Quench and tempering

To ensure steel components can handle the demands of their intended use, they undergo a specialised heat treatment process. This is achieved in two primary stages:

• Hardening: The steel is heated to a critical range (typically 800°C–900°C) and then rapidly cooled, or “quenched,” in water or oil. This transformation significantly boosts the material's strength.
• Tempering: Because quenching leaves steel brittle, a second "soak" at a lower temperature follows. This essential step relieves internal stresses and fine-tunes the balance between hardness and durability.

The specific timing and temperatures for this process are custom-calculated based on the steel’s alloy composition, the size of the part, and your required performance specifications.