixture of water and chemicals called white liquor is added to the chips, causing cellulose fibers to separate from lignin, a high-energy wood component, at high pressure and temperature.

Bleaching

The pulp from the cooking process is filtered, washed, and then bleached. This changes the color of the pulp from brown to white.

Drying

White sheets pass through dryers until the water content is less than 10%. After this, they are cut, grouped into bales, and packaged.

Chemicals and wood components from this process are concentrated and burned, generating steam and electricity. Noncombustible components are reintegrated into the pulp production process. The plant’s energy and chemical inputs are recovered and reused, making the Kraft process economically and environmentally viable. Atmospheric emissions are 99% water vapor and meet the most demanding national and international environmental standards, just as liquid effluents do.

Scope of Project and Heat Treatment

The scope of the works was to replace 6 bends and 48 pairs of ties in the superheaters II, III, and IV of the recovery boiler (RB). The works (including transport of equipment) were completed during a period of 6 days in November 2020.

During the replacement of the bends and ties, annealing was required. Annealing is a heat treatment process that changes the properties of a material to increase its ductility and reduce its hardness, making it more workable.

In addition to the superheater bends and ties, the drainage incisions from the pipes were also heat treated.

Heat treatment certificates of each heating process were required, and our innovative equipment ensured that fast and accurate digital documentation was available.

Heat Treatment Equipment

The wizards of metal were equipped with two HM406T_R26 heat treatment units which have a power output of 40kW and 6 heating channels. These fully automatic thyristor-controlled heat treatment units for the annealing of metal parts have been designed with usability in mind: their simple and lightweight structure allows effortless mobility and efficient heat treatment works at any location. Our wizards received positive feedback regarding the equipment’s compact design, which allowed the units to stay in place on the narrow hallways of the plant without causing any issues, and reducing time spent moving equipment during the works.

 
The units’ computerized state-of-the-art temperature control system provides digital, easy, and accurate setting, controlling, monitoring, and digital documentation of the heat treatment process, even remotely. This also means that an external temperature recorder is not required. These units are also almost maintenance-free, ensuring cost-efficient and trouble-free heating operations.

COVID-19 Precautions

Due to the ongoing pandemic, many restrictions and safety measures were in place during the project. Our heat treatment specialists were tested and entered quarantine prior to travel and arrival at the site. Protective equipment was always worn and contact between workers was limited using plastic screens, separated shifts, and restrictions to the amount of personnel within each area. Unfortunately, some of our wizards could not travel to Uruguay due to possible COVID-19 exposure. This caused some shifts in the scope of the works, but thanks to our personnel’s great work ethic and some help moving and packing equipment from our partners on-site, we were able to complete the works within the planned timeframe.

We are extremely satisfied with the work completed by Heatmasters despite the challenges caused by the pandemic. A great effort was required to get the job done on schedule and Heatmasters heat treatment specialists were flexible and their commitment to work was exemplary. It was easy to work with the “wizards of metal” because they are professionals and know what they are doing. The equipment and tools were also suitable for the works at the Montes del Plata Mill.
-Jukka Repo, Service Engineer, Recovery Boilers at ANDRITZ OY

Heatmasters looks forward to future challenges utilizing our knowledge and long-term experience in high-quality heat treatment and industrial services.

In addition to on-site pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solutions including:

• Heat treatment of workpieces in fixed furnaces
• Heat treatment of large workpieces in portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems, etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

Click here to read more about Stora Enso or here to read more about Montes del Plata!

Heatmasters Temperature Control Systems

For more than three decades, Heatmasters has been at the forefront of temperature control systems for metal heat treatment applications. Industry veterans are already familiar with our legendary Rigel controller and HM20/HM25 temperature control program. This technology has proven to be excellent in both accuracy and ease of use, whilst also offering multiple innovative features for end-users.

AP-Tela

AP-Tela Oy, a Kokkola-based subsidiary of Plc Uutechnic Group Oyj (ex-Vaahto Group), is a provider of heavy custom engineering and contract manufacturing services. The company specializes in the manufacturing of long, welded, and machined axially symmetrical parts. Most of the company’s customers are engineering companies and equipment manufacturers in Finland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Some of their main products include:

• Heavy, welded, thick-walled steel pipes, cylinders, and cones
• Rolls for the paper, energy, and lifting equipment industries
• Welded and machined steel structures

The annealing furnace at AP-Tela’s facilities has dimensions of 2,5 x 2,6 x 12 meters with 450kW heating power. The furnace is in good condition, however, the furnace temperature control system was aged and no longer intuitive or user-friendly. Only a few select employees at AP-Tela had sufficient training to use it properly. The old furnace temperature control system was no longer supported by the manufacturer and there were difficulties in sourcing critical spare parts.

This meant upgrading the furnace temperature control system was important to ensure no downtime and to avoid future maintenance issues.

The customer was already familiar with our Rigel controller and contacted us regarding their need for a modern temperature control system for an existing furnace. Our team of wizards was happy to help and the upgrade project advanced rapidly, with installations being completed 3 weeks after the initial inquiry had been received.

Benefits for AP-Tela

We asked AP-Tela what the biggest benefits or most important features of the new furnace temperature control system were:

• Remote control & monitoring of heat treatment processes
• An easy-to-use control system, which can now be used by all employees
• Ease-of-mind that Heatmasters will provide rapid remote-support and other services to ensure smooth operations
• Third-party calibration services are no longer required as Heatmasters handles that too

“The project was completed on a really fast schedule and all the control system features that were important to us were easily implemented. The staff/wizards at Heatmasters are knowledgeable and the cooperation with them went well.”
-Joonas Varila, Foreman/IWS, AP-Tela Oy

Integration of the new temperature control system to the annealing furnace enables AP-Tela to further optimize their heat treatment and annealing processes with continued support from the wizards of metal at Heatmasters to ensure no equipment downtime. Our team looks forward to future cooperation and ensuring the heat treatment furnace and temperature control system continue to operate flawlessly by providing regular furnace maintenance services and upgrades according to the evolving needs of the customer.

In addition to our refurbishment, upgrade & maintenance services, we design custom-tailored heat treatment furnaces to meet your needs. Heatmasters also provides temporary, modular furnace solutions for heat treatment at your facility, anywhere in the world.

Visit AP-Tela’s website!

Heatmasters’ heat treatment operators were on site at the Kymijärvi III bio-heating plant prior to its commissioning during 2019. Now, they were back on site for on-site heat treatment works during a project involving the installation of additional piping. The Kymijärvi III bio-heating plant uses certified sustainable woody biomass as fuel, providing Finland’s most environmentally friendly district heating to the city of Lahti.

Lahti – European Green Capital 2021

Lahti has been chosen as the European Green Capital 2021, a title awarded by the European Commission for merits in pioneering environmental actions, innovations and solutions to environmental challenges, and setting an example for other cities. The city has shared a vision of a bold green city with multiple goals such as:

• Become a carbon-neutral city by 2025, ten years before the rest of Finland
• Cut down greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to the levels in 1990 by 2025
• Become a zero-waste circular economy city by 2050
• Protect the nature and valuable surface and groundwater areas
• Encourage the use of sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling, skiing, and public transport

The Kymijärvi III bio-heating plant supplied the first heat to Lahti’s district heating network on the 6^th of August 2019. Aerial images from Lahti Energia.

