One of the challenges for any OEM is to provide quality parts and components to enhance the performance of their products, systems, and equipment while still staying competitive with pricing in the market. Working with top companies offering heat treatment processes allows an OEM to select the ideal process as well as the most cost-effective option in treating gears to provide the durable surface and high resistance to wear and tear that is required. The same process can also be used to increase the malleability of the gear in further machining requirements.
The heat treatment of gears may also be a surface heat treatment. As such, it is not intended to change the chemical or physical properties of the metal or alloy of the gear beneath the surface level. This is critical for gears, as the wear and tear occurs on the teeth and the gear surface, not as a result of stress or tension on the gear itself in a properly designed and engineered system.
Annealing
One of the most common options in the heat treatment of gears is annealing. This is the softening process, designed to make the material more malleable for easier formation and machinability. The process includes heating to a specific level and holding at that level, followed by very precise cooling processes.
Normalizing
The process of normalizing follows the same general process as annealing, but there is a higher temperature used and cooling in still air. This allows for a harder surface of the gear, but one that is still very machinable.
Case Hardening
There are several options in the heat treatment of gears that are specifically designed to develop a hard, durable surface on the gear. These include case hardening and carburizing, as well as carbonitriding and nitriding, each offering different benefits and final results for the surface of the part.
