NEWALU GmbH

Aluquench is one of our proprietary technologies. Quenching in a polymer bath optimises the machining of workpieces with various wall thicknesses in particular. With conventional quenching in water baths, thin-walled areas cool down significantly faster than thick-walled parts, which has an adverse effect on the residual stress in the component.

However, in Aluquench, the polymer is deposited on the thin-walled, already cooled areas of the component, preventing further rapid cooling. The polymer cannot settle on the thick-walled areas, which are still hot. As a result, the cooling process continues until these areas have reached the required target temperature.

The mass production-suitable High Speed Air Quenching (HISAQ) was also developed in our company and patented in 2003. Thanks to the even cooling, this process minimises distortion and residual tension in components, and thus optimises the mechanical parameters. This is particularly interesting for structural components of aluminium bodywork, as this allows thinner walls to be used and the crash properties of the components to be defined.

The goods carriers play an important role for optimal heat treatment. When structural components or diecast parts are heated up to 460°C – 490°C, they approach a temperature range where components start to deform plastically. As a result, suspension and batching are extremely important. NEWALU has gained a lot of expertise in the water carrier sector and developed solutions for loading and securing the components in the furnace to minimise deformation.

The classic heat treatment process includes the solution annealing process, quenching in a water bath and subsequent removal of the aluminium components. Water quenching cools the components down very quickly.