The invention relates to a surface-hardened, rotationally symmetrical workpiece, to a hardening method and to a hardening apparatus. The proposed hardening apparatus comprises a machine frame on which two coaxially arranged rotary bearings designed to support a rotationally symmetrical workpiece are arranged, at least one rotary bearing being operatively connected to a drive device to generate rotation of the workpiece; and at lease one laser apparatus for generating focussed, high-energy radiation is arranged on said rotary bearing, said laser apparatus being movable in the axial direction, and the radiation being directed toward the workpiece.

The invention relates to a surface-hardened, rotationally symmetrical workpiece, to a hardening method and to a hardening apparatus. The proposed hardening apparatus comprises a machine frame on which two coaxially arranged rotary bearings designed to support a rotationally symmetrical workpiece are arranged, at least one rotary bearing being operatively connected to a drive device to generate rotation of the workpiece; and at lease one laser apparatus for generating focussed, high-energy radiation is arranged on said rotary bearing, said laser apparatus being movable in the axial direction, and the radiation being directed toward the workpiece.

A carburized shaft part having a predetermined composition, a C content at a surface layer part of a mass % of 0.60 to 1.00%, at least one hole at an outer circumferential surface, a total volume ratio of martensite and retained austenite of 97% or more at a structure at a position of a 1 mm depth from the outer circumferential surface in an axial direction of the hole and a position of a 20 μm depth from the surface of the hole, a maximum retained austenite volume ratio (R1) of 10.0 to 30.0% at a position of a 1 mm depth from the outer circumferential surface in the axial direction of the hole and a range up to a 200 μm depth from the surface of the hole, and a retained austenite reduction ratio of 20% or more found from R1 and the retained austenite volume ratio (R2) at a position of a 1 mm depth from the outer circumferential surface in the axial direction of the hole and a position of a 20 μm depth from the surface of the hole by the formula (A): Δγ=(R1−R)/R1×100.

A carburized shaft part having a predetermined composition, a C content at a surface layer part of a mass % of 0.60 to 1.00%, at least one hole at an outer circumferential surface, a total volume ratio of martensite and retained austenite of 97% or more at a structure at a position of a 1 mm depth from the outer circumferential surface in an axial direction of the hole and a position of a 20 μm depth from the surface of the hole, a maximum retained austenite volume ratio (R1) of 10.0 to 30.0% at a position of a 1 mm depth from the outer circumferential surface in the axial direction of the hole and a range up to a 200 μm depth from the surface of the hole, and a retained austenite reduction ratio of 20% or more found from R1 and the retained austenite volume ratio (R2) at a position of a 1 mm depth from the outer circumferential surface in the axial direction of the hole and a position of a 20 μm depth from the surface of the hole by the formula (A): Δγ=(R1−R)/R1×100.

A machine component includes a core made up of a steel for machine structural use, and a medium carbon-containing layer and a high carbon-containing layer formed of the steel for machine structural use, the medium carbon-containing layer covering the core, the high carbon-containing layer covering the medium carbon-containing layer and having a carbon concentration of 0.8-1.5%. The high carbon-containing layer is made up of a martensitic structure having carbides dispersed therein and a residual austenitic structure, wherein spheroidized carbides with an aspect ratio of 1.5 or less constitute 90% or more of a total number of the carbides, and the number of spheroidized carbides on prior austenite grain boundaries is 40% or less of the total number of the carbides.

There is provided a steel material that has a high critical working ratio in cold forging and has a high fatigue strength and an excellent hydrogen embrittlement resistance when the steel material is formed into a carburized-steel component. The steel material according to the present embodiment has a chemical composition that contains, in mass %, C: 0.07 to 0.13%, Si: 0.15 to 0.35%, Mn: 0.60 to 0.80%, S: 0.005 to 0.050%, Cr: 1.90 to 2.50%, B: 0.0005 to 0.0100%, Ti: 0.010 to less than 0.050%, Al: 0.010 to 0.100%, Ca: 0.0002% to 0.0030%, N: 0.0080% or less, P: 0.050% or less, and O: 0.0030% or less, with the balance being Fe and impurities, and satisfies Formula (1) to Formula (5) described in the specification.

A method for manufacturing a magnetostrictive torque sensor shaft (100) to which a sensor portion (2) of a magnetostrictive torque sensor (1) is to be attached includes: a heat treatment step of subjecting an iron-based shaft member to a carburizing, quenching, and tempering process; a shot peening step of performing shot peening using a steel shot media having a Vickers hardness at least equal to 1100 and at most equal to 1300, at least in a position on the shaft member, after the heat treatment step, to which the sensor portion (2) is to be attached; and a surface polishing step of subjecting the shaft member after the shot peening to surface polishing.

A method for manufacturing a magnetostrictive torque sensor shaft (100) to which a sensor portion (2) of a magnetostrictive torque sensor (1) is to be attached includes: a heat treatment step of subjecting an iron-based shaft member to a carburizing, quenching, and tempering process; a shot peening step of performing shot peening using a steel shot media having a Vickers hardness at least equal to 1100 and at most equal to 1300, at least in a position on the shaft member, after the heat treatment step, to which the sensor portion (2) is to be attached; and a surface polishing step of subjecting the shaft member after the shot peening to surface polishing.

The invention relates to a surface-hardened, rotationally symmetrical workpiece, to a hardening method and to a hardening apparatus. The proposed hardening apparatus comprises a machine frame on which two coaxially arranged rotary bearings designed to support a rotationally symmetrical workpiece are arranged, at least one rotary bearing being operatively connected to a drive device to generate rotation of the workpiece; and at lease one laser apparatus for generating focused, high-energy radiation is arranged on said rotary bearing, said laser apparatus being movable in the axial direction, and the radiation being directed toward the workpiece.

The invention relates to a surface-hardened, rotationally symmetrical workpiece, to a hardening method and to a hardening apparatus. The proposed hardening apparatus comprises a machine frame on which two coaxially arranged rotary bearings designed to support a rotationally symmetrical workpiece are arranged, at least one rotary bearing being operatively connected to a drive device to generate rotation of the workpiece; and at lease one laser apparatus for generating focused, high-energy radiation is arranged on said rotary bearing, said laser apparatus being movable in the axial direction, and the radiation being directed toward the workpiece.