Manufacturers of high volume, mass produced, high integrity threaded fasteners have adopted fully automated, Continuous Mesh Belt Atmosphere Heat Treatment Systems as the design standard to provide high quality, efficient and reliable heat treatment processes.  Since the early 1990’s, manufacturers have exploited the soft handling, reduced thread damage and part mixing potential features which are synonymous with mesh belt heat treatment systems.  Over the years as manufacturers processing capacities requirements increased, so did the design capabilities of the mesh belt heat treatment system.  In the early days, capacities ranged from 500 kgs/hr to 1 800 kgs/hr, whereas today capacities have increased to 3 400 kgs/hr comparable to cast link belt furnace technology.  Mesh Belt Furnace Systems are recognized as the preferred configuration used to process small to medium sized fasteners in the range of M3 to M16.

Manufacturers appreciated the additional mesh belt system features which allowed product to be loaded externally, thereby allowing minimal gaps between processing lots and improving overall efficiency.  Traditionally large fasteners mesh belt processing was avoided because of potential damage to the mesh belt resulting from continuous impact loading at each process transfer point.  Today manufacturers of medium to heavy sized fasteners seek new and creative methods for improving their competitive position and look to their lighter counterpart producers for the same benefits realized in spite of the inherent size considerations of the M18 to M36 products they produce. 

Through globalization and development of markets, there is a growing need for large fasteners used in the construction, heavy equipment and energy markets.  As a result, there is a demand for new highly automated heat treatment systems which require minimal operator involvement following the bulk loading and entry into the heat treatment systems.  System design, configuration and quality improvements offered by the Mesh Belt Heat Furnace System option exist today for manufactures of heavy threaded fasteners. CAN-ENG Furnaces International has led this movement to expand the processing capabilities of these systems and provide enhance processing benefits to manufactures of heavy fasteners.

With the introduction of newly designed automated part loading and computerized vibratory soft handling systems, heavy fasteners can now be immediately deposited onto a mesh belt system eliminating any potential for belt damage.  Unique transfer devices and hybrid conveyors have been implemented which limit the level of product inertia which is typically created in conventional systems and provides a gentle transfer and reduced impact loading.  Design evolutions have been implemented in areas where impact loading cannot be avoided such as wash systems, phosphate removal systems and quench systems.  In these areas, engineers have implemented robust conveyor designs that allow for the repetitive impact loading resulting from free falling fasteners.

In addition to product handling evolutions, designers have integrated quenching technology flexibility. In some cases,manufactures process a wide variety of material chemistries which require the ability to vary quench severity of the solution being used.  In the case of polymer quenching, quench severity is being adjusted through the control of polymer concentration levels.  In this case, engineers have developed an automatic polymer solution concentration system which serves two purposes, firstly to automatically control the level of polymer concentration for enhanced process control and secondly to provide the feature which allows the polymer concentration level to be altered to suit the product being processed.

CAN-ENG’s Continuous Mesh Belt Atmosphere Furnace Systems have earned an international reputation for the following:

1.      Full Range – Processing Capacity M3-M36
2.      Continuous production which delivers superior part quality
3.      Specific design features to minimize possibility of foreign material
4.      Proven field reliability and maximum up-time performance
5.      Soft handling design features to minimize part damage
6.      Maximum fuel efficiency through innovative design and energy recuperation
7.      Fully automated systems with complete SCADA capabilities
8.      Neutral and case hardening capabilities
9.      Standard production capabilities from 100 kg/hr to 3400 kg/hr