Atmosphere Heat Treating

Heat treating in an atmosphere furnace is often used for case hardening. This treatment is used to increase the hardness of the outer surface while the core remains relatively soft. The combination of a hard, abrasion resistant surface and a soft interior is greatly valued in modern engineering because it can withstand very high stress and fatigue.

Is atmosphere heat treating the right treatment for your application? 
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Process

Carburizing, one of the most widely used surface hardening processes, is done in atmosphere furnaces. In this process parts are heated in a closely controlled temperature and atmosphere that introduces carbon to the surface of low-carbon steels. On quenching after carburizing, the high-carbon "case" becomes very hard, while the low-carbon core remains comparatively soft.

Carbonitriding, a modified form of carburizing, consists of introducing ammonia into the carburizing atmosphere to add nitrogen to the carburized case as it is produced. A carbonitrided case has better hardenability than a carburized case, and thus allows lower alloy grades to attain required hardness at greater depth.

At Mid-South, we utilize hot oil quenching to better control distortion on parts. Our batch furnaces are capable of handling large parts as well as the smallest stampings and screw machine parts. We also have the ability to carefully rack parts to aid in the control of distortion. A high performance gas system and a process carefully designed for your product specification controls shallow or deep case requirements. Superior quench rates and temperature uniformity results in consistent case depths and uniform hardness.

Applications

Gears, camshafts, and anti-friction bearings.