Kymijärvi III Bio-Heating Plant

One larger step towards these goals was taken through the Kymijärvi III bio-heating project, started in 2014 by Lahti Energia, the local district heating company. The Kymijärvi III 190-megawatt bio-heating plant has now replaced the coal-fired Kymijärvi I plant which was started up in the 1970s, reducing Lahti Energia’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 600 000 tonnes per year.

The plants CFB (circulating fluidized bed) energy-efficient multi-fuel boiler enables the use of multiple solid fuels in addition to certified biomass, which secures the plant’s operations in the future which may bring changes in energy policy and markets. Currently, the plant has a district heating capacity of 190 megawatts, with equipment in place to also enable electricity generation in the future. The plant utilizes innovative technologies to ensure all process waste is recycled and no sulfates end up in water bodies.

Heatmasters Heat Treatment Services

Heatmasters has decades of experience in heat treatment works across many industries, including the heat treatment of CFB boiler components and on-site heat treatment works within energy industry facilities.

Our wizards of metal were working at the site for approximately 18 months prior to the plants commissioning, providing a wide range of heat treatment services. Now, our operators were on-site again to provide heat treatment services during additional piping work, which was executed to ensure smooth and reliable heat production in all operational conditions at the Kymijärvi III bio-heating plant.

Several of our operators equipped with 4 six-channel 40kVA heat treatment units completed pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) works at the plant, located right next door to the Heatmasters headquarters. The Heatmasters HM406T heat treatment unit and our experienced team of wizards ensured that heat treatment was well documented and met the highest quality standards.

The HM406T is a fully automatic heat treatment unit designed for preheating and annealing metal workpieces. The unit features our state-of-the-art temperature control system which means that setting, controlling, monitoring, and documentation of heat treatment parameters are carried out quickly and accurately. Heatmasters heat treatment units are also relatively portable, weighing only half of the weight of traditional units, and being small enough to move around by hand, even through doorways, etc. which is an important factor to consider for on-site heat treatment works such as during this project.

“The additional piping work was executed to ensure smooth and reliable heat production in all operational conditions. Cooperation with Heatmasters was easy due to the highly skilled site personnel.”
-Esa Tepponen, Project Manager, Lahti Energia

Heatmasters looks forward to future challenges utilizing our knowledge and long-term experience in high-quality heat treatment and industrial services.

In addition to on-site pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solutions including:

• Heat treatment of workpieces in fixed furnaces
• Heat treatment of large workpieces in portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems, etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

Click here to read more about Lahti – The European Green Capital 2021

SHI FW Energia FAKOP Sp. z o.o., a subsidiary of Sumitomo SHI FW and Heatmasters Poland once again carried out a joint-defined solution annealing heat treatment process for high alloyed stainless steel coil assemblies. Despite our long-lasting practices and procedures, the details of this process have again been improved thanks to evolving industry drivers and the existence of continuous improvement practices in both companies. In-depth knowledge, experience, team-work and focus on details have allowed us to take another step toward superior quality and longer product lifetime, resulting in decreased maintenance downtime for the end-users.

Heatmasters Poland has provided solution annealing for these parts multiple times during the past five years, working with SHI FW Energia FAKOP’s Quality Specialists to further optimize and perfect our unique annealing processes. By continuously reviewing every single detail during the entire solution annealing process, from transportation and storage to thermocouple placement, we are working together with SHI FW Energia FAKOP to continue delivering the highest-quality components to end-users across the globe.

This time, the parts were loaded into our U117 heat treatment furnace. This furnace has dimensions of 4,4 x 2,4 x 1,2 meters and uses a fork loading system. The hat of this furnace was recently refurbished with improved insulation material to increase energy efficiency.

The parts were heated to a temperature far above 1000°C and Heatmasters Rigel26 digital temperature control system ensured an accurate and well-documented heating process. After heating, quenching took place within the targeted time period to form the desired microstructure in the material. Usually, water cooling would be a great solution, but in this case, it would change the shape of the elements too much, resulting in additional fabrication effort and additional stress into assemblies. Fast air cooling was a suitable approach as it allowed us to avoid negative material structures but still hold the shape of the elements. A total of 68 elements were processed this time.

A total of 68 components were treated in our U117 heat treatment furnace.

„Rising industry expectations are met thanks to tight cooperation approach in pre-planning and execution phase. Continuous improvement focus and non-routine approach allow improving every time, every project.”

-Zdzisław Szwajca, Project Engineer / Technologist, SHI FW Energia FAKOP Sp. z o.o.

SHI FW Energia FAKOP  is specialized in manufacturing, retrofits, spare parts supply of all kinds of boilers and other pressure vessels, shop and in-situ protective coating application including design and assembly at the client’s site worldwide.

Heatmasters is an international industrial service and equipment provider specializing in heat treatment, NDT inspection, surface treatment, and other services for the maintenance of process plants and the manufacturing industry.

Heatmasters Poland has cooperated closely with SHI FW Energia FAKOP since the beginning of our operations in Poland around 25 years ago. Today, our strong cooperation continues as Heatmasters provides innovative heat treatment and industrial services with a policy of continuous improvement.

“Long-lasting partnership between our companies is built on trust. Despite 25 years of cooperation, this trust has never been shaken as both of us are teamed with highly skilled and responsible professionals.”

-Arkadiusz Osuch, CEO, SHI FW Energia FAKOP Sp. z o.o.

Heatmasters looks forward to future challenges utilizing our knowledge and long-term experience in high-quality heat treatment and industrial services.

In addition to heat treatment of workpieces in fixed furnaces, Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solution including:

• On-site pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT)
• Heat treatment of large workpieces in portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems, etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

For more information on SHI FW Energia Fakop, please visit: https://fakop.com/en

Last month, we wrote about our cooperation with ENITEC Sp. z o.o. (Grupa ENERGOINSTAL S.A.), manufacturer of boiler components and pressure vessels for the energy industry at the highest quality levels. Heatmasters provided a service combo for Enitec, which included pre-heating and PWHT (post-weld heat treatment) of a boiler drum. These service combos are a part of our integrated service model which provides our customers with multiple benefits arising from complete solutions.

“Despite the challenges of this job, such as large dimensions and weight, the materials involved, the requirements of standards and regulations, thanks to the expert advice provided by Heatmasters and professionalism in pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment, the task was completed successfully.”

– Michał Krawiec, Project Engineer at Enitec Sp. z o.o

On-Site Pre-Heating

Heatmasters’ wizards of metal with decades of heat treatment experience were on-site at Enitec’s facilities in Poręba, southern Poland, providing accurate pre-heating during the supervised process, which in addition to heat treatment involved welding and dehydrogenation.

Pre-heating metals is an additional, but often crucial step in welding applications. Pre-heating metal before welding decreases the temperature difference between the welding arc and the material being worked on. It ensures the rate of cooling in a finished weld is slower, lowers the chance of cracking, and allows hydrogen to diffuse out. It also ensures that any moisture or contaminants on the surface of the part are removed, which could otherwise allow the introduction of hydrogen during the welding process.

There are many factors to consider when preheating in welding is required such as welding code or standard requirements, prior cracking issues, component section thickness, base metal chemistry, ambient temperature, and filler metal hydrogen content. Most often, welding codes or standards will specify the minimum preheat temperature based on the welding process and component material/thickness.

During the pre-heating works, our team used two Heatmasters HM406 pre-heating units. These units had a combined power output of 80 kW and 12 heating channels.

We also utilized our VHY-Stud Heater elements, designed for the pre-and post-weld heating of studs and outlet tubes. The form of the VHY-stud heater enables fixing the heater near the weld.

