Method for Machining a Rack and Rack Machined according to Said Method

A method for machining a rack made of a metallic material (1), comprising the steps of:

• after hardening, or after hardening and straightening, at least in a region of a gear teeth (2) initially a chaotic inherent stress profile (σ) of tensile stresses (σ+) and compressive stresses (σ−) is present,
• converting the chaotic inherent stress profile (σ) into a permissible inherent stress profile (σperm) without change in microstructure in a functionally combined series of steps of a machining operation, and at least in the region of the gear teeth (2) receiving a pre-stress with defined introduced compressive inherent stresses (σ−E) without the tensile stresses (σ+), so that a physical system with stress values of the defined introduced compressive inherent stresses (σ−E) and the permissible inherent stress profile (σperm) of a substantially uniform stress distribution or stress plane is present in at least the region of the gear teeth (2),
• stress peaks (σ+peak) or amplitudes of the present tensile stresses (σ+) are intentionally eliminated, smoothed or reduced by introducing near-surface inherent compressive stresses (σ−E) by shot peening or by inductive heating, and
• after the shot peening or the inductive heating and elimination, smoothing or reduction of the stress peaks (σ+peak) or amplitudes, the region of the gear teeth (2) attains the pre-stress with the defined introduced compressive inherent stresses (σ−E) without the tensile stresses (σ+) by way of subsequent steel wire shot blasting or steel shot blasting as well as steel shot peening, to attain the permissible inherent stress profile (σperm).