CFC fixtures –quality fixturing for vacuum heat treating

Furnace fixturing made of CFC (carbon-fibre reinforced carbon) are the state-of-the-art standard in vacuum heat treating these days. A significant quality feature of the vacuum heat treating process is the shape and dimensional stability of heat treated components. This article focuses on the impact of CFC-fixtures and how they help to reduce the distortion of case hardened parts in Low Pressure Carburizing (LPC) applications with High Pressure Gas Quenching (HPGQ). These results provide evidence that distortion of heat treated components can be minimized and controlled by the use of individually designed fixtures made of CFC material.