Characterizing equipment using simple modeling tools
Often, the terms “digital twins” or ICME (Integrated Computer Materials Engineering) are used when talking about computer modeling of actual parts or the behavior...
Creep deformation mechanisms in 9CrMo steel
The Generation-IV reactors in nuclear power plants are expected to address the growing energy demand by producing electricity and, at the same time, mitigating...
Induction Hardening Choices for Gears
Of the various types of applied energy processing, induction hardening is the most common. Induction heating is a process that uses an alternating electrical...
Determining Austenite Grain Size
Grain size is a critical metallurgical characteristic, significantly influencing design parameters such as strength and toughness. Austenite grain size (often referenced to as prior-austenite...
Microstructural evolution, its effect on Ti6Al4V alloy
Titanium alloys are extensively used in aerospace, petrochemical, marine, and medical applications, thanks to their superior strength-to-weight ratio at elevated temperature, corrosion resistance, and...
Microstructural effect of Alloy 718 on fatigue strength
Gas turbine engines are widely used in aviation, power generation, and oil and gas industries. They are used in land, air, and marine. The...
Low pressure carburization simulation of steel alloys with strong carbide forming elements
Low pressure carburizing (LPC) is quickly gaining popularity across many industries due to LPC’s reduced cycle time, lack of oxidation/decarburization at and near surface,...
Testing of Induction Hardened Work Pieces
Hardness testing is a simple and universally accepted practice for checking induction hardened parts and is performed in literally thousands of manufacturing facilities. There...
Distortion during heating
Minimizing distortion involves more than just optimizing cooling
Enhanced properties of metal matrix nanocomposites
Application of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced metal matrix nanocomposite (MMNC) has been increasing rapidly since the discovery of CNT in the 1990s. These novel...
Kanthal APMT for nuclear-energy application
The major earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Japan in 2011 did serious damage to boiling water reactors of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant....
Utility of design of experiments in materials testing
Then faced with a need to optimize a process, gain as much information as possible; design of experiments (DOE) is a go-to scientific method...
Integrating effects of heat treatment into loading models
Finite element analysis (FEA) is widely used in mechanical design to predict part performance under various loading conditions. However, traditional loading models often assume...
Hardness scale conversion
The use of hardness testing as a quality control method to check the outcome of a thermal treatment process is a common application of...
Heat treatment techniques overview
Editor’s note » This is the third in a five-part series.
In this third segment of my series on heat-treating techniques, I will discuss the pros and...
Modeling can improve press quenching process
A combination of carburization and quench hardening is often used to increase the strength and improve fatigue performance of steel parts. During quenching, stresses...
Gear inspection methods from heat-treat simulation
Gear design is a complex process, involving dozens of parameters, tolerances, and relationships to mating components. Generally, professional standards guide the gear designer to...
Retained austenite significant for strength, toughness
The role of retained austenite (RA) and the magnitude of its influence on the performance of steel components are continually debated. Depending on the...
Materials Selection for Induction Hardening Processes
Induction hardening is the most common technique of the various types of applied energy processing. It uses alternating current that induces a magnetic field...
Accounting for carbon rejection can head off trouble
The heat treatment of steel alloys is required in almost every industry to acquire the necessary properties for a material given a particular application....
Why is modeling the immersion process so important?
Liquid quenching of long steel components can introduce significant distortion if the component is not lowered into the liquid quench bath properly. Whether the...
Press quenching tooling design using simulation
Steel powertrain gears are commonly carburized and quench hardened to improve strength and wear characteristics. However, solid-state phase changes occurring within the steel during...
Improving temperature uniformity during tempering
The final step in any steel heat-treatment quenching process which produces a martensitic microstructure is tempering. Martensite is a metastable phase and is extremely...
Simulation tools to effectively calculate process
One common goal for a wide range of industries has been to increase power density in shaft and gear components. The steel producing industry...
Stress modeling of the WAAM process
A thermal model was previously developed and executed to simulate the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process, using the Goldak Flux Distribution to model...
Carburizing
While some heat treatments are used to soften the material or improve its machinability, most are processed to obtain strengthened or hardened properties. The...
An overview of heat treatment techniques
Editor’s note » This is the second in a five-part series.
In this second segment of my series on heat-treating techniques, I will discuss the...
Combatting undesirable NMTP formations
Whether formed during a conventional quench and tempering process, carburizing, or induction hardening, non-martensitic transformation products (NMTP) are widely considered undesirable microstructural features. However,...
Nonlinear distortion response during gas quenching
High-pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) is touted as a way to reduce distortion of difficult-to-quench geometries. Quench pressures and quench gas flow velocities are chosen...
Determining austenite grain size
Grain size is a critical metallurgical characteristic, significantly influencing design parameters such as strength and toughness. Austenite grain size (often referred to as prior-austenite...
Surface stress is key in rolling contact fatigue
Most bearing failures can be attributed to some form of rolling contact fatigue. Many factors influence rolling contact fatigue, but two main factors are...
Books on steel for metallurgists and heat treaters
There are many books, papers, and publications that metallurgists and heat treaters rely on to assist with heat treating, material selection, failure analysis, or...
Heat treatment techniques overview
Editor’s note » This is the fourth in a five-part series.
In this fourth installment of my series on heat-treating techniques, I will discuss the pros...
Some workpieces are too large and expensive to fit into conventional benchtop hardness testers
Portable Rockwell Hardness Testing of Large Induction Hardened Work Pieces
The previous article identified many factors related to benchtop Rockwell hardness testing practices. This article...
From time/temperature to HTC
High-pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) involves quenching an austenitized part in an inert gas, resulting in a cleaner part and potentially reduced distortion compared to...
Carbon Diffusion and Carburizing Parameter Selection
Although carburizing is a complicated process, it can be broken down into two main steps: carbon generation in the furnace and carbon diffusion into...
Achieving results through cold treatment
Cold treatment is a sub-zero thermal treatment process primarily used to reduce the retained austenite content of alloy and high carbon steels. Cold treatment...
Different Scales Are Used For Rockwell Hardness Testing
Production Bench Rockwell Hardness Testing of Small Work Pieces
As induction hardened workpieces get smaller in size, attention to the proper abrasive cutting of the...
Evaluating a material’s response during austenitization
Carbon content in steel has a direct correlation to the hardness and overall strength of a component after heat treatment. Carbon can take many...
Variation in steel hardenability
Many heat-treating processes cannot tolerate appreciable variations in steel hardenability. For an established in-control process, deviations in chemical composition and starting microstructure may result...
