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Origin of non-uniform tooth flank hardening distribution in SCM440 mobile induction heat–treated steel spur gears—a parametrical study with experimental–numerical coupled investigation

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Abstract

The design of a hardening process that can achieve the desired level of hardening quality is paramount for spur gear teeth, as a poorly executed process may result in a variety of defect schemes. The mobile induction hardening technique has emerged as a promising and cost-effective method for large spur gears. However, achieving the desired output quality remains challenging. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the results of gear tooth hardening using the tooth-to-tooth mobile induction hardening process. The evaluation process focuses on the tooth flank, which is the area most prone to failure. The study investigates the effects and interactions of crucial process parameters, such as flank length, scanning speed, and air gap, on the hardening results. Numerical and experimental measurements are used to characterize the hardening results. The study’s results demonstrate high accuracy in the modeled numerical simulation, with prediction errors ranging from 3.02 to 4.05% across different experiment-numerical validation scenarios. The induction heating and spray cooling design employed in the study generates sufficient heating energy to achieve an average austenite distribution of 97.13% in the heat-affected zones and an average martensite phase of 82.21% during the quenching process. A tempering process is then carried out as a standard procedure to enhance the material’s ductility, resulting in a decrease in material hardness from a maximum of 64.77 HRC initially to a maximum of 61.98 HRC. Multivariable non-linear regression analysis confirms the significant influence of the studied process parameters on flank hardening quality, with the scanning speed parameter having the most substantial impact. The quantitative results indicate that reducing the scanning speed, air gap, and flank length leads to better hardening quality in terms of longer hardened flank, deeper hardening depth, and smaller edge effects. Insights provided in this study are very beneficial to build intuitions in obtaining desired hardening quality of tooth flank using mobile induction hardening.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this research are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research was supported and funded by SHIEH YIH Machinery Industry Co., Ltd., Taiwan (R.O.C.) in commitment to providing reliable press machines for industrial application.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhongli District, National Central University, No. 300, Zhongda Road, Taoyuan City, 320317, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Imang Eko Saputro & Yiin-Kuen Fuh

  2. Guishan District, SHIEH YIH Machinery Industry Co., Ltd, No. 446, Nanshang Road, Taoyuan City, 333014, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Chih-Pin Chiang & Hung-Chieh Huang

Authors
  1. Imang Eko Saputro
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  2. Chih-Pin Chiang
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  3. Hung-Chieh Huang
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  4. Yiin-Kuen Fuh
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Contributions

Imang Eko Saputro: writing—original draft; numerical model; formal analysis; investigation; validating. Chih-Pin Chiang: funding acquisition, resources, project administration. Hung-Chieh Huang: data curation; drafter; conducting experiment; writing—review and editing. Yiin-Kuen Fuh: conceptualization; methodology; analysis; supervision; writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Yiin-Kuen Fuh.

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Saputro, I.E., Chiang, CP., Huang, HC. et al. Origin of non-uniform tooth flank hardening distribution in SCM440 mobile induction heat–treated steel spur gears—a parametrical study with experimental–numerical coupled investigation. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 130, 2915–2938 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-023-12859-z

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