BENEFITS OF INDUCTION HARDENING
Selective Hardening Process with No Masking Required
Areas with post-welding or post-machining stay soft – very few other heat treat processes are able to achieve this.
Relatively Minimal Distortion
Example: a shaft 1” Ø x 40” long, which has two evenly spaced journals, each 2” long requiring support of a load and wear resistance. Induction hardening is performed on just these surfaces, a total of 4” length. With a conventional method (or if we induction hardened the entire length for that matter), there would be significantly more warpage.
Parts may be Tempered after Induction Hardening to Adjust Hardness Level, as desired
As with any process producing a martensitic structure, tempering will lower hardness while decreasing brittleness.
Increased Strength & Fatigue Life due to the Soft Core & Residual Compressive Stress at the Surface
The compressive stress (usually considered a positive attribute) is a result of the hardened structure near the surface occupying slightly more volume than the core and prior structure.
Increased Wear Resistance
There is a direct correlation between hardness and wear resistance. The wear resistance of a part increases significantly with induction hardening, assuming the initial state of the material was either annealed, or treated to a softer condition.
Allows use of Low Cost Steels such as 1045
The most popular steel utilized for parts to be induction hardened is 1045. It is readily machinable, low cost, and due to a carbon content of 0.45% nominal, it may be induction hardened to 58 HRC +. It also has a relatively low risk of cracking during treatment. Other popular materials for this process are 1141/1144, 4140, 4340, ETD150, and various cast irons.
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