The pre-heating works went well, and we were glad to be working together with fellow professionals at Enitec’s facilities. The project, however, was far from over as boiler drums would also receive post-weld heat treatment after works at Enitec’s facilities were completed.

PWHT

The boiler drum, weighing 38 tons, was transported to our modern heat treatment facility in Będzin, Poland which is equipped with several fixed heat treatment furnaces. The journey was only around 30km which meant transporting the boiler drum was a feasible and cost-effective solution. In other cases, in which transport would not have been feasible, Heatmasters can provide a temporary furnace solution at the customers’ premises.

The boiler drum was loaded into a furnace with dimensions of 16 x 4 x 4 meters and a maximum temperature of 950°C. The heating process took around 40 hours per drum, during which the heating parameters were controlled and documented using the Heatmasters Rigel26 digital temperature control system. This system ensures that each heating process is performed accurately, according to the customers’ requirements and fabrication codes.

The electrical heat treatment furnace and boiler drum almost ready for heating.

The heating process takes around 40 hours per drum.

Boiler drums are loaded and unloaded using 2 cranes.

Once the heating process was completed, cooling to ambient temperatures took another 18 hours. After this, the boiler drum was transported back to Enitec along with digital heat treatment certificates and other required documentation.

Integrated Service Model

When our customers choose multiple services or complete service solutions, we can manage a selected part of the delivery process. This service model allows for an optimized process, saving time and effort, whilst our customers have fewer moving parts to take care of and fewer jobs to juggle. During this project, we provided the customer with pre-heating and PWHT according to the highest quality and code standards. Additional services such as transportation, NDT, and surface treatment services were also available for the customer.

”We appreciate Heatmasters’ experience in steel heat treatment and recommend them as a proven partner.”

-Krystian Kowal, Vice President at Enitec Sp. z o.o.

Heatmasters team enjoyed this cooperative project and we are already looking forward to future challenges utilizing our knowledge and long-term experience in high-quality heat treatment and industrial services. Our cooperation with Enitec continues with the processing of several additional boiler drums.

The boiler drum back at Enitec’s facilities, one of their key products.

In addition to heat treatment of workpieces in fixed furnaces, Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solutions including:

• On-site pre-heating and post weld heat treatment (PWHT)
• Heat treatment of large workpieces in portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

The Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant is located on the Olkiluoto Island on the Eura River and it is owned by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO). The nuclear power plant units Olkiluoto 1 and Olkiluoto 2 (OL1 and OL2) consist of two BWRs (boiling water reactors), each producing 890MW of electricity. OL1 was first connected to Finland’s national grid in September 1978 and OL2 followed in February 1980. Since then, Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) has systematically modernized the OL1 and OL2 plant units during annual outages and modernization projects to ensure safe and efficient operations, currently planned until 2038. Heatmasters was on-site again during this year’s annual outage, utilizing our heat treatment solutions during the repair of valves in OL1 and OL2.

Annual Outages 2020

This year, the annual outages at the OL1 & OL2 plant units were carried out with some adjustments due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There were several measures taken to safeguard the health and safety of every individual involved in the annual outages. All larger maintenance works which were not critical in terms of safety or availability were postponed to a later date. However, there were still multiple significant works taking place including reactor refueling. With a total of 730 contractor employees, 4800 work phases were carried out. The total duration of the annual outages was approximately four weeks.

Heatmasters On-Site Heat Treatment

During the project, Heatmasters was working with Recion Oy, a leading industrial service provider carrying out projects throughout Europe and delivering prefabricated products globally with niche expertise in high-pressure piping solutions.

Heatmasters provides custom-tailored heat treatment solutions and industrial services anywhere in the world, with a focus on flexible and cost-efficient solutions that do not compromise on quality. Our operators are specialized in on-site works taking place across a multitude of industries with high-standards and quality requirements. For this project, in addition to their decades of heat treatment experience, our operators required additional background checks and multiple safety certificates related to working at the plant.

Our wizards were already familiar with the work being done as they had prior experience working at the plant units during previous years. The maintenance work went smoothly, even though the current COVID-19 situation added some things to take into consideration. Upon arriving at the site, our heat treatment specialists passed through a disinfection station and were given personal protective equipment such as masks. They also received detailed instructions in advance from TVO’s annual outage coronavirus group at the site.

During the first week, our team transported equipment to the site in OL2 and prepared everything for heat treatment. Transporting equipment to the site is always a complex process within facilities such as nuclear power plants due to strict safety measures and reporting. Our heat treatment operators utilized our HM406T transformer with several resistive heating mats during this project.

The HM406T2 is a semi-automatic preheating unit, suitable for on-site preheating of metal parts. These thyristor-controlled transformer units have been designed with usability in mind, their simple and lightweight structure allows effortless mobility and efficient pre-heating at any location. Along with our experienced operators, it was the perfect solution for this project which required moving around on-site.

Due to the location of the job, there were further restrictions regarding loose equipment & tools. This meant we could not attach heating mats to parts being treated with clips and bands as is usually done. Our heat treatment specialists on-site had a creative solution and used thermocouple wire to attach the heating elements to the valves which were being pre-heated.

“This year, annual outages were completed successfully despite exceptional circumstances.” – TVO

After the first week, pre-heating had gone well, and one valve was repaired in OL2 and our team moved to the other plant unit. At OL1, two valves would be pre-heated & repaired. Moving equipment from one plant unit to the other did not take as long since it was already at the plant area, which was taken into consideration during planning and we had two valves that required pre-heating at OL1.

Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant with Visualization of OL3 unit which is currently under construction.

Of course, all heat treatment processes were digitally documented, and the process was done in accordance with our extensive quality management system, ensuring the highest level of customer service and quality. The work phases were completed successfully and the annual outages of 2020 were completed as the Olkiluoto 1 plant unit (OL1) was once again connected to the national grid and electricity production on the 8th of June, 2020.

”Working with the Heatmasters team at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant during the annual outage maintenance works has been great, in a working environment which presents extremely challenging conditions and high-standards.”
-Miika Vähäkangas, Welding Coordination & QC/A, Recion Oy

In addition to on-site pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), Heatmasters provides custom-tailored solutions including:

• Heat treatment of large workpieces in fixed or portable temporary furnaces
• Refractory dry-outs
• Wide range of industrial services (NDT, surface treatment, welding, etc.)
• High-tech heat treatment equipment (furnaces, transformers, temperature control systems, etc.)
• Modernizations for all manufacturer’s heat treatment equipment

Images: Hannu Huovila / TVO.

Heatmasters provided Alu-Releco with a furnace modernization solution which allowed them to move from an old gas-burner furnace to a modern electric furnace. Like all of our solutions, it was custom-tailored to meet their needs whilst providing all the benefits of a modern furnace and temperature control system.

Alu-Releco has decades of know-how and experience with surface treatment & coating processes, specializing in professional surface treatment with Teflon- and fluoroplastic coatings. Alu-Releco coating solutions are used across all industries, which means their processes and equipment need to meet the expectations of their clients and rigorous quality standards. Their surface treatment facility in Riihimäki, Finland utilized a furnace with gas-burners to heat metal parts. Heating was done to ensure that there were no contaminants such as dirt and grease prior to the application of the surface coating. The size of the furnace is 5*2,5*2,5m with a maximum operating temperature of 500°C.

What Was the Issue?

Alu-Releco shared their concerns related to this furnace with our team of heat treatment specialists. The furnace was unreliable and had issues with temperature uniformity. The fact that the furnace was fueled by gas was also an issue as it requires additional permits. And this furnace was quite old, which meant it lacked the energy efficiency of modern furnaces and cladding was in poor condition. The temperature control system was also outdated.

