Heat Treatment: a buyer's sourcing guide
Everything a procurement team should know before opening an RFQ for heat treatment: materials, tolerances, certifications and red flags.
Recent RFQs in heat treatment
Overview
Heat treatment changes the metallurgical structure of metals to reach target hardness, toughness or fatigue life. Process choice depends on alloy: through-hardening for 42CrMo4, case-hardening for 18NiCrMo5, vacuum for high-precision parts.
When to choose this process
Always cite hardness HRC/HRB and depth requirements explicitly in the drawing.
Typical materials
- Carbon and alloy steels
- Stainless
- Aluminium (T6, T7)
- Cast iron
- Titanium (annealing)
Typical tolerances
Hardness ±2 HRC; case depth ±0.1 mm; allow distortion budget on long parts.
Certifications to ask for
- CQI-9 (auto)
- NADCAP HT (aero)
- AMS 2750 pyrometry
Frequently asked questions
Will heat treatment distort my part?
Yes, slightly. Plan a finish grind/turn after treatment on critical bearing surfaces, and use jigs/fixtures for long thin parts.
Vacuum vs atmosphere hardening?
Vacuum gives cleaner surfaces, less distortion, no decarburisation — at 1.5–3× the price of atmospheric.
Sourcing countries covered
Editorial market guide. Supplyria is a marketplace; we don't list private suppliers on this page. Cost ranges and lead times are indicative and based on public industry benchmarks.