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Metallurgy

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2024-08-15

Clean Steel Standards and Optimizing Gear Design

Gears serve as essential mechanisms in a wide range of mechanical equipment, helping to transmit torque, adjust rotational speeds, transfer power, distribute load and more. Used in necessary applications such as automobiles, energy systems, aerospace and industrial equipment, gears must be able to operate for long periods without maintenance. While gears can be made from a diverse assortment of materials, carbon and alloy steel offer superior benefits in terms of strength, durability and cost efficiency. As a remarkably recyclable material, steel may also be a preferable choice for environmentally conscious manufacturers.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2024-03-25

Cortec CEO Boris Miksic Receives Special Recognition for 50 Years of Dedicated Work at NACE-International

Boris Miksic, a Croatian-American entrepreneur and owner of Cortec Corporation, has received special recognition for 50 years of dedicated work at NACE-International, the largest global organization focusing on developing standards for corrosion prevention. Cortec is a global corrosion inhibitor manufacturer and a leader in green corrosion protection technologies. 

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2024-03-01

GKN Powder Metallurgy Awarded Platinum Medal for Sustainability Excellence

GKN Powder Metallurgy, a global leader in powder metallurgy and innovative, sustainable solutions for a wide range of automotive and industrial applications, has been awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Rating for outstanding performance in sustainability.

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2023-08-28

Influence of Grain Size on Metallurgical Properties

This report discusses grain size and its influence on metallurgical properties including its effect on yield strength, ultimate strength, fatigue strength, and fracture toughness. Also discussed are manufacturing issues such as heat treatment, hardenability, and machinability. 

PRODUCT NEWS | 2023-06-02

VBN Components' New Machine Shortens Delivery Times and Improves Material Properties

VBN Components AB in Sweden manufactures extremely wear-resistant materials and is known for "the world's hardest steel," Vibenite 290, and "the world's first 3D-printed cemented carbide," Vibenite® 480. VBN's new heat treatment machine, a so-called URQ-HIP (Uniform Rapid Quenching-Hot Isostatic Pressing), was recently inaugurated at the company. 

EVENT | 2023-05-12

Fabtech 2024

Fabtech provides a 'one-stop-shop' for metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing trade show. Attendees can meet with 1,300+ suppliers, discover innovative solutions, and find the tools to improve productivity and increase profits. There is no better opportunity to network, share knowledge and explore the latest technology.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2023-02-15

Solar Atmospheres Obtains Boeing Approval for Vacuum Oil Quenching

Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the approval of a critical Boeing specification for the oil quenching of alloy steels in accordance with Boeing’s specification BAC 5617.

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INDUSTRY NEWS | 2023-02-08

Keeping Up with Manufacturing Changes

The rise of electrification is happening more widely and suddenly than anyone expected, both for automobiles and for other types of electric vehicles (EVs). The global EV landscape is also more competitive than the automotive markets of previous decades, as more manufacturers—large and small—compete for space. How can manufacturers stay ahead of the competition while also overcoming the increasing challenges posed by difficult-to-machine materials, like high-strength steel? A new all-directional tooling method, combined with the next-generation CoroTurn Prime B-type insert from Sandvik Coromant, holds the answer.

TECH TALK | 2022-10-12

Seeking Metallurgy and Heat-Treating Experts

The AGMA Aerospace Gearing committee is seeking new committee members to revise AGMA 926-C99, Recommended Practice for Carburized Aerospace Gearing. Specifically, metallurgy and heat-treating experts are needed. This information sheet recommends material case properties, microstructure, processing procedures, and other critical parameters for carburized aerospace gears. Due to the unique requirements of aerospace gearing, such as typically smaller lot sizes, demands for higher precision, and stringent quality requirements, this information sheet aims to provide deeper, aerospace-specific information than other already published metallurgical specifications such as AGMA 923, Metallurgical Specifications for Steel Gearing or AMS2759/7, Carburizing and Heat Treatment of Carburizing Grade Steel Parts.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2022-08-31

Seco and Partners to Host First Hybrid Aerospace Innovation Event

Seco and its technical partners will host the company’s first hybrid (physical and virtual) Inspiration Through Innovation (ITI) event on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. The event will be focused on the aerospace manufacturing segment, with machining demonstrations, an inspiring seminar program, and networking opportunities.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2022-08-22

Ceratizit Moves U.S. Headquarters

To centralize operations and continue to better serve its customers, tooling supplier Ceratizit USA, Inc. has shifted its official U.S. Headquarters from Warren, Michigan, to the company’s Schaumburg, Illinois, facility location. Ceratizit acquired the Schaumburg facility when it absorbed the Komet tooling brand name and product line under the Ceratizit Group umbrella.

