medium and method of quenching. For this
reason, engineers must direct their attention not
only to the method of heating and possible
overheating of the surface layer but also to the
methods of quenching and the right choice of the
medium for quenching.
With increasing surface heating power in
the final phase, an increase in microhardness
along the tooth symmetry line is also reached,
especially in the depth from 0.5 to 2.5 mm,
whereas by making the heating time longer, a
more pronounced effect directed into the depth
can be achieved. In this way, an adequate heat
treatment can ensure the required surface hard-
ness (52 HRC) as well as an increased strength of
the gear in the tooth-root part, which is of
extreme importance for certain operating con-
ditions.
Tests have shown that it is necessary to move
the lower hardenability limit at least on the level
indicated by the scattered microhardness values
of the French steel CC35. The new lower con-
fidence limit is named the corrected limit,
ensuring the prescribed microhardness dis-
tribution in the subsurface at a power P =
24.0 kW and P = 25.5 kW.
On the basis of the tests, it can be concluded
that the criterion of hardenability can be very
successfully applied in the input control of
steels. Hardness decreases with the distance
from the face of the Jominy specimen and must
fall within the confidence limits. In some cases,
that is, with Slovenian steel C35 of charge “A”
and “B”, when the hardenability exceeds the
lower confidence limit, an adequate selection of
induction-hardening conditions (power in kilo-
watts and heating time in seconds) can ensure
the desired microhardness along the tooth sym-
metry line. The results confirm that heat treat-
ment conditions can be successfully determined
by relatively simple experiments that also make
the procedure more economical.
REFERENCES
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