from the conferences organized by TANGER Ltd.
Induction quenching can be used for hardening the outer surface of large parts, achieving superior mechanical properties, with the advantage that heating is not required to the whole part. Induction heating is a complex combination of electromagnetic, heat transfer, and metallurgical phenomena involving factors such as: current, voltage, frequency, applied power, scanning speed, heating period, and many more. The influence of some of these factors on the material properties will be shown for an induction-quenched steel large bearing ring (50CrMo4). It was observed that increasing the induction heating working frequency results in a decrease in the quenched depth in the sample, but also in an increase in sample surface temperature. It was possible to obtain the same desired thickness of the hardened layer using different combinations of power and frequency density. For example, when it would be necessary to obtain a hardened shallow superficial layer, the same result could be obtained with a lower frequency than the optimum in combination with a higher power density applied for a shorter time. On the other hand, if a thicker layer is desired, with an existing system using a higher frequency than the optimum value, the use of a lower power density in combination with a higher heating time would be beneficial. Choosing the optimal parameters is critical, in terms of lower number of defects, such as cracks and uneven depths for the hardened material.
Keywords: induction quenching, steel, bearings,© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.