Wisconsin Patent of the Month – July 2021
Springs are often heat treated to achieve improved fatigue life, toughness, and ductility by changing the properties of the material itself. One method of heat-treatment uses electric resistance heating. Another method involves tempering the spring using electric resistance heating. However, these methods have significant regions that make partial contact with the electrical contact and produce a non-uniform tempering and heat-treatment. Radyne Corp. has developed an improved heat-treatment system that results in a more uniform treatment across the entire spring.
Radyne is a world-leading innovator in the innovation of induction and controlled atmosphere heating equipment. Their heat treatment method uses an elongated workpiece with a pair of end insert contacts. Each contact is made from a solid electrically conductive material and has a notch. The spring can sit within the notches, automatically placed via a robotic device. The notch positioning allows for effective heat treatment across the entire length of the spring. An electric power source supplies current to the end insert contacts. A direct current power source is then passed through the spring for an electric resistance heat treatment.
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