Hardening is a heat treatment that allows a significant increase in steels mechanical properties. This service consists about two thermal process stages: austenitization, which is carried out at high temperature with subsequent fast cooling, and the second stage, tempering, in which the desired hardness is adjusted and material got a toughness increase.

Hardening thermal cycles always produces an internal microstructure rearrange, responsible for improvement physical properties. Consequently introduces a dimensional deviation, normally requiring subsequent dimension corrections.

Parameters that are used in the hardening processes depending on the steel type, the application and the desired properties, being subdivided into the following groups:

Cold Work Steel Hardening

Hot Work Steel Hardening

Molding Steel Hardening

Construction Steel Hardening

Induction Hardening

Laser Hardening

Hardening allows properties improvement like resistance to wear, fatigue, tension and compression stresses, required for higher performance parts in machine components and tools.