A helicoidal blade system is presented having an armature to facilitate bending of metal stock to form helicoidal blades. In one or more embodiments, the armature has an exterior surface that is generally conical in shape and includes a guide structure and an engagement track. The helicoidal blade system also includes drive coupler and motor that are operably coupled together. The drive coupler is configured to engage the engagement track of the conical armature and rotate the conical armature when the motor is operated. A blade metal feed apparatus is configured to feed the metal stock into the helical shaped guide structure as the conical armature is rotated. As the conical armature is rotated, the metal stock is bent around the armature within the helical shaped guide structure to form one or more helicoidal blades.

A process of producing a partially hardened metallic formed part comprises: heating a semi-finished product of hardenable hot-formable steel sheet to a hardening temperature; hot-forming the heated semi-finished product in a combined hot-forming cutting device into a three-dimensional formed part; cutting the formed part in the combined hot-forming cutting device; pressure-hardening the formed part in the hot-forming cutting device into a hardened formed part such that a first partial region is hardened by rapid cooling and that a second partial region of the formed part is heat-treated so as to comprise a greater ductility and a lower strength than the first partial region, wherein the operation of cutting the formed part takes place at least in one of the first and second partial region. A combined hot-forming cutting device can be used to produce a metallic formed part.

A process of producing a partially hardened metallic formed part comprises: heating a semi-finished product of hardenable hot-formable steel sheet to a hardening temperature; hot-forming the heated semi-finished product in a combined hot-forming cutting device into a three-dimensional formed part; cutting the formed part in the combined hot-forming cutting device; pressure-hardening the formed part in the hot-forming cutting device into a hardened formed part such that a first partial region is hardened by rapid cooling and that a second partial region of the formed part is heat-treated so as to comprise a greater ductility and a lower strength than the first partial region, wherein the operation of cutting the formed part takes place at least in one of the first and second partial region. A combined hot-forming cutting device can be used to produce a metallic formed part.

Provided is a steel component with excellent surface fatigue strength. The steel component has a nitride compound layer with a thickness of 5.0 μm to 30.0 μm and a hardened layer in an order from a component surface to a component inside, where a thickness of a porous layer on an outermost surface of the nitride compound layer is 3.0 μm or less and 40.0% or less of a thickness of the nitride compound layer, and the hardened layer has a hardness of HV600 or more at a position of 50 μm inward from the component surface, a hardness of HV400 or more at a position from the component surface to the component inside of 400 μm, and a hardness of HV250 or more at a position from the component surface to the component inside of 600 μm.

Provided is a steel component with excellent surface fatigue strength. The steel component has a nitride compound layer with a thickness of 5.0 μm to 30.0 μm and a hardened layer in an order from a component surface to a component inside, where a thickness of a porous layer on an outermost surface of the nitride compound layer is 3.0 μm or less and 40.0% or less of a thickness of the nitride compound layer, and the hardened layer has a hardness of HV600 or more at a position of 50 μm inward from the component surface, a hardness of HV400 or more at a position from the component surface to the component inside of 400 μm, and a hardness of HV250 or more at a position from the component surface to the component inside of 600 μm.

A rolling bearing is a tapered roller bearing, a cylindrical roller bearing, or a deep groove ball bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a rolling element, each of the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rolling element being composed of a steel, the rolling bearing having a quench-hardened layer in at least one of an inner ring raceway surface of the inner ring, an outer ring raceway surface of the outer ring, and a rolling contact surface of the rolling element. A ratio of a total area of a plurality of martensite crystal grains in the quench-hardened layer is more than or equal to 70%. The plurality of martensite crystal grains are classified into a first group and a second group. An average grain size of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the first group is less than or equal to 0.97 μm.

A rolling bearing is a tapered roller bearing, a cylindrical roller bearing, or a deep groove ball bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a rolling element, each of the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rolling element being composed of a steel, the rolling bearing having a quench-hardened layer in at least one of an inner ring raceway surface of the inner ring, an outer ring raceway surface of the outer ring, and a rolling contact surface of the rolling element. A ratio of a total area of a plurality of martensite crystal grains in the quench-hardened layer is more than or equal to 70%. The plurality of martensite crystal grains are classified into a first group and a second group. An average grain size of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the first group is less than or equal to 0.97 μm.

The invention relates to a method and a device for strengthening the surface of workpieces, in particular of metal ones, by mechanical effects accompanying the impact of small projectiles or by mechanical effects accompanied by the impact of a shockwave induced by plasma created by electric evaporation of a metal foil. The device comprises a polymer strip with a metal foil on the surface of the side diverted from the surface of the workpiece in which foil bridges are formed to form projectiles, further comprising two electrodes and adjacent to the metal foil located on the polymer strip, wherein bridges are formed between the contact surface areas of the metal foil, and the electrodes and between which the plasma is formed, are mounted in a support body, through which flat conductors and are connected to a switch for switching large currents and high voltages with a high-voltage source. The polymer strip with the metal foil tightly abuts the support body with the electrodes and the electrodes and protrude above the upper surface of the support body to provide electric contact with the contact surface areas of the applied metal foil. The method of strengthening the surface of workpieces by means of the device according to the invention consists in that one cycle of strengthening the surface of workpieces involves the action of an electric current pulse supplied from a high voltage source after closing the switch by conductors to electrodes between which a high voltage is applied, thereby shorting the circuit on the metal foil at the location of the bridges to form a plasma expanding and by a compressive force acting on the polymer strip part of which hits as a projectile the surface of the workpiece. The plasma is generated by the electric current pulse, in addition to the expansion pressure, is also accelerated by the electromagnetic Lorentz force caused by the passage of electric current, through this plasma in the generated magnetic field.

A bearing part includes a quench-hardened layer in a surface of the bearing part. The quench-hardened layer includes a plurality of martensite crystal grains. A ratio of a total area of the plurality of martensite crystal grains in the quench-hardened layer is more than or equal to 70%. The plurality of martensite crystal grains are classified into a first group and a second group. A minimum value of crystal grain sizes of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the first group is larger than a maximum value of crystal grain sizes of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the second group. A value obtained by dividing a total area of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the first group by the total area of the plurality of martensite crystal grains is more than or equal to 0.5.

A bearing part includes a quench-hardened layer in a surface of the bearing part. The quench-hardened layer includes a plurality of martensite crystal grains. A ratio of a total area of the plurality of martensite crystal grains in the quench-hardened layer is more than or equal to 70%. The plurality of martensite crystal grains are classified into a first group and a second group. A minimum value of crystal grain sizes of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the first group is larger than a maximum value of crystal grain sizes of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the second group. A value obtained by dividing a total area of the martensite crystal grains belonging to the first group by the total area of the plurality of martensite crystal grains is more than or equal to 0.5.