Vacuum gas quenching >10 bar
Objective: Achieve precise core structure and mechanical characteristics for your project's intended application, while guaranteeing impeccable cleanliness and very limited part deformation, thanks in particular to vacuum furnace tempering.
Parts made of alloy steel, stainless steel or special alloys used in the automotive and aeronautics industries are brought to austenitizing temperature in a sealed vacuum chamber. This process eliminates any undesirable part/ambient interaction, such as oxidation, decarburization or over-carburization, which can occur at high temperatures, thanks to a neutral atmosphere. Under certain conditions, oil quenching can be avoided by using high-pressure gas cooling.
Further information on gas quenching
Rapid cooling in a neutral environment, often using inert gases such as argon and nitrogen, produces the desired high-hardness martensitic structure. Austenitizing temperature and cooling rate are carefully selected according to steel grade, carbon content, alloying elements and part geometry, ensuring optimum performance and more effective protection against wear. These parameters are essential for maximizing mechanical strength and minimizing manufacturing costs, while meeting the strict requirements of cleanliness and dimensional accuracy demanded by the industrial sector.
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Please consult us as early as the part or tool design stage to agree on the optimum technical solution.
Information to be communicated :
- Steel grade (standardized name preferred)
- Previous and subsequent treatments.
- Functional parts, geometric tolerances to be respected, allowances for finishing.
- Hardness tolerances.
- For mass-produced parts: part drawing, weight, number of parts per shipment and per year
- Technical specifications.
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Given their specific characteristics, vacuum treatments are ideal for parts requiring very precise metallurgical properties, both in the core and on the surface.
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Our FAQs
Vacuum deposition is a surface treatment used to deposit a material or alloy on a mechanical part.
The use of vacuum technology ensures a perfectly clean, non-polluting process.
It is not subject to REACH legislation.
This process greatly increases resistance to wear, abrasion, friction and corrosion. As a result, component life is greatly extended.
Standard thicknesses are of the order of 3µm and deposition is carried out on finished parts.
PVD is physical vapor deposition. The element to be deposited is obtained by evaporation or sputtering via a physical process. PACVD is plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The element to be deposited is obtained from chemical reactions. Plasma enables this chemical reaction to take place at lower temperatures.
Vacuum deposits are classified into several categories: anti-wear, friction, decorative and biocompatibility. The applications are therefore very varied: automotive components, aerospace, tooling, cutting tools, medical devices, decorative parts...
The deposition method depends above all on the nature of the coating to be deposited and the substrate.
If the substrate cannot be heated to high temperature, the deposition must be carried out using low-temperature technology.
If the coating to be deposited consists of a solid element (metal or graphite target), a physical process such as PVD is used. If the coating consists of a gas or liquid, a chemical process such as CVD or PACVD is used.
Incorporate carbon below the surface of the steel part to improve fatigue and wear resistance on the surface, while maintaining good core mechanical properties.
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