Process specification

PCS-1200
Issue: 2
rst
Date: 1 September, 2006

HEAT TREATMENT OF ALUMINIUM PARTS

TRAITEMENT THERMIQUE DES PIECES EN ALUMINIUM

Issue N° Date Changes

1 05/09/2005 Creation of PCS-1200.

2 01/09/2006 Cancels PS320. Pyrometry per AMS 2750.

Change of maximum increase of quench medium temperature in accordance with AMS 2770.
Change of the minimum temperature in case of quenching delay.

Clarification of furnace instrumentation, polymer solution, mechanical properties and electrical

conductivity requirements.
Introduction of heat treatment conditions of 7075-T73 per MTL-2701.

Compiled by L.HUET: Bidos Materials and Processes Laboratory Group

Approved on File
Leader (F)

A.HARRIS: Gloucester Materials and Processes Laboratory Approved on File

(UK)

R.EYBEL: Toronto Materials and Processes Laboratory Group Approved on File

Leader (C)

Ch.NADEAU: Functional Group Leader of Operations - Special Approved on File

Processes (C)

Specification prime P.TAYLOR: Materials and Processes Laboratory Manager (F) Approved on File
owner

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 Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006

INDEX

Page

1. SCOPE.................................................................................................................................................................3

2. ASSOCIATED SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................................................................................3

3. DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................................................................4

4. HEALTH & SAFETY ............................................................................................................................................4

5. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS .........................................................................................................................5

6. APPROVAL AND QUALIFICATION OF THE PROCESS ...................................................................................8

APPENDICES:

A. LIST OF MESSIER-DOWTY MATERIAL OR HEAT TREATMENT SPECIFICATIONS TO APPLY IN

CONJUNCTION WITH THIS PCS 10

B. SEALED HEAT TREATMENT SHEET 11

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Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006

PCS-1200

Heat Treatment of Aluminium Parts

1. Scope

A. This specification describes the requirements for heat treatment of parts (see para 3 for special
definition) made from aluminium alloys.

B. This specification is applicable to all new designs in aluminium alloys.

C. This specification supersedes PS320 upon its cancellation.

D. This specification is applicable to legacy parts only if this PCS-1200 or PS320 is required
formally by a Messier-Dowty document (drawing, inspection schedule, specification etc). This
PCS-1200 shall not be effective against legacy programs if the legacy heat treatment
specification has not been cancelled and superseded by PCS-1200.

E. Heat treatment of raw material (see para 3 for special definition) shall conform to this
document only if heat treatment requirements are not specified by their procurement
specification.

F. Requirements of Messier-Dowty design documents (drawing, inspection schedule), or Messier-

Dowty material and heat treatment specifications, or sealed process approved by Messier-
Dowty, prevail over the requirements of this document.

G. This specification is based on the application of SAE specification given in para 2. Each detail
of this specification which is not modified by the present document has to be applied as
specified in the SAE reference.

H. PCS-1200 at its latest issue shall be made effective within 12 months of the issuing date. The
local quality assurance is responsible to validate the implementation within this time frame.

2. Associated Documents

A. AMS 2658 Hardness and Conductivity Inspection of Wrought Aluminium Alloy Parts

B. AMS 2750 Pyrometry

C. AMS 2770 Heat Treatment of Aluminium Parts

D. ASTM E8 Standard Test Method for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials

E. ASTM E10 Standard Test Method for Brinell Hardness of Metallic Materials

F. EN 2004 Test Method for Aluminium and Alloy Products

G. EN 10002 Metallic Materials – Tensile Test

H. EN ISO 6506 Metallic Materials – Brinell Hardness Test

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Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006
I. PCD-341 Manufacturing Sealed Process (AFA parts)

