|
Consulting Services
For Industrial Furnaces, Kilns, Ovens, and Production Processes
|
Richard B. Conway, CMfgT
Industrial
and Systems Engineer
Ceramic
Engineering Technician
Heat
Processing Technician
|
-
Author unknown - but probably a pretty
good engineer.
-
“We just call him Doctor
Oven.”
-
Sam Hopkins, Engineer, United
States Marine, Inc.
|
"Richard Conway applied science to our oven issues and helped
us to improve operational reliability and reduce down time through
quality services and effective solutions."
Mark Docter, Production Supervisor
BALL
CORPORATION
|
|
|
Consulting Services Provided:
|
|
Engineering
analysis and problem solving services performed personally by Richard B.
Conway, President of DELTA H SYSTEMS, INC.;
|
|
|
Analysis
of furnace, kiln, and/or oven system designs to resolve production
defects, modifications to enhance output, or to improve operation; and,
|
|
|
Design
services for new product or processes.
|
|
|
Representation:
During a consulting project,
Mr. Conway strictly represents the interest of the client. DELTA H
will not bid on any phase of a recommended solution.
|
|
Problem
Solving Methodologies:
Typically, a three phased classical
engineering problem solving methodology is used involving: problem
identification, generating feasible alternatives, and selection and
implementation of the most practical alternative. Often 70% to 90% of
a project is dedicated to identifying the real problem. Once a
problem is stated with scientifically defensible data the solutions for
repair are often simplistic and obvious.
|
|
Background
and Experience:
Richard Conway offers a unique
combination of industrial and educational experiences to assist
manufacturing firms in solving thermal processing system and production
problems. In addition to training in several technical disciplines,
Mr. Conway has studied creative problem solving methodologies and logic at
university level. Successful projects have involved heat treating and
atmosphere controls, to ceramic and materials drying and firing, to
facility level economic analysis of production alternatives. Mr.
Conway's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial
and Systems Engineering, Associate of Applied Science Degrees in both
Ceramic Engineering Technology and Heat Processing Technology, and
specialized training in military aviation electronics. Mr. Conway is
a Certified Manufacturing Technologist (CMfgT) by the Society of
Manufacturing Engineers and is a Certified Service Representative (CSR) of
DESPATCH INDUSTRIES. Work experience and past employers
included: U.S. Air Force, AP Green Refractories, Hotwork,
Inc., North American Manufacturing Company, Pereny
Equipment Company (now Unique/Pereny Kilns),
Brimstone Equipment Company, and Accutherm, Inc. In 1990, Mr. Conway
founded DELTA H SYSTEMS, INC. while attending classes at The Ohio State
University (OSU) as a returning adult student. Upon graduating from
OSU in 1993, Mr. Conway continued developing and growing DELTA H into a
successful business with over 300 clients to date.
|
|
|
|
|
Professional
Affiliations and Associations:
The American Ceramic Society,
Ceramic Manufacturer's Association, Society of Manufacturing Engineers,
Association of Finishing Processes of SME, Institute of Industrial
Engineers, American Society for Metals
|
|
|
|
|
Technical Mysteries with Thermal Processing:
Test you analytical skills with
an actual recent project. Check this web page periodically for new
challenges!
Initial Problem
Description:
The client produces over 30
million small propane cylinders per year. Occasionally the cylinders
fail a pressure check or have clogged valves and, upon inspection, a
"cobweb like" material is observed inside. This problem has
been known for nearly 40 years and has become more prominent to a level
that it must be addressed.
Analysis and
Observations:
The following was observed upon
inspecting and testing the system:
- Four furnaces are used for the
production process - all are atmosphere roller hearth types with 3'
by 3' baskets for the placing the cylinders vertically, a high heat
section and long cooling sections.
- The cylinders are manufactured
by several stamping processes and the sections and valves are held
together by brazing.
- Braze for holding the two
halves together is applied by a centrifuge device which
"spins" braze on.
- The basic process involves
brazing and bright annealing of low carbon steel to manufacture the
cylinders.
- Dew point sampling of the
atmosphere suggested no problems with the exothermic gas atmosphere.
- There has been no observed
correlation of the problem with any one of the four furnaces.
- An operator stated that whenever
there is a failure of a cylinder they always find the cobweb like
substance inside.
- Upon obtaining a sample of the
cobweb substance it was observed that it was magnetic.
|
What was
the Problem?
- When the cylinders enter the
furnace they have air inside of them.
- The brazing material which
seals the upper and lower halves of the cylinders must have some
excess braze inside of the cylinder which acts as a
"getter" for oxygen. As the cylinders heat up the
organic binders in the braze act as a getter when they quickly burn
to remove oxygen before any iron oxide (rust) forms.
- If there was insufficient
braze, and therefore insufficient organic materials inside of a
cylinder, then iron oxide would form along the inside walls.
- As the hydrogen component
(~15%) of the exothermic atmosphere would later diffuse into the
cylinder, it would reduce the iron oxide back to pure iron
(magnetic).
- The reduced iron oxide (pure
iron) was the observed mysterious cobweb material.
|
Formal
Problem Statement:
The centrifuge device which
spins braze materials inside of the cylinder for connection of the upper
and lower halves, experiences occasional variations in the consistency of
the application of the braze material. When insufficient material is
applied then iron oxide will form which is later reduced back to iron by
the furnace atmosphere. The reduced iron oxide has a cobweb like
appearance and accounts for clogging of valves and would have a secondary
characteristic of a poor seal of the two cylinder halves.
Selected Feasible
Alternative for Repair:
The client focused their
attention of the mechanical functions of the braze
spinning device and modified it to provide more consistent application of
braze material. Upon the completion of the modification of the
spinning device the problem was no longer observed.
|
Return to Home Page
|
