Annealing of Nickel-Iron Reeds for the Reed Contact Unit

An investigation into the sintering together of reeds which can occur during the recrystallization annealing step in conventional reed production is described. This effect can be responsible for the rejection of a proportion of the annealed blades and thus represents an increased manufacturing cost. This sintering effect has been examined, the likely mechanism identified, and a theoretical analysis proposed. From the analysis, methods to minimize the effect have been suggested and assessed.