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H-Band and RH-Band Steels
W h
hen and why do we use hardenability-band
(H-band)
(
(RH-band)
(
T
and restricted-hardenability-band
steels is a question often posed to
The Doctor by design engineers. Why not use
these steels all the time is a common question from heat treaters.
Lets learn more.
not too high to cause cracking at the case/core interface. Many
manufacturers nd that the use of tighter hardenability (RH-
band) steels ensures that the proper mid-tooth core hardness is
consistently achieved.
Restricted hardenability carburizing steels also make distortion
more predictable from lot to lot (Fig. 4). This should not adversely
The choice of material must be made only after careful affect cost or availability of the raw material due to the better
consideration of the performance demanded by the application. steelmaking processes now being used by forging and bar-stock
For example, gears under load (Fig. 1) are subject to gradient suppliers. New steelmaking processes are yielding more consistent
stresses both on the active ank and at the hardenability, and some H-band steels actually meet RH-band
root llet. Proper material selection as well requirements without the added cost. Another advantage to heat
as heat treatment will produce strength treaters is that RH-band grades simplify process control and avoid
gradients that are adequate to withstand tweaking the cycle recipe each time a load is run. Finally, in
these stresses and provide an acceptable medium carbon steels using an RH-band grade, surface hardness
margin of safety. by induction hardening has been reported to be more achievable.
Material choice must be a balance H-band and RH-band steels incorporate slightly different carbon
between overall cost and required service and possibly other chemistry ranges (Table 1) and hardenability
life. The Model of Gear Engineering (Table 2); generally have a broader chemistry range than standard
(Fig. 2 online only) tells us that cost is the alloy steels (to allow steel producers to design the optimum alloy
most important consideration among purchasers of raw material combination); and have a more restricted hardenability range at
followed by material properties. From an engineering perspective, each Jominy distance.
however, key design considerations require an analysis of the type In general, H-band steels offer a wide range of mechanical
of applied load, whether gradual or instantaneous, and the desired properties that depend on the development of tempered martensite
mechanical properties, such as bending fatigue strength or wear after quenching and tempering. RH-band steels will exhibit a
resistance. The required mechanical properties are the critical hardness range not greater than 5 HRC at the initial position (on
consideration and will dene core strength and heat-treating the end-quench hardenability bar) and not greater than 65% of
requirements. Manufacturing economics plays an important role the hardness range for standard H-band steels in the inection
as well, and once again, cost manifested in reducing the number of region. Generally, the RH-band follows the middle of the range
manufacturing operations is paramount. corresponding to standard H-band.
In our gear example, each area in the gear-tooth prole sees
different service demands. In the root area, good surface hardness
and high residual compressive stress are desired to improve bending
fatigue life. On the active ank, a combination of high hardness
and adequate subsurface strength are necessary for adequate
resistance to macropitting and sub-case fatigue.
Proper material hardenability selection is critical to the success
of any product since this affects how the material can be quenched
(Fig. 3 online only). If the material hardenability is too high,
the material will be costly, susceptible to quench cracking and
produce high core hardness. For a given gear-tooth pitch size,
for example, the result will be more distortion and higher mid-
tooth core hardness than is necessary or desirable. If the material
hardenability is too low, the material will exhibit low hardness
with non-martensitic transformation products (NMTP) present in
Area of high fatigue stress due to high Area of high tooth
the microstructure, often exhibit uneven hardness and be prone hertzian contact pressure (plus sliding) bending load
to distortion and unpredictable size changes. For gears, the core Fig. 1. Gear stress pattern
hardness needs to be in a specic range to support the case but
16 March 2009 - IndustrialHeating.com
rial H
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Final Thoughts 60
With the vast array of domestic and foreign steels available to
choose from, with standard and non-standard chemistry, the 50
90% Martensite
challenge of selecting the right steel for a given application seems (read left)
40
daunting. The use of H-band steels simplies this task because
direct comparisons can be made between the various steels to 30 60
quantify their response to heat treatment. Different steels are
20 50
often grouped by their hardenability requirements, allowing
greater selectivity within a given design and making the job of the 80% Martensite 40
heat treater easier. (read right)