07.28.22
| min watch
“How hard do my metal parts need to be?”
This is one of our most-asked questions at Paulo, and for good reason! The hardness of your parts directly affects how they perform in service and how long they last.
In this episode of Metallurgy Minute, Ryan Van Dyke takes a closer look at bolts to demonstrate how to use knowledge of existing part grades and their correlated Rockwell rating to determine what hardness you need for a particular application.
Industry References for Part Hardness
Referencing the ASTM and SAE for the application you’re designing for is a great place to start. Once you’ve determined the spec for your part, a combination of material choice, manufacturing type, and thermal processing can be used to achieve required material properties.
In some cases, like with additive manufacturing or developing parts for EVTOL or space, working with a commercial heat treater can prove invaluable to the R&D process. Partnering with an outside team gives you access to extensive metallurgical knowledge and the most advanced thermal processing equipment which makes it possible to rapidly prove parts and scale for production.
Planning Your Next Project
At Paulo, our metallurgical team is well known for working closely with industry leaders to support them in bringing innovative part solutions to market. If you need help planning your next project, connect with one of our experts today.
