Steel Carburizing Services

As a constant striving to provide comprehensive services for our customers from the metal industry, we decided to introduce to our offer also carburizing services, which include – among others – gears, shafts, spindles and other parts.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with our complete offer, in which you will find a wide selection of spare parts. What’s more, we are the only company in Europe to have a perfectly stocked stationary warehouse with over 80,000 different electromagnetic clutches and brakes like ZF, Stromag, Binder, Ortlinghaus, Heid and many more, thanks to which we are the leader in Just-In-Time deliveries.

What is steel carburizing?

Steel carburizing, also known as carburization or case hardening, is a heat treatment process used to increase the surface hardness of low-carbon steel while maintaining a tough and ductile core. This process involves introducing carbon into the surface layers of the steel, which makes it more wear-resistant and capable of withstanding higher loads. Here are the basic steps involved in the steel carburizing process:

Preparation: The steel parts to be carburized are cleaned thoroughly to remove any contaminants, rust, or scale.

Pack Carburizing or Gas Carburizing:

There are two primary methods for carburizing

Pack Carburizing

In this method, the steel parts are placed in a container (pack) with a carbon-rich material, such as charcoal or a gas-releasing carbon source like barium carbonate. The container is then heated to the carburizing temperature (typically between 850°C and 950°C) in a controlled atmosphere for an extended period.

Gas Carburizing

Gas carburizing involves exposing the steel parts to a carbon-rich atmosphere in a sealed furnace at the carburizing temperature. This is often done using a hydrocarbon gas, such as methane or propane, which dissociates into carbon and hydrogen at elevated temperatures. The carbon atoms diffuse into the steel surface.

Diffusion

During the carburizing process, carbon atoms from the carburizing medium diffuse into the steel surface layers. This diffusion occurs due to the temperature difference between the surface and the carbon-rich atmosphere.

Quenching

After the desired carbon content is achieved in the surface layers, the steel parts are rapidly quenched by immersing them in a cooling medium, such as oil or water. This hardens the carburized outer layer, forming a high-carbon martensitic structure.

Tempering (optional)

Depending on the application and desired properties, the carburized steel may undergo tempering, which involves reheating to a lower temperature to reduce excessive hardness and increase toughness.

What is a result of steel carburizing?

The result of the steel carburizing process is a hardened outer layer with enhanced wear resistance, while the core remains relatively soft and tough. This makes carburized steel suitable for applications like gears, camshafts, bearings, and other components that require both surface hardness and core toughness.