Regardless
what kind of metal machining shop you intend to setup and what is your intended
product (a car engine or a watch!) your ultimate goal is to enable yourself to
do certain tasks and processes. Starting with relatively simple ones: To draw
and measure. The ability to hold and grab firmly and accurately is the next
goal. Then to cut, drill and tap, weld and solder. From then on, you are moving
into more serious operations which require sophisticated machinery: turning,
milling, grinding. Obviously your product has to look appealing so you should
invest in deburring and polishing equipment as well. Another sometimes
overlooked aspect of metalworking: The ability to soften or harden metal. And
this is precisely where we are right now.
A
number of steel watch parts (stem,
levers, screws, arbours) undergo both pre-machining
and post-machining heat treatments. A typical furnace has to provide
not only a relatively high temperature (up to 1100 C) but the temperature
has to be constant within a very tight range over a very vast spectrum
from 100 C to 1100 C. In addition, the parts compartment must remain
oxygen-free during the entire process. A quality furnace would also incorporate
an oil quenching tank and shielding with inert gas. Yes, while the basics of
metal heat treatment are rather simple and well-known, watchmaking furnaces are
fairly complex performance-wise.
Taking
into account our low volume and part size we have opted for the smallest
furnace by Borel. (Don't be fooled with its size - it weighs almost
200kg!) Borel is a Swiss manufacturer which supplies equipment to all the top
Swiss watch brands. The company was founded in 1918 by Dr. Charles Borel. As of
last year, Borel is a division of SOLO Group, located in Porrentruy, Jura.
If
you are a watchmaker or machinist specialised in micro components which require
heat treatment then we would be happy to assist - especially if you
have issues with scaling and oxidation.
Contact us at workshop@clockmaker.com.au
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