Solution Annealing Furnace Manufacturer in India

Therm process Engineering Pvt. Ltd. supplies complete solution annealing furnaces for stainless steel coils. Each furnace comes fully lined, with a dedicated charging machine, quenching mechanism and chimney. Solution annealing heats stainless steel to a high temperature to dissolve carbides into solution. The steel is then quenched rapidly, before they can re-form, and the transfer to quench must be fast. The Therm process design moves hot coils from hearth to quench tank within 40 to 50 seconds. These gas-fired furnaces handle 1 to 4 tonnes per batch and typically complete 6 to 7 charges per day. Share your coil size and daily tonnage for a proposal.

What Is Solution Annealing?

Solution annealing is a heat treatment mainly used for austenitic stainless steels. Cold working and earlier thermal exposure can leave chromium carbides at the grain boundaries. Those carbides reduce corrosion resistance and ductility.

Solution annealing heats the steel to a temperature at which these carbides dissolve back into the austenite, a "solid solution". The steel is held long enough for the whole section to reach that state, and is then quenched quickly, usually in water. Rapid cooling locks carbon in solution. Slow cooling through the sensitisation range would let carbides precipitate again, undoing the treatment.

This makes the transfer time from furnace to quench as important as the furnace temperature. A solution annealing furnace is therefore a system: the furnace, the handling equipment and the quench tank must all work together.

Therm process Solution Annealing Furnaces

Therm process supplies the complete system: the furnace with lining, a charging machine, the quenching mechanism and the chimney.

Charging machine: A dedicated charging machine with a fork-lift structure places stainless steel coils on the furnace hearth. Coils are loaded onto the charging machine by EOT crane. At the end of the heating cycle, the charging machine withdraws the coils and places them in the quench tank.

Quench timing: The system is designed to complete the quench operation within 40 to 50 seconds.

Cycle: A typical cycle is 1.5 hours heating and 1 hour soaking, allowing about 6-7 charges per day.

Combustion: The furnace uses Therm process gas burners. Each burner is set and calibrated for steady gas flow using Thermprocess's own limiting orifice valves. The gas station includes all relevant safety features.

Therm process describes the design as sturdy, energy efficient and well proven. It has a proven refractory lining pattern and a low-maintenance charging machine

Technical Specifications

Key Features

• Complete system supply, not just the furnace.
• Dedicated charging machine for fast, repeatable loading and unloading.
• 40-50 second quench transfer.
• Short cycle, allowing 6-7 charges per day.
• Individually calibrated burners via limiting orifice valves.
• Gas station with safety features.
• Proven refractory lining pattern.
• Low-maintenance charging machine.

How the Solution Annealing Process Works

• Loading onto charging machine. SS coils are placed on the charging machine by EOT crane.
• Charging. The fork-lift structure places the coils on the furnace hearth
• Heating. Gas burners heat the charge, typically over about 1.5 hours.
• Soaking. The charge is held for about 1 hour at solution temperature.
• Withdrawal. The charging machine withdraws the hot coils.
• Quenching. Coils are placed in the quench tank within 40-50 seconds.
• Unloading and checking. Coils are removed for inspection and further processing.

Applications

• Solution annealing of austenitic stainless steel coils.
• Restoring corrosion resistance after cold work.
• Softening SS for further drawing or forming.

Industries Served

• Stainless steel wire rod and wire producers
• SS bright bar and drawing units
• Stainless steel processors

Benefits

• Consistent corrosion resistance from fast, repeatable quench.
• High daily throughput of up to about 7 charges per day.
• Reduced handling risk with a dedicated charging machine.
• Stable combustion with calibrated burners.
• Single-supplier responsibility for the full system.

Custom Solution Annealing Solutions

Share the following:

• SS grade
• Coil dimensions and weight
• Batch weight
• Daily tonnage
• Solution temperature and soak requirement
• Quench medium
• EOT crane capacity
• Gas type and supply
• Available bay layout

Why Choose Thermprocess?

• Since 1997, Mumbai.
• Complete system engineering: furnace, handling, quench, combustion.
• In-house burners and flow control valves.
• ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 certified, as stated by the company.

Related Therm process Products

• Strand Annealer
• Limiting Orifice Valve
• Industrial Burners
• Bright Annealing Furnace
• Roller Hearth Annealing Furnace

Frequently Asked Questions