Cryogenic deep rolling - An energy based approach for enhanced cold surface hardening

In an advanced production line including cold surface hardening, martensitic transformation in metastable austenites as workpiece material was achieved by deep rolling. The deep rolling process replaces energy- and cost-intensive heat treatments. Cryogenic deep rolling is a novel approach to combine two different sources of energy (thermal and mechanical effects) and thereby allows for application of more stable microstructures. This comes along with advantages regarding soft machining and the stability of the core material during a component's functional loading. This paper presents the theoretical background, suitable parameters, and the resulting surface integrity of cryogenic deep rolled components and gives clear recommendations for industrial application. (C) 2012 CIRP.