In the field of metal heat treatment process, quenching is one of the important processes to improve material properties. With the increasingly stringent environmental protection regulations and the high attention to production safety, air quenching machine has gradually become a new technology to replace traditional oil quenching. Although oil quenching has a long history of application in many metal material processing, air quenching machine has gradually shown a broader application prospect with its unique advantages. This article will make a detailed comparison between air quenching machine and traditional oil quenching, and explore their respective advantages and applicable scenarios. First of all, the working principle of oil quenching is to immerse the metal workpiece heated to the austenite zone in oil, and quickly cool it through the cooling effect of the oil to obtain the required hardness and strength. Oil quenching is suitable for most steels, especially high-alloy steels. However, sparks, oil smoke and gas may be generated during oil quenching, the operating environment is not very safe, and due to the high temperature characteristics of oil, it is easy to cause fire. In addition, the oil will deteriorate with the increase of use time, and needs to be replaced regularly, which increases the maintenance cost.

 

In contrast, air quenching machines use high-pressure air flow or spray to cool metal workpieces. The cooling medium of air quenching is air, which has a relatively slow cooling rate and is suitable for materials or processes that require a lower cooling rate. Unlike oil quenching, air quenching does not produce hazardous substances such as oil smoke and sparks, and the operation is safer and more environmentally friendly. In addition, air quenching does not require frequent replacement of the cooling medium, and the maintenance cost is relatively low.

 

The advantage of air quenching machines lies in their significant environmental protection and safety. Since flammable oil is not used, air quenching greatly reduces the risk of fire, especially in high temperature and high pressure environments, the safety of operators is effectively guaranteed. Secondly, the cooling medium of air quenching machines is air, which has less pollutant emissions and will not burden the environment, which meets the environmental protection requirements of modern manufacturing industries.

 

In terms of operating costs, air quenching machines have more advantages than traditional oil quenching. Although air quenching has a slower cooling rate and may take longer to complete the quenching process, since it does not require the replacement of coolant and frequent equipment cleaning, the overall cost of air quenching is lower in the long run. Oil quenching requires regular replacement of oil and cleaning of equipment such as oil pools and filters, which has high maintenance costs.

 

However, air quenching machines also have their limitations. Due to the slow cooling speed, it is mainly suitable for processes with low cooling speed requirements, such as the treatment of certain low-carbon steels or alloy steels. For high-hardness steels that require rapid cooling, oil quenching is still a more suitable choice.

 

Air quenching machines and traditional oil quenching machine each have their own unique advantages and scope of application. In modern manufacturing, air quenching machines have become an important consideration for many companies when choosing quenching processes due to their environmental protection, safety and low cost. Although oil quenching is still irreplaceable in the treatment of some high-hardness materials, air quenching undoubtedly represents the development direction of future heat treatment technology, especially in the context of pursuing sustainable development and production safety, its advantages are becoming more and more obvious.