Messen und Regeln in Gasaufkohlungsanlagen

Following a short survey of the overall topic, this article provides an introduction to the fundamentals of gas carburization, showing the widely used model concept for transport of carbon from the furnace atmosphere into the product. The electronic control and instrumentation system necessary for best possible, repeatable heat-treatment quality necessitates appropriate, qualified measuring systems for the furnace atmosphere, since measurement of treatment results on the product is generally only possible after it has left the furnace system. The dependence of the quality features ultimate desired, i.e., surface hardness, case-hardening depth and less plot, on the carbon plot generated via heat treatment in the immediately sub-surface zones of the product is examined. The article concludes with a brief discussion of a universally utilizable programmable controller.