The old furnace was in poor condition prior to the modernization.

Furnace Modernization

After discussing and mapping the needs of Alu-Releco and careful analysis of the old gas-burner furnaces condition, Heatmasters decided that the best route of action was to modernize the furnace into a modern electric furnace with convection heating. This modernization was done locally, at the Alu-Releco surface treatment facility in Riihimäki, Finland.

The modernization process was completed by our heat treatment specialists at the customer’s facilities.

During the furnace modernization process, all gas-burners and related equipment were removed as the new furnace would no longer be fueled by gas. The rest of the furnace was dismantled down to its frame and new insulation and cladding were installed to ensure optimal energy efficiency. Electric heating elements were installed along with convection blowers to ensure even heat distribution during the heating process. Naturally, all electrical systems and electric cabins were also installed to meet today’s standards.

The gas-burner furnace was converted into an electric furnace utilizing convection heating.

Alu-Releco is pleased with the new furnace and we enjoyed working with them during the process. We look forward to future cooperation and ensuring the furnace continues to operate flawlessly by providing regular furnace maintenance services and upgrades according to their future needs.

”We are pleased with the results and flexibility during the project. Our needs for the features and usage of the furnace were well understood by Heatmasters.”

-Petteri Narko, Managing Director at Alu-Releco Oy

The “new” furnace will provide Alu-Releco with:

• Higher energy efficiency and associated cost savings
• Accurate heating through the integration of a modern temperature control system
• Reliable electric heating, as the gas fueled option was no longer suitable for the customer

New furnace cladding and insulation material installed to ensure optimal energy efficiency.

In addition to our refurbishment, upgrade & maintenance services, we design custom-tailored heat treatment furnaces to meet your needs. Heatmasters also provides temporary, modular furnace solutions for heat treatment at your facility, anywhere in the world.

Visit Alu-Releco’s Website by clicking here!

The Beginning of Heat Treatment in Poland

Heatmasters in Poland – it all began back in 1995, when the metal workshop of A. Ahlström Oy (a Finnish pulp & paper manufacturer), asked Heatmasters’ (Lahden Lämpökäsittely Oy or Lahti Heat Treatment Ltd in English at that time) willingness to provide heat treatment services at the Ahlstrom Fakop Sp. z o.o.. workshop. This workshop was situated in southern Poland, in the town of Sosnowiec and it was mostly run by Finnish employees. This would be the beginning of heat treatment in Poland.

The management of Heatmasters analyzed the situation and made an offer for heat treatment services, which was then accepted in the form of a letter of intent. Cooperation with the former employees of the Fakop maintenance unit was started. The company was acquired by Heatmasters and Remo-Ster Sp. z o.o.. The company was renamed to Heatmasters Sp. z o.o..

Preparations began immediately and supplies and heat treatment equipment were delivered to Sosnowiec, Poland. At the same time, one bold, only Finnish-speaking heat-treatment specialist left Finland to oversee the construction of the furnaces, the commissioning of other equipment, and training. Another employee of Heatmasters took over the responsibility for activating the business operations within Poland soon after.

The company recruited two heat treatment trainees, one of whom is still employed by the company after 25 years. Operations began with practical training and construction of heat treatment furnaces in the premises leased from the Fakop factory.

In 1996, Fakop was acquired by the American company Foster Wheeler and the new partner was renamed Foster Wheeler Fakop. The building of customer relationships started from square one in May of 1996, as the last Finn left the Fakop factory.

First Steps

For almost the entire first year of operation, the company used an office space of approximately 18 m² inside a site container. The container later remained as a heat treatment facility when the offices moved to a two-room space near the furnaces. The responsibilities of Finnish Heatmasters as a trainer and participant in practical work ended in December 1996. The company’s operational activities were taken over by the local CEO. Operations continued with a focus on the furnace and local heat treatment services, with the main customer being Foster Wheeler Fakop.

Time for Change

In 2001, Foster Wheeler Fakop announced a change of premises. The facilities used by Heatmasters were demolished. However, the company was assigned a new space for operations outside the plant site right away. The same thing happened again a few years later. The transfer operations required constant flexibility from the company as the largest furnace which had to be moved was 3.5 x 20 m.

In the mid-2000s, the board of directors of Heatmasters was informed of a building being auctioned in the immediate vicinity of the factory. The building was offered at a minimal price and ownership was transferred to the company.

10-Year Anniversary

By 2005, the company had grown from two heat treatment specialists to 15 heat treatment specialists as heat treatment projects continued to come in. Finnish Heatmasters made a trip with Polish colleagues to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Heatmasters Poland. Celebrations happened in the Tatra Mountains with activities such as horseback riding.

Enjoying a ride down the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains with a chairlift during the 10-Year anniversary celebrations.

Expansion of Heat Treatment Operations in Poland

Business operations continued to be busy and in 2006, the company built the first gas furnace. The customer base expanded and in 2010 the company signed an agreement with Stama Sp. z o.o., to start furnace operations at their factory. A 1.4 MW furnace with a floor area of 20.0 x 5.8 m was built at Stama’s premises.

The 1.4 MW furnace at Stama’s premises.

In 2010, as Foster Wheeler Fakop expanded its operations, space became an issue and the search for new facilities/premises began. The new facilities were found about 2 kilometers away, from the town of Będzin. The remodeling of the new premises was completed in 2012.

The first facility in Będzin

Modern Facilities

In 2018, facilities were moved once again within Będzin. The new, modern facilities were within the same industrial area, but allowed us to better serve customers with not only heat treatment but also blasting and painting. Operations in Będzin continue, and the future looks bright!

Heatmasters’ Będzin facilities.

The HM406T2 is a 40 kVA fully-automatic, six-channel heat treatment unit for preheating and annealing metal workpieces. We are ensuring our clients receive innovative equipment, designed with industry requirements such as ease-of-use and a long product lifetime in mind!

The setting, controlling, monitoring, and documentation of heat treatment parameters are carried out by Heatmasters’ computerized state-of-the-art control system.

All channels can be independently programmed. 12 heating elements can be connected, two per channel.

HM406T2 will carry out the programmed heat treatment process according to the given parameters. The process can be monitored from the controller, or managed using a laptop (even remotely with a GSM data line). This means heating can be started at any time, even remotely.

The controller registers the achieved heat treatment results in its memory, which enables easy preparation of heat treatment documents. A separate temperature recorder is not needed.

Thanks to its signal light system, the operating status of the heat treatment unit is always known and possible disturbances in the electrical network or heating resistors are noticed right away by the operator.

The stainless steel body gives the unit a sleek look and a long lifetime!

The unit uses thyristors in power output control, minimizing maintenance work and resulting equipment downtime.

It is also relatively portable, weighing only half of the weight of traditional heat treatment units, and being small enough to move around by hand, even through doorways, etc. Designed for on-site heating works, this unit is popular among our customers and our own wizards – working in facilities such as nuclear power plants or chemical plants, where equipment mobility is an important factor.

Our product range covers the market’s most advanced heat treatment units for pre-heating and PWHT of metal objects. This includes semi- and fully-automatic units available in 3 or 6 channel variants with heating power up to 50kVA.

We also offer portable inverter-based units.

We caught up with Niklas Anttila, who recently joined the team at Heatmasters Hollola. We got right into it, bombarding him with the usual questions!

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION AT HEATMASTERS?

