Special bar quality (SBQ) is a type of steel graded between merchant bar quality, such as construction bar, and specialist quality, such as stainless steel. SBQ can refer to either the bar or simply the steel used to manufacture these high-quality products. Since these types of steel have superior mechanical properties, careful measures must be taken in order to produce the defect-free surfaces these metals are required to have.
Manufacturers of safety components typically use SBQ steels for moving pieces, such as:
• Gears
• Shafts
• Axels
• Drive Shafts
• Transmissions
Since the failure of these pieces can cause damage not only to the automobile, but also to the drivers, passengers, and those passing by, it is imperative that manufacturers monitor the construction and maintenance of these parts closely.
Both the steelmakers and automobile makers depend on the quality of the steel produced. By controlling the quality of the steel, and thus the parts created from it, steelmakers can reduce the cost of energy and consumables. Similarly, the automakers can reduce the cost of warranties and the risk of part failure. It is advantageous, then, for strict quality control of the steel quality, and the further maintenance of the parts.
One way to monitor steel for inclusions is by use of electron microscope. Aspex has created its Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) and Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA) software to meet the needs of steel manufacturers needing to balance the inclusion counts in their steels. The MQA allows quick, accurate analysis within the steel line, making adjustments for quality plausible in real-time.
By utilizing the electron beam to identify inclusion spots, the MQA can scan upwards of 10,000 inclusions in an hour. The MQA then uses the energy-dispersive x-ray (EDS) to characterize the inclusions and identify the elemental composition of each. Manufacturers can receive these results before the final castings, and can take preventative measures to insure the quality of the steel is consistent with their quality control plan.
Since balancing the carbon in steel with the other necessary additives is imperative, manufacturers who strive to make high-quality, specialized products, such as SBQ, demand a high-quality analyzer. The Aspex PSEM with MQA software gives manufacturers a fast, easy-to-use, accurate analyzer capable of withstanding the harsh melt-shop conditions, making it the go-to analyzer for quality inclusion control.
Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html
Metal Bulletin, http://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/1448055/SBQ-steel.html