J. PCS-1003 Test Pieces for Heat Treatment

K. PCS-1004 Heat Treatment of Parts – Frequency of Tests

L. Supplier PRIDE

3. Definitions

A. Competent Authority: Person (or group of persons) within Messier-Dowty authorised to take
decisions for granting exceptions to the present standard. This (these) person(s) is (are)
defined as follows:
‘ When there is a request for any deviation from the requirements of this specification, the
request shall be processed via the Quality Department responsible for the surveillance of the
area/site of manufacture. All queries relating to any technical aspect of the component must be
addressed to the technical design office responsible for the design of the part within Messier-
Dowty.
Technical design office means the combination of design analysis, stress, performance and
materials competencies within Engineering. Decisions on parts where the component design,
base material, it’s processing, or treatments are concerned , will be provided via the route.
When the query addressees issues which will not affect the life or function of the part, eg
‘ cosmetic ‘ variations, the decision will be given by the responsible Quality
Department.(Please note that surface finish, protective treatment variances and profile
variations must not be interpreted as ‘ cosmetic ‘) ‘.

B. Lot: parts with the same part number and from the same heat treatment load (in the same
furnace in the same load) and from the same heat.

C. Parts: finished and semi finished parts including raw material, heat treated by the Messier-
Dowty, or his suppliers or sub-suppliers, during the fabrication process.

D. Raw material: sheet, plate, foil, bar, rod, wire, extruded shapes, forgings and castings.

4. Health & Safety

A. It is the Department Manager’s responsibility to develop safe working practices and to

adequately train operators in accordance with local legislation requirements.

B. While the materials, methods, applications and processes described or referenced to in this
specification may involve the use of hazardous materials, this specification does not address
the hazards, which may be involved in such use. It is the sole responsibility of the user to
ensure familiarity with the safe and proper use of any hazardous materials and to take
necessary precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of all personnel involved.

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Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006

5. Additional Requirements

A. Heat treatment of Messier-Dowty Aluminium parts shall be in accordance with AMS 2770
except requirements of the subsequent points.

B. If the Messier-Dowty Engineering drawing and AMS 2770 differ, then the drawing shall always
take precedence over AMS 2770.

C. The heat treatment conditions for all Aluminium alloys shall conform to AMS 2770 unless
specified by Messier-Dowty material or heat treatment specifications (the list of concerned
alloys is in Appendix A).

D. The heat treaters shall used the following definitions:

(1) The cognizant quality assurance or engineering organization mentioned by AMS 2770 is
the Competent Authority (see para 3 of PCS-1200).

(2) The lot shall be in accordance with the definition of para 3 of PCS-1200.

E. Pyrometry requirements (calibration of furnace instrument, temperature uniformity, pyrometry

system accurancy, instrument calibration etc) and uniformity temperature equipment shall
conform to AMS 2750 except that type D furnaces shall have an additional requirement of
one recorded monitor sensor in each furnace zone. Type E furnaces are prohibited.

F. Furnace temperature uniformity requirements are as follows:

(1) +/- 6 °C (+/- 10 °F) of the set temperature for heat solution

(2) +/- 3 °C (+/- 5 °F) for ageing

G. For parts thicker than 5 mm (0.2 in), the supplier may use a periodic maintenance check (when
approved by the Competent Authority) in lieu of the required radiation test in order to ensure
that parts are not exposed to re-radiation from electrical elements or radiant tubes.

H. Adequate time must be allowed to ensure that the entire furnace charge has attained the
minimum specified temperature.

I. When a temperature with a tolerance is specified, that temperature is to be the furnace control
set point. When a range of temperature is specified a suitable set point within the range may
be selected.

J. Parts must be returned to ambient temperature between treatments, unless otherwise

specified by an approved instruction Messier-Dowty specifications or Messier-Dowty heat
treatment procedures.

K. The annealing and stress relieving conditions (temperature set, furnace uniformity etc) shall be
validated by the Competent Authority before use.

L. Only air circulating furnace is authorised. The Competent Authority written permission shall be
required for use of other type of heating (salt bath, oil bath etc).

