Of all the heat treatment options for steel, case hardening in Gastonia, NC is among the most useful and most sought out. The process of case hardening is actually simpler than something like quench tempering, for example, and can provide exceptional results in the way of strengthening the resilience of steel, making it applicable across a wide array of industries and applications.
In a nutshell, case hardening is the process of adding carbon to the exterior of a steel component, then causing a thermochemical reaction that ionizes the carbon to form an extremely strong, highly resilient barrier on the surface of the component. Unlike other metallurgical processes, however, case hardening is only applied to the outermost layer of steel and doesn’t alter the core of the material. The result is a very high degree of hardness, with a very shallow depth.
The pros and cons of case hardening in Gastonia, NC define the applications it’s eligible for. For example, case hardened steel is not prone to machining, which means it’s generally applied to the final product—rather than something to be shaped and altered later in the refinement process. Some of the most common applications wherein case hardening is used actually include:
- Automotive parts: Crankshafts, camshafts, gears, valve parts, axis and a wide variety of engine parts are often case hardened, to create superior protection in an auto environment that sees constant abuse over time.
- Stamping and tool/die: In manufacturing, case hardening is frequently utilized on the tool and die end of things, as well as in stamping processes, since these heavy duty applications are often charged with molding and shaping other alloys.
- Firearms: Slides in particular on firearms are frequently case hardened to prevent malfunction after wear and tear.
- Engineering components: Nozzles, pumps, cylinders, rocker arm spacers and gears are all subject to case hardening to improve their performance over time.
As you can see from the sample of industries and products above, case hardening in Gastonia, NC plays a vital role in strengthening the resilience of steel components in settings where strenuous wear and tear or constant abuse are a factor. Because of the simplicity of case hardening, these components can be easily treated and put into action with little thought to their resolve, and once in place they’ll function amiably for the long term.
To learn more about case hardening or for information about your unique need for metallurgical services in Gastonia, NC, contact J. F. Heat Treating Inc. today! We’ll happily explain the details of case hardening to you in a way that’s easily understood and can help you to determine if this heat treatment option or another is optimal for your needs. Our experts have a depth of experience in dealing with case hardening jobs and applications, and can expertly advise you in the many benefits this simple heat treatment process has to provide.