Case hardening of steels is extensively used throughout general engineering to produce components with a hardened layer whilst retaining a tough core. This is usually accomplished using different sources of energy, e.g. flame and induction being the most common. In recent years, a new case hardening technology, named 'Grind-Hardening' has surfaced. In this method, the heat dissipated during grinding is utilized to induce martensitic phase transformation in the surface layer of a component. Therefore it is possible to incorporate grinding and surface hardening into a single operation to develop a cost-effective production method. The grinding process then becomes an integrated heat treatment process. In the present study on 'grind hardening', a numerical thermal model has been developed to compute the temperature distribution beneath the ground surface to predict the extent of surface hardening and the case depth. Grinding experiments were conducted in order to examine the influence of various process variables such as wheel depth of cut, feed speed, and wheel preparation. AISI 52100 and 1045 steels were used in this study to evaluate the behavior of plain and alloy steels during grind hardening. Effective case depth was measured using a Vickers hardness tester and was found to be over 0.5 mm for a target hardness of 513 Hv. Microstructure was analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopes. The microstructure was observed to have fine martensitic laths which give rise to remarkable high hardness.

Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Thesis