Refurbishment of a CQI-9 homogenisation and artificial ageing oven

REFURBISHMENT OF HOMOGENISATION AND ARTIFICIAL AGEING FURNACE ACCORDING TO CQI-09

Homogenisation is a high-temperature heat treatment process (450 … 800 °C) that takes place after metal casting. The process consists of the following stages: heating, soaking and cooling. This review is important because it affects the downstream processing and final properties of aluminium alloys. Homogenisation significantly improves temperature homogeneity (uniformity) by reducing the soaking time of the alloy.

The aluminium hardening process consists of the following stages: heating, cooling, ageing. Each alloy has its own ageing parameters. The ageing process follows quenching or cooling. If it takes place at room temperature, it is natural ageing. However, when this takes place in an oven at 140-165 °C, it is artificial ageing aluminium.

Both processes are carried out in furnaces designed for this purpose. They must ensure efficiency and optimise processes as much as possible.

CQI-09

You can find out more about the CQI standard on the official website here.

ELPRO Solution Lepenik – A GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLE

Refurbishment of homogenisation and artificial ageing ovens to CQI-9 standard

At ELPRO LEPENIK we offer a solution with a complete overhaul of the control and regulation part of the furnace. We achieve this by using the highest quality automation components from our partner companies.

Features:

• achieving homogeneity within ±1 °C throughout the furnace volume
• temperature measurement with calibrated sensors of own manufacture – accuracy, reliability
• displaying and recording the temperature during the temperature treatment process with the COMET System MS monitoring system
• detection and alarming of process factors

Benefits

By improving the control and regulation part, we achieve higher furnace efficiency, optimum operation, and thus higher energy efficiency and economy.

The complete overhaul of the control and regulation part enables the temperature treatment requirements of the CQI-9 standard to be met.

The ELPRO Calibration Laboratory, which is accredited to SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017, performs the verification of the volumetric homogeneity of the furnace temperature.

Rehabilitation of a CQI-9 homogenisation furnace

Find out more about the CQI-9 HOMOGENIZATION AND ARTIFICIAL AGING SHOWER RESTORATION app here.

Author Rok Samec
January 2021