EVENT | 2022-07-20

Furnaces North America 2022

The heat treat industry comes together at FNA to deliver the latest technology on maintenance, equipment, energy, compliance, quenching, productivity, metallurgy, cleaning and more. Top suppliers will be on-hand in the exhibition hall to answer questions and discuss the future of heat treating. 

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2022-07-01

Sandvik Coromant Offers Productivity Improvement Program

Sandvik Coromant offers its CoroPlus Productivity Improvement Program to provide in-depth analysis of the production cell.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2022-06-29

TCI Precision Metals Offers Machine-Ready Blanks at IMTS 2022

TCI Precision Metals will be showing its precision Machine-Ready Blanks capabilities to customers at IMTS 2022, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, September 12-17, 2022, West Building, Booth #432123. 

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EVENT | 2022-06-01

AGMA Gear Materials

Learn what is required for the design of an optimum gear set and the importance of the coordinated effort of the gear design engineer, the gear metallurgist, and the bearing system engineer. Investigate gear-related problems, failures and improved processing procedures. Class hours are from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2022-04-14

Karl M. Weiler Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Weiler Abrasives is pleased to announce that Karl M. Weiler, former president, has received the John J. Buckley Lifetime Achievement Award from the Industrial Supply Association (ISA). 

EVENT | 2022-04-13

AGMA Gear Heat Treatment Operator/Operations

This course provides the heat treat operator and operations team, the means to perform the heat treatment of steel gears in a manner that meets the AGMA and customer requirements in a safe and efficient manner. 

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2019-08-29

Appreciating the Gory Details

Big equipment often requires special processing equipment. Those 300-ton locomotives used unique heat treatment on the gears which required the des...
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2019-02-28

Gone but Not Forgotten

Continuing our discussion of veteran machine tools, it occurs to me that many of our younger readers may not be aware that the United States was on...
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2018-09-25

Reworking Questions

The most important consideration in deciding whether to rework or scrap and re-make a nonconforming part is functionality. Can the part be made to ...
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2018-06-20

Gear Materials: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Before we leave our study of materials, I want to share a few thoughts on heat treating, lab tests, and hardness testing. When you start working wi...
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2018-05-29

Read the Label Carefully

So, what exactly do we mean when we say “use good material” for your gears? Once again, the answer is “it depends.” Even the “best” steel may be wr...
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2018-05-24

The Right Stuff

Even the most brilliant gear design will fail if the wrong material is used to make the parts. Our understanding of metallurgy and alloying element...
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2017-01-10

Language Barrier

I have great admiration for people who can speak multiple languages, a skill that had eluded me despite two fairly serious efforts to learn a secon...
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2017-01-01

Repair of Large, Surface-Degraded Industrial Gears - a New Approach

This paper presents a new approach to repair industrial gears by showing a case study where pressure angle modification is also considered, differently from the past repairing procedures that dealt only with the modification of the profile shift coefficient. A computer program has been developed to automatically determine the repair alternatives under two goals: minimize the stock removal or maximize gear tooth strength.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2016-08-01

Transient EHL Analysis of Helical Gears

This paper addresses the lubrication of helical gears - especially those factors influencing lubricant film thickness and pressure. Contact between gear teeth is protected by the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) mechanism that occurs between nonconforming contact when pressure is high enough to cause large increases in lubricant viscosity due to the pressure-viscosity effect, and changes of component shape due to elastic deflection. Acting together, these effects lead to oil films that are stiff enough to separate the contacting surfaces and thus prevent significant metal-to-metal contact occurring in a well-designed gear pair.
INDUSTRY NEWS | 2016-01-25

Bodycote Launches Interactive History of Metallurgy

Bodycote, announces the launch of their Interactive History of Metallurgy after taking a look back at the long history of metal processin...
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-06-24

Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future

[starbox] There is a new commercial airing that shows flashbacks of a young girl enjoying a family road trip from the rear facing seat in their ...
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2014-05-01

Metallurgical Investigation of Tiger Stripes on a Carburized High Speed Pinion

Tiger stripes on a high-speed pinion made of a carburized SAE 9310 steel were investigated. The morphology of the damage was typical of electric discharge damage. The cause of the stripes and potential damage to the gear tooth were analyzed and are presented in this report.
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-02-18

100 Years of Four Wheel Drive?

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-02-05

Practical Magic

[starbox] Today I have t
GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-01-29

Unsung Heroes of the Gear Industry - Metallurgists

Snow covered trees
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2013-01-01

Large Pinions for Open Gears - The Increase of Single Mesh Load

This paper introduces mandatory improvements in design, manufacturing and inspection - from material elaboration to final machining - with special focus on today's large and powerful gearing.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2012-11-01

Morphology of Micropitting

Understanding the morphology of micropitting is critical in determining the root cause of failure. Examples of micropitting in gears and rolling-element bearings are presented to illustrate morphological variations that can occur in practice.
PRODUCT NEWS | 2011-11-01

