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Heat Treatment
Category

Heat Treatment

Heat treatment for steel: which process does what, and what a quote needs

Heat treatment changes what steel IS, not just its shape or surface — annealing, normalizing, hardening, tempering and the rest each move the microstructure to a different point, and the temperature that does it belongs to a specific grade, not to steel in general. This page covers what a buyer actually needs: which process does what, why no generic temperature can be given here, what happens to your material's certificate once it has been treated, and what a provider needs from you before it can quote. Grade-specific figures live on that grade's own page in this catalogue.

Heat-treatment processes

Annealing

Heating above the transformation range, holding, then cooling slowly — usually in the furnace — to soften the steel, relieve internal stress and improve machinability or formability.

Indicative

Source: Trade consensus and standard metallurgical terminology; pgisteel.com describes two unnamed annealing tiers ('Sub-Critical Annealing', 'Full Annealing') by soak temperature without a single 'annealing' menu line to cite as the named service.

Normalizing

Heating above the transformation range, then cooling in still air rather than in the furnace, producing a finer, more uniform grain structure than the as-rolled condition. Often a preparation step before machining or further heat treatment.

Indicative

Source: Standard metallurgical terminology. Not named individually by any of the four catalogue sources reviewed for this service — presented as a definition, not as a claim that a reviewed supplier lists it by name.

Quenching

Rapid cooling from above the transformation range — in oil, water, air or another medium — to lock in a hard, high-strength structure. Also called hardening. Almost always followed by tempering; quenching alone leaves the steel brittle.

Indicative

Source: Standard metallurgical terminology; pgisteel.com lists 'flame hardening' as a related service without naming quenching directly.

Tempering

Reheating a quenched (hardened) steel to a lower temperature and holding, to trade away some hardness for toughness and reduce the brittleness quenching leaves behind.

Indicative

Source: Standard metallurgical terminology, applied after quenching in practice (see Quenching and tempering below). Not itemised individually by the sources reviewed.

Quenching and tempering

The two-step sequence — quench, then temper — treated as one procedure because tempering is what makes a quenched part usable. The combination, not either step alone, is what sets the final strength-toughness balance.

Indicative

Source: Standard metallurgical terminology for the two-step quench-then-temper sequence; pgisteel.com offers to 'heat treat to YOUR specifications' through partners without naming the sequence itself.

Stress relieving

Heating below the critical (transformation) range to relieve residual stress left by hot rolling, welding, shearing or gas cutting, without changing the steel's hardness or microstructure the way annealing or quenching does.

Supplier-published

Source: pgisteel.com 'Stress Relieving' service description (heating below the critical range to relieve residual stress from hot rolling, welding, shearing or gas cutting) AND kts-stahl.de, which lists 'Spannungsarmglühen' (stress relieving) as its own line in the service portfolio — confirmed on two independent, differently-languaged supplier pages.

Carburizing

Diffusing carbon into the surface of a low-carbon steel at elevated temperature, then hardening it, so the part gets a hard, wear-resistant case over a tough, ductile core. Also called case hardening.

Indicative

Source: Standard metallurgical terminology for case hardening by carbon diffusion. Not named individually by the sources reviewed for this service.

Nitriding

Diffusing nitrogen into the steel surface at a comparatively low temperature to form a hard case without a subsequent quench, giving good wear and fatigue resistance with minimal distortion.

Indicative

Source: Standard metallurgical terminology for case hardening by nitrogen diffusion. Not named individually by the sources reviewed for this service.

What drives the price

  • Which process, or combination of processes
  • Material grade and section size
  • Current condition and the condition you need to reach
  • Quantity and batch size
  • Furnace capacity and scheduling
  • Testing and documentation required

What a quote needs

  • Grade or material number
  • The material's current condition
  • The condition or hardness you need to reach
  • Dimensions and quantity
  • Any standard or specification the treatment must meet
  • Whether you need a post-treatment inspection certificate
  • Delivery address and the date you need it

Certification after treatment

  • 2.1
  • 2.2
  • 3.1
  • 3.2

Standard for steel purchases: 3.1

Heat treatment changes the material it certifies. A 3.1 or 3.2 certificate issued before treatment describes the steel before quenching, tempering or annealing changed its properties — ask whether the certificate you'll receive covers the material as-received or as-treated.

Standard-defined

Source: EN 10204 defines inspection-document types; kts-stahl.de (werkszeugnis3-1-wz3-1) sets out the WZ 3.1 / WZ 3.2 distinction — a manufacturer-issued 3.1 versus a 3.1 plus independent third-party inspection for 3.2.

