4. Practical recommendations for carrying out heat treatments

Temperature accuracy is an important factor in the heat treatment of aluminum alloys.

However, the importance of this factor must be modulated according to the heat treatment, the product or the alloy:

• homogenization treatments: these are generally carried out in high-capacity furnaces. The charges consist of raw casting products (slabs, billets). Homogenization temperatures range from 450 to 630°C. A precision of ± 5°C is recommended to control certain final product properties. However, an accuracy of ± 10°C is sufficient in many cases;

• annealing processes: an accuracy of ± 10 °C is usually...