At cracking point

摘要

Swedish company Hoeganaes has built up a unique knowledge bank on fatigue performance after embarking on an unprecedented project to map the microstructure and fatigue performance of its materials in the minutest detail. There is a clear trend towards the increased use of powder metallurgical (PM) steels in highly stressed applications such as gears, where high fatigue performance is required. Density and microstructure are the key parameters for the fatigue performance of PM steels, and in-depth knowledge in these areas is an essential requirement if PM components are to compete successfully with wrought steel in high-performance applications.