Induction hardening is a surface hardening process consisting of rapidly heating the metal using electromagnetic induction and quenching it to enhance surface hardness while retaining a tough core. This process makes a part very wear-resistant and increases its fatigue strength, which is why it is an important process for parts under high stresses.

Key features:

• Heating and quenching process: The metal surface is heated by high-frequency alternating currents and generates heat by electromagnetic induction. Then it is cooled down suddenly (quenched), most of the time with water, oil, or polymer solutions, to increase its hardness.
• Selective Hardening: Induction hardening is a very controllable process, such that one can harden only selective portions of a part, and the rest of that part remains untouched by the heat treatment, thereby still retaining core toughness.
• Common Applications: Used in great volume for automotive, (gears, camshafts, crankshafts); manufacture (rollers, shafts, bearings); and tooling (cutting tools, dies) applications to improve durability and wear resistance.

The essence of induction hardening elevates itself in performance than critical components for a longer lifetime without compromising on core toughness. In the automotive industry, gears and shafts are hardened to withstand huge loads as well as repeated cycles of stress. In the cases of industrial machinery, wear-resistant rollers and tools will ensure better efficiency and reliability. Advancement continues in induction technology with computer-controlled heating and energy-efficient induction coils that further refine the process for valuable high-performance engineering applications.