Heat Treatment

Overview

Our range of services

Laser heat treatment is used to locally functionalize components and semi-finished products. To improve wear protection, companies use lasers to harden steels for e.g. tools and molds. The precise and local heat input helps minimize distortion. To locally improve the formability of, for example, work-hardened metal sheets, they commonly turn to laser softening. This opens up new possibilities for forming complex components from high-strength cold-formed materials. Softening can also serve to improve the energy absorption for components that need to withstand crashes or to prevent components from failing due to brittle fracture. If required, temperature control during laser heat treatment ensures exact and reproducible results for series production.

The range of services this group offers includes feasibility studies on tasks tailored to customer requirements, the integration of laser heat treatment into production processes as well as consultancy in the design of processes and plants.

Local softening of cold rolled steel (in cooperation with BILSTEIN).
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany.
Local softening of cold rolled steel (in cooperation with BILSTEIN).
Hardening of torsion springs.
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany.
Hardening of torsion springs.
Crash boxes without and with local softening (in cooperation with ibf, RTWH Aachen University).
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany.
Crash boxes without and with local softening (in cooperation with ibf, RTWH Aachen University).

Laser hardening

  • Hardenable steels and cast iron
  • Wear protection of tools and molds
  • Wear protection of vehicle components

Laser softening

  • Hardened and work-hardened semi-finished products and sheet metal components
  • Softening for local improvement of cold workability
  • Softening of components relevant to crash protection

Process development

  • Customized solutions for laser hardening
  • Local softening of high strength sheet material and formed parts
  • Hybrid processes (e.g. cutting and softening)
  • Local heat treatment

Materials

  • Ultra high strength steels
  • Cold rolled steels
  • Non-ferrous metals

System technology

  • Consulting
  • Process installation at customer’s site
  • Cooperation with various laser and system providers

Markets

Laser technology can solve demanding tasks in many different industries. Whether as a tool in automotive production, as measuring equipment in the environmental sector, as a diagnostic or therapeutic instrument in medical technology or as a communication medium in space technology, the laser provides multiple uses with high productivity and high efficiency.

Read up about the innovations of the Fraunhofer ILT in a few selected industries and convince yourself!

 

Research with us!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about general topics! Our contact persons are happy to get in touch with you.