What is Annealing?
Sub-critical annealing is a treatment used to soften steel, improve its ductility, reduce brittleness and relieve stresses. The parts are heated to below the A1 (critical) temperature, then slow-cooled to room temperature. The steel is heated in order to produce enough energy to break bonds and diffuse atoms within the metal, allowing the material to reform and realign displacements. This process is frequently used on parts which have been flame/plasma/laser cut, as it greatly improves the machinability of the areas affected by the cutting process.
Benefits of Annealing
- Improves ductility of material
- Reduces brittleness
- Relieves stresses
- Improves machinability
This heat treatment is offered at all four AHT locations.
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