Hey! I am Niklas Anttila, a fresh Digital Marketing Wizard excited to learn new spells related to marketing within the heat treatment industry!
I recently joined the Heatmasters’ team as a Sales & Marketing Specialist, focusing mostly on digital marketing.

WHEN DID YOU START YOUR JOB AT HEATMASTERS?

I started at Heatmasters at the beginning of November – I jumped right in, feet first! Henrik has shown me the ropes and now I am busy with some super-secret marketing projects (you will hear more about these early next year!) and developing our daily marketing activities. I also assist Henrik with sales and his other tasks and will be responsible for his tasks once he joins the army at the beginning of 2020.

WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATION AND WORK BACKGROUND?

I am a B.B.A graduate from JAMK University of Applied Sciences’ International Business programme. My studies focused on digital marketing and advertising. I also spent half a year abroad, at the University of Hertfordshire in England. My prior education happened all over the globe, from Hungary to Asia and Canada.

Before joining Heatmasters, I was in charge of digital marketing for a start-up in the medical device and aesthetic medicine industry. Responsibilities there were similar to the ones at Heatmasters.

I am always working on some projects too, stuff like helping restaurants do customer satisfaction and behavior research, SEO optimization, or planning marketing for launching niche-products like snow-plow electric scooters!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK? WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT IT, AND WHAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING ONES?

Hectic.

The best part of my work is being able to do a bit of everything. From working on social media, web design, and content creation to communicating with clients and even acting as IT support sometimes. The thing I enjoy the most is being able to develop the marketing activities at Heatmasters and seeing concrete results. The most challenging thing is probably keeping track of the various responsibilities, I use several tools to organize tasks on a daily basis!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HEATMASTERS AS A COMPANY AND EMPLOYER?

I have been here for a bit over a month, and already I know that Heatmasters is truly a group of pioneers in the heat treatment industry – with a lot of potential for growth. I enjoy working with the whole team and have enjoyed my time here so far. I am looking forward to 2020!

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR WORK IN 2020?

I have set several goals for Heatmasters’ marketing – I hope to achieve most of these in 2020. Things like getting our new website up, profitable PPC marketing and better SEO standards. Of course, I also look forward to personal development – fine-tuning and sharpening my marketing skills, and learning more about heat treatment processes!

WHAT DO YOU DO ON YOUR FREE TIME?

Either I am inside or out in the wild.

I’m an avid gamer and spend a lot of time online, staring at memes, playing games like Halo – or learning the latest marketing tools!

I also enjoy spending time outside. Fishing (even during winter!), hiking, mountain biking, or some other crazy stuff is always planned!

And of course, everything is always more fun with friends!

Connect with Niklas on LinkedIn

We had an interview with Pekka Arola, who recently started at Heatmasters in Turku. Arola’s versatile job description includes office work and physical tasks, since he will be working in heat treatment and also as an office assistant. Arola has previously worked in sales and in IT. Arola is ready for another challenge at Heatmasters, and the job is becoming familiar to him.

– After a long stint in the wood sector, the most challenging thing in the new work has been to learn the properties and working methods of a completely different material. But I am, by nature, inquisitive and I am interested in learning new things, so it has been a joy to learn.

Arola has been impressed by the Heatmasters as a company.

– Heatmasters seems like a nice fit for me, where I think I’m going to enjoy myself and make an impact. In addition, 45 years of history prove that Heatmasters is here to stay.

For the rest of the calendar year, Arola will continue to learn the ropes. There are however new goals for 2020.

– In the future, it would be great if I could take advantage of my education and my previous experience in sales. In addition, I am interested in various IT-development projects.

In his leisure time, Pekka Arola can be seen on a bicycle ride or at a disc golf course.

– And whenever I have time for it I love to take my Ducati for a round. In winter, I try to maintain my fitness by going to the gym, and when schedules and weather permits, skiing is also an integral part of my winter activities.

**Update: Henrik has left our team of wizards at the end of 2019 to complete his military conscription service. We wish him the best of luck!

We caught up with Henrik Hopea, who works at Heatmasters Hollola. Henrik lent us a few minutes of his time. Without further ado:

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION AT HEATMASTERS?

I’m Henrik Hopea, an 18-year-old from Lahti. I do sales with Heatmasters, specializing in international trade. In addition, I work as an IT assistant in the office and also assist with the marketing of the company.

WHEN DID YOU START YOUR JOB AT HEATMASTERS?

I started at Heatmasters in February 2018. I was here first for internships, then for summer jobs, and then for a second internship. After the second internship, I was given a certain project, after which I started my actual work with the company.

WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATION AND WORK BACKGROUND?

I studied business economics at the Lahti University of Applied Sciences, and before that in Koulutuskeskus Salpaus.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK? WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT IT, AND WHAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING ONES?

The best part of my job is working with clients. The most challenging, yet rewarding task is managing complicated projects globally.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HEATMASTERS AS A COMPANY AND EMPLOYER?

Heatmasters is a great company with a long history and solid roots in the industry. The company also has the potential for growth. As an employer, Heatmasters is a really good place to work. Everyone here is a true Wizard.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR WORK IN 2020?

At the beginning of the year, I will go to the army, so the first semester will go there. After that, I want to be involved in helping Heatmasters grow and innovate.

WHAT DO YOU DO ON YOUR FREE TIME?

In the summer I play football and in the winter I play floorball in the local small league. I also like to go ice skating. Exercise is an important part of life because it gives you a boost of well-being and keeps your mind up to speed.

Heatmasters Poland sp z o.o., as part of a consortium of companies, participates in the European project under the name: Development of the technology for producing a lightweight observation and defense container (LOOK) from ultra-high-strength nanostructured steels

Project No. POIR 4.1.4 -00-0047 / 16

Project co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund

The main goal of the project is to develop the construction and implementation of an innovative light-armored observation and defense container designed to secure and protect soldiers or officers performing operational tasks during peace and during war or stabilization operations (e.g. control and defense points, bases, or other strategic facilities, airports, installation).

The project envisages the construction of a container that meets Level 2 protection in accordance with NATO Stanag 4569A, with an extension to a higher penetration resistance by selected types of anti-tank shells. The goal of the project will be achieved by using sheets of nanostructured bainitic steel, which are characterized by high resistance to high-energy impact points. The use of sheets made of nanostructured steels will contribute to the improvement of at least two product performance parameters:

• increasing the ballistic protection, thereby increasing the safety of the crew (users);
• 30% weight reduction of the object’s armor.

The tasks of Heatmasters within the consortium include:

• preparation of innovative infrastructure and test cycles of heat treatment.
• final heat treatment of sheet metal to make prototype containers.

The leader of the project is the Institute for Ferrous Metallurgy in Gliwice.

There are different kinds of heaters and heating elements for different needs.

Insulated VET-preheaters are suitable for the preheating of flat or round workpieces and are easy to use. The thermal insulation is part of the element. Fixing onto the workpiece is simple and fast using steel banding or clamping magnets.

VET-Flexible preheating element

VHV-heating mats are suitable for preheating, post-weld, heat treatments process heating, etc. VHV-heating elements are used for flat or round workpieces

VHVP-heating mats are about half the size of VHV-type heating mats and they are designed especially for Heatmasters’ inverters and Heatmasters’ thyristor type power sources.

VHY-stud heater is used for pre- and post-weld heating of studs and outlet tubes. The form of VHY-stud heater enables attaching the heater near the weld.

VHK-heating mat spreads like fingers and is suitable for use on cone-shaped workpieces. It is used typically on the welds of studs and outlet tubes etc.

