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Though many aluminum castings are used in the “as cast” condition, some applications will require metal properties that are not present in the cast material, such as enhanced strength.

Heat Treatment

In these cases, we turn to the aluminum heat treatment process.

Aluminum casting heat treatment involves the use of extreme temperatures to change the physical properties of the casting, either through using a thermal cycle or a series of thermal cycles. Depending on the specific casting and the sector it’s being prepared for, heat treatment can be used to either harden or soften an alloy.

Other uses of aluminum heat treatment can include normalising the grain size and composition of an alloy, and removing the internal stresses of the metal.

There is no standardized aluminum heat treatment procedure. Rather, a combination of heat treatment techniques may be used in order to achieve the required properties. Common techniques include annealing, solution treatment, precipitation treatment, quenching, age hardening and artificial ageing.

Some aluminum heat treatment processes are carried out close to the melting point of the castings, therefore it is vital that the temperature of the heat treatment environment is carefully controlled.

Our Aluminum Casting Heat Treatment Facilities

Our furnaces have been specifically designed to provide uniform heat transfer to all areas of the castings.

As part of our ongoing investment programme, we have installed additional aluminum casting heat treatment capacity for precipitation treatment (TE condition).

Get in touch to discuss your heat treatment requirements