Definition Typical hardness profiles (examples) Universe of heat treatment.

Hardening. Consulting. Contracting.

Hardening depth for surface hardening, case hardening,

nitriding and Hard-Inox®-P Surface hardening Case hardening

Surface hardening: SHD (SURFACE HARDENING DEPTH) / Hardness in HV Hardness in HV

DS (DEPTH SURFACE HARDENING)
Distance perpendicular to surface to where the 1000 1000

Guide for hardening.

limit hardness = 80% of surface hardness is reached  900  900
 800  800 Surface hardness 800 HV
Case hardening: CHD (CASE HARDENING DEPTH)
Distance perpendicular to surface to where the
 700 Surface hardness 650 HV – 20%  700 Steels and treatments.

E
 600  600
limit hardness = 550 HV 1 is reached Limit hardness 520 HV Limit hardness 550 HV
 500  500

E
 400  400
Nitriding: NHD (NITRIDING HARDNESS DEPTH)
 300 Core hardness 300 HV  300 Core hardness 350 HV
Distance perpendicular to surface to where the
limit hardness = (core hardness + 50 HV) is reached  200  200
 100 SHD E  100 CHD E

Hard-Inox®-P: NCHD (NITRIOGEN CASE HARDNESS DEPTH)    0 E

   0 E
Distance perpendicular to surface to where the 0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2,0   Distance to surface 0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2,0   Distance to surface
limit hardness = (core hardness + 20 HV) is reached

Alloy: 1.7225 (42CrMo4) Alloy: Alloyed case-hardening steels, for example 1.7131, 1.5752,
Dimensions of equipment (larger parts on request)
Adequate steels for surface hardening are normalized, quenched 1.6587
and tempered (tensile strength max. 850 N/mm2) or fine-grained
Surface hardening dim. in mm (D x L / L x W x H)
steels.
Flame hardening / Induction hardening Ø 840 x 11 000
Laser hardening 9000 x 5000 x 4000
Larger dimensions possible on request

Through hardening dim. in mm (D x L / L x W x H)

Nitriding HARD-INOX®-P
Vacuum treatments 1220 x 910 x 910
Hardening and tempering in controlled atm. Ø 600 x 1000 / 850 x 550 x 600 Hardness in HV Hardness in HV
Annealing in controlled atm. Ø 1150 x 2500 / 1400 x 900 x 900 Surface hardness 950 HV
1000 1000
Tempering in air 4500 x 1000 x 730
 900  900
Sub-zero quenching to –190 °C 1700 x 900 x 900  800  800
2800 x 700 x 500
 700  700 Surface hardness 650 HV
 600  600
Thermochemical diffusion treatments dim. in mm (Ø x L / L x W x H)
 500  500
Carburisation/Case hardening/Carbonitriding Ø 600 x 1000 / 850 x 550 x 600 + 50 HV + 20 HV
 400  400
Plasma nitriding Ø 1200 x 1950 Limit hardness 330 HV Limit hardness 320 HV

E E
 300 E  300
Gas nitriding / Gas nitrocarburisation / Ø 1150 x 3000  200 Core hardness 280 HV  200 Core hardness 300 HV
E

controlled post oxidation/Pronox NHD E NCHD E

 100  100
Boronising 500 x 350 x 240    0    0
E E
HARD-INOX®-P 1220 x 910 x 910
0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2,0   Distance to surface 0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2,0   Distance to surface
HARD-INOX®-S 800 x 550 x 500

Alloy: 1.8550 (34CrAlNi7) Alloy: 1.4104 (X14CrMoS17)

Härterei Gerster AG
Güterstrasse 3, P.O. Box
200/5.2016

4622 Egerkingen, Switzerland

Phone +41 62 388 70 00, Fax +41 62 398 31 12
info@gerster.ch, www.gerster.ch
Alloy Standard designation Alloy group Trough Surface hardening Laser Case harde- Gasnitriding Plasmanitriding Gasnitro­ Boronising Hard-Inox®-P Hard-Inox®-S Alloy
number hardening flame/induction hardening ning, Carbo- 520 °C / 48 h 520 °C / 28 h carburising/ number
nitriding a) post oxidation
570 °C/3 h

