Aluminum Heat Treating Process

We can complete this important step and reduce costs and delivery time to market.

  1. What heat treatment methods does Robertson Foundries use?

    We heat treat aluminum primarily to a 356.2 to T6 condition.

  2. What size is your oven?

    Our furnace is able to handle parts within 24” w  x 30” h  x 36” l

  3. Which alloys do you heat treat?

    Most aluminum alloys respond to heat treatment.  Some do not require treatment. However, they are typically expensive and hard to work with in the foundry.

  4. Do you use quenching?

    Yes, we quench 356.2 at 1000 degrees F.

  5. What are the advantages of heat treating?

    Hardness and ultimate strength yield strength and elongation.

  6. What type of components should be heat treat?

    All castings requiring machining and the final mechanical properties previously noted.

  7. What components don’t require heat treating?

    Parts not having a specification for strength or meeting the hardness requirement.

  8. When do you heat treat metal? Immediately after casting?

    No … Castings can be heat treat any time after the product is manufactured.

  9. Is heat treatment used on brass and bronze? If yes, what are the key differences compared to aluminum heat treatment?

    Yes, some (very few) of the brass and bronze alloys respond to heat treatment. Our furnace cannot reach the temperatures needed for these materials.