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High heat generation and generation of hazardous waste or chemicals involved in some heat treatment processes and post-treatment must be disposed of properly for reduced environmental impact.

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Steel hardening is defined as a technique that is used to change the mechanical properties, especially enhancing the hardness and strength of the steel and steel alloys by changing the microstructure of the steel. Steel hardening may also include the addition of alloying elements. Steel hardening process steps are followed by different industries to manufacture a steel part with the desired properties. Numerous industries use different steel hardening techniques depending on their need. These industries include aerospace, automotive, and construction industry. Some steel grades that are subjected to hardening are listed below:

The hardening process is done on steel to increase the strength and hardness of steel parts. Steel hardening techniques are performed on specific parameters to improve the mechanical properties, especially the hardness of the steel components. In this article, we will investigate 7 steel hardening techniques in detail which will provide expert guidance and practical insight. The reader will get to know the steel hardening process steps in detail and will know how each step contributes to the proper hardening of the steel parts.

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Heat treatment helps us to tailor the properties of steel and steel alloys by adjusting hardening high temperatures, cooling temperatures, cooling mediums, and cooling rates making it desirable for a large range of applications.

Annealing: In this process, steel parts are heated to recrystallization temperature and then furnace-cooled. This heat treatment reduces hardness and increases ductility and toughness.

The steel hardening process causes changes in the microstructure of steel which changes the mechanical properties of steel. Heat treatment like quenching is done to convert steel microstructure to martensitic microstructure of steel which enhances the hardness of the steel. In this process, steel is heated to a high temperature and then rapidly cooled in water. This rapid cooling does not allow grains to grow properly like they can grow while cooling in room temperature. Quenching cool grains quickly after heating doesn't provide enough time for proper settling resulting in martensitic microstructure which is very hard and brittle. Similar to this other heat treatments are done to create pearlite or austenite microstructure which influence the hardness and toughness of steel parts. Some key factors that are crucial in effective steel hardening are heating and cooling rate, alloying elements, grain size, and the post-heat treatment processes. Proper following steel heat treatment tips and steps will lead to the production of effective steel parts with desired mechanical properties for particular applications.

Heating and cooling uniformity is affected by the steel thickness and shape. The risk of cracking and distortion is higher in complex-shaped and thick steel parts.

Development switched to a new version of the software called RailWorks, which would be released on Steam. This change heralded a break from Electronic Arts being the publisher in Europe and rights over the source code for Rail Simulator being transferred to single ownership by RailSimulator.com Ltd.[4] After improving the software, they launched RailWorks in June 2009. The company has released yearly updates since then, with the latest version, Train Simulator Classic, released in April 2022.

The novel hardening process has been introduced by EU-funded researchers in which low-temperature surface hardening of stainless steel is done. This method ensures high hardness but also maintains high fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance. This steel hardening process steps include the implementation of plasma technology and a solution nitriding at lower temperatures.

In April 2009, the formation of a new company was announced.[2] Jackson, Gatland and McMicking went on to set up RailSimulator.com Ltd (RSC), employing many of the original creative team, along with Steve Bainbridge (previously of Electronic Arts and GAME stores) and Duncan Best (previously British Academy Video Games Awards, ELSPA and Director of the London Games Festival).[3]

This hardening process helps in selective hardening of the steel component. High temperature of 800°Cto 950°Cis produced by electromagnetic induction. The specific area is heated to austenitizing temperature which helps in localized fast heating. Which is then quenched for martensitic transformation and hardening subsequently.

Improperly following of steel hardening process steps may lead to improper quenching and heat treatment. This will lead to the formation of cracks ultimately compromising the integrity of steel parts.

Knowing the potential of their proprietary game engine, and with backing from Fund4Games (Tim Gatland and Charlie McMicking), a new company was set up called Rail Simulator Developments Ltd (RSDL) from some of the core members of the initial development team with the specific aim of fulfilling continued development of the brand and supporting users and third-party developers with add-on projects. RSDL produced two patches to the core simulator, developed and released add-ons, helped the release of third-party products, and visited exhibitions to promote the simulation and provide support for users via several community websites.

