Proceedings of COBEM 2009 20th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering

Copyright © 2009 by ABCM November 15-20, 2009, Gramado, RS, Brazil

RESIDUAL STRESSES IN THE SAE 52100 STEEL AFTER HEAT

TREATMENT AND TURNING

Carlos Eddy Valdez Salazar, [email protected]

Escola Politécnica da USP, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2231- São Paulo, SP, 05508.970

Sergio Delijaicov, [email protected]

Centro Universitário da FEI, Av. Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, 3942 – São Bernardo do Campo, SP, 09850-901

Jorge Kolososki, [email protected]

Centro Universitário da FEI, Av. Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, 3942 – São Bernardo do Campo, SP, 09850-901

Éd Claudio Bordinassi, [email protected]

Escola de Engenharia Mauá do Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia, Praça Mauá, 01 – São Caetano do Sul, SP, 09580-900.

Abstract. The present work has as objective to analyze the effect of the heat treatments on the SAE 52100 steel, from
bearing cone parts. The residual stresses have significantly contribution in the useful life of the pieces submitted under
dynamic forces. Machining processes introduce residual stresses that added to the others generated by the heat
treatments can cause an aggravation on the behavior fatigue part. To characterize the profile of these generated
residual stresses during the process of heat treatment on these parts, the machining processes is an important starting
point to develop products with better performances. Heat treatments of annealing, normalizing, quenching and
quenching and tempering had been executed. The residual stresses had been measured before and after the turning
process, using the incremental hole drilling (IHD) technique and the results were analyzed by the integral method. The
results demonstrate that the machining generates big changes in the residual stresses profile and the previously heat
treatment have great importance in the process.

Keywords: machining; turning; heat treatment; residual stresses

1. INTRODUCTION

Precision hard turning has attracted great interest since 1970s because it potentially provides an alternative to
conventional grinding in machining high precision, high hardness components. This technology significantly reduces
the production time, tooling costs and the capital investment for low volume finishing applications, such as dies, gears,
shafts and bearings. In particular, it can often cut manufacturing costs, decrease production time, and improve overall
product quality. (Rech, et al., 2008).
It is reported that residual stresses in the machined surface considerably influences the service quality of the
component including fatigue life, tribological properties, and distortion.
The residual stresses in the machined surface considerably influence the service quality of the component including
fatigue life, tribological properties, and distortion (Thiele et al., 2000). It is believed that compressive subsurface
residual stresses are more favorable for rolling contact fatigue life than tensile residual stresses. Furthermore, machining
of hardened components such as shafts, roller bearing and other mechanical components is usually done in a finishing
operation. The residual stresses, whether compressive or tensile, left behind by the machining process remain in the
final product. Therefore, it is important that the effect of the finishing process on the subsurface residual stress profile
be predicted and that the machining parameters optimally selected to induce favorable residual stresses (Hua et al.,
2006).
As studied by Guo and Warren, 2008 the formation sequence of fatigue cracks is different for the turned and ground
surfaces. The basic difference is that an initial main crack form in the subsurface for turned samples, while an initial
branching crack could start from ground surfaces and joins with the subsurface main crack and the turned finished has
several advantages in the life of the component under fatigue efforts.
So, it is very critical to find a fast and precise solution to predict residual stresses in a machined component given
the process parameters and material properties (Ulutan et al., 2007). Since the pioneering works in 1950s, a substantial
amount of experimental work has accumulated regarding the development of residual stresses as a function of cutting
parameters and the properties of the tool and the workpiece. The effects of feed rate, depth of cut, cutting speed,
coolant, shape of the cutting edge, tool wear, tool coating, and workpiece hardness on residual stresses can be
investigated separately, where residual stresses are measured after a carefully controlled machining process using a
variety of techniques ranging from X-ray diffraction to hole drilling and deflection-etching (Valdez, 2008). Various
materials including steel, ceramics and composites have been subjected to similar measurements.
Steels have been used since the Iron Age and their importance in the development of industry has been enormous.
Steels are the most important alloys utilized as structural material. They are straightforwardly related to engineering.
The microstructure of most steels is well known by now as well as the effects of the heat treatments in changing their
Proceedings of COBEM 2009 20th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Copyright © 2009 by ABCM November 15-20, 2009, Gramado, RS, Brazil

