A slide ring includes a main body composed of grey cast iron, wherein at least a partial region of a functional surface has a ledeburitic microstructure at the surface. A method for producing such a slide ring includes heating a functional surface of the slide ring by irradiating with high-energy radiation, wherein the irradiation is carried out so that at least a partial region of the irradiated surface is remelted, wherein the parameters of the irradiation are selected so that at least a partial region of the functional surface has a ledeburitic microstructure after cooling.

Material and method for the production of material with isotropic, mechanical properties and improved wear resistance and high hardness potential. Method includes producing in a powder metallurgical (PM) method a slug or ingot from a material of ledeburite tool steel alloy, and subjecting one of the slug or ingot or a semi-finished product produced from the slug or ingot to full annealing at a temperature of over 1100 C., but at least 10 C. below the fusing temperature of the lowest melting structure phase with a duration of over 12 hrs. In this manner, an average carbide phase size of the material is increased by at least 65%, a surface shape of the material is rounded and a matrix is homogenized. Method further includes subsequently processing the material into thermally tempered tools with high wear resistance occurs or into parts to which abrasive stress is applied.

A method of casting a camshaft including iron includes determining a cooling rate profile based on a chemical composition of the camshaft and a target bearing life of the camshaft. The method includes casting the camshaft including cooling the camshaft in a chiller based on the cooling rate profile. The method includes imparting the camshaft with a microstructure comprising carbide, ledeburite, pearlite, ausferrite, or combinations thereof.