Z. Li, B. L. Ferguson, Deformation Control Technology, Inc., Cleveland, OH; X. Sun, P. Bauerle, DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Auburn Hills, MI

Summary: The C-Ring test specimen is regularly used to investigate the quality of the heat treatment processes. In this study, C-Rings made of 8620 were carburized, oil quenched, and tempered, and a commercial heat treatment software package, DANTE was used to simulate the heat treatment response of the C-Ring specimen. The model addressed furnace heating, carburization, oil quenching, and tempering. Different carburization schedules were included during both the experimental testing and simulations. During quenching, the immersion direction was normal to the planar “C” shaped surfaces of the C-Ring, and the effect of immersion was found to be important for this shape. The thermal gradient between the top and bottom planes generated nonuniform distortion across the C-Ring opening. The predicted results were validated by comparison against experimental measurements. The effect of different carburization schedules on the heat treatment response of the C-Ring in terms of dimensional change and residual stress are discussed in this presentation. Once validated, the simulation method provides a valuable tool that can be used in conjunction with selected experiments to cost effectively and accurately investigate the effects of alternative process routings on residual stress state and distortion.