High frequency quenching and intermediate frequency quenching

In the field of metal processing, quenching is a common and critical heat treatment process, designed to improve the hardness, wear resistance and strength of metal materials. Among them, high frequency quenching are two widely used quenching methods, which have unique characteristics and application range.

 High frequency quenching is a process of using high frequency current (100 kHz-500 kHz). Due to its high-frequency characteristics, the heating speed is extremely fast, which can heat the metal surface to the quenching temperature in a very short time. This rapid heating makes the heating depth relatively shallow, generally between 0.5 and 2.5 mm. This feature makes high-frequency quenching very suitable for small and thin parts that require surface hardening but do not require high internal performance, such as small gears, pins and tools.

 For example, precision parts in electronic equipment, due to their small size and require high hardness and wear resistance, high frequency quenching can accurately treat the surface without affecting the overall performance of the parts, and improve their service life and working stability.

 For the IF quenching, an IF current of 1-10 kHz is used for heating. Compared with the high-frequency quenching, the heating rate is slightly slower, but the heating depth is large, usually around 2-10 mm. This makes IF quenching more suitable for handling larger sizes and thicker parts, such as large shafts, large gears, and mechanical parts bearing larger loads.

 Take the drive shaft of large machine tools as an example, through medium frequency quenching can ensure the internal toughness of the shaft at the same time, the surface can obtain enough hardness and wear resistance, so as to improve the reliability and service life of the drive shaft under the condition of high speed operation and heavy load.

 From the perspective of equipment cost, high-frequency quenching equipment is usually relatively cheap, but its scope of application is relatively narrow. Intermediate frequency quenching equipment costs more, but can handle more types and larger sizes of parts.

 In terms of energy consumption, high frequency quenching has relatively low energy consumption due to short heating time, while medium frequency quenching has relatively high energy consumption due to large heating depth and long processing time.

 Whether it is high frequency quenching or medium frequency quenching, it needs to comprehensively consider and choose according to the specific requirements, shape, size and use environment of the parts. Only by choosing the appropriate quenching method, can we give full play to the performance advantages of metal materials, improve the quality and reliability of the parts, and meet the needs of various industrial production.

In short, high frequency quenching and intermediate frequency quenching, as important means in the field of metal heat treatment, each play an irreplaceable role in different application scenarios, making an important contribution to improving the quality and performance of metal products.