Application Spotlight: Decarburization Depth Analysis

AMH55 Automated Hardness Testing

LECO’s innovative AMH55 Automated Hardness Testing System adds our Cornerstone® brand software to our proven hardness testers. Intuitive touch-screen controls and automated indentation make microindentation hardness testing smoother than ever before.

Decarburization, or loss of carbon from the surface of a metal, can occur when metals are heat treated or after rolling or forging. This results in a metal softer on the surface than the core, which can lead to poor wear-resistance and low fatigue life. Though useful in some applications, when decarburization occurs incidentally, it can be a massive headache. Restorative carburization can reverse the loss, or grinding can remove the softer surface layer, but first, the extent of decarburization needs to be determined. LECO’s AMH55, with its panoptic views and automated indentations, makes analyzing the hardness profile of metals easy and precise.

In our latest application note, the automated features of our AMH55 were used to determine the decarburization depth of a heat treated steel fastener. Read the app note here to see how this innovative system can improve your lab’s productivity.