Mechanical Engineer - Heat Treat Department
At a glance my responsibilities include:
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About NTN Driveshaft
NTN is a Japanese bearing manufacturer and one of the top producers of friction reducing components. NTN is a Tier 1 automotive supplier for most OEM's, the world's largest supplier of hub bearings, and the worlds second largest supplier of driveshafts.
NTN Driveshaft in Columbus, Indiana ships constant velocity joints and halfshafts directly to OEM vehicle assembly plants across the globe. Production is both high volume and high mix, shipping millions of parts every year across hundreds of component variations. |
Induction Heat Treating
My department induction hardens CVJ outer races. Selective hardening can achieve both surface hardness required for long rolling bearing life and deeper case depth for torsional strength. Each machine has dozens of variables to dial in for each part: heating recipe, quenching characteristics, machine electrical configuration, inductor alignment, flux intensifier configuration, and so many more.
The heat treat engineering team's most important task is completing low volume production trials for each part through each machine. We procure all the tooling, set the machine up for the first time, adjust all the variables to obtain heat pattern and correct for distortion, and then publish standards for production. By the numbers, I played a central role in:
The heat treat engineering team's most important task is completing low volume production trials for each part through each machine. We procure all the tooling, set the machine up for the first time, adjust all the variables to obtain heat pattern and correct for distortion, and then publish standards for production. By the numbers, I played a central role in:
Low volume production trials
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including
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new part numbers
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and
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production line changes
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for
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OEM vehicle programs.
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The most difficult part of heat treat is quality inspection.
Destructive testing is required to obtain a complete understanding of the shape and depth of the hardened area. By working with experienced individuals and repetitive trial and error I learned which variables to adjust to dial in the pattern. A little longer, or a little deeper? All across the part or only in one section? Does that heating condition increase risk of cracks? I can answer all these and so much more. Another responsibility I carry out is creating and revising internal drawings for each process step. Operators reference these for their shift quality check specs and frequencies. Inspectors reference these for heat pattern shape and microhardness details. I pick out all of the heat treat relevant information from the customer drawing and ensure those are communicated through the process sheet. We have standardized methods to account for tolerance stack-ups, and we tighten certain allowable ranges for better internal process control, or to reduce risk from previous experience. I issued hundreds of these drawings.
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