The VLV-channel heater is designed for pre- and post-weld heating with normal heat treatment devices. It is used for the internal heating of tubes and other cylindrical workpieces as well as for heating temporary furnaces.

VLV-Channel heater

The VLH-Channel heater is designed for pre- and post-weld heating using normal heat treatment devices. VLH is used primarily for preheating and temporary heat treatment furnaces but is also suitable for many other applications.

The VPE-chamber heater is designed for preheating pipes and tubes from the inside using normal heat treatment devices. There are two standard sizes, others are designed and produced according to the order. The maximum produced length is 7,0 m.

We are looking for a Sales Specialist / Sales Representative

To work in province Silesia and all of Poland

The work consists of:

• Active sales of heat treatment services and heat treatment machines with their instrumentation;
• Implementing sales plans
• Customer visits according to planned and approved visit plans
• Establishing and maintaining the best relationships with clients
• Keeping commercial documentation in the area of offer preparation, order registration,
• Analysis of requests for proposals, preparation of offers and conducting technical and commercial negotiations, supervision of the transaction
• Conducting commercial and technical arrangements regarding the services and products sold;
• Systematic reporting of the status of completed tasks to superiors
• Representing the company in all other matters

Requirements:

• Technical education, for example: – metallurgy, materials science, etc.
• Experience in a similar position
• Readiness for business trips in the country and occasionally abroad
• Practical knowledge of MS Office
• Communicability allowing for free technical and commercial conversations and making product presentations
• Ability to work under time pressure
• Focus on achieving goals
• Perfect organization of own work
• Knowledge of English is welcome
• Category B driving license.

We offer:

• Employment contract
• An interesting job in a company with an established position on the Polish and European market
• Opportunity for professional development in an international environment and raising professional qualifications in both commercial and technical areas
• Stability of employment
• Attractive employment conditions depend on the results achieved and on experience and skills
• Nice work atmosphere.

For more information and to apply, contact Marcin Skurczyński, Managing Director of Heatmasters Poland.

Mobile +48 661 622 100
E-mail marcin.skurczynski@heatmasters.net

Kymijärvi III plant in Lahti is replacing Kymijärvi I plant from the 1970s. By replacing the old coal-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant with a 190-megawatt bioheat plant, the city of Lahti is reducing its carbon emissions by 600 000 tons annually. Adding to that, Lahti has been chosen as the EU Green City in 2021.

Heatmasters has been working on the site for the last 18 months. In the photo, the annealing of the last pipe weld from the beginning of September. The first test runs with the new boiler burners and fuel receiving stations took place already in June. Test runs and commissioning will last until the end of the year.

Update: Article regarding additional works at Kymijärvi III plant during 2021

Temperature Control System Expertise

For more than two decades Heatmasters has been at the forefront regarding temperature control systems for metal’s heat treatment applications. Everyone in business is familiar with Heatmasters’ legendary Rigel26 controller and HM20/25 temperature control program. This technology has proven to be excellent in both accuracy and ease of use. Alongside Rigel/HM25, Heatmasters is working with various PLC (programmable logic) and industrial computer-based solutions for temperature control. We are able to rapidly provide a custom-tailored temperature control system that integrates into your existing production processes and meets all current and future requirements.

CUSTOMER CASE

In early 2019 we developed a completely new customized temperature control solution for customer’s automated production process.

The customer’s factory-level control system and control room were equipped with other manufacturer’s process control technology and this is why the customer wanted heat treatment transformers with a temperature control system that integrates as smoothly as possible into their production process.

After brainstorming and preliminary design process we came to the conclusion that the most cost-effective and easiest way is to embed a similar PLC which was controlling the main process into Heatmasters’ transformers. This allows the customer to operate with the control interface they are already familiar with and without bus converters or other add-ons.

The customized temperature control program inside the Heatmasters’ transformer has PID control for each channel through a thermocouple. We also gave the customer an opportunity to use their factory-level program for heat treatment control, whereby the transformer controller is given only power instruction and channel number, and which is then implemented by the transformer controller circuit.

The factory-level program will provide the transformer controller start and stop information, setpoint or before mentioned power instruction for each channel separately. PID control status, actual power value, and temperature information are amongst the data flowing back from the transformer to the main system.

The transformer controller was also provided with the so-called watchdog function, which detects the contact between the controllers in the transformers and the upper-level program. If there is no contact, the transformers and heating are set to stop.

And because safety comes first, we added a possibility to link the machine into the customer’s emergency stop circuit, meaning that whenever and wherever an emergency stop button is pushed it will also stop the transformers and heating.

Do you have heat treatment needs that require customized mechanical or automation solutions? Our experts are happy to assist you to find the best solution.

Contact person:

Markku Pyykkö
+358 40 533 8503
markku.pyykko@heatmasters.net

Heatmasters has been a service company since its beginning 45 years ago. With the new service model, we expand our scope of services beyond heat treatment to various kinds of other industrial services. Heatmasters service center in Turku, Finland, has piloted for a couple of years an integrated process model, where Heatmasters picks up the valve frames from a manufacturer, performs annealing to the frames at Heatmasters’ service center, then transports the goods for blasting and painting and finally delivers the frames to the manufacturer’s customer. Heatmasters is optimizing the whole process, which saves time and effort from the manufacturer. This is a good example of how the new service model benefits the welding and manufacturing shops.

We also apply the service model for the delivery process of maintenance and turnaround companies working at various process sites: power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, pulp mills, etc. There is the newest project starting right now in Silesia, Poland, where Heatmasters provides NDT inspection & testing and as well as rented welders on top of the heat treatment services for a CHP (combined heat and power) plant maintenance. Heatmasters’ one-stop-shop makes it easy for the customer to plan and execute projects as there are fewer moving parts to juggle with.

Little by little our clientele is moving from single heat treatment jobs and projects to “combos” including a bundle of industrial services and finally to value partnership where Heatmasters is managing a selected part of the customer’s delivery process with value creation and continuous improvement responsibilities and targets.

We at Heatmasters take safety and occupational health seriously: we believe that better and safer working conditions lead to happier employees and better performance. As stated before, we had zero occupational accidents in Finland during 2018 we are now proudly announcing that we are ISO 45001 certified!

We have updated our occupational health and safety management standards with the new ISO 45001:2018 certificate. The certification covers heat treatment services by mobile heat treatment units as well as fixed and temporary furnaces where necessary, in addition to design, manufacture, marketing, sales, and after-sales service of heat treatment equipment. The certificate has been granted to our sites at Hollola, Turku, and Varkaus.

The ISO 45001 international standard helps organizations to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks, and create better, safer working conditions, all over the world.

The aim of the Heatmasters health and safety policy is to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of our staff, visitors, and the communities in which we operate.

We strive to have open and fact-based communication with all staff, authorities, and other interested parties when discussing health and safety issues.
Applicable laws and regulations are to be regarded as the minimum requirements and our target will always be 0 workplace incidents each year.
We promote well-being and safety through workplace studies, medical examinations, as well as the implementation of an occupational well-being plan.
Everyone at Heatmasters is committed to following our health and safety policy ensuring continuous improvement in our operations and our ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system.

The certificate was issued to Heatmasters in April and it’s valid until 2022. Our Polish unit will also update its OHSAS 18001 system to ISO 45001 at a later stage.

For many modern manufacturing processes, induction heating offers an attractive combination of consistency, speed, and control. Heatmasters has a long history with portable induction heating machines, including the HM30 series. This equipment range has proven to be powerful and easy to handle thanks to the small size and lightweight design of the heat treatment units. Now the HM30 series is replaced by an even more powerful HM35 series. This new heating unit was released at the Schweissen und Schneiden welding trade fair in Düsseldorf in September 2017.

