When trying to determine a material’s response to heat treatment, it is important to understand the form, prior treatments, chemical composition, grain size, hardenability and perhaps even the mechanical properties from which the parts were manufactured. The certification sheet for the material in question supplies such information. Sadly, they are seldom consulted until after a problem has occurred. It’s time to learn what these documents are, why they are so useful and how to interpret them. Let’s learn more. By Dan Herring

The main components of a landing-gear structure are wheels and brakes, axles, bogie beams (a.k.a. truck beams), shock absorbers (a.k.a. shock struts), and drag and side braces. Primary design considerations on landing gear include maximum sink speed, spin up, spring back, lateral drift (on landing), towing, jacking, turning, braked roll, taxi, rebound, pivoting (main landing gear only), crashworthiness and fatigue.

Secondary loads include retraction/extension, aerodynamic loads, lock/unlock loads and emergency extension. In addition, nose landing-gear specific forces include dynamic breaking, nose-gear yaw and steering. Alloys used in these applications must have high strengths, normally between 260-300 ksi (1,792-2,068 MPa). By Carmine Filice, Daniel H. Herring, Paul Vanderpol

Low-temperature vacuum heat treatment is one of The Doctor’s favorites, offering unique advantages over other types of low-temperature processing since component parts (Fig. 1) are placed in a controlled environment designed to minimize surface interactions. Let’s learn more. By Dan Herring

The aerospace industry never stands still when it comes to finding ways it can improve on its systems and operations. The Nadcap accreditation program is no different.

In June 2011, the Nadcap Management Committee (NMC) balloted for the creation of a new Heat Treating audit checklist. AC7102/6 has been in the works for the past two years and was approved this year in June as a new checklist for Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP). It is expected to be fully implemented by the end of 2011. By Joanna Leigh

Choosing the optimum heat-resistant material for a given application will increase the useful component life and keep your maintenance costs under control. This article helps to identify the right material for the job and provides some things to watch for to avoid catastrophic failure.

Heat-resistant stainless steels and nickel-based alloys are commonly used for different furnace internals and carrying fixtures in the heat-treating industry. These components require periodic replacement due to a variety of factors. By understanding some of the more common causes for failure, it is possible to extend the life of these components through improved design, material selection, etc. With the alloy costs increasing significantly over the past three years, increasing the useful life of your components can help keep your maintenance costs in check. By Jason Wilson

The world is becoming lighter, faster and more energy efficient. For all these reasons, and more, the spotlight is turning toward the use of magnesium and magnesium alloys, especially in the aerospace and automotive industry. We need to better understand these alloys and how to heat treat them. Let’s learn more. By Dan Herring

The Jominy end-quench test and other tests were developed in the 1930s as a cost- and time-effective way to determine the hardenability of steel. The test is easy to perform and provides useful information-if you know how to use it.

The Jominy end-quench test represents a quandary. On one hand, everyone seems to know what the test is, but on the other hand, many don't understand how to use the data in a meaningful way in their everyday jobs. To help clarify this situation, consider the difference between the concepts of hardness and hardenability, which sometimes are used interchangeably. By Dan Herring