Services

What heat-treatment processes are available?
Annealing softens the steel and relieves stress by heating above the transformation range and cooling slowly. Normalizing does something similar but cools in air, giving a finer, more uniform grain. Quenching (hardening) cools rapidly from above the transformation range to lock in a hard structure, and is almost always followed by tempering, which reheats to a lower temperature to trade some of that hardness for toughness — quenching and tempering together, not quenching alone, is what a usable hardened part needs. Stress relieving is milder still: it stays below the transformation range and removes residual stress from rolling, welding or cutting without changing hardness or microstructure. Carburizing and nitriding are case-hardening processes that diffuse carbon or nitrogen into the surface, giving a hard, wear-resistant skin over a tougher core. Which one applies to your part depends on the grade and what you need it to do.
What temperature is my steel heated to?
It depends entirely on the grade, so no single figure can be given honestly on this page. As one published example, PGI Steel states stress relieving at 1100–1200°F for lower-carbon steels such as A36, A572 Gr50/A709 and 1020, sub-critical annealing at 1350–1450°F for higher-carbon grades such as 1045 or 4140, and full annealing at 1500–1650°F. Those are one supplier's own service ranges for the grade groups they name, not a universal figure — the temperature for your specific grade is a property of that grade. Check that material's own page in this catalogue, or ask your provider to confirm the figure for your exact specification.
What quenching medium do you use?
There is no honest generic answer — oil, water, air or a specific quenchant is chosen for the grade and the properties you're targeting, and naming one here would be the wrong instruction for most readers' steel. Ask your provider what medium they use for your grade and why; it is one of the choices that determines whether the part reaches the properties you need without cracking or distorting.
Do I get an EN 10204 certificate after heat treatment?
This works differently here than on any other service on this site. EN 10204 defines inspection-document types 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2, with 3.1 the usual buyer default — but heat treatment CHANGES the material it certifies. A 3.1 issued before treatment describes the steel before quenching, tempering or annealing altered its properties. Ask the provider directly whether the certificate you'll receive covers the material as-received or as-treated, and whether re-testing after treatment is included or needs to be requested separately.
Does heat treatment change my material's properties?
Yes — that is the entire point of the service. Unlike cutting or cleaning, which change shape or surface, heat treatment changes what the steel IS: its hardness, strength, ductility and toughness move to a different point on purpose. That is exactly why the delivery condition and any post-treatment testing matter more here than on any other service this catalogue covers — the part leaving the furnace is not, mechanically, the same material that went in.
What information do you need for a quote?
Send the grade or material number, its current condition, and the condition or hardness you need to reach. Add the dimensions and quantity, any standard or specification the treatment must meet, whether you need a post-treatment inspection certificate, and the delivery address and date. Those seven things are what turn an enquiry into a firm price and a firm process, rather than a guess.
Can I send my own material to be heat treated?
Sending your own material for treatment is common practice, but whether a given provider accepts it, and on what terms, varies. Ask before shipping — and because heat treatment changes the material's properties, ask specifically how they'll document the treated condition and whether that documentation references the certificate the material arrived with.
What size parts can be heat treated?
Capacity depends entirely on the provider's own furnace. As one published example, Metals Engineering's stress-relieving furnace runs up to 1750°F, holds the load within ±25°F, and can log multiple thermocouples per run with a certificate of conformity and temperature chart for every job. That is one supplier's own equipment, not an industry figure — ask what your provider can fit and how they document the run.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
There is no industry-wide minimum order quantity for heat treatment; it varies by provider and by how a job fits their furnace schedule. Ask as part of your enquiry rather than assuming.
What is the lead time?
No general lead time can be stated honestly — it depends on the provider, the process, the section size and their current furnace schedule. Ask for a committed date with your quote.
What does heat treatment cost?
Heat treatment is not priced from a single rate, so any figure quoted here would mislead. What drives it is the process (or combination of processes), the grade and section size, the current and target condition, quantity, furnace scheduling, and any testing or documentation required. Send the seven items in the quote checklist and you will get a firm price instead of a range.
Should I look at this page or the material's own page for temperature and hardness figures?
Use this page to understand which process does what, what a certificate means after treatment, and what a provider needs to quote. For the actual temperature, medium and hardness figures published for YOUR grade, go to that material's own page in this catalogue — the process names and definitions are the same on both, but the numbers that matter for your steel belong there, sourced to that grade specifically, not to steel in general.

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