CONTINUOUS MESH BELT AUSTEMPERING FURNACES

Austempering is a special form of heat treating in which the work is quenched in hot salt, usually between about 450° and 850°F to produce bainite. Transformation is complete at the quenching temperature, and no tempering treatment is required.

Austempering is limited to fairly thin section, about 1/8", of plain carbon steel, and to the lower alloy steels.

Steel is austempered by being:

• Heated to a temperature within the austenitizing range, usually 1450° to 1600°F.
• Quenched in a salt bath maintained at a constant temperature.
• Allowed to transform isothermally to bainite in this bath.
• Cooled to room temperature.

Austempering offers several potention advantages:

• Increased ductility of notch toughness at a given hardness.
• Reduced distortion, which lessens subsequent machining time, stock removal, and cost.
• The shortest over-all time cycle to through harden within the hardness range of 35 to 55 HRC, with resulting savings in energy and capital investment.