New advances and applications in pulsed-plasma nitriding of gear and power train systems

The demands of the engine, transmission and power train industry concerning wear and also corrosion resistance of their components have strongly increased in the last years. Conventional processes like carburizing and gas nitriding are facing to some extent their limits. Pulsed plasma nitriding on the other side arouses more and more interest in this industry as especially the life-time of these components can be increased dramatically due to the special layer composition of this surface treatment process. Pulsed plasma nitriding is also a very interesting economical option as normally the final, very cost-intensive hard machining can be omitted. Furthermore, pulsed plasma nitriding has considerable advantages concerning the environment compared to the other heat treatment processes. It is the only surface heat treatment that can be easily integrated into mechanical manufacturing as there is no open flame and nearly no waste gas. The lecture will show the essential findings that company Ruebig has gained and tested in the past few years together with the University of Wels and the company Magna/Steyr.