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what is soft annealing?
Soft annealing is a heat treatment method for metals in which the process improves machinability and cold formability. This annealing process reduces the hardness and strength, which makes further mechanical processing steps such as punching, rolling, deep drawing and wire drawing easier or can be carried out without destroying the component.
A special form of soft annealing is GKZ annealing (annealing on spheroidal cementite), in which the annealing process produces a spheroidal cementite in a ferritic base structure.
soft annealing process
The materials – for example ferrous materials – are slowly heated to a temperature between 650 °C and 750 °C, held at the annealing temperature for a certain time to form the microstructure and then slowly cooled down again. This can be carried out in air or under inert protective gas atmospheres.
For steels with a carbon content of less than 0.8%, soft annealing takes place in the area below the eutectoid line in the iron-carbon diagram. For steels with a carbon content of more than 0.8%, pendulum annealing takes place in the area of the eutectoids.
benefits of soft annealing
The annealing process corrects atomic lattice dislocations and defects and significantly reduces residual material stresses through upstream production steps.
- Materials become easier to form and machine
- Improved machinability of steels with >0.4% carbon
- Reduction of the residual stress state
suitable materials for soft annealing
All classic ferrous materials, as well as non-ferrous materials, can be more or less soft annealed.
Unalloyed and low-carbon steels are unsuitable because they would cause a smearing effect during further mechanical processing after the soft annealing process. The process is also unsuitable before induction hardening.
fields of application
All industries use soft annealing for components that require further intensive mechanical processing.
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frequently asked questions – soft annealing
What happens during soft annealing?
During soft annealing, inhomogeneous microstructural compositions and residual stress states are transformed into an optimum, low-stress microstructure for further production steps.
What are the typical temperatures for soft annealing?
The annealing temperatures vary depending on the material. For example, the annealing temperatures for steel are usually between 650 °C and 750 °C.
How is the quality of soft annealing tested?
By examining the microstructure under a microscope and carrying out a hardness test.
Can brass be soft annealed?
The soft annealing of brass qualities takes place in a temperature range between 450 °C and 600 °C.
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