HM35 INU is an inverter-based multi-purpose heating unit that can be used both for powerful induction and resistance heating in various kinds of jobs (preheating, post-weld heat treatment, shrink-fitting, etc.). The Heatmasters temperature control system makes it easy to use and there is also a manually controlled (stepless) version available.

Depending on the size of the workpiece one or two heating units are applied. Induction coils or resistors are attached on both sides of the weld seam and when using only one heating unit they are connected in series with a jumper cable. Induction coils are extremely easy to install and therefore can be used especially in tight working places with limited access.

Heatmasters is providing you with inductive and resistive heating units of various kinds as well as all necessary tools and accessories. Starting in 1974 we have over half a century of experience in heat treatment services and utilize all the gained know-how into our product development, designing solutions that are innovative and designed with industry requirements such as ease-of-use and a long product lifetime in mind! Along with heat treatment services we have sold several hundreds of heating units (including electric and gas furnaces) to installation companies, welding and repair shops, foundries, and heat treatment specialists to over 30 countries globally.

Questions? Want to request a quote?

Safety is a process, which needs to be managed continuously. Heatmasters got OHSAS 18001 health and safety management system certified in 2016 in Finland, Poland, and Sweden. That was a huge effort for everybody, and we are happy to see the immediate payback: we had zero injuries (causing more than one day of absence) during 2016 across our companies.

“Congrats to our Wizards! More and more our customers are promoting the importance of safety and we have been able to provide heat treatment services and products which meet these high standards. Personally, I think that on top of the mandatory workers’ personal hot work and safety cards all companies in the industrial arena should officially be certified for health and safety. We ask our people to work hard and often for long hours, however, everybody should expect to return home at the end of the working day or project in good health”, says Ilkka Mujunen, President and CEO of Heatmasters Group.

Heatmasters is developing its health and safety in 2017 by further improving its processes, competencies, and tools in manufacturing and field services. Naturally again targeting for zero injuries.

The aim of the Heatmasters health and safety policy is to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of our staff, visitors, and the communities in which we operate.
Everyone at Heatmasters is committed to following our health and safety policy ensuring continuous improvement in our operations and our occupational health and safety management system.

Heatmasters takes the responsibility for the whole package including heat treatment, blasting, painting, other surface treatment, and transportation with its cooperation partners according to customer’s requirements. This gives the customer an opportunity to focus on its core competencies and make his life more hassle-free.

Utilizing a combination of existing resources in the delivery chain requires openness and true will to improve things. In other words, the best results are achieved by planning the processes together with all process owners. This was exactly what Sami Marjanen (Haapasaari Works Oy), Erik Eroma (Heatmasters Lämpökäsittely Finland Oy), Mikko Hannula (KSP-Kaarina Oy), and Jaakko Heikonen (Paimion Kuljetus Oy) have learned recently.

Heat treatment in Turku Service Center

”We are emphasizing quality, safety, and improvement in our operations. As a good example, we have deployed weekly “Elmeri+” reporting for continuous improvement. We review the operations with the personnel to keep an active dialogue and to be able to react immediately to improvement suggestions. We have extended our ISO 9001:2008, ISO 17663:2009, and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications to apply also the Turku Service Center in September 2016. This is an important milestone in reaching our targets and desired levels in daily operations. And this same high level of quality we are now able to offer in our value-added services thanks to carefully selected partners”, says Ilkka Mujunen, President and CEO of Heatmasters.

”We are transporting the frames for heat treatment to our Service Center in Turku. After heat treatment the frames will be taken to surface treatment (heat treatment blasting, painting, etc.) to Mikko Hannula’s team at KSP-Kaarina Oy”, says Erik Eroma, Head of Turku Service Center.

Visual inspection of the welds is an important step in the process. Defected areas are marked and delivered back to customers for corrective actions. Also, new measures that save the environment have been introduced by Mikko. For example, a water-soluble alternative has been found for primary paint.

From the city of Kaarina, the primary coated frames continue to the warehouse of the end customer by Paimion Kuljetus (Paimio Transportation). By adjusting together with Jaakko (Paimion Kuljetus) and Sami (Haapasaari Works) the needed timetables with the current transportation routes the team ended up into a cost-efficient, optimized solution. The learning curve was very steep thanks to adjusting the proven way of working.

“Regular discussions about transportation with Jaakko continuously improve the quality of the total package. Paimion Kuljetus provides safe and on-time transportation”, Eroma continues.

Heatmasters want to help its customers to focus on their core competencies and offers heat treatment, blasting, painting, and transportation as a single, optimized package. Available at Heatmasters Lahti and Turku Service Centers in Finland as well as in Będzin, Southern Poland.

Heatmasters Turku

The waiting is over in Finland´s oldest city: The wizards of metal and their knights have arrived in Turku, the former capital of Finland. We have opened a service center in the industrial area of Itäharju, on Teollisuuskatu 38. We serve our customers both from our Heatmasters Turku facility and by sending our troops to make their magic on work sites.

The official opening of the Heatmasters Turku Service Center took place on June 16^th. In addition to local customers from South-Western Finland and our local wizards, management from the Heatmasters headquarters in Hollola was also present.

Area Manager, South-Western Finland, Erik Eroma: “Instead of heat treatment in our stationary furnaces only, we can offer a total package including heat treatment, blasting, painting, and transportation as well. We are a one-stop-shop for our customers.”

Business managers, Heat treatment services, Jukka Sirviö: “There are many welding shops around this area and it has been our idea to establish a new unit here for some time. Now there are also a couple of major on-site projects in the neighborhood, so the timing is right. Our facility is large enough to offer also space for our customers for prefabrication purposes.”

Greetings from the Regional Manager:

“I am very proud to continue the great work of Heatmasters after the expansion here in Turku. By performing heat treatment with our furnaces and at work sites, our main target is to improve availability and service levels in the area as well as to decrease the throughput times of our customers’ production processes. Providing additional services on top of heat treatment, such as blasting, painting, pressure tests, and inspections, allows us to offer a total high-quality package by utilizing our own and our partners’ resources.”
-Erik Eroma, Regional Manager

Contact info:
Heatmasters Turku (South-Western Finland)
Erik Eroma, Regional Manager
Mobile +358 (0)40 551 1958
erik.eroma@heatmasters.net

Heatmasters Quality, Safety, and Competence Development

Certification of quality and safety systems by all stakeholders is the only way to ensure the right level of performance throughout the entire value chain and on the project sites. Being the first European services and technology company specializing in heat treatment (annealing, normalizing, stress relieving), Heatmasters Quality Management System now also embraces occupational health and safety by obtaining the OHSAS 18001 certification.

Heat treatment services and technology company Heatmasters has a clear strategy that focuses on quality, safety, and competence development. Heatmasters Quality Management System has integrated the ISO9001 and EN ISO17663 (Guidelines for quality requirements for heat treatment in connection with welding and allied processes) certificates in our units since 2005 and 2009 respectively.

Now we have been rewarded with the occupational health and safety certificate OHSAS 18001. This certificate initially covers the Lahti and Varkaus units in Finland. Our Polish unit in Southern Poland has been certified some two months earlier.

Ilkka Mujunen, President and CEO of Heatmasters: “Continuously improving quality and safety is an important part of our strategy. The certificates and recent certifications mark a result of long term systematic and hard work by the whole organization. We have had the ISO 9001 certificate for more than ten years and now have been rewarded with the OHSAS 18001 certificate. The next step is to receive certifications covering all our operations globally.”

