Weight reduction of compo­nents through optimized heat treatment processes

The weight reduction of components has been steadily increasing in importance. While this topic has always been an absolute necessity for the aviation industry, an increasing number of industries, first and foremost the automotive industry, have recently been working on reducing the weight of their components. This article will cite several different examples that show how optimized process technology or a change of the heat treatment processes has led to a reduction in component weight. Moreover, it shall outline the application of gas quenching in connection with process gas systems, as well as the optimization of loading and component geometry. In order to improve the material strength of screws, they are being austempered instead of being hardened and tempered in belt furnaces. This way, they attain the same features at decreased dimensions and weight. Moreover, belt furnaces are increasingly used for the heat treatment of aluminium screws. In some cases, aluminium screws can replace steel screws and thus contribute to weight reduction. High-tensile steel blanks made through hot stamping are being increasingly used in the automotive industry. The process of hot stamping, the necessary plant technology as well as their applications will be explained in the last part.