Quintus Technologies is supplying a hot-isostatic press to HT-MX, a heat-treater to aerospace and automotive manufacturers, in Chihuahua, Mexico. Hot-isostatic pressing is an increasingly popular means for manufacturers to eliminate surface pores and fissures in metal parts, or to densify ceramic parts.
HT-MX is a NADCAP-certified provider of services including quench and temper, annealing, carburizing, nitro-carburizing, nitriding, carbo-nitriding, normalizing, sand blasting, and metallurgical lab services, among others.
It will be the first commercial heat-treater in Mexico to invest in HIP capability, according to Quintus.
The QIH 48 M URC system has a hot zone that measures 14.8 in. (375 mm) diameter and 47.2 in. (1,200 mm) high. It's designed to operate with a working temperature of 2,550°F (1,400°C) and a pressure of up to 2070 bar (30,000 psi.)
The "URC" designation refers to a proprietary Quintus function, "universal rapid cooling," which streamlines material densification by combining heat treatment and cooling in a single process. It means that all processed components cool uniformly, minimizing thermal distortion and non-uniform grain growth. Heating and cooling the workload just once, in a single cycle, improves process efficiency and reduces per-unit processing cost.
In addition to the press, the HT-MX investment includes a gas storage system, NADCAP hardware, and service under the Quintus® Care program.
“When getting into new projects with, for us, unknown technologies, it’s important to minimize any perceived risk,” stated HT-MAX CEO Humberto Ramos Fernandez. “For our kind of operation, we are looking for quality, safety, efficiency, and easy maintenance. With the press from Quintus we have found that it meets our needs so far.”