Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

Iron-based alloys and articles in strips, sheets, workpieces and the like are converted into high strength steel with a minimum of cost, time and effort, including producing dual phase materials. This is achievable by extremely rapid micro-treating of low, medium, and high carbon iron-based alloys and articles by rapid heating and rapid cooling at least a portion of the alloy/article. This heating step involves nearly immediately heating the iron-based alloy to a selected temperature above its austenite conversion temperature. Then, the alloy is immediately quenched, also at an extremely fast rate, on at least a portion of the iron-based alloy in a quenching unit adjacent the heating unit. This procedure forms high strength alloy in a desired area, depending upon where the treatment was performed.

A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.

A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.