| Abstract: | Conclusions Steel 3Kh3M3F produced by ESR has the best combination of strength, hardness, and toughness, and also resistance to crazing. The life of punches made of this steel was double that of standard steel 3Kh2V8F and considerably higher than that of steels with a higher carbon content (0.4–0.5%).The life of 3Kh3M3F punches (ESR) was three to four thousand bearing races higher than that of the same steel melted in an open furnace.These data lead us to recommend that punches for high-speed water-cooled presses be manufactured from steel 3Kh3M3F (ESR) with the following chemical composition: 0.26–0.34% C, 2.8–3.3% Cr, 2.5–2.9% Mo, 0.40–0.60% V (ChMTU-1-963-70).The following heat treatment is recommended: preliminary heating in an electric furnace at 500–510°, salt bath at 850–860°, and salt bath at 1040±10°. The parts should be quenched in oil with a temperature of 120–150°. The first tempering after quenching should be conducted in a salt bath at 600° for 2 h, with cooling in air. The second tempering should be conducted in a salt bath at 560° for 2 h, with cooling in air. The hardness of the parts after heat treatment is HRC 49–51.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of the Bearing Industry. Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 11, pp. 20–25, November, 1973. |
