What is case hardening?
Case hardening produces a hard, wear-resistant surface by increasing the carbon content of the steel at the surface (the core of the material remains chemically unaffected) and then quenching the component. When quenched the high-carbon surface responds to hardening whilst the core retains the hardening properties of the original material.
Case hardening is ideal for making parts that require a wear-resistant surface from lower grade steels than would normally be required for the desired surface hardness. This allows the core to retain some ductility and be able to be tough enough to withstand heavy loading. The steels best suited for case hardening are the low-carbon and low-alloy series.
Case hardening capacity
We operate an Ipsen sealed quench furnace with oxygen probe controls in which we can offer gaseous case hardening (carbonitriding). The oxygen probe allows us to control the carbon additions to produce the desired properties. We typically offer total case depths between 0.004" – 0.020"
Benefits of Alpha-Rowen
- Technical knowledge - 2 graduates in the materials field
- Service - supported by our range of equipment
- Experience - over 20,000 different components treated
- Operate our own fleet of vehicles
- Central location, close to the motorway network
- Accredited to ISO9001:2000
