Tools Steels – Hardness
The next topic to discuss is rockwell hardness. Hardness is the resistance of metal to plastic deformation usually by indentation. Indentation is usually measured by various hardness tests, such as brinell, rockwell, knoop and vickers. The most common tests are brinell & rockwell scales.
The term hardness may also refer to resistance to […]
Tempering Tool Steel
The 7th process to discuss is tempering. Tempering is key in developing the final properties of the steel and, in the sequence of the heat treat cycle, is extremely important to perform immediately after quenching.
Tempering is reheating hardened steel to convert untempered martensite produced by the proper quenching cycle, to tempered martensite & […]
Quenching
The 3rd term to be discussed is quenching and the desired outcome from this process.
The quenching operation is extremely important in setting up the proper microstructure of the steel. There are many mediums that can be used to quench steel such as oil, air, salt and steam to name a few.
The purpose of quenching is […]
The 2nd term to discuss is the hardening process and what transformation the steel goes through during the hardening process.
Hardening (A specific heating and cooling process based on the chemistry of the material) is performed on all ferrous steels to develop the proper microstructure and optimal properties of the material.
The 1st stage of hardening is […]
THE NEXT FIVE BLOG TITLES WILL DEAL WITH DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HEAT TREATING TOOL STEEL. THESE FIVE TOPICS WILL BE, IN ORDER: ANNEALING, HARDENING, QUENCHING, TEMPERING, AND HARDNESS RANGES/TESTING.
ANNEALING
ANNEALING IS AN ASPECT OF HEAT TREATMENT USED TO SOFTEN STEELS AND TO IMPROVE MACHINABILITY, MATERIAL STABILITY & MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY BRINGING […]
Over the years we’ve learned of many success stories and even more failures with regard to the outcome of a heat treated tool or piece of steel. The discussion following the failures is seldom calm and, hindsight being 20/20, most of the failures could have been avoided if the details were discussed during the early […]
What is heat treating? Simply defined, it is the controlled heating and cooling of steel in order to enhance certain mechanical and physical properties. We could go into a deep metallurgical explanation, but you would probably fall asleep, or get easily distracted by all the extra research you would do on tempered martensite or retained […]
HISTORY OF TOOL STEEL
TOOL STEEL HISTORY DATES BACK MORE THAN 1,000 YEARS, BEGINNING IN CHINA, DAMASCUS, AND JAPAN WITH THE FORGING OF SWORDS UTILIZING LAYERS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF STEELS, COMMONLY KNOWN TODAY AS “DAMASCUS”. MODERN TOOL STEEL DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION WAS AN OUTCROPPING OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY, PRINCIPALLY IN […]
