HEAT TREAT FOR 6150 COLLET

[Dobe]

WE HAVE BEEN MAKEING COLLETS OUT OF 6150. THE QUESTION CAME UP HOW TO HEAT TREAT 6150 FOR THE COLLET TO HAVE SOME FLEX. I HAV SOME OLD NOTES TO HEAT TREAT TO Rc42-46. DO I NEED TO GIVE THE HEAT TREATER ANY OTHER INSTRUCTIONS?

 

[EdStainless]

The flex of the collet is determined by the design, all hardness levels will flex the same.
Higher strength will give higher hardness and better fatigue properties.
Lower strength will be softer and have better toughness.
You need to choose a balance.

As quenched 6150 should be 59-65 RC.
So tempering to 42-46 RC is a medium strength condition, it sounds reasonable.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[tbuelna]

If you don't provide detailed requirements or processing instructions to your HT vendor, you will have no reason to complain about anything you left to their discretion. As a minimum you should include a common HT process spec used in your industry.

 

[Dobe]

Upon speaking with the heat treater the only info he needs I wrote up as such: COLLETS - MATERIAL 6150 HARDEN AND TEMPER RC 42-46

 

[swall]

6150 is frequently austempered, which will impart a high degree of toughness to the product. It is also a process with less risk of distortion. It is not clear what properties you mean by "some flex". If you mean maximum toughness, you should investigate austempering as opposed to quench and temper. You also need to understand what the heat treater is currently performing--it sounds like quench and temper, but you should verify this.

 

[tbuelna]

Dobe-

The reason you want to provide explicit processing requirements to your heat treat vendor is so that they will use the same procedure every time, which in turn should give you a consistent product. Take a look at pages 20-21 of this Jorgensen Steel handbook. It provides some reference data for oil quenched 6150 steel tempered at various temperature levels. In addition to specifying the tempered hardness range, you should also specify a standard that should be used for controlling the heat treat process and equipment. One such standard commonly used in aerospace is AMS 2759/1. However, you should ask your heat treat vendor which standard they prefer to work to.