Quality right
through
Treatments
Inchromizing
Heat-resistant, abrasion-resistant, and corrosion-resistant: inchromizing makes all ferrous metals ready for long-term use. There are two variants of inchromizing through diffusion: soft or hard. Soft inchromizing is also known as heat and erosion-resistant inchromizing. This treatment gives cheaper steels the properties of a high-temperature steel with a longer service life. Hard inchromizing makes products extremely wear-resistant.
Soft inchromizing
Heat or erosion-resistant inchromizing has been used for more than 40 years and, in that time, has proven its worth. The great advantage of this type is that it works with cheaper steels, rather than having to resort to expensive exotic materials. Soft inchromizing gives the material heat-resistant steel grade properties. The product can be easily formed, pulled, seamed, or welded after treatment.
Characteristics of soft inchromizing
- Layer depth: 35-200 µm
- Temperature resistance: up to 850°C.
- Reduces overall costs
- Higher material heat conduction
- High elasticity, makes material malleable
- Corrosion and erosion-resistant
- Suitable for all ferrous metals at <0.1% C.
- Standard maximum dimensions: 3200 x 2000 x 900 mm
- Other dimensions with a maximum length of 9000 mm on request
Cases
Higher quality, lower costs
Thanks to the high quality of treated steel, parts have a longer life after soft inchromizing. There is less production downtime, which reduces the overall costs. This diffusion technique is used in industries that produce heating appliances, as well as the chemical and food industries. Examples of products include transmission lines, pilot burners, and grill elements. We also often treat furnace charge systems.
Hard inchromizing
This treatment variant makes products highly wear-resistant, applying a ceramic chrome carbide (CRxCy) layer. Wherever wear occurs, either abrasive or adhesive, this unique layer offers a huge improvement to the component service life. The surface is extremely hard-wearing after treatment, with a dense structure and excellent running properties. Hard inchromizing guarantees a longer service life for the products and, in turn, less downtime, less costly production breaks, and lower overall costs.
Characteristics of hard inchromizing
- Layer depth: 5-25 µm
- Temperature resistance up to 850°C
- Surface hardness: ±2000 Micro-Vickers
- Reduces overall costs
- Sealed homogeneous layers
- Very low coefficient of friction
- Prevents cold welding, material galling
- Very high oxidation resistance
- Suitable for all ferrous metals, including high nickel and molybdenum alloys
- Corrosion and erosion-resistant
- Good anti-stick properties that make cleaning easier
- Further heat treatments during and after hard inchromizing possible
- Standard maximum dimensions: 3200 x 2000 x 900 mm
- Other dimensions with a maximum length of 9000 mm on request
Cases
Minimal size change
Hard inchromizing is characterised by an even layer surface, no edge build-up, and no drop formation on the corners, as is the case with a screw thread. As a result, the change in the product dimension compared with other surface treatments is minimal. Another great advantage of diffusion is that no adhesion problems are caused between the base material and the chrome layer.
Hard inchromizing is widely used in the food, chemical, petrochemical, and textile industries, as well as in general mechanical engineering. Examples include injection plungers for pumps and homogenizers, bearing bushings, ball valves, and rotary seal control valves, and pipes for transporting various abrasive mediums, such as glass-filled granulates. Hard inchromizing is used in compression moulds, remoulding tools, and aluminium presses thanks to its very good anti-adhesive properties.
Material analysis
Our work starts with research. From a straightforward material analysis to a more complex damage investigation. At our lab, almost anything is possible.