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Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006
M. To avoid stress corrosion cracking of 7000 series alloys parts, the elapsed time between
quenching and start of aging shall not exceed 4 days (2 days for 7049 alloys).

N. The thickness of parts may not be mentioned on the shop traveller card provided that it is
checked that the minimum thickness of the heaviest section of the part is compatible with the
ruling section of the alloy in accordance with the material or process specification. The initialsof
the operators on the shop traveller card may be replaced by other identification methods (eg
code bar).

O. The heat treater shall take all the necessary precautions against High Temperature Oxidation
(HTO) and intergranular corrosion, or otherwise shall apply the following recommendations:

(1) Ammonium or Sodium Fluoborate shall be used and changed every heat solution load.
3
The operating range of weight shall be 25 to 50 g per m of furnace atmosphere.

(2) Gas or oils is authorised if burners and combustion products are completely isolated from
the charge space.

(3) Before heat treatment, parts must be visually clean and dry. Contamination by cutting oil
must be removed prior to solution treatment.

(4) Solution treatment of parts containing anodised surfaces is not permitted.

P. The heat treater shall take all the necessary precautions against quench cracking, quench
bending and corrosion , or otherwise shall apply the following recommendations:

(1) Parts submitted must be in a suitable condition for the treatment required, and without
severe change of section, mill scale, harmful sharp corners or surface defects

(2) Parts must be fully deburred

(3) Consideration must be given to fixturing of parts to minimize distorsion (eg long parts
quenched in liquid shall be quenched in vertical position)

(4) If polymer solution and salt bath are authorised, compatibility between polymer solution
and salt shall be checked

(5) Quenching solution must be removed from blind bores and pockets and they should be
dried as soon as possible

Q. The heat treater shall take all the necessary precautions against quench heterogeneity and
poor drastic quench, or otherwise shall apply the following recommendations:

(1) If pumped, the water flow shall not be directly towards parts

(2) Spray quenching shall be always followed by immersion

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Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006
(3) Quench equipment shall be able to re-circulate 10 times the tank capacity per hour

(4) Agitation of the quenching fluid with compressed air is prohibited

(5) Up and down agitation is acceptable provided that agitation equipment is automated during
quenching

(6) Care should be taken to ensure effective quenching in blind holes and bores. It may be
necessary to use special fixture to evacuate the vapour inside the part during quenching

(7) If salt bath is authorised the concentration of salt in the quenching fluid shall not exceed
6% by weight, and parts shall be rinsed with hot water after salt bath heat solution

(8) If no temperature of the quench medium is required by Messier-Dowty material or heat

treatment specifications, temperature shall be within 10°C / 40°C (50 °F / 104 °F)

(9) The heat treater shall take all the necessary precautions against poor or interrupted
circulation of air and quenching medium

R. Quench transfer time must be controlled such that it is demonstrated and validated by the
Competent Authority that hardening is consistent for each alloy. A longer transfer time
(between heat solution furnace and quench immersion) than 15 seconds for thickness 2.29
mm (0.090 in) is authorised if it was demonstrated initially and validated by the Competent
Authority that temperature of the minimum dimension of the thinnest area of any part in the
load is still higher than 413 °C (775 °F) when parts are in contact with quenching media.

S. Unless allowed or required by the Messier-Dowty material or heat treatment specification,

polymer quenching type solution shall not be used without validation from the Competent
Authority. Polymer (PAG) quenching (using the product BREOX Quenchant A at 27.5%  2.5%
by volume) with a starting quench temperature of 15-35 °C (60-95 °F) must be specifically
approved by the Competent authority or a Messier-Dowty specification. All other polymer
quenching products preferably per AMS 3025 must be approved by the Competent Authority
before use.

T. Permission must be obtained from the Competent Authority before straightening. Record in a
straightening record log or equivalent documentation in order to maintain traceability.

