Has anyone here taken any of the ASM online courses? Specifically I am looking at "Metallurgy for the Non Metallurgist" and "Heat treatment of steel". I feel I should get a better understanding of heat treatment for some of the work I am doing and so I have a better understanding of metallurgy when I am talking to engineers. As well I would like to get a better understanding of the phase diagrams in the heat treaters guide.

The courses are not cheap so I am wondering if I would learn just as much by buying the books they have with the same titles. Or is there more or better presented information in the courses? Of course there may be something to be said for the certificate on the wall from the courses as well.

http://www.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=28ec58c37bf86210VgnVCM100000621e010aRCRD
http://www.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=6fe38a1dbb874210VgnVCM100000621e010aRCRD

The ASM course is well worth the efort if you are in the steel business. You will receive several printed topic's. Each topic has a question and answer section at the back to test your knowledge. The advantage of the course is the structured learning. The book of the same title is also a good resource.If you can conceptualize the atomic structure learning heat treat is simple. Phase diagrams are self explanitory when you catch on to BCC, FCC and BCT.....

John,

I have taken several ASM courses, including the Heat Treatment of Steel.I had the advantage of already having the basic metallurgy training and was looking for some specific things to assist in work related issues. I've always taken them on site rather than via the web. You should be sure to check for pre requisite classes. For example you may need to take the Metallurgy for the Non-Metallurgist before getting into HT, but I don't recall for sure.

Patrick

My thoughts are simple: If you are going to do home shop heat treat of the simple tool steels, You can use simple methods. yoiu did not say wot your long term goals are..if you are going to take this into an industiral area in the future you will need all the back ground you can get. If youi are goint to make tools of cutting items then sppend a lot of time learning each one of them in the shop using simple guidlines. If yoiu wish to use more exotice steels requiring heat treqat above wot the home shop can do then as you upgrade equipment youi will need to upgrade your knowledge.
Another way to view this is another simple thought, if yoiu are learning to smith and use simple steels, would the time youi are talking abouit investing in knowledge you may use or not,,Woiuld that time be used wisely to gain metal working skills? Hard for us to guess wot you have in mind.

I have an ASM course book that I peruse occasionally. I've found that regional ASM members are not only interested in recent research, but they are also interested in archeometallurgy, the history of smelting, etc. I have demonstrated for the Los Alamos ASM chapter three times. The members seemed to thoroughly enjoy seeing hands-on smithing. I've had three Los Alamos lab professionals take my smithing class, two mathematicians and one metallurgist. I don't think that they were "culturally slumming." They just wanted to stretch themselves in a different direction, so to speak.

Sounds like they may be worth my while to take. I cannot afford to take the onsite courses but the online courses are doable. Most of the work in my shop is industrial work and while I currently subcontract out most of my critical heat treating I do consider it important to know what is going on and may do more heat treatment in house in the future.

The course are going to have to wait for a bit as I am looking at learning cnc programing right now as I am considering a cnc machining center for the shop right now.