Case hardening

process controlled fully automatic and monitored

Case hardening aims to improve material's features:

• to produce a hard, wear-resistant surface,
• to increase long life fatigue strength,
• in the core component, the yield strength is increased with sufficient toughness.

In case hardening, steels with low carbon are used, which get a higher carbon content through  carburization of their near-surface layer.  During the subsequently sweeping hardening the highest possible martensite is developed in the edge of the workpiece. In the core, by contrast, the yield strength is increased by hardening. Due to its low carbon content, the core of the component retains enough ductility even if it is converted to martensite.

Instead carburization, carbonitration can be used as well.This procedure allows the case hardening of  unalloyed materials.