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US 11,491,541 B2Granted
Hybrid process for enhanced surface hardening
AssigneeApollo Machine & Welding Ltd.
InventorsDakota Z. Jones, Gentry D. Wood, Douglas J. Hamre
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Abstract
A hybrid method of surface hardening metallic components using a combination of chemical modification achieved through additive manufacturing and/or diffusion-based processing with transformation-based processing using a high energy density heat source. The hybrid process results in increased surface hardness and/or increased average case hardness and/or increased case depth compared to either treatment individually.
Claims13
A method of hardening a surface of a metallic component, the method comprising the steps of:
- subjecting the metallic component to a diffusion-based process that comprises:
- in a first stage, causing interstitial elements to diffuse below the surface of the metallic component at a first interstitial flux by heating the metallic component and exposing the surface of the metallic component to a diffusing agent;
- and
- in a second stage, continuing to heat the metallic component to cause interstitial elements to diffuse below the surface of the metallic component at a second interstitial flux that is less than the first interstitial flux;
- and
- subsequent to the diffusion-based process, subjecting at least a portion of the metallic component to a transformative hardening process by heating successive sections of the surface of the metallic component using a focused source of energy to induce a temperature gradient that causes microstructural changes in each of the successive sections that are heated;
- the diffusion-based process and transformative hardening process being performed such that a surface hardness of the metallic component is improved more than a surface hardness resulting from each process separately.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.