CQI - 9

CQI – 9 – Special process

Heat treat system assessment

by

S. Srinivasa Raghavan
Brakes India Limited
CQI - 9

Why CQI 9
CQI - 9

 Most of the heat treaters are ISO / TS certified.

 Most of the heat treaters follow sampling plans and inspect products frequently.

 All the heat treaters are knowledgeable technicians.

 Most of the heat treaters have good experience.

Still why we get rejections and complaints from heat treated

products???
CQI - 9

 Certain overlooked features of heat treatment:

 Knowledgeable metallurgist is not available on site most of the times.

 Operative staff are relatively new and inexperienced.

 Non standard operative methodology

 Lot of obvious points are overlooked (Some are given below)

- Frequency of checking of quench medium
- Frequency of calibration of process instruments
- Process specification for all processes
- Rework system
- Inspection system
CQI - 9

Case studies
CQI - 9
Case study – 1 (Fastener)
Problem: Heavy decarbuisation observed on threads. Thread stripping observed due to
decarburisation

Mag. – 50x Mag. – 100x

Corrective action: Maintain correct Carbon Potential during hardening in furnace

CQI 9: Section 3.7 addresses about monitoring of furnace atmospheres & 3.8 mentions
about back up verification of atmospheres
CQI - 9
Case study – 2 (Spring steel)

Problem: Slack quenched structure

Mag. – 500x

Corrective action for slack quench: Maintain correct austenizing temperature,

give sufficient austenizing time, no delay in quench and presence of moisture in oil

CQI 9: Section 3.1 and 3.14 mentions monitoring of quench systems and analysis of
quench oil for presence of moisture content etc.,
CQI - 9 Case study – 3 (Low carbon steel)

Problem: Decarburisation during intermediate annealing in cold forged products

Mag. – 50x Mag. – 100x

Corrective action for decarb: Maintain proper furnace atmosphere and temperature cycle.

CQI 9: Section 3.7 addresses about monitoring of furnace atmospheres & 3.8 mentions
about back up verification of atmospheres and 2.15 ensures product testing as per requirements
CQI - 9 Case study – 4 (Crack in thro hardening)

Problem: Quench crack in through hardened bolt

Mag. – 50x

Corrective action for quench crack: Maintain quench oil level and ensure oil circulation
during quenching

CQI 9: Section 3.1 and 3.14 addresses about requirements on monitoring quench system.
CQI - 9 Case study – 5 (Crack in induction hardening)

Problem: Crack during induction hardening

Mag. – 100x Mag. – 200x

Corrective action for crack: Decrease product runout and maintain quench concentration.

CQI 9: Section 3.15 addresses product positioning and 3.18 controls quench systems in
induction hardening.
CQI - 9 Case study – 6 (Failure due to phosphide embrittlement)

Problem: Crack during service due to phosphide embrittlement

Mag. – 200x Mag. – 1000x

Corrective action for crack: De-phosophating to be done at recommended temperature

CQI 9: Section 1.8 ensures heat treaters review all heat treat operations and parameters on
a daily basis
CQI - 9 Case study – 7 (Grain boundary ferrites)

Problem: Presence of grain boundary ferrites in induction hardening

Mag. – 200x

Corrective action for grain boundary ferrite: Automatic quenching to be implemented

CQI 9: Section 3.18 does not allow manual quenching in induction hardening process
CQI - 9 CQI - 9

 Overview

 System requirements

 Process audit

 Product audit

 Equipment requirements
CQI - 9 Overview

CQI 9 – Special process HT assessment

CQI 11 – Special process plating assessment
CQI 12 – Special process coating assessment
CQI - 9 Overview

• Developed by AIAG in March 2006.

• To assist organizations performing HT operations for customer specific parts.

• Was developed based on best practices and frequencies used by successful

organizations.

• Objective is to reduce non-conforming product entering into automotive supply

chain and thereby reduce risk for customer and organization.

• Pyrometry requirements in accordance with AMS 2750.

• Basically uses TS 16949 process approach.

