WHAT DIFFERENT
HARDENING METHODS ARE THERE?
What gives the material better properties has to do with the dislocation mobility being redirected in the material.
Dislocation is different from material to material and therefore also requires different types of methods to succeed in getting the properties you want.
THE HARDENING METHODS AVAILABLE ARE:
VACUUM HARDENING
Vacuum hardening is a thermal treatment method where tool steel heats the surface access to oxygen and gives hard properties to the material.
After the material has been vacuum cured, it must be tempered. Depending on whether you want a nice surface without discoloration, you can make the tempering in the vacuum oven. If there are no specific surface requirements or requirements for the appearance, then you can use the cheaper method, to tarnish in an ordinary tempering furnace.
MATERIAL THAT
CAN BE VACUUM HARDENING
The materials that can be vacuum cured are tool steel in the specifications:
BENEFITS OF VACUUM HARDENING
-
No oxides present
-
No oxygen presents
-
Limited distortion
-
Clean and bright results
DISADVANTAGES OF VACUUM HARDENING
-
Time-consuming
-
Sensitive to disturbances
-
Must be handled correctly and carefully, which requires knowledge
TEMPERING
Tempering is a process that is usually performed according to some type of hardening method.
When you use some type of hardening method, you maximize certain types of properties that the method offers. This makes other characteristics less good.
The purpose of tempering as a post process is to change the properties of the material that are less good to become better.
BENEFITS
-
Provides new desired properties
-
Reduce the risk of cracking
DISADVANTAGES
-
Provides an extra process for the heat treatment, which increases prices and delivery times.
-
All hardened steels must be tempered, with a few exceptions.
-
If the tempering does not take place in a vacuum oven, there will be a color change at degrees above 150-200 degrees.
TEMPERING
Tempering is a process that is usually performed according to some type of hardening method.
When you use some type of hardening method, you maximize certain types of properties that the method offers. This makes other characteristics less good.
The purpose of tempering as a post process is to change the properties of the material that are less good to become better.
BENEFITS
-
Provides new desired properties
-
Reduce the risk of cracking
DISADVANTAGES
-
Provides an extra process for the heat treatment, which increases prices and delivery times.
-
All hardened steels must be tempered, with a few exceptions.
-
If the tempering does not take place in a vacuum oven, there will be a color change at degrees above 150-200 degrees.
POSOXIZATION
SET HARDENING
The set hardening task is to apply a hard surface to the soft and easy-to-work steel.
These types of steel are too soft and ordinary hardening would not have any effect. By adding carbon, this soft steel also gets the hard properties you want.
MATERIAL THAT
CAN BE SET HARDEND
The materials that can be set hardened are low-alloy steels in the specifications:
BENEFITS OF SET HARDENING
Good for low-alloy steels
High wear resistance
High bearing capacity
Good fatigue strength
The core retains its toughness
DISADVANTAGES OF SET HARDENING
Rugged surface
Voltages may occur
Finishing may be required
BENEFITS OF CARBON NITRIDING
-
Easy
-
Quick
-
Cheap
-
Unalloyed steels can be hardened
-
High wear resistance
DISADVANTAGES OF CARBON NITRIDING
-
Shape defect with a rough surface
-
Finishing may be required
BENEFITS OF HARDENING
Can be combined with several hardening methods that create unique properties
Method that works for most steels
DISADVANTAGES OF HARDENING
-
The balance between toughness and hardness must be made with the choice of steel specification in mind, otherwise you will not get the desired properties
HARDENING
The task of hardening is to optimize and find the best mixture for toughness and hardness. Steel components are usually improved when the hardness is weighed against the toughness.
Hardness improves:
-
Life span
-
Durability
-
Load capacity
Toughness reduces the risk of:
-
Breakdowns
-
Crisp fracture
BENEFITS
-
Provides new desired properties
-
Reduce the risk of cracking
DISADVANTAGES
-
Provides an extra process for the heat treatment, which increases prices and delivery times.
-
All hardened steels must be tempered, with a few exceptions.
-
If the tempering does not take place in a vacuum oven, there will be a color change at degrees above 150-200 degrees.
TEMPERING
Tempering is a process that is usually performed according to some type of hardening method.
When you use some type of hardening method, you maximize certain types of properties that the method offers. This makes other characteristics less good.
The purpose of tempering as a post process is to change the properties of the material that are less good to become better.
MATERIAL
WHAT IS HARDENING
AND HEAT TREATMENT?
Hardening is a method where material is heated to a high degree in an oven to get new properties that it did not have before.
The characteristics will change to increased:
-
HARDNESS
-
STRENGTH
-
TOUGHNESS
-
SUSTAINABILITY
The curing of the material takes place in the cooling process itself, the faster it cools down, the harder the material becomes and vice versa.
NITROCARBURIZATION + POST OXIDIZATION
Nitrocarburization + post oxidation also called nitro black, supplies the component with nitrogen and carbon. This creates an oxide film on the surface, which is opaque.
MATERIAL
The materials that can nitrocarburized + post oxidized are:
BENEFITS OF NITROCARBURIZATION + POST OXIDATION
-
No shape changes
-
Gets a black surface
-
Corrosion protection
-
Increases durability
-
prevents scratches
DISADVANTAGES OF NITROCARBURIZATION + POST OXIDATION
-
The black color can vary depending on the type of steel
-
Expiring effect on the already hardened steel
-
The surface layer is thin and the component can therefore not be processed afterward
