Member Article

Keighley Labs invest in furnace to cope with customer demand

Heat treatment specialists, Keighley Laboratories have expanded operations at one of its pit furnaces to cope with increasing customer demand.

The West Yorkshire firm have enlarged one its pit furnaces to pave the way for production of larger gears, shafts and components.

Michael Emmott, divisional commercial director, said: “This has opened up a new market for us amongst engineering companies and OEMs, who are looking to heat treat larger components.

“This involves physical issues regarding accommodating the size of these parts, then lifting them out of the furnace and into the quench tank, as well as demanding special skills for treating very large workpieces without damage or distortion.”

Keighley Labs’ pit furnaces are used to perform high temperature processes such as carburising, stress relieving and homogenising - and treatments can last anything from 2-to-3 hours to 2-to-3 days.

The technology allows for highly precise thermochemical treatment on large components, such as gear wheels.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .