A localized annealing process and a part having localized areas with increased ductility produced by the process. The part is formed of hard material, tempered, and/or otherwise hardened such that it meets minimum hardness and ductility requirements. The part further includes localized areas that have increased ductility for workability, which could include various types of deformation. The localized annealing process includes providing a part with low levels of ductility and then annealing localized areas of the part for increased ductility that will need to be machined or attached to another formed part. The annealing process includes placing an electrode on either side of the localized area and generating electricity through the localized area. The material in the localized area is then heated from the electricity to form a more ductile physical structure.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an aging heat treatment that can be used to replace conventional aging steps when making alloy embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the disclosed aging heat treatment reduce cost and complexity in producing aluminum alloy-based components while also promoting and/or improving microstructure stability of the aluminum alloys.

The present disclosure discloses a method for improving yield strength of one or more workpieces. The method includes positioning the one or more workpieces in a punch and die assembly and operating the punch and die assembly such that, a plurality of surface protrusions are formed on the one or more workpieces. The plurality of surface protrusions are formed by plastic deformation on the one or more workpieces, to improve yield strength of the one or more workpieces. The present disclosure also provides an apparatus to improve yield strength of the one or more workpieces. The present disclosure is configured to improve yield strength of the one or more workpieces, without altering its mechanical characteristics.

A track link includes an elongate link body formed of a link body material that varies in hardness to form a first lower hardness zone, a second lower hardness zone, and a higher hardness zone. The higher hardness zone includes an upper rail surface of the elongate link body and extends substantially throughout the elongate link body outside of the first and second lower hardness zones, which surround the track pin bores. Related methodology for making a track link is also disclosed.

A primary heating band is applied to a weld to control a microstructure and hardness of the weld and uniformity of the structure to realize micro-control of the residual stress; an auxiliary heating band is applied a certain distance away from the weld to generate compressive stress on an inner surface of the weld to realize macro-control of the compressive stress. Reinforcement with a rib plate is eliminated, and a labor intensity and a construction period are reduced. The method reduces deformation near the weld and transfers the largest deformation to a non-weld zone; by applying the auxiliary heating and strictly controlling a time interval between primary heating and auxiliary heating, the structure is improved and the welding residual stress is controlled at the same time; a local heat treatment effect is optimized, and a small tensile stress or compressive stress is generated on the inner surface of the weld.

Centering systems for centering blanks outputted from a furnace in a hot stamping line are provided, the centering system comprising a centering table and a heating system for heating one or more selected zones of the blank while arranged on the centering table. Also provided are methods for manufacturing steel components having hard zones and soft zones, wherein the soft zones are of less mechanical strength than the hard zones. The methods comprise heating a steel blank in a furnace, centering the heated blank on a centering table arranged downstream from the furnace, heating one or more selected zones of the heated blank while the blank is on the centering table, wherein the selected zones are the zones of the blank which are destined to form the hard zones; transferring the blank to a press tool to hot forming the blank, and quenching the selected zones of the blank destined to form the hard zones.

A method for modifying a dimension of a cast iron pump part features placing a cast iron pump part on a base plate of a directed energy deposition (DED) machine; selecting a metal deposition procedure for depositing a metal having a combination of one or more Nickel Alloys or Nickel powders on the cast iron pump part; and depositing the metal on the cast iron pump part to modify the dimension of the cast iron pump part, based upon the metal deposition procedure selected. The selecting of the metal deposition procedure includes forming the metal by mixing metal powders that include a Nickel Alloy “A” in a specified mixed ratio with a pure Nickel powder “B” for depositing on the cast iron pump part.

A method for hot forming a semifinished product in sheet form for a motor vehicle component. The method includes heating the semifinished product to be formed in a heating process and forming the heated semifinished product in a shaping forming process. During the heating process the semifinished product undergoes an input of heat from at least one heat source. During the heating of the semifinished product, a shielding device is arranged between the heat source and the semifinished product, such that the semifinished product is thermally shielded at least in certain portions in such a way that a first semifinished-product portion is heated differently than a second semifinished-product portion.

A method for setting different cooling rates of metal strips or metal plates (rolling material) over the strip width of a cooling stretch in a hot-strip mill or heavy-plate mill is presented. According to the method, for the calculation of the cooling rate, the initial enthalpy distribution over the material width of the rolling material before the cooling is determined. Proceeding therefrom, a target enthalpy distribution is determined in the width direction and length direction of the rolling material while taking into account a calculation of the flatness and the mechanical properties by means of a microstructure model. Subsequently, the coolant amount and the coolant curve of the cooling stretch are set.

A bearing bushing for a track has an annular shape including an inner peripheral surface, an outer peripheral surface, a first end face, and a second end face located axially opposite the first end face. The bearing bushing for a track includes an inner peripheral surface-side hardened layer formed to include the inner peripheral surface, an outer peripheral surface-side hardened layer formed to include the outer peripheral surface, a first end face-side hardened layer formed to include the first end face and having a region with a hardness of 63 HRC or more that has a thickness of 3 mm or more from the first end face, and an unhardened region lower in hardness than the inner peripheral surface-side hardened layer, the outer peripheral surface-side hardened layer, and the first end face-side hardened layer, and including at least the second end face. The bearing bushing is made of steel.