Described herein are additive manufacturing methods and products made using such methods. The alloy compositions described herein are specifically selected for the additive manufacturing methods and provide products that exhibit superior mechanical properties as compared to their cast counterparts. Using the compositions and methods described herein, products that do not exhibit substantial coarsening, such as at elevated temperatures, can be obtained. The products further exhibit uniform microstructures along the print axis, thus contributing to improved strength and performance. Additives also can be used in the alloys described herein.

Described herein are additive manufacturing methods and products made using such methods. The alloy compositions described herein are specifically selected for the additive manufacturing methods and provide products that exhibit superior mechanical properties as compared to their cast counterparts. Using the compositions and methods described herein, products that do not exhibit substantial coarsening, such as at elevated temperatures, can be obtained. The products further exhibit uniform microstructures along the print axis, thus contributing to improved strength and performance. Additives also can be used in the alloys described herein.

The invention relates to a method for the inductive surface layer hardening of a surface which runs around an annular component and has an initial zone, an end zone and two intermediate zones extending between the initial zone and the end zone. The initial zone is brought to hardening temperature by an inductor and quenched by a spray. Subsequently, an inductor arrangement is moved in each case along the intermediate zone to the end zone. Each inductor arrangement includes a leading inductor for preheating the region covered by it, a trailing inductor for finish-heating the preheated region and a spray for quenching the finish-heated region. After the inductor arrangements are located at a certain distance from the initial zone, the leading inductor of at least one of the inductor arrangements is moved in the direction of the end zone at an increased feed rate compared to the trailing inductor. The leading inductor thus reaches the end zone by a time interval earlier, whose duration is equal to the duration required by the trailing inductor to overcome the distance previously resulted between said trailing inductor and the leading inductor. In the meantime, the end zone is preheated by the leading inductor that reached it. When one of the trailing inductors of the inductor arrangements has arrived in the end zone, it heats the end zone to the finished hardening temperature.

The invention relates to a method for the inductive surface layer hardening of a surface which runs around an annular component and has an initial zone, an end zone and two intermediate zones extending between the initial zone and the end zone. The initial zone is brought to hardening temperature by an inductor and quenched by a spray. Subsequently, an inductor arrangement is moved in each case along the intermediate zone to the end zone. Each inductor arrangement includes a leading inductor for preheating the region covered by it, a trailing inductor for finish-heating the preheated region and a spray for quenching the finish-heated region. After the inductor arrangements are located at a certain distance from the initial zone, the leading inductor of at least one of the inductor arrangements is moved in the direction of the end zone at an increased feed rate compared to the trailing inductor. The leading inductor thus reaches the end zone by a time interval earlier, whose duration is equal to the duration required by the trailing inductor to overcome the distance previously resulted between said trailing inductor and the leading inductor. In the meantime, the end zone is preheated by the leading inductor that reached it. When one of the trailing inductors of the inductor arrangements has arrived in the end zone, it heats the end zone to the finished hardening temperature.

The invention provides a method for the inductive surface layer hardening of a surface running around an annular component of a hardenable steel, which achieves uniform and uninterrupted hardening. For this purpose, a) an initial zone of the surface is surface layer hardened by it being brought to hardening temperature by means of an inductor and being quenched with a spray. b) The surface is then hardened by means of a stationarily arranged inductor arrangement and a movably arranged inductor arrangement, which each comprise a leading inductor for preheating the region of the surface covered by it, a trailing inductor offset in the direction of the initial zone for finish-heating the pre-heated region to the hardening temperature and a spray for quenching the finish-heated region, wherein the movable inductor arrangement is moved along the surface and at the same time the annular component rotates about an axis of rotation in order to move the surface to be hardened along the stationary inductor arrangement. The speed of the movable inductor arrangement along the surface is greater than its circumferential speed. c) An end zone of the surface is then hardened by the leading inductor of one of the inductor arrangements being moved temporarily in the direction of the end zone at an increased feed rate compared to its trailing inductor when the end zone is located at a certain distance from inductor arrangements such that an enlarged distance results between the leading inductor and the inductor trailing it and the leading inductor is located at the end zone by a time interval earlier, whose duration is equal to the duration required by the trailing inductor to cover the distance resulting between the trailing inductor and the leading inductor such that the at least one leading inductor arriving first at the end zone preheats the end zone until the trailing inductor is located at the end zone and finish-heats the end zone to hardening temperature. Finally, the finish-heated end zone is quenched by means of a spray.

The invention provides a method for the inductive surface layer hardening of a surface running around an annular component of a hardenable steel, which achieves uniform and uninterrupted hardening. For this purpose, a) an initial zone of the surface is surface layer hardened by it being brought to hardening temperature by means of an inductor and being quenched with a spray. b) The surface is then hardened by means of a stationarily arranged inductor arrangement and a movably arranged inductor arrangement, which each comprise a leading inductor for preheating the region of the surface covered by it, a trailing inductor offset in the direction of the initial zone for finish-heating the pre-heated region to the hardening temperature and a spray for quenching the finish-heated region, wherein the movable inductor arrangement is moved along the surface and at the same time the annular component rotates about an axis of rotation in order to move the surface to be hardened along the stationary inductor arrangement. The speed of the movable inductor arrangement along the surface is greater than its circumferential speed. c) An end zone of the surface is then hardened by the leading inductor of one of the inductor arrangements being moved temporarily in the direction of the end zone at an increased feed rate compared to its trailing inductor when the end zone is located at a certain distance from inductor arrangements such that an enlarged distance results between the leading inductor and the inductor trailing it and the leading inductor is located at the end zone by a time interval earlier, whose duration is equal to the duration required by the trailing inductor to cover the distance resulting between the trailing inductor and the leading inductor such that the at least one leading inductor arriving first at the end zone preheats the end zone until the trailing inductor is located at the end zone and finish-heats the end zone to hardening temperature. Finally, the finish-heated end zone is quenched by means of a spray.

The invention relates to a method for producing a rolling bearing ring featuring an improved robustness against the formation of white etching cracks (WEC), wherein the rolling bearing component, which is made of a hypo-eutectoid heat-treated steel containing C in an amount of 0.4-0.55% and Cr in an amount of 0.5-2.0% in order to form a hardened boundary layer, is inductively heated, then quenched and subsequently tempered.

The invention relates to a method for producing a rolling bearing ring featuring an improved robustness against the formation of white etching cracks (WEC), wherein the rolling bearing component, which is made of a hypo-eutectoid heat-treated steel containing C in an amount of 0.4-0.55% and Cr in an amount of 0.5-2.0% in order to form a hardened boundary layer, is inductively heated, then quenched and subsequently tempered.

An example bushing has three portions along its radial direction including an inner portion most proximal to a central hole of the bushing, an outer portion most distal from the center hole, and a core portion between the inner portion and the outer portion. The core portion has a hardness that is less than the hardness of the inner portion or the outer portion of the bushing. The bushing may be formed using high carbon steel, which in some cases may be spheroidal cementite crystal structure. A rough bushing may be formed using the high carbon steel, followed by a direct hardening process, and an induction hardening process on the inner surface most proximal to the central hole of the bushing. The induction hardening on the inner surface may harden the outer portion while tempering the core portion of the bushing.

An induction hardening apparatus and methods are provided. The induction hardening apparatus includes a feed line having first and second ends. A coil assembly is positioned between the first and second ends. The feed line includes a support arrangement for supporting two workpieces against one another and transferring the workpieces simultaneously through the coil assembly along a feed axis defined by the feed line.