Closed Loop Quench

This long-term design/build project enabled an R&D firm to cast specially-formulated metal alloys and lock-in their material properties by quenching the molten alloy with a unique device.

This project enlisted an inter-disciplinary team to first establish the requirements and then develop the alloy formulation before enlisting our support to design, build and demonstrate the quench system.

Challenge

In order to properly cast the Zirconium-based alloy, it required a 10 KW induction furnace to drive a water-cooled coil within a sealed quench chamber to melt metal alloy while functioning in a dual-mode capability of either a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere.

Solution

• developed an approach for the dual-mode quench system chamber
• presented the approach for sealing the system and automating a copper quench rod
• worked with team members while CAD modeling the design, procured raw materials and COTS components
• machined/fabricated system components from aluminum, copper, 316 SS and machinable ceramic materials
• assembled the system and demonstrated it to the user

Services/Skills

•  3-D CAD modeling
•  Mechanical Engineering
•  Mechanical Design

Results

The system was successfully designed, built and demonstrated to the user who subsequently operated the system to cast many test samples in the course of refining the formulation and establishing process parameters.