U. Interruption of ageing is not authorised. If an interruption of ageing occurs (eg due to failure of
furnace), the complete heat treatment shall be re-performed (eg for T7X the complete heat
treatment includes solution heating, quenching and ageing).

V. Classification of tests shall be in accordance with AMS 2770 except for tensile tests:

(1) Frequency of test per PCS-1004.

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Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006

(2) When tensile test is required, two specimens cut in preferably longitudinal direction shall
be provided: one specimen is tested and the remaining specimen will be tested after a
possible heat treatment adjustment. Specimens are attached preferably to the part on the
most massive area which goes out first from the furnace and goes last in the quenching
tank. When hardness test is required, parts to be tested shall be at least the two parts
showing the lowest and highest electrical conductivity.

(3) Permission from the Competent Authority must be requested before reducing testing
frequency. No alternative sampling plan (eg statistical process control) is authorised
without the Competent Authority (see para Definition) authorisation.

W. Tensile testing shall conform to ASTM E 8 or EN 10002 at the discretion of the tester.
Hardness testing shall conform to AMS 2658 or ASTM E 10 or EN ISO 6506 (Brinell) at the
discretion of the tester. Electrical conductivity testing shall be conform to AMS 2658 or EN
2004 at the discretion of the tester. When a Messier-Dowty material or heat treatment
specification is required, tensile, and hardness measurement shall conform to Messier-Dowty
specification. Tensile test piece shall be conformed to PCS-1003.

X. Primary and secondary blocks of electrical conductivity must be calibrated at least every 12
months against a traceable standard. The conductivity shall be measured on the most
representative (i.e. where valid readings are achievable) thin and thick areas of the parts. The
maximum permitted variation is 1.7% IACS (1 MS/m) for each part, and 3.4% IACS (2 MS/m)
for the whole batch. Conversion factor is: 1% IACS = 1.724 MS/m. When a Messier-Dowty
material or heat treatment specification is required, electrical conductivity measurement shall
conform to Messier-Dowty specification.

Y. Record retention time and operators qualification shall conform to PRIDE requirements or
internal Messier-Dowty procedure.

Z. The record shall contain all data necessary to verify conformance to the requirements of PCS-
1200 (and Messier-Dowty material or heat treatment specification when applicable), including
details of times and temperatures employed for each furnace load of parts, and the identified
associated furnace temperature control and monitor charts, must be preserved for record
purpose.

6. Approval and Qualification of the Process

A. Approval of Contractors

(1) Where heat treating is carried out by a subcontractor, the subcontractor shall have been
approved by the Messier-Dowty Quality Department.

(2) Any collaborators and sub-contractors for assemblies and/or complete parts, approved by
Messier-Dowty, are not authorised, unless previously agreed by Messier-Dowty, to sub-
contract the heat treatment process to a contractor who is himself not approved by
Messier-Dowty.

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Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006

B. Approval and Surveillance of the Installations

(1) Every heat treatment installation shall be approved by the Messier-Dowty Quality
Department.

(2) All heat treatment installations shall be checked by regular audits carried out by the Quality
Department at Messier-Dowty, for the Messier-Dowty Heat treatment workshops; or the
contractor’s Quality Department and Messier-Dowty Quality Department, for heat
treatment workshops outside Messier-Dowty.

C. AFA Parts

(1) The process shall be validated and a validation report shall be compiled for all AFA parts
including forgings heat treated by forgers at the final heat treatment. The validation is to
consist of checking the appropriate choice of the operating parameters listed in Appendix
B, by thorough tests, destructive if necessary, so as to confirm conformance with the
criteria of this specification.

(2) This validation report shall be approved by the Messier-Dowty Quality Department.

(3) The operating parameters listed in Appendix B are to be recorded on a Critical Operation
Sheet (COS), an example is given in Appendix B.

(4) This COS is to include those significant parameters, which are identified by the letter “S”, a
change to any one of which is to require a revalidation.

(5) The requirements of PCD-341 apply.

