Effect of Immersion Routes on the Quenching Distortion of a Long Steel Component Using a Finite Element Model

摘要

Distortion while quenching steel is a commonly found problem in industrial practice. This issue arises from the combined effect of thermal contraction and martensite transformation stresses. This problem may be exacerbated in components with long geometries. This work presents the results of a numerical and experimental investigation that assessed the effect of both the austenite grain size (AGS) of three sizes 8, 9 and 10 ASTM, and the immersion route on the distortion of a long component of SAE 5160 steel during oil quenching. The transformation kinetics were calculated using JMatPro and were validated by quench dilatometry. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed in Deform 3D. This model was then validated using thermocouple data. Results showed that the distortion was minimized when the long component was dipped sideways in the quenching medium instead of immersing the component from the distal ends when the AGS was 8 ASTM.