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