ELTROPULS Process

ELTRO has made the pulse-plasma-technology accessible to all industry, for the improvent of steel component surfaces. This is attested by a multitude of patents. Ever since, this technology has been evolving to the standard for thermo-chemical surface conditioning.

The ELTROPULS Process is an environment-friendly and resource conserving nitriding treatment to protect parts and tools against wear and corrosion as well as to increase mechanical strength.

Advantages of treating components

 

  • outstanding hard part surface *)
  • extremely hard case *)
  • major increase in fatigue strength *)
  • increase in corrosion resistance *)
  • best surface tribology *)
  • extremely high resistance against fretting *)
  • less increase in roughness compared to salt bath or gas nitriding
  • partial nitriding by mechanical masking offers new possibilities to composite construction
  • low distortion and dimensional change
  • best retention of dimensions and shape
  • components are usually treated in the fully machined state, no need to do hard machining
  • part operating temperatures up to 500°C without decrease in hardness possible
  • recycling of the components without further restrictions

*) depending on the chosen process parameters

 

Limitations

 

  • Plasma does not pentrate in to gaps smaller than 0,6 - 0,8 mm.
  • This offers the possibility to exclude certain areas of the working parts from nitriding by simple, mechanical masking prior nitriding.

 

Advantages of the technique

 

  • compact, dense compound layer (white layer) *)
  • use of cost-efficient steels possible
  • applicable to all steel grade as well as cast or sinter iron materials
  • suitable to deaden materials (stainless steel and titanium)
  • calibration oil residue can be removed safely during the heating-up period
  • reproducible case characteristics
  • narrow tolerances of treatment results
  • very good optimization possibilities of the layer composition in respect to the service requirements
  • environmental friendliness
  • economized resource management
  • low material consumption
  • low treatment temperatures (ab 350 °C to max 520 – 560 °C)
  • no quenching required
  • very easy to integrate into existing production lines
  • treatment combinations are possible (e.g. nitriding and postoxidation)
  • low process costs per piece