Powder metallurgy parts are case hardened to obtain higher hardness, wear, fatigue, and impact properties. The primary purpose of case hardening low-carbon steels is to provide a hard, wear-resistant surface while maintaining a soft ductile core. This combination imparts optimum wear resistance and toughness properties to these material

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, Dubois, PA, announced the shipment of a 60” wide x 90” deep x 30” tall atmosphere box sintering furnace to be installed at Mueller Brass Co., a major supplier of brass rod and forgings in the United States.

Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., has been awarded a contract to engineer and manufacture a Pitch Carbon Fiber Stabilization Mesh Belt Oven system to be installed at the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), located in Lexington.

Seco/Warwick, Poland, will deliver an innovative AFT process line to Aalberts Surface. The delivery to the Dzierżoniów hardening plant includes a third main furnace, tempering furnace, and an endothermic atmosphere generator as well as loading and unloading devices along with the auxiliary infrastructure.

Nitrex, Canada, has secured additional business with one of the biggest automotive manufacturers in China. For this latest order, six continuous flow-through nitriding systems, furnace model NXHL-910512, were ordered to create the fully automated cell. Delivery is planned for August 2022, and the cell should start operating in autumn.

The steam treatment of powder metallurgy parts help to both seal surface porosity and to increase surface hardness, which improves corrosion resistance, pressure tightness, and wear resistance. Unfortunately, it also reduces tensile strength and ductility from 10 to 20%, depending on conditions and the steel.