Heat treatment
Normalizing
Normalizing heats the steel above the critical range and cools it in air. It refines the grain left by forging and homogenizes the structure before machining or quenching.
What we do
- A105, A350 LF2, forged carbon and low-alloy steels
- Furnaces with temperature and time control and recording
- Forgings, bars, blocks and machined parts
- Report with the cycle applied and, on request, mechanical tests after treatment
Materials
Capacity, maximum dimensions and lead time on request: send the drawing. See alloys in stock.
How normalizing works
The steel is heated above the critical range, held until fully austenitized and cooled in still air. Air cooling, faster than in annealing, produces a fine, uniform ferrite and pearlite structure. The result is a material with better strength and toughness than the as-forged condition.
When it is required
Normalizing is the delivery condition of several carbon and low-alloy steel forging standards, such as ASTM A105 and A350 LF2 (sometimes followed by tempering). It is also used before quenching, to refine the coarse grain left by forging, and before machining, to make the hardness uniform along the part.
Normalized and tempered
In more highly alloyed steels, such as F11, F22 and F91, normalizing leaves the material too hard and is followed by tempering. The "normalized and tempered" condition is the one specified by ASTM A182 for several Cr-Mo grades, and the combination of temperatures comes from the standard itself.
What to send with a quote request
To get a quote, send the alloy and standard of the material, the drawing or the dimensions of the part, the quantity, the required cycle (or the hardness and properties to be reached) and whether verification tests are needed. Parts that will still be machined are treated with allowance, so that the oxidized layer is removed in finish machining.
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Frequently asked questions
Does normalizing replace quenching?
No. Normalizing leaves the steel with intermediate strength and good toughness. When the specification calls for high strength, the route is quenching and tempering.
Does Dustre perform this service on customer-supplied material?
Yes, as long as the alloy and the specification are defined. We can also supply the material from our stock, with EN 10204 3.1 certificate.
