Heat Treatment Finish Services

Both nitriding and carburizing are thermochemical processes for case hardening, but their characteristics make them suitable for different engineering needs:

• Process Temperature & Distortion:

  • Nitriding operates at lower temperatures (~500–580°C) and doesn’t require quenching, which minimizes part distortion—making it ideal for precision-machined components.

  • Carburizing is conducted at higher temperatures (~900–950°C) and typically followed by quenching, which can cause dimensional changes.

• Surface Hardness & Case Depth:

  • Nitriding provides a thin but extremely hard surface layer (up to 1100 HV) with good fatigue and wear resistance.

  • Carburizing produces a deeper hardened case (up to several millimeters), suitable for heavy-duty load-bearing parts.

• Material Suitability:

  • Nitriding requires specific alloy steels with strong nitride-forming elements (e.g., chromium, molybdenum).

  • Carburizing can be applied to low-carbon steels and alloy steels more broadly.

• Applications:

  • Nitriding is often used for dies, piston rods, crankshafts, and other precision parts.

  • Carburizing is preferred for gears, sprockets, and camshafts requiring deep surface strength.

KingStar Mold will assess your material, functional requirements, and tolerance needs to determine the best surface heat treatment strategy.

Both are surface hardening techniques used to improve wear resistance and fatigue life, but they differ in mechanism, control, and suitable applications:

• Heat Source & Precision:

  • Induction hardening uses electromagnetic induction to heat the surface quickly and selectively. It allows precise control over the depth, location, and shape of the hardened area.

  • Flame hardening uses an oxy-fuel flame to heat the surface. It’s less precise but more flexible for larger or oddly shaped components.

• Speed & Efficiency:

  • Induction is faster and repeatable, often used in automated production lines.

  • Flame hardening is more manual and suited for larger, low-volume parts.

• Component Suitability:

  • Induction is ideal for gears, shafts, rollers, and parts with defined surface areas.

  • Flame is used on large components like machine beds, rails, and castings.

• Surface Quality & Consistency:

  • Induction produces a cleaner and more uniform hardened layer.

  • Flame hardening may cause more surface oxidation unless followed by post-cleaning.

KingStar Mold offers both methods and can recommend the best fit based on your part’s geometry, tolerance requirements, and production volume.

Surface-focused heat treatment is especially beneficial for parts that require a hard, wear-resistant exterior while maintaining a tough or ductile core. Typical parts include:

• Rotating and load-bearing components: Gears, axles, and shafts benefit from surface hardening to resist friction and fatigue, especially under cyclic loads.

• Mating or sliding parts: Bushings, pins, and cam followers gain improved wear resistance for longer service life in high-friction environments.

• High-precision tooling: Dies, punches, and cutting tools require hardened surfaces to maintain dimensional accuracy and sharpness under repeated stress.

• Threaded or contact surfaces: Fasteners, valves, and couplings often undergo surface treatment to reduce galling, wear, or corrosion at critical contact zones.

• Automotive and aerospace parts: Pistons, crankshafts, and landing gear components benefit from surface treatment to handle high stress without compromising overall toughness.

By applying the right surface heat treatment, each of these components can achieve improved performance, extended lifespan, and better reliability in demanding applications.