Automation of Thermal History Analysis in Steels to Define Decision-Making Guidelines—Part I: Prototype in Development

Innovation through applied research is a valuable component of decision-making, as it alters process parameters and conditions that can be detected by special devices at high speed. In the case of materials such as steel, the thermal field analysis while a component is being heat treated is essential for controlling the evolution of its microstructure and its state of internal stresses. The mathematical models proposed in the observation of the behavior of this material can be consolidated by being implemented in computational systems that can be validated with physical measurements and, once a low uncertainty in the state predictions is acquired, established as management tools. In this sense, the recording of thermal histories represents a fundamental methodology to achieve the objective of diagnosing the result of handling the material. In this regard, it is proposed to implement automated testing devices that implement computer systems for recording, processing, calculating, estimating and transferring data to transform production lines’ efficiency by optimizing or canceling continuity. A prototype for measuring thermal histories with a degree of reproducibility and mitigation of systematic errors is presented as a utility model for analyzing the thermal processing of steels.