Liebherr's LDF350 Offers Complete Machining in New Dimension

The objective, according to Dr.- Ing. Hansjörg Geiser, head of development and design for gear machines at Liebherr, was to develop and design a combined turning and hobbing machine in which turning, drilling and hobbing work could be carried out in the same clamping arrangement as the hobbing of the gearings and the subsequent chamfering and deburring processes.
EVENTS | 2007-11-01

Gear Expo 2007 Recap

The general impression—whether encouraged by AGMA or developed anecdotally—is that Gear Expo 2007 was a reasonable—though certainly relative—success
FEATURE ARTICLES | 2005-07-01

Superfinishing Gears - The State of the Art, Part II

In a previous article, the authors identified two misconceptions surrounding gear superfinishing. Here, they tackle three more.
FEATURE ARTICLES | 1999-11-01

Coordinate Measuring Machines and the Gear Industry

Gears are extremely complex shapes. Coordinate measuring machines, or CMMs, are designed to measure complex shapes. It seems to follow that CMMs world, therefore, be the ideal tool for measuring gears. But the answer is not so simple.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1996-03-01

The Effect of Metallurgy on the Performance of Carburized Gears

Gears are designed to be manufactured, processed and used without failure throughout the design life of the gear. One of INFAC's objectives (*see p.24) is to help manufacture of gears to optimize performance and life. One way to achieve this is to identify failure mechanisms and then devise strategies to overcome them by modifying the manufacturing parameters.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1995-03-01

Mechanical Behavior and Microstructure of Ausrolled Surfaces in Gear Steels

Ausforming, the plastic deformation of heat treatment steels in their metastable, austentic condition, was shown several decades ago to lead to quenched and tempered steels that were harder, tougher and more durable under fatigue-type loading than conventionally heat-treated steels. To circumvent the large forces required to ausform entire components such as gears, cams and bearings, the ausforming process imparts added mechanical strength and durability only to those contact surfaces that are critically loaded. The ausrolling process, as utilized for finishing the loaded surfaces of machine elements, imparts high quality surface texture and geometry control. The near-net-shape geometry and surface topography of the machine elements must be controlled to be compatible with the network dimensional finish and the rolling die design requirements (Ref. 1).
INDUSTRY NEWS | 1993-03-01

Gear Material Quality: How To Judge It...Pitting: How To Prevent It

How do we know when the gear material we buy is metallurgically correct? How can we judge material quality when all gear material looks alike?
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1989-01-01

Factors Influencing Fracture Toughness of High-Carbon Martensitic Steels

Plane strain fracture toughness of twelve high-carbon steels has been evaluated to study the influence of alloying elements, carbon content and retained austenite. The steels were especially designed to simulate the carburized case microstructure of commonly used automotive type gear steels. Results show that a small variation in carbon can influence the K IC significantly. The beneficial effect of retained austenite depends both on its amount and distribution. The alloy effect, particularly nickel, becomes significant only after the alloy content exceeds a minimum amount. Small amounts of boron also appear beneficial.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1987-09-01

Effects of Hob Quality and Resharpening Errors on Generating Accuracy

The modern day requirement for precision finished hobbed gears, coupled with the high accuracy characteristics of modern CNC hobbing machines, demands high tool accuracy.
EVENTS | 1986-07-01

Technical Calendar

October 5-8, 1986 AGMA Fall technical Conference & Gearing Exhibit September 17-19, 1986 Ohio State University Gear Noise Seminar November 11-13, 1986 SME Gear Processing and Manufacturing Clinic November 19-21, 1986 Seminar: Gear System Design for Minimum Noise
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1986-05-01

Selection of Material and Compatible Heat Treatments for Gearing

The manufacturing process to produce a gear essentially consist of: material selection, blank preshaping, tooth shaping, heat treatment, and final shaping. Only by carefully integrating of the various operations into a complete manufacturing system can an optimum gear be obtained. The final application of the gear will determine what strength characteristics will be required which subsequently determine the material and heat treatments.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1986-05-01

Identification of Gear Noise with Single Flank Composite Measurement

Anyone involved in the design, manufacture and use of gears is concerned with three general characteristics relative to their application: noise, accuracy, and strength or surface durability. In the article, we will be dealing with probably the most aggravating of the group, gear noise.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1985-03-01

Tolerance for Overload Stress

The performance of carburized components can be improved simply by changing the alloy content of the steel.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1985-03-01

Austempered Nodular Cast Irons

Austempering heat treatments (austenitizing followed by rapid cooling to the tempering temperature) have been applied to nodular irons on an experimental basis for a number of years, but commercial interest in the process has only recently come to the surface.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 1984-10-01

Austempered Ductile Iron: Technology Base Required for an Emerging Technology

This paper addresses Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) as an emerging Itechnology and defines its challenge by describing the state-of-the-art of incumbent materials. The writing is more philosophical in nature than technical and is presented to establish a perspective.
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