mechanical properties. For instance, the hardness of the AISI 5150 steel could vary from ∼ 20 to 60 HRC depending on
its heat treatment. The differences in mechanical properties of given steel are the result of different microstructures
formed during cooling. This statement generally means that the highest hardness in the iron–carbon systems is obtained
due to a diffusion less transformation called martensite formation and the lowest hardness is obtained due to a diffusion
transformation, which causes the ferrite and/or pearlite formation by a eutectoid reaction. Both martensite obtained
during rapid cooling and ferrite-pearlite obtained during slow cooling or near the equilibrium, come from austenite.
Therefore, both the steel microstructure and the steel mechanical properties are related to steel thermal history
(Machado, 2006).
The objective of this work is to study the influence of the heat treatment in the residual stresses of the AISI 52100
steel and its consequences in the turning of the pieces.

2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

The specimen model used is illustrated in Figure 1. It’s a conical bearing part.

Figure 1 - Conical bearing part used in the tests

The main chemical composition of AISI 52100 are: C: 0.9-1.05, Si: 0.5-0.7, Mn: 1-1.2, Cr: 1.5-1.55, P: <0.025, S:
<0.025, Ni: <0.3, Cu: <0,3.

The Table 1 shows the heat treatment used in the specimens. The Lindberg 56962 (heated vacuum furnace) was
used.
Table 1 – Heat treatments

Heat treatment Procedure

Annealing Temperature: 800 °C; Time: 1,5 h;
Cooling: inside the oven (45 h).
Normalizing Temperature: 800 °C; Time: 1,5 h;
Cooling: air (ambient temperature ≈ 28 ºC).
Quenching and tempering Quenching: Temperature: 800 °C; Time: 1,5 h; Cooling in oil without
heating (20 ºC); Agitation: 1,5 m/s.
Tempering. Temperature: 500 °C; Time: 1 h; Cooling in the air (ambient
temperature ≈ 28 ºC)..
Quenching Temperature: 800 °C; Time: 1,5 h;
Cooling: water (20 °C); Agitation: 1,5 m/s.

The hardness measurements were conducted by a microhardness tester 4M, Wilson Mechanical Instrument Co. Inc.

The turning process was conducted using:

Tool: VBGW 160404 S01020F – 7025 // Sandvik Coromant
Proceedings of COBEM 2009 20th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Copyright © 2009 by ABCM November 15-20, 2009, Gramado, RS, Brazil

Tool holder: MVJBR 2020K16 // Sandvik Coromant

Lathe: CNC Universal Centur 30D // Romi

Cutting parameters: Cutting speed (vc): 220 m/min ; Feed rate (f): 0,1 mm/rot ; Cutting depth (ap) :
0,075 mm

An optical microscopy model DM LM, from Leyca and a camera model XC XT50CE, from Sony were used in the
metallographic analysis. For the chemical attack the samples was used Nital 3%.

The residual stresses measurements were conducted using:

Strain-gages rosette: CEA-13-062UL-120 // Vishay

Inverted conical milling – Carbide: FG 39 // KG Sorensen

Pneumatic milling – High speed: RS 200 // Vishay

Digital micro strain meter: P3 // Vishay

Software for residual stresses analysis: H-drill (Integral method) // Vishay

The complete equipment for the residual stresses measurements is illustrated in the Figure 2.

Figure 2 – Complete equipment for residual stresses measurements with the bearing cone parts.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The obtained values for the hardness measurements are showed in the Figure 3.

Average Hardness Steel SAE 52100 (HV)

696

363

200 185

Quenching Quenching and Tempering Normalizing Annealing

Figure 3 - Hardness of the specimens in scale HV.
Proceedings of COBEM 2009 20th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Copyright © 2009 by ABCM November 15-20, 2009, Gramado, RS, Brazil

The Figure 4 shows metallographic analysis in the surface of the pieces after the heat treatment and turning.

(a). Annealed piece. Magnification 500x (b). Normalized piece. Magnification 500x

(c). Quenched piece (oil) and tempered.

(d). Quenched piece (water). Magnification 500x
Magnification 500x

Figure 4. Microstructure of different heat treatments and turning.

