Are you interested in learning more about case hardening and whether it’s a good choice for your company’s parts or machinery? Take a closer look at what it is and why it’s performed to help determine whether case hardening in Gastonia, NC is the right service for your company.
What is case hardening?
During case hardening, a metal heat treating expert will add carbon to the outside of a steel part or machine. This causes a specific thermochemical reaction where the carbon becomes ionized, forming a tight barrier on the exterior of the part or machine.
While other metal heat treating processes can change the core of the piece of metal being worked on, the item will remain the same with case hardening. The resulting metal will be extremely hard, with only a bit of depth.
Why is case hardening performed?
One common item that can benefit from case hardening is a firearm. A firearm must remain accurate while being able to withstand heavy impact and endure wear and tear, meaning that it needs a high level of hardness to be most effective.
Metal heat treating professionals also often perform case hardening on camshafts and other types of specialized screws, along with tools such as saws, screwdrivers, shears and drills. While the process for case hardening these items is less involved than for larger items, it can be a good solution that enables these parts to consistently deliver the intended results. Case hardening is also often used on automotive parts and in manufacturing.
What else should I know about case hardening?
You may have read articles or heard people detailing how case hardening can be performed at home without the need for a professional. It’s important to note that case hardening is actually a highly specialized skill that requires detailed training, which lowers the likelihood that an amateur handyman would be able to perform the task safely and correctly.
To start, an amateur may or may not be able to successfully identify whether a piece of metal is indeed made of steel. An incorrect determination by a non-expert can quickly lead to costly errors.
Next comes the task of heating the steel. It’s nearly a given that a professional will have extensive knowledge related to the correct temperature to use and will be able to easily recognize when it has been properly heated, whereas an amateur could quite easily make a dangerous and incorrect guess. All of these reasons add up to the need to leave case hardening to the experts!
Ready to talk to a professional about case hardening in Gastonia, NC? The expert technicians at J.F. Heat Treating Inc. specialize in the thorough hardening and carbonizing of various steel products in our metallurgical lab outfitted with cutting-edge tools and equipment. We perform annealing, aging, quenching and tempering to soften, harden, stress relieve, remove contaminants or provide other material characteristics to parts and components. We provide full service, including mobile pickup and drop-off, throughout a 100-mile radius of Gastonia, NC. If you want to improve the performance and extend the service life of your machines, parts and metals, call us to book an appointment for service or to learn more about our work!