Metal fabrication includes a variety of processes that are designed to alter and customize the properties of metal products to perfectly match any given application. While most people interact with fabricated metal products on a daily basis, many of them don’t understand very much about some of the most common metal fabrication processes. One of the most common questions people have about metal fabrication is why tempering is done after metal quenching in Gastonia, NC. Keep reading to learn more about these processes.
Tempering and quenching basics
To understand why metal tempering in Gastonia, NC is done after quenching, it’s helpful to know a little bit more about both of these processes. Quenching is a process that’s used to solidify and harden metal alloys. During quenching, heated metal is submerged in a cooling media, like brine, water or oil, causing it to cool very rapidly. This fast cooling prevents some of the issues that can be caused by processes that more gradually cool off metal, and it ensures the metal will be hard and durable enough for a variety of applications. However, quenching also causes metal to become brittle. To restore its ductility, metal is treated using tempering in Gastonia, NC.
Metal tempering is a heat treatment process that’s employed to reduce the hardness in metal alloys and increase durability. During tempering, metal is heated to a precise temperature for a certain period of time to reduce the brittleness of the metal and increase its ductility. The precise temperature and time period of tempering varies depending on the desired results and the application for which the metal will be used. Hard tools are usually tempered at much lower temperatures than springs or other flexible mechanical parts.
Why tempering is done after quenching
The reason why tempering is done after metal quenching is because the tempering process is designed to counteract the brittleness that can be caused by the quenching process. By using both quenching and tempering to treat metal products, fabricators can achieve the hardness benefits of quenching and the ductility and durability benefits of tempering. These processes are used together to achieve the best properties possible for metal parts, products and materials.
Metal quenching and tempering aren’t used in exactly the same ways every time. Different metal materials and applications require different quenching and tempering protocols to achieve the desired results. Professional metal treatment experts know how to adjust these processes to yield the best results for the specified application.
Get more info about tempering and quenching
If you have more questions about metal tempering and metal quenching in Gastonia, NC, reach out to J.F. Heat Treating Inc. For over three decades, we have been providing our clients with comprehensive metal treatment services, including quenching and tempering, to prepare metal alloys for all kinds of different applications. No matter your specific needs for your project, our team will be able to help you every step of the way. Give us a call today to get started with our services.