Steels

Steels have a wide range of alloys and applications.  Many of these applications benefit from improved surface finishes as compared to the as forged, machined, or additively manufactured condition.  REM has a great deal of experience with steel and its many alloys including gear steels, spring steels, knife steels, nitriding steels, other carbon steels, tool steels, maraging steels, and other specialty steels.

For traditionally manufactured steel components, REM’s ISF^® Process has been used for decades to controllably and uniformly polish precision steel components to low roughness surface finishes. REM’s ISF Process has the unique capability to maintain critical component geometries including gear flank micro-geometries to within microinch/micron tolerances. REM’s ISF Process also has the unique capability of being able to reliably remove the post-nitriding white layer (the deleterious, brittle surface layer generated during nitriding heat treatments). The ISF Process can be utilized on difficult to machine/polish high carbide steels, and the technology has been proven to be extremely effective at refining the surface of compositionally complex specialty steels such as Ferrium^® C61 and C64 as well as other high strength, high tempering alloys.

For decorative applications, the REM^® Process is an efficient and cost-effective method of eliminating machining or forming marks to produce a high-quality aesthetic surface for end-use or prior to plating or coating.

REM’s Extreme ISF^® Process is applicable to the current range of tool steels and maraging steels that are being additively manufactured today as well as other carbon and specialty steels that are being adapted for the additive manufacturing such as SAE 4140 and, again, Ferrium C64.

Some of the Many Steel Applications REM can Assist with:

• Spur, Helical, and Bevel Gears
• Multi-feature Gear Shafts
• Quill Shafts
• Couplings
• Annuluses
• Springs
• Knives
• Scissors
• Hand Tools
• Tooling Dies

Some of the Many Benefits of Utilizing the REM^® Process, the ISF^® Process or the Extreme ISF^® Process on Steel:

• Reduced Friction/Roughness
• Reduced Component Wear
• Increased Resistance to Scuffing
• Increased Component/System Operating Life in a Loss-of-Lubricant/Oil-Out Event
• Increased Resistance to Contact and Bending Fatigue
• Increases Fretting Resistance
• Increased Part Durability/Reduced Wear
• Reduced Lubricant/System Operating Temperatures
• Reduced Vibration and Noise
• Increased Power Density Allowable/Component Load Carrying Capacity
• Reduced Lubrication Requirements and Cost (anti-wear additives, etc.)
• Increased Lubricant Lambda Ratio
• Increased Fuel Efficiency/Operating Efficiency
• Increased Average Time Between Maintenance
• Improved Aesthetic Appearance
• Flat, Low Roughness Surface Optimal for Plating or PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) Coating
• Complete Removal of Nitriding White Layer

Some of the Steel Alloys REM has Experience with:

• Standard Carbon/Gear Steels and Nitriding Steels (ex. SAE 4140, SAE 4340, SAE 8620, SAE 9310, Pryowear^® 53, EN 18CrNiMo7, Nitralloys™)
• Specialty Steels (ex. M50/M50 NIL, 440C, Pryowear^® 675, Ferrium^® C61/C64, SAE 4122MOD, Aermet^® alloys)
• Spring Steels
• Knife Steels
• Tool Steels (ex. A2, H13)
• Maraging Steel

Have a Steel application that would benefit from an improved surface finish or some of the other component benefits provided by REM’s technologies? Working with a Steel alloy or grade not listed here? Contact us today for more information or to get a project started.

REM’s technology can often be modified to new alloy applications without significant difficulty and REM is always excited to support new applications.