Modeling the Case Hardening of Automotive Components

A generalized framework has been developed within ABAQUS to model the surface hardening heat treatment processes for automotive steel components. The macro-scale heat transfer and stress calculations during the heating and quenching are coupled with the microstructural phase calculations, defined through a user routine, to estimate key process parameters such as case depth and surface hardness. This model has been applied to predict these parameters in two key industrial processes, i.e., case hardening of crankshafts and case carburization of gears. The results of the case depth and hardness calculations have been validated with the literature and in-house plant data. The effect of varying quench conditions on the overall stress distribution changes within the component has been outlined.