January 2008 Edition

HEAT TREATING

A 'Novel' Idea

Having trouble with weld conditioning and stress relieving on large equipment, a manufacturer turned to a distortion control product to solve its problem

When faced with a problem, sometimes the solution requires looking at current resources in a new way. So pleased with a system it had been using for over 20 years, Kanawha Manufacturing, Charleston, WV, decided to use it for a different application, to great success.

Kanawha is a full service fabrication and machine shop that manufactures and rebuilds equipment for the power, coal, and metals industries.

When handling the large-sized pieces that Kanawha manufactures, team members used a crane requiring many man hours so that the equipment could be placed in a heat treat furnace. In some cases, the parts manufactured were so large they did not fit into the furnace and could not get heat treated.

Due to these constraints, Kanawha Manufacturing started to research other options; it needed to find a weld-conditioning and stress relief system for the large equipment it manufactures and rebuilds.

Same System, New Usage

During this process, Kanawha thought of the Meta-Lax system from Bonal Technologies, Royal Oak, MI. This system had been recommended to Kanawha over 20 years ago by the U.S. Corps of Engineers for distortion and warpage control for some very large locks and dams the manufacturer was building.

The U.S. Corps of Engineers had great success in keeping distortion and warpage at a minimum when the system was used for massive parts on some heavy barge ships. Kanawha has been using Bonal's Meta-Lax system ever since.

Applying it to stress-relieving and weld conditioning was a shot in the dark, but the benefits have been plentiful.

"Since we had so much success on holding down distortion, we started using the system on other parts and for other uses such as weld conditioning and stress relieving," Carl Smith, quality assurance manager of Kanawha Manufacturing, said. "We do very thick, heavy welds so we decided to try Meta-Lax to see if it would help with that. We weren't aware of the value of the product for weld conditioning but figured it was worth a try."

Outside Thinking Pays Off

With Meta-Lax, Kanawha increased its productivity and cut down on the costs for material handling and man hours tremendously. To operate the Meta-Lax, one team member attaches a few C-clamps to the part and leaves it in its place, when before it required two men to move the parts around and then wait for parts to heat and cool.

Another advantage of using the Meta-Lax system to stress relieve is that the materials can be machined and welded without cracking.

"With Meta-Lax you don't have to worry about it," Smith said. "No sandblasting is necessary since the part comes out clean. Therefore, an entire step has been eliminated allowing more products to be created and less money to be spent on the processing of parts."

By using the Meta-Lax system for thermal stress relief, cost reduction and quality improvements have been great.

"We work on 20 pulverizers per month and save 30 percent by using Meta-Lax," Smith said. "It is a tremendous savings."

Overall Satisfaction

Operating the Meta-Lax system has been an easy fit. Working the furnaces required constant attention of the furnace and the thermocouplers. The Meta-Lax system simply requires the operator to apply C-clamps, put a chart on, and turn the machine on. Although Kanawha expected the training to be extensive, it was quick and easy with videotaped instructions. Kanawha has six employees who can run the system independently for weld conditioning and stress relief.

"We have been extremely impressed with the Meta-Lax technology," Smith said. "We have been so impressed that we have actually invited other companies to come in and see how to use it during a tour for the American Welding Society."

Smith said the Meta-Lax system has brought in new business through the years.

"The fact that we have a machine that can relieve the stresses with stainless steel makes a difference to a lot of people," Smith said. "I've been in business 47 years and Meta-Lax is one of the improvements that is a great advantage." Bonal Technologies

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