Hardness Standardization of Dies

Abstract

Problem Statement: The Pella Corporation is a large manufacturer of windows and doors, along with various other related products. At the plant in Pella, Iowa, they make many of their machines and replacement parts in-house. Many of these parts and machines require heat treatment to get the optimal properties out of the material in use. While Pella is currently heat-treating their products and parts, the process involved has too much inconsistency. This is because there is no set schedule for the timelines involved in the process, leaving these details up to the operator to decide, e.g., how long something must be treated. This leads to inconsistent and inefficient heat treatments that may lead to parts wearing prematurely. With a consistent heat treatment process, time and money can be saved.