Applications
Material hardening is required for many applications:
- Construction materials - High strength reduces the need for material thickness which generally saves weight and cost.
- Machine cutting tools (drill bits, taps, lathe tools) need be much harder than the material they are operating on in order to be effective.
- Knife blades – a high hardness blade keeps a sharp edge.
- Bearings – necessary to have a very hard surface that will withstand continued stresses.
- Armor plating - High strength is extremely important both for bullet proof plates and for heavy duty containers for mining and construction.
- Anti-fatigue - (Martensitic) case hardening can drastically improve the service live of mechanical components with repeated loading/unloading, such as axles and cogs.
Read more about this topic: Hardening (metallurgy)