Hardness of quenched workpiece

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The relationship between the hardness of the quenched workpiece and the quenching effect

The hardness of the quenched workpiece is directly proportional to the quenching effect. In other words, the stronger the hardness of the quenched workpiece is, the harder the quenching effect is to grasp.

The HRC value of quenched workpiece is usually measured by rockwell hardness tester. HRA values can be measured for quenched thin steel plates and surface-quenched workpieces, while HRC values for quenched steel plates with thickness less than 0.8mm, quenched workpieces with shallow surface and quenched steel rods with diameter less than 5mm can be measured by surface-rockwell hardness tester.

When the SIMUWU vacuum heat treatment is applied to the welding of carbon steel and some alloy steels, hardening may occur in the heat-affected zone and cold cracks may easily form, which should be avoided during the welding process.

Since the metal is hard and brittle after quenching, the residual stress on the surface will cause cold crack.

Quenching is suitable for parts with small thickness and diameter. For parts with large diameter, the quenching depth is not enough and the carburizing also has the same problem. At this time, it is necessary to consider adding chromium and other alloys in the steel to increase the strength.

Quenching is one of the basic means of strengthening steel materials. Martensite in steel is the hardest phase in the structure of iron – based solid solution. However, the brittleness of martensite is very big, and there is a large stress in the steel after quenching, so it is not suitable for direct application, must be tempered.

Learn More: Vacuum Quenching Furnace