[One Heat Treater]

What is the difference between a heat treater and a furnace operator?

A furnace operator…

• Follows work instructions
• Loads and unloads furnaces
• Enters programs and setpoints in furnace controls
• Periodically monitors furnaces for proper operation, soak times, soak durations, etc.
• Contacts a heat treater when there is a problem

A heat treater can typically do all of the functions above and also...

• Writes work instructions
• Can engineer a process for a specific part/material (including pre and post-heat treating)
• Optimizes load configurations
• Supervises furnace operators
• Can troubleshoot a process or a furnace when there is a problem
• Keeps his cool under pressure and knows how to recover from unexpected occurrences

Both of these types of individuals are critical to the success of our heat treating facilities. However, with more modern controls and equipment, along with more sophisticated quality systems, it would seem that more people at the shop level are being trained and used as furnace operators. With these new controls and quality systems, will they ever be able to develop into heat treaters?

It can surely be argued that taking the “tribal knowledge” out of the salty dog’s pocket notebook and putting it on a heat treating work instruction was a good thing. However, what happens when something goes wrong (power interruption, jammed load, stuck inner door, unexpected hardness results, etc.) and an experienced heat treater is nowhere to be found? The best and safest recovery for every situation can’t be written on a work instruction. It is training and experience that will save the day (and the customer’s parts) when these situations occur.

The industry needs to continually offer training opportunities to furnace operators so that each of them can eventually become heat treaters themselves.

[DrOrpheus]

Nice post. The above does pose a problem when things go wrong. Experience and knowledge of how materials react under normal and abnormal situations can make or break the outcome of unexpected issues. Over the last few years, I've been tossed into the job instruction area, and with our goal to increase quality and maintain our nadcap status, we've been revamping our instructions on the job cards to basically try and cover any doubt or question as how to run a specific job. And as hard as you try to make it fool proof, things do go wrong and at the same time basically dumbs down everybody else so they have no idea what to do if something occurs, they just follow whats on the card and don't know how to react to certain situations to save parts/equipment. Or if there's an incidence where you can salvage part of a load, but not all, which course of action is the least costly in terms of rework? All comes down to experience, but like you mentioned with new sophisticated equipment and quality measures, you're lessening that chance to actually experience the problems and deal with them as they come. I think sometimes you need to experiment and learn off your mistakes and hope it isn't too costly. We have one heat treater that is on his way out in a few short years, and Im dreading that day based on what I know that I don't know, and all things I don't know that I don't know.

[Vacuum pump guy]

Many heat treaters, furnace operators and maintenance millwrights are coming up for retirement these days and finding qualified replacements can be a problem. As a technical trainer specializing in Vacuum Technology and Edwards & Stoke Vacuum Pump Repair training sessions I have helped a number of companies upgrade the knowledge of their heat treating department employees in these specific areas. The vacuum pumps are an important part of many heat treating furnaces and understanding the technology and how the pumps work should always be a part of the training plan. For more information please visit my website www.VacuumAndLowPressure.com or contact me at TringEnterpises@hotmail.com and 610-792-3505.

[josephmarkgreene]

Over the years, I have enjoyed watching individualss of high ability gradually transition from operator to heat treater. It seems to come about as a result of a certain innate talent, but also consistently asking "why," using good judgment, and taking advantage of every learning opportunity. Once they have transitioned, the challenge for the business becomes one of retention. These individuals now have talent that is marketable, and may find themselves eager for a new challenge with its own set of learning opportunities -- and possibly enhanced compensation.