In according with the Figures it can be observed:

Figure 4(a) – Annealed piece: spheroid microstructure, formed by ferrite and spheroid carbide.

Figure 4(b) – Normalized piece: spheroid microstructure, with perlitic regions and carbide in the boundary
grain.

Figure 4(c) – Quenched and tempered piece: microstructure formed by tempered martensite and primary
chromium carbide.

Figure 4(d) – Quenched piece: microstructure formed by martensite and primary chromium carbide.

On the annealed, normalized and quenched/tempered pieces there were no differences in the microstructure
between the surface and the middle of the piece. After the machining, the presence of white layers were not observed,
because only new tools were used (without wear) with less friction, low cutting forces and smaller temperatures, not
causing changes in the microstructure.
In the quenched piece a dark layer was observed. The martensitic microstructure is metastable, that means, the
microstructure can change with the heating. During the machining, the temperature of the piece can reach at high values
but for a small time. In this case it was sufficient to cause tempering in the region. A quenched and tempered steel is
more susceptible at chemical attack when comparing with a quenched steel, that explain the darkness in the surface.
Proceedings of COBEM 2009 20th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Copyright © 2009 by ABCM November 15-20, 2009, Gramado, RS, Brazil

The small white points observed in the microstructure are primary chromium carbide, and their appearance is
justified by the high carbon content of steel and the presence of chrome that contribute with a significant way in the
wear resistance of the quenched/tempered material.
The Figure 5 shows the residual stresses measurements for the annealed piece. Was observed that the turning
introduce high plastic deformation by mechanical effects on the surface of the work piece. After the turning, the
compression residual stresses in the surface almost duplicated the valor initial, and the values tend to zero in the bulk, to
approximate 0,2 mm above the surface.

Figure 5. Residual stress measurements for the annealed piece

The Figure 6 shows the residual stresses measurements for the normalized piece. In this case the values before the
turning process is different than the last results, due to microstructures. Smaller compressive residual stresses were
founded in the surface and traction values in the sub-surface. After the turning, high values of compressive residual
stresses were founded in the surface and sub-surface, this because to mechanical action of tool in the work piece.

Figure 6. Residual stress measurements for the normalized piece

Proceedings of COBEM 2009 20th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Copyright © 2009 by ABCM November 15-20, 2009, Gramado, RS, Brazil

The Figure 7 shows the residual stresses for the quenched and tempered pieces. Initially were founded in the
workpiece traction residual stresses in the surface and compressive values in the sub-surface. After the turning the
values of traction residual stresses were inverted, and high compressive residual stresses were measured in the surface.
In the bulk the values of compressive residual stresses also increased, and tend to zero from 0,3 mm below the surface.

Figure 7. Residual stress measurements for the quenched and tempered piece

The Figure 8 shows the residual stresses for the quenched work piece. In this case, this residual stresses before
turning test was similar to previous case. The turning process also introduces residual stresses of compression in the
surface of the work piece. Observed that the use of the new tool continues generating compressive residual stresses even
at steel with high hardness.

Figure 8. Residual stress measurements for the quenched piece

Proceedings of COBEM 2009 20th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Copyright © 2009 by ABCM November 15-20, 2009, Gramado, RS, Brazil

4. CONCLUSIONS

In all of the cases the turning finish process using new tools always makes positive changes in the surface of
workpieces
There are not microstructural changes in the surface after the turning process in the annealed, normalized and
quenched/tempered workpieces. In the quenched work piece it was observed a dark layer in the surface, which suggests
a tempering in some portion of the microstructure. The white layer formation was not observed.
The workpieces with heat treatment and hardness smaller than 220 HV, originality has residual stress of
compression in the surface and quenched and quenched/tempered have residual stresses of traction.
In the hard and ductile materials the turning finish process always increases the residual stresses of compression in
the surface and subsurface the workpieces. Also, it was noted a decrease in the residual stresses that tends to zero on the
bulk of material.

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to Center University of FEI and to Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Magnabosco of Materials Laboratory
from FEI.

6. REFERENCES

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hardness on surface residual stresses in finish hard turning of AISI 2100 steel”, J. Manuf. Sci. Eng, Vol. 122 pp.
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7. RESPONSIBILITY NOTICE

The authors are the only responsible for the printed material included in this paper.