Heat Treatment of Investment Cast Aluminum

The heat treatment of cast aluminum alloys increases the strength and hardness of components by changing the material’s physical, mechanical and metallurgical properties with extreme temperatures. The process requires extreme precision during heating and cooling phases to consistently meet standards and guarantee proper performance in the field. Customers in the aerospace and defense industries turn to Jones Metal Products for heat treatment of aluminum parts, as do commercial customers with exact specifications for aluminum investment casting.

Heat Treating Aluminum to T6

Many aluminum alloy castings are treated to T6 tempers to provide the optimum balance of strength and ductility.
These multi-step treatments require precise temperature control and a minimum of six hours in a furnace at 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve the desired strength, hardness, corrosion resistance and impact strength.

Aerospace, military, healthcare and other high-stakes industries rely on this process to meet the proper mechanical values required for their applications. Any inconsistency in the method can compromise a material’s ability to meet these standards. In fact, many heat treatment facilities avoid investment cast aluminum because it is difficult to hit these exact specifications with every run.

Every day, our customers trust us to execute this process with precision to meet the T6 condition, as well as commercial and military specifications, and to provide the same excellent results for every order. Our process not only consistently delivers the T6 hardness, but also meets specifications for materials with varying mechanical values.

We have expertise with many aluminum alloys used in the aerospace and defense markets, including aluminum alloys 2014, 2024, 6013, 6061 and 7075; and investment casting alloys 355, 356, and 357. We have perfected and adapted our heat treating process to the different mechanical values for 356, A356 and 354 materials per AMS-A-21180 as shown below:

Material               Tensile                  Yield                      Elongation
356                         min 33,000          min 22,000          >3%
A356                      min 38,000          min 28,000          >5%
354                         min 47,000          min 36,000          >3%

Heat Treating Aluminum Services at Jones Metal Products

At Jones Metal Products, we understand that quality and turn-around time are paramount to success. We follow strict procedures to ensure precise temperature control to deliver the aluminum alloy temper you specify, and we commit to providing the same excellent results for every order.

Our services include aging, air quenching, hot and cold-water quenching, glycol quenching, partial and full annealing, hardening, solution treatment and stress relieving. We also perform hardness and electrical conductivity tests to ensure your material and components are up to standard.

Our customer approvals for aluminum heat treatment include Goodrich, Gentz, Honeywell Grimes (Approved Supplier List), Lockheed Martin, Parker Hannifin, Pratt & Whitney (by part) and Rolls Royce. Our accreditations include NADCAP, ISO 9001:2008 (without design), AS9 100:2009, plus ITAR registration.

Ready to start your project or learn more? Call us today at 888-479-9566 to speak with an expert, or contact us to request a quote.

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