5-axis CNC milling drawing: Al 7075-T6 block with pockets, toolpath and dimensions

Service · Heat Treatment

NADCAP-qualified. Vacuum heat treat. Aerospace ready.

Q: NADCAP — what is it and why?

NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program): industry-managed accreditation for special processes — heat treatment, welding, NDT, coating, etc. NADCAP-qualified suppliers meet strict process control and quality requirements. Required for aerospace primes (Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed) and major aerospace contractors. We partner with NADCAP-qualified heat treaters for aerospace work.

Q: Distortion control during heat treatment?

Distortion managed by: (1) Process selection — air hardening tool steels (D2, A2) distort less than oil-quenched. (2) Vacuum heat treatment — uniform heating reduces distortion vs atmosphere. (3) Pre-treatment stress relief — relieves machining stresses before final treatment. (4) Fixture support during heat treatment — minimizes warpage. (5) Designed-in oversize allowance for post-heat-treat grinding. For precision parts, expect 0.05-0.2 mm typical distortion.

Q: Vacuum vs atmosphere heat treatment?

Atmosphere heat treatment: cheaper, surface oxidation occurs (cleaning required). Used for: standard tool steels, carburizing, general industrial. Vacuum heat treatment: 30-50% premium, no surface oxidation, bright finish retained. Used for: aerospace, stainless steel (passivation preserved), nickel alloys, precision parts. Specify based on cost vs surface quality requirement.

Q: Heat treatment lead times?

Standard heat treat: 5-7 days from receipt to completion. NADCAP heat treat: 7-10 days due to additional documentation. Specialty (vacuum, cryogenic): 7-14 days. Plus shipping to/from heat treater (typically 2-3 days each way). Total schedule impact: 10-20 days for heat treatment cycle. We schedule heat treatment in production planning.

Q: 17-4 PH conditions — which to specify?

Common 17-4 PH conditions: H900 (480°C aging) — highest strength 1310 MPa yield, some brittleness, less ductile. H1025 (552°C) — 1000 MPa, good balance, most common. H1075 (580°C) — 965 MPa, better toughness. H1150 (620°C) — 790 MPa, max ductility. H1150-M (double overaged) — best stress corrosion cracking resistance. Specify per drawing — H1025 default if unspecified.

Q: Documentation provided?

Heat treatment certificate per heat treat lot: process specification (AMS, customer spec), date of treatment, time/temperature/atmosphere parameters, calibrated furnace ID, material lot information, hardness test results, operator/inspector signatures. For NADCAP, additional documentation per Pri 7XXX series specifications. Documentation accompanies delivery and archived.

Heat treatment coordination services. We coordinate heat treatment through qualified partners — NADCAP-qualified for aerospace, ISO 13485-compatible for medical, standard certified for industrial. Quench & temper, age hardening, case hardening, vacuum processing.

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Finishing & treatmentWuxi, ChinaMOQ 1 partDFM review included

Technical plate for NADCAP-qualified. Vacuum heat treat. Aerospace ready.

How we run it

Heat treatment coordination

We coordinate the full range of heat treatment processes through qualified partners. Direct partnership ensures quality and documentation chain.

3-7 daysTypical lead time

MOQ 1No minimum quantity

<4 hQuote response

ISO 9001Quality system

01 · Heat treatment coordination

Heat treatment processes.

Quench & temper

Standard quench & temper for medium and alloy steels (4140, 4340, 17-4 PH, etc.). Specified hardness range (e.g., 28-32 HRC, 38-42 HRC).

Precipitation aging

Solution treatment + age hardening for precipitation hardening alloys. 17-4 PH conditions H900, H1025, etc. Ti-6Al-4V STA. 7075-T6 aluminum.

Case hardening (carburize)

Carburizing for surface hardness with tough core. Common for gears, shafts. Typical 0.5-2 mm case depth, 60+ HRC surface.

Nitriding

Gas or plasma nitriding for hard case with minimal distortion. Lower temperature than carburizing. Ideal for finished precision parts.

