Plasma carburising: exotic with potential

Abstract

Low pressure carburising in combination with high pressure gas quenching has gained an increasing importance in the case hardening of highly stressed components. With the introduction of acetylene as carburising gas and the further development of the systems engineering, this technology has found broad acceptance in the heat treatment industry. Plasma carburising with methane as process gas was first introduced more than 20 years ago but has only been utilised in a few special cases on an industrial scale. The advantage of this type of low pressure carburising is the opportunity to achieve a partial case hardening by simply mechanical masking of the parts to be treated. The ALD Own & Operate GmbH Companies have a 10 year of practical experience with the partial plasma carburising process in the serial production of automotive and aerospace parts. By means of two examples the plasma processes and furnace equipment as well as the masking and the results of the treatment will be presented. Other possible applications of this heat treatment method will also be given.