D. Non-AFA Parts

(1) For non-AFA parts in traceability class 1 (including forgings heat treated by forgers at the
final heat treatment) a Technical Data Sheet (TDS) shall be compiled in the same form as
the COS, defining the operating parameters which ensure conformance with this Standard.

(2) The TDS should be approved by the Messier-Dowty Quality Department.

(3) For parts in traceability classes 2 and 3, the compilation of an TDS is left to the discretion
of the workshop supervisor (complex heat treatment fixturing, for example).

E. Qualification of the Operators

(1) The operators shall have received training and possess adequate experience in the Heat
treatment process. The qualification of new operators in accordance with a written
procedure is necessary.

(2) Operators shall be re-approved at least every 5 years.

(3) Self-checking may be practised only by qualified operators in accordance with a written
procedure.

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 Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
Date: 1rst September, 2006
APPENDIX A - LIST OF MESSIER-DOWTY MATERIAL OR HEAT TREATMENT SPECIFICATIONS TO APPLY IN
1
CONJUNCTION WITH THIS PCS ( )

Material Messier-Dowty Specification

2014-T6 per BS L77 BS L77

2014-T6 per AIR 9051 IFC 10-236-01MD

2214-T6 per NCT 10-236-01MD NCT 10-236-01MD

2618A-T6 type 1 per NCT 10-233-01MD NCT 10-233-01MD

2618A-O1 per NCT 10-233-09MD NCT 10-233-09MD
2618A-T6 type 2 per NCT 10-233-11MD NCT 10-233-11MD
2618A-T651/T652 per NCT 10-233-21MD NCT 10-233-21MD

6082-T6 per BS L113 / L115 BS L113 / L115

7009-T74 per BSL 100 BSL 100

7009-T74 per MAT 208 MAT 208
7009-T74 type 1 per NCT 10-242-01MD NCT 10-242-01MD
7009-T74 type 2 per NCT 10-242-11MD NCT 10-242-11MD

7010-T74 per MTL-2705 MTL-2705 (2)

7010- T74 PAG quenched per MTL-2707 MTL-2707

7014-T6 / T73 per BS L171 BS L171

7014-T6 / T73 per DTD 5104 DTD 5104
7014-T73 per MAT 212 MAT 212

7075-T73 per BS L161 BS L 161

7075-T73 per MTL-2701 MTL-2701 and AMS 2770 except the

second aging temperature which shall be
within 172-182 °C (342-360 °F)

7175-T73 per NCT 10-241-01MD NCT 10-241-01MD (3)

7175-T73 per NCT 10-241-07MD NCT 10-241-07MD
7175-T73 PAG quenched per NCT 10-241-11MD NCT 10-241-11MD
7175-T74 water or PAG quenched per NCT 10-241-21MD NCT 10-241-21MD

Note 1: For any alloy not mentioned by this Appendix A the heat treatment conditions (temperature, soak time
etc) shall be in accordance with AMS 2770 and PCS-1200.

Note 2: MTL-2707 heat treatment conditions may be used in lieu of MTL-2705 after validation by the Competent
Authority. Special care must be taken about ruling section and residual stress.

Note 3: NCT 10-241-11MD heat treatment conditions may be used in lieu of NCT 10-241-01MD after validation
by the Competent Authority. Special care must be taken about ruling section and residual stress.

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 Process specification
PCS-1200
Issue: 2
rst
Date: 1 September, 2006
APPENDIX B - SEALED HEAT TREATMENT SHEET

Company: Site: P/N: Part Designation: Material: Heat Treatment Heat treatment
Designation: Specification:

Operation Furnace Atmosphere or media * Load Comments

Type and N° Targeted Type Targeted Number Fixture Number of Sketch**

Class Values Value of Parts Reference Thermocouple

* Maximum transfer time between solution heating and quenching shall be mentioned.
** Sketch or photo of the load shall be included.

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