Annealing / normalizing

Full annealing or normalizing to soften and stress relieve. Standard before machining or after welding/cold working.

Stress relief

Stress relief at lower temperature than full anneal. Reduces residual stress without changing hardness. Critical for precision parts.

Vacuum heat treatment

Heat treatment in vacuum or inert atmosphere. No surface oxidation. Required for aerospace, stainless, nickel alloys.

Cryogenic treatment

Cold treatment (-80°C to -196°C) after quenching. Improves dimensional stability, transforms residual austenite. Specialty process.

Solution annealing

Solution annealing for stainless and nickel alloys. Dissolves precipitates, restores corrosion resistance after welding/forming.

We coordinate the full range of heat treatment processes through qualified partners. Direct partnership ensures quality and documentation chain.

02 · Quality assurance

Heat treatment QA.

NADCAP qualified

Aerospace partners with NADCAP heat treat certification

Calibrated furnaces

Annual calibration with documented temperature uniformity

Process records

Time/temperature/atmosphere recorded per batch

Hardness verification

Post-heat-treat hardness testing per AMS or customer spec

Material traceability

Material certificate maintained through heat treat

Lot traceability

Heat treat lot number tracking

Distortion management

Pre/post measurements, dimensional stability verified

Documentation package

Heat treat certificate per AMS or industry standard

Customer specifications

Customer-specific heat treat per drawing notes

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CNC, 3D printing, injection molding, sheet metal, casting, finishing — one quality system, one partner.

FAQ

NADCAP-qualified — questions

NADCAP — what is it and why?

NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program): industry-managed accreditation for special processes — heat treatment, welding, NDT, coating, etc. NADCAP-qualified suppliers meet strict process control and quality requirements. Required for aerospace primes (Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed) and major aerospace contractors. We partner with NADCAP-qualified heat treaters for aerospace work.

Distortion control during heat treatment?

Distortion managed by: (1) Process selection — air hardening tool steels (D2, A2) distort less than oil-quenched. (2) Vacuum heat treatment — uniform heating reduces distortion vs atmosphere. (3) Pre-treatment stress relief — relieves machining stresses before final treatment. (4) Fixture support during heat treatment — minimizes warpage. (5) Designed-in oversize allowance for post-heat-treat grinding. For precision parts, expect 0.05-0.2 mm typical distortion.

Vacuum vs atmosphere heat treatment?

Atmosphere heat treatment: cheaper, surface oxidation occurs (cleaning required). Used for: standard tool steels, carburizing, general industrial. Vacuum heat treatment: 30-50% premium, no surface oxidation, bright finish retained. Used for: aerospace, stainless steel (passivation preserved), nickel alloys, precision parts. Specify based on cost vs surface quality requirement.

Heat treatment lead times?

Standard heat treat: 5-7 days from receipt to completion. NADCAP heat treat: 7-10 days due to additional documentation. Specialty (vacuum, cryogenic): 7-14 days. Plus shipping to/from heat treater (typically 2-3 days each way). Total schedule impact: 10-20 days for heat treatment cycle. We schedule heat treatment in production planning.

17-4 PH conditions — which to specify?

Common 17-4 PH conditions: H900 (480°C aging) — highest strength 1310 MPa yield, some brittleness, less ductile. H1025 (552°C) — 1000 MPa, good balance, most common. H1075 (580°C) — 965 MPa, better toughness. H1150 (620°C) — 790 MPa, max ductility. H1150-M (double overaged) — best stress corrosion cracking resistance. Specify per drawing — H1025 default if unspecified.

Documentation provided?

Heat treatment certificate per heat treat lot: process specification (AMS, customer spec), date of treatment, time/temperature/atmosphere parameters, calibrated furnace ID, material lot information, hardness test results, operator/inspector signatures. For NADCAP, additional documentation per Pri 7XXX series specifications. Documentation accompanies delivery and archived.

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