Hardness after Surface hard- Hardenability SHD max. Surface min. surface Nitriding min. surface Nitriding Compound Surface- NCHD max. Surface hard-
annealing ness after 1 mm surface hardness hardness [HV] depth NHD hardness [HV] depth NHD layer thickness hardness 1 mm surface ness min. 900
[HRC] tempering hardness max. 64 HRC [mm] [mm] CLT [µm] 1500–2000 HV, hardness [HV] HV hardening
140 °C [HRC] [HRC] Boride layer depth DZ [µm]
thickness
BS [µm]

1.0037 S235JR Construction steel – – – – yes 300 0.50–0.60 300 – 5–20 10–100 – – 1.0037
1.0715 11SMn30 Free machining steel – – – – yes 300 0.50–0.60 300 – 5–20 – – – 1.0715
1.0762 44SMn28 (ETG 100) Free machining steel 52–56 (55–60) * – limited 300 0.50–0.60 300 – 5–20 (10–100) – – 1.0762
1.1181 C35E Tempering steel (unalloyed) 46–50 a) 50–54 * (45) limited 300 0.50–0.60 300 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.1181
1.1191 C45E Tempering steel (unalloyed) 50–54 a) 56–60 * (50) limited 300 0.50–0.60 300 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.1191
1.1221 C60E Tempering steel (unalloyed) 54–58 a) 60–64 * (50) no 300 0.50–0.60 300 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.1221
1.1249 Cf70 Tempering steel (unalloyed) 54–58 a) 60–64 * (50) no 300 0.50–0.60 300 – 5–20 10–100 – – 1.1249
1.6582 34CrNiMo6 Tempering steel 50–54 50–54 ** 50 limited 600 0.40–0.55 600 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.6582
1.7033 34Cr4 Tempering steel 49–53 51–55 ** 50 limited 550 0.40–0.50 550 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.7033
1.7220 34CrMo4 Tempering steel 50–54 52–56 ** 50 limited 550 0.40–0.50 550 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.7220
1.7225 42CrMo4 Tempering steel 52–56 54–58 ** 54 limited 550 0.40–0.50 550 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.7225
1.7228 50CrMo4 Tempering steel 56–60 58–62 ** 58 no 550 0.40–0.50 550 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.7228
1.8159 51CrV4 Tempering steel 56–60 58–62 ** 58 no 550 0.40–0.50 550 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.8159
1.8161 58CrV4 Tempering steel 58–62 60–64 ** 60 no 550 0.40–0.50 550 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.8161
1.8519 31CrMoV9 Nitriding steel 47–53 50–54 ** 50 no 750 0.40–0.50 750 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.8519
1.8550 34CrAlNi7-10 Nitriding steel 45–50 50–54 ** 50 no 900 0.40–0.50 900 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.8550
1.0401 C15 Case hardening steel (unalloyed) – – – – yes 300 0.50–0.60 300 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.0401
1.5752 15NiCr13 Case hardening steel – – – – yes 550 0.40–0.55 550 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.5752
1.6587 18CrNiMo7-6 Case hardening steel – – – – yes 600 0.40–0.55 650 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.6587
1.7131 16MnCr5 Case hardening steel – – – – yes 600 0.40–0.55 600 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.7131
1.7103 67SiCr5 Spring steel 60–64 60–64 ** – no 450 0.40–0.50 450 – 5–20 – – – 1.7103
1.3505 100Cr6 Bearing steel 60–66 62–66 ** (60) no 350 0.40–0.50 350 0.1 5–20 10–100 – – 1.3505
