You’ve likely heard of hardening if you’re in the metal industry. It’s a process to make tools, parts, and components more durable and resistant to wear. But did you know that there are two different methods of hardening? Let’s dive into the difference between vacuum hardening and normal hardening.
What is Normal Hardening?
Normal hardening is the most common form of heat treatment. This hardening involves heating metals up to their critical temperature for a specific amount of time to bring about changes in their microstructure. Once this occurs, the metal is cooled by air or oil quenching, further strengthening it. This process results in improved toughness and wears resistance properties for the metal.
What is Vacuum Hardening?
Vacuum hardening is a specialized form of heat treating that utilizes vacuum technology to create an environment with no oxygen or other gases during the heating phase. This eliminates oxidation from occurring on the surface of the metal being treated, resulting in higher purity and surface fineness than what can be achieved through traditional processes such as normal hardening. Additionally, vacuum technologies can provide better control over temperature uniformity, leading to a more consistent result when compared to traditional heat-treating processes. Finally, this hardening also helps reduce energy consumption since vacuum furnace systems require less energy than traditional furnaces due to their improved insulation capabilities.
Difference Between Vacuum Hardening and Normal Hardening
- Vacuum hardening is a process that uses a vacuum chamber to remove air from the surface of a metal before it is heated.
- Normal hardening is a process that heats a metal to make it harder.
- Vacuum hardening is more expensive than normal hardening.
- Vacuum hardening can be used on more types of metals than normal hardening.
- Vacuum hardening can be used to create harder metals than normal hardening.
- The hardness of a metal created through vacuum hardening will depend on the type of metal, and the amount of time it is left in the vacuum chamber.
Conclusion:
Whether you use normal or vacuum hardening depends on your desired outcome and the application’s purpose. Normal hardening is great for those looking for cost-effectiveness with enough durability for most applications, while vacuum technology provides enhanced precision and quality when needed. Ultimately, understanding both types of processes will help ensure that you choose the best method when treating your metal components or parts.
A passionate metal industry expert and blogger. With over 5 years of experience in the field, Palak brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to her writing. Whether discussing the latest trends in the metal industry or sharing tips, she is dedicated to helping others succeed in the metal industry.
