Do you have a specific project / heat treat / materials / process engineering related issue you would like to discuss? Post comments below and Dr. Reardon will respond to you. If you would like to consult with him directly, please visit our contact page.
Hi Dr,
What’s the best forging heat treatment to reduce distortion after machining and carburize the finished part?
Isothermal Annealing or Normalizing
Thanks,
Hello Alejandro, the answer to your questions depends on a variety of factors, the most important factor being the grade of material that you are working with. Normalizing, when performed correctly, can significantly reduce distortion in components that are subjected to case carburizing followed by martensitic hardening and tempering. If you go to my Publications and Presentations page, there is an article that appeared in the trade journal Gear Technology in 2014 entitled “Press Quenching and Effects of Prior Thermal History on Distortion During Heat Treatment”. If you click on that link it will download the entire publication so you can read it. I think it may answer several of your questions. For reference, the normalizing operation should be completed on the incoming raw material before any machining is performed. In order to address your specific issue I sent you an email requesting more information. Feel free to contact me here or directly at 585-455-0121.