Plasma Nitride
As a group we provide both Active Screen Plasma Nitriding (ASPN) and Pulsed Plasma Nitriding furnaces. Additionally, our Cambridge site is NADCAP approved.
We offer standard plasma nitriding shared runs, which is the most cost effective treatment for smaller batches and is suitable for many applications.
However, with this equipment we are able to realise all possible nitride layers. Therefore for the most demanding applications, and also for all aerospace applications we also offer dedicated furnace runs. The treatment is then tailored and optimised for the specific application, and the furnace run solely for a particular customer.
- Compound layer free for the highest fatigue resistance. Examples include; diaphragm springs, cold work and hot work tooling which are to be subsequently hard coated.
- Gamma prime compound layer for wear resistance and toughness. Examples include; gears, extrusion dies, camshafts, crankshafts.
- Epsilon compound layer for wear resistance and corrosion resistance, the corrosion resistance and running in behaviour can be dramatically improved by post oxidation treatment. Examples include; damper rods, camshafts.
Parts can be easily masked, preferably with mechanical tooling, or with stop off paint.
Distortion is usually negligible, however there is a small predicable surface growth that can be allowed for during final machining. This means parts can normally be completely finished machined including threads etc. before nitriding. Saving on overall manufacturing cost
Stainless steel can be successfully nitrided with generally no requirement for separate surface activation processes prior to treatment. Stainless steels can also be nitrided at low temperature so that the corrosion resistance is unaffected.
Sintered parts can be nitrided with the layer being confined to the surface only and not penetrating porous areas.
Plasma nitriding is an environmentally friendly surface engineering process
Shared Run
Stainless steel Low temperature
- Suitable for 300 series, 400 series and PH stainless steels.
- No loss of corrosion resistance.
- Excellent galling resistance.
- Case depth approx. 0.040mm.
- Surface hardness approx. 1000HV.
Stainless steel High temperature
- Suitable for 300 series, 400 series and PH stainless steels.
- Significant loss of corrosion resistance on treated areas.
- Excellent wear and galling resistance.
- Case depth approx. 0.10mm.
- Surface hardness approx. 1000HV – 1500HV
Alloy and Nitriding steels short run 12 hour
- Suitable for EN8, 16, 19, 24, 40b etc.
- Case depth 0.010mm-0.020mm (depends on steel).
- Surface Hardness approx. -600HV (EN24) – 900HV (EN40b).
- 12hrs @ 500°-530°C.
Alloy and Nitriding steels long run 48 hour
- Suitable for EN8, 16, 19, 24, 40b etc.
- Case depth 0.035mm-0.060mm (depends on steel).
- Surface Hardness approx. -550HV (EN24) – 850HV (EN40b).
- 48h @ 500°-530°C
NADCAP Applications
Note; All aerospace NADCAP applications have to be in a dedicated furnace run and to be individually quoted.