“The leading companies in our customer industries are promoting: safety is present in everything we do. This statement clearly shows an example to the whole value chain and all the players there. We at Heatmasters want to be on the same level and in line with our customers and end-customers when it comes to quality and safety. And certification of quality and safety systems is the only way to ensure that performance. It is not enough that you declare that you are working according to standards, the systems must be certified. This should be demanded by the end-customers”, Ilkka Mujunen continues.

Heatmasters is one of the leading metals’ heat treatment services and technology companies in the world. With offices and facilities across five locations in Finland, Poland and Estonia, Heatmasters is providing on-site heat treatment jobs European wide as well as stress relieving, annealing, and normalization in stationary furnaces. Heatmasters also delivers high technology furnaces, transformers, controllers, and accessories to over 30 countries globally through our global network of representatives.

Heatmasters has closed a major contract with a West African customer. Delivery containing several heat treatment transformers and related accessories and tools was shipped in March 2016. This equipment will provide high-quality, modern equipment that will provide the tools for future projects related to heat treatment in Africa.

Heatmasters designs and manufactures state-of-the-art technology for the heat treatment of metals. The design of the heat treatment equipment is rooted in half a century of expertise using the technology in the field. Our extensive equipment range includes modern heat treatment furnaces, heat treatment units, temperature control systems, and all related accessories.

The heat treatment equipment delivered to West-Africa will be used in the post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) process after welding on large metal objects. We can’t disclose further information due to strict NDA.

Heatmasters specialists will also provide local training for heat treatment in Africa along with supervision and support services to ensure that the equipment will be in efficient use by June 2016.

The HM406T2 is a 40 kVA fully-automatic, six-channel heat treatment unit for preheating and annealing metal workpieces. We are ensuring our clients receive innovative equipment, designed with industry requirements such as ease-of-use and a long product lifetime in mind!

Heatmasters’ stress-relieving and normalization furnaces, transformers, and related accessories/tools are sold to over 30 countries around the globe. Our representatives across the globe provide flexible, high-quality solutions and heat treatment equipment with technical support and reliable service, ensuring your heat treatment challenges are solved comfortably.

Heatmasters Poland was awarded OHSAS 18001 Occupational health and safety management system certification.

OHSAS 18001 sets out the minimum requirements for occupational health and safety management best practices. It paves the way for the best possible working conditions in the organization and provides guidelines on how to identify hazards and put the correct controls in place to manage them. This helps to reduce workplace accidents, cutting out related costs and downtime, as well as prioritizing the welfare of the staff.

The aim of the Heatmasters health and safety policy is to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of our staff, visitors, and the communities in which we operate. Applicable laws and regulations are to be regarded as the minimum requirements and our target will always be 0 workplace incidents each year.

Better, safer working conditions lead to better performance. And the health and safety management system not only motivates staff, but it also engages customers and suppliers looking for businesses that take occupational health and safety management seriously.

Marcin Skurczyński, Managing Director of Heatmasters Poland, says: “Achieving a structured health and safety management system is demonstrating Heatmasters’ commitment to the welfare of our staff and external parties. Safety above everything else.”

Well done, Poland! During the year 2016, other Heatmasters units’ health and safety systems will be certified according to OHSAS 18001 standard.

Heatmasters Heat Treatment Customer Satisfaction – 2014

Heatmasters – the wizards of metal – made a temperature check about heat treatment customer satisfaction at the end of the year 2014 – and the results were stunning.

Almost one hundred North and Central European customers participated in the customer satisfaction survey lifting the response rate to 44%.

Replies were received from power plants, oil refineries, pulp & paper factories, piping installations companies, boiler & process equipment manufacturers, steel product suppliers, and machine shops.

The survey was focused on Heatmasters’ core service business segments: on-site heat treatment, furnace services at Heatmasters’ locations as well as after-sales services related to Heatmasters’ state-of-the-art furnaces and equipment.

Measurement was concentrated into seven key service indicators:

• keeping promises
• staying on schedule
• flexibility in service
• know-how of personnel
• ease of communication
• quality of customer service
• quality of documentation

Stunning Results

Europe-wide the customers of Heatmasters gave on average 3,9 points out of a maximum of four related to “keeping promises”. President and CEO of Heatmasters, Ilkka Mujunen, says: ”This really shows the strong commitment of our personnel towards our customers’ tight requirements. I know that our wizards are doing a good job out there, however, this was a surprise. This means that 97 out of 100 customers rate our reliability and keeping promises to an excellent level. Unbelievable!”

Results related to other service indicators were also on a very high level. The average for all the heat treatment customer satisfaction ratings including all the different indicators in the survey was over 3,7 points on the scale from one to four, one being poor and four being excellent.

Hannu Sippus, Sales and Marketing Manager: ”Our team wants to thank all the participants. Heatmasters is continuing customer satisfaction measurement as part of our continuous development and quality management programme. As a next step, we will publish the summary of the feedback from our furnace, equipment, and spare parts customers.”

We have been active in the global heat treatment industry since 1974. Our company’s story has its roots in a bold idea conceived by true pioneers in heat treatment.

After spending a few years with Svenska Cooperheat AB in Sweden, Eero Jääskeläinen returned to Finland and founded Oy Lämpökäsittely Ab (‘Heat Treatment Ltd’), which later changed its name to ‘Lahden Lämpökäsittely Oy’. The operations, which started on a small scale, have grown steadily over the last four decades. In 2007, the foundation for growth became even stronger when investment company Panostaja Oyj purchased two Finnish companies specializing in heat treatment, Lahden Lämpökäsittely Oy and Heatmasters Oy. Since then, we have operated under the shared name ‘Heatmasters Group’, with an easily recognizable brand image.

Our employees have always been our most important resource. The experts at Heatmasters are fully qualified and experienced heat treatment professionals.

Highly Esteemed Expertise – Global Heat Treatment

Today we are known as Europe’s leading providers of heat treatment solutions and the wizards of heat treatment. We offer a wide range of specialist solutions in the heat treatment of metals, from machines and equipment to heat treatment services carried out either on our premises or at the customer’s project site. Our extensive distributor network sells our machines and equipment also outside Europe – for example, to North America, the Middle East, Russia, and Africa. Our customers appreciate our globally unique, certified expertise, which is based on our many years and a broad range of experience in the industry. Therefore, it is not surprising that our service expertise has been in demand also outside Europe, from Asia to South America.

Even though the world and the welding industry have changed dramatically in the course of our company’s 40-year history, our focus has remained the same: on top-notch expertise, state-of-the-art technology, and customer-oriented services that meet each customer’s heat treatment needs. We help create savings for our customers by operating in a flexible manner and bringing our heat treatment resources close to where they are needed. We believe that our expertise and technology, which cater to our customers’ needs, will remain in demand far into the future.

Innovations for a Clientele that is Renewing Itself

The future will see us develop our heat treatment technology and services to meet the changing needs of our customers and the industry. The key aspects of service innovations include supplementary services, such as document management and efficient remote access to services. In addition to growing, developing, and becoming more international, we consider it our duty to pass on our valued heat treatment expertise to the next generation – the future top professionals in heat treatment. The new wizards.

Time to Celebrate!

This year is an important milestone for us, something we have every reason to be proud of. Put our expertise to the test – that’s the best way to celebrate the anniversary with us!

With festive greetings,

Ilkka Mujunen
President & CEO
Heatmasters Group