Stirring or pumping the quench bath so fresh fluid sweeps the part surface, breaking the vapor blanket and carrying heat away. Good agitation can double or triple quench severity, and its direction and uniformity matter as much as its strength: one-sided flow gives one-sided cooling and bent parts. Many tanks run variable-speed agitators with speed set by part family in the recipe.
Gears are going oval again, check the agitation, I bet one of the props is fouled.
Also heard as
- quench agitation
Related terms
Vapor blanket
The film of vapor that wraps red-hot steel at the start of a liquid quench and slows its cooling.
Quench severity
How fast a quenchant pulls heat out of steel, usually rated by the Grossmann H value.
Distortion
Unwanted change in shape or size of a part during heat treatment, such as bowing, warping or ovality.
Quenchant
The liquid or gas used to quench parts, chosen for its cooling speed and the distortion it produces.