Case-hardening steel is used both rolled and bright for many standard applications: from gear wheels and shafts to bolts and joints. High-quality surfaces and tight tolerances are among the typical properties of case-hardened steel. Ideal for high-precision applications at heavily stressed bearing points.
The case-hardened steel sometimes remains on your finished part as a gem of your visually high-quality steel construction. Hardened surfaces with a comparatively tough and soft core are considered the best combination for all gears and similarly highly stressed parts.
The low carbon contents up to a maximum of 0.20 percent are characteristic and are what make the case-hardened steel comparatively tough and soft. In order to be able to produce the highly stressed tooth flanks of a gear in a wear-resistant manner, they are immersed in an atmosphere containing carbon. The atmospheric carbon diffuses into the steel edge layer at high temperature. This favours a subsequent hardening process there for higher degrees of hardness, while the steel core remains low in carbon.
Feel free to ask us about our solutions for your personal steel application and we will be happy to advise you.