CQI - 9 Overview
CQI 9 requirements:
- Assessments conducted annually. (3 sections and job audit)
- Use process approach.
- Assessor requirements (Experienced QMS internal auditor +
knowledgeable in heat treat processes))
- Keep records of compliance.
- Conclude satisfactory or non-satisfactory for each assessment
question.
- Conclude pass / fail for each question of job audit.
- Every unsatisfactory of failure must be addressed with a
corrective action, root cause analysis and implementation of
corrective actions.
- Records to be maintained.
- Address additional customer specific requirements, if any.
CQI - 9 Overview

CQI 9 consists of:

- 3 assessment sections
- Management responsibility / Quality planning
- Floor and material handling responsibility
- Equipment
- Job audit
- 4 process tables (appendix A)
- Table is selected for the heat treat process being assessed or
job
being audited.
CQI - 9 Overview

Process tables:
- Each table has 4 sub sections
- 1.0 Process and test equipment requirements
- 2.0 Pyrometry
- 3.0 Process monitoring frequencies
- 4.0 In-process / final test frequencies
- 5.0 Quenchant and solution test frequencies
CQI - 9 Overview

Job audit:
- Suggested to conduct one heat treat part audit per year min.
(preferably safety or critical part)
- Performed at the end of audit (recommended)
- Is compliance type audit for specific part.
CQI - 9 Section 1 - Overview

Section 1: Management responsibility and quality planning:

- Similar to a quality management system audit in that it is general and

primarily deals with system related activities.

- States that appropriate management resources and ongoing process data

analysis are required.
CQI - 9 Section 1

Section 1: Management responsibility and quality planning - Features:

- Dedicated person on-site
- APQP for HT operation
- Periodical review of FMEA and control plan
- Availability of relevant standards
- Written process specification for all active processes
- Valid capability study
- Analysis of available data
- Review of HT system
- Internal assessment of HTSA
- Reprocessing system
- Customer and internal concerns
CQI - 9 Section 1

Section 1: Management responsibility and quality planning - Features:

- Continual improvement plan
- Quarantine material disposition
- Availability of procedures and work instructions
- Training
- Responsibility matrix
- Preventive maintenance and critical spare list
CQI - 9 Section 2 - Overview

Section 2: Floor and Material handling:

- Focus on prevention of mixed or non-heat treated parts leaving

the heat treatment shop.
- Emphasizes process monitoring and inspection.
CQI - 9 Section 2

Section 2: Floor and Material handling:

- Transfer of customer requirements to internal documents

- Identified and staged throughout the processes
- Lot traceability and integrity
- Control of non-conforming product
- Identify trap points and monitor them
- Cleaning & inspection of containers
- Furnace loading
- Handling, storage and packing
CQI - 9 Section 2

Section 2: Floor and Material handling:

- Incoming part quality

- Monitoring of quench system
- Monitoring of soluble or rust preventive oil
- Monitoring of process control parameters
- In-process and final inspection tests
- Verification of test equipments
CQI - 9 Section 3 - Overview

Section 3: Equipment:

- Questions associated with good process and equipment maintenance

practices.
CQI - 9 Section 3

Section 3: Equipment: (Features)

- Proper process control equipment for furnaces, generators and

quench systems.
- Calibration of process equipments
- Checking & replacing of thermocouples and protection tubes
- Temperature uniformity surveys
- Furnace variation from set point
- Alarm checks for process and equipment
- Monitoring of generators or furnace atmospheres.
CQI - 9 Section 3

Section 3: Equipment: (Features) (contd.)

- Back up verification system

- Ammonia system with quick disconnects
- Flow meters for atmosphere furnaces and generators
- Inspection ports for continuous furnaces (for fasteners)
- Monitoring of salt chemistry in salt bath
- Analysis of quenching medium (only for induction hardening)
- Control of parts position
- Control of power or heat to each part
- Quench system
- First piece set up
CQI - 9 Section 4 - Overview

Section 4: Job audit:

- One job audit required per survey

- Primary function of job audit is to track an order from receipt to.

shipment to verify that all steps were performed correctly and the
supporting documentation exists.
CQI - 9 Common observations

Some common observations during CQI 9 audit:

Atmosphere potential not measured / maintained in GCF’s.

Alarms not available for possible problems. (Eg. Delay in quench)

Quench medium not analysed as per requirements.

Assessment of trap points.

Sampling plan not traceable to any specific standards.

Rework and rejection not handled carefully and not analysed.

Temperature uniformity survey not done at a defined frequency.

Skill matrix and training not linked.

FMEA and control plan not frequently reviewed.

CQI - 9

Thank you