1.3536 100CrMo7-3 Bearing steel 60–66 62–66 ** (60) no 600 0.40–0.50 – – 5–20 10–100 – – 1.3536
1.2080 X210Cr12 Cold work steel 60–64 a) – – – no – – 900 0.1 – – – – 1.2080
1.2210 115CrV3 (Silver steel) Cold work steel 60–64 a) 62–66 * – no 500 0.40–0.50 500 0.1 5–20 – – – 1.2210
1.2312 40CrMnMoS8-6 Cold work steel 50–54 52–56 ** 55 no 650 0.45–0.55 650 0.3 5–20 10–100 – – 1.2312
1.2379 X155CrVMo12-1 Cold work steel 60–64 – – – no – – 900 0.1 – – – – 1.2379
1.2510 100MnCrW4 Cold work steel 60–64 a) 62–66 * (56) no 450 0.45–0.55 450 0.1 5–20 10–100 – – 1.2510
1.2714 55NiCrMoV7 Cold work steel 54–58 58–62 ** 58 no 500 0.20–0.30 550 0.5 5–20 – – – 1.2714
1.2344 X40CrMoV5-1 Hot work steel 52–56 (55–59) ** (55) no 950 0.30–0.40 950 0.2 – 10–100 – – 1.2344
1.2365 32CrMoV12-28 Hot work steel 52–56 (56–60) ** – no – 700 – – 10–100 – – 1.2365
1.3343 HS6-5-2 High speed steel 63–67 (58–62) ** – no – – – – – – – – 1.3343
1.4016 X6Cr17 Stainless steel ferritic – – – – no – – – – – – 550–650 5–20 1.4016
1.4104 X14CrMoS17 Stainless steel ferritic – – – – no – – 950 b) – – 5–50 550–650 5–20 1.4104
1.4021 X20Cr13 Stainless steel martensitic 45–55 48–52 ** (45) no – – 950 b) 0.05 – 5–50 600–750 5–20 1.4021
1.4034 X46Cr13 Stainless steel martensitic 53–58 53–58 ** (48) no – – 1000 b) – – 5–50 650–750 5–20 1.4034
1.4057 X17CrNi16-2 Stainless steel martensitic 47–52 47–52 ** (38) no – – 1000 b) – – 5–50 550–650 5–20 1.4057
1.4108 X30CrMoN15-1 (Cronidur 30) Stainless steel martensitic 55–62 – – – no – – – – – 5–50 600–750 5–20 1.4108
1.4112 X90CrMoV18 Stainless steel martensitic 55–60 51–55 ** (50) no – – 1000 b) – – 5–50 650–750 5–20 1.4112
1.4122 X39CrMo17-1 Stainless steel martensitic 50–56 48–52 ** – no – – 1000 b) – – 5–50 620–700 5–20 1.4122
1.4123 X40CrMoVN16-2 (X15TN) Stainless steel martensitic 56–60 56–60 ** – no – – – – – 5–50 620–700 5–20 1.4123
1.4305 X8CrNiS18-9 Stainless steel austenitic – – – – no – – 950 b) – – 5–50 180–220 10–25 1.4305
1.4571 X6CrNiMoTi17-12-2 Stainless steel austenitic – – – – no – – 800 b) – – 5–50 180–220 10–25 1.4571
1.4301/1.4303 X5CrNi18-10 / X4CrNi18-12 Stainless steel austenitic – – – – no – – 950 b) – – 5–50 180–220 10–25 1.4301/1.4303
1.4435/1.4404 X2CrNiMo18-14-3 / 17-12-2 Stainless steel austenitic – – – – no – – 900 b) 0.05 – 5–50 180–220 15–30 1.4435/1.4404
1.2709 X3NiCoMoTi18-9-5 Age hardening steel 54–58 – – – no 700 0.10–0.15 – – – – – (5–20) 1.2709
1.4542 X5CrNiCuNb16-4 Age hardening stainless steel 40–46 – – – no – – 950 b) – – 5–50 – 5–20 1.4542

Legend Theoretically reachable maximum hardness All values are approximative; large variations are possible. Values in brackets
a) Values depend on cross section Applicable for C content of 0,1 to 0,6% are conditionally achievable (depending on effective chemical composition,
b) Nitriding reduces corrosion resistance Hardness in HRC = 0,5 · C · 100 + 35 condition/temper, etc.)
* Surface hardening possible, low hardening depth (C = for carbon content in %) For further information and support, please contact us
** Good hardenability achievable depth (DS) min. 3 mm