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In August 2020, Train Sim World 2 was released. While Dovetail Games was never able to deliver the promised multiplayer in the previous version, they say it is in their "future roadmap" and that Train Sim World 2 has "a design that we think will give a great social experience".[16]

It is a surface hardening process normally used for complex-shaped steel parts. The steel is heated to high temperatures by using high-temperature flames like natural gas, propane, and oxyacetylene. This process is used for large and complex part heat treatments. Parts like gear and shafts are often hardened by this process.

Steel hardening processes require specialized equipment like furnaces, post-hardening treatments, and skilled workers which increase the cost of the hardened steel parts.

In September 2023, Train Sim World 4 was released with brand new features such as free roam, photo mode and formation designer.[20]

On 9 July 2014, Dovetail Games announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft to release Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Gold Edition on Steam in late 2014, titled Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition. It includes content that was provided with the original FSX: Gold Edition which includes FSX: Deluxe Edition, the Acceleration expansion pack and both official Service Packs and repackages them in one bundle and a single installation. It also replaces the now-defunct GameSpy multiplayer systems with Steamworks features, enabling multiplayer to work without 3rd party software. It also sorted out a number of software bugs.[7]

In May 2017, Dovetail Games announced their new flight simulator, Flight Sim World, which released later that month.[14] However, a year after release, Dovetail Games announced it would stop development of Flight Sim World and remove it from sale in May 2018.[15]

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9 August 2022 saw the announcement of Train Sim World 3, for release on 6 September 2022 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Steam and Epic Games Store. The announce was preceded by a lengthy tease video which hinted at the various features to be included in the latest release, such as volumetric skies, a new dynamic weather system and the three new routes: Cajon Pass, Southeastern Highspeed (Extended) and Kassel-Würzburg.[19]

Solution hardening, quenching, case hardening, induction hardening, and molten salt bath hardening all these processes can be used to make metal stronger.

Tempering: In this process, quenched steel parts are heated below recrystallization temperature for several hours and then cooled to room temperature. This process removes internal stresses and improves the ductility of quenched steel parts.

Around the same time, the company launched We Are Railfans, an online rail community aiming to bring many aspects of railfanning to one place. By the end of 2021, hundreds of website articles on trainspotting, heritage rail, modelling and photography had been published to a growing community of over 35,000 Facebook users. The We Are Railfans Podcast supplemented this with detailed interviews from those within rail, including locomotive drivers, authors and TV personalities.[17]

In September 2016, Dovetail Games announced Train Sim World, a new train simulator using Epic's Unreal Engine 4 and featuring the ability to walk around in the world. Train Sim World was later released in March 2017.[13]

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On 4 August 2015, Dovetail Games announced plans with Microsoft to bring a number of its future releases to Windows 10 and Xbox One in 2016. The company said that Euro Fishing, currently available on PC through Steam, will be released on Xbox One. The next generation of the Train Simulator franchise, powered by Unreal Engine 4, will be released on both platforms and Dovetail Games Flight Simulator, built on the foundations of Microsoft's Flight technology, will be released on PC.[11] On 15 March 2016 Xbox announced that Flight School will be released on Windows 10.[12]

On 20 April 2023, Dovetail Games announced that they had been acquired by French video game developer Focus Entertainment in a mostly cash transaction. Full financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.[1]

The outer surface of the steel parts is hardened in this process. This process does not provide depth hardening. The case hardening processes are called carbonitriding, carburizing, and nitriding, Nitriding produces hard nitride using nitrogen, carburizing introduces carbon on steel parts surface while carbonitriding involves both nitrogen and carbon to increase hardness. The main advantage of case hardening is that it provides high hardness and wear resistance to steel surfaces keeping the core ductile. The main disadvantage is that it requires control process parameters.

On 9 December 2013, it was announced that RailSimulator.com has changed its name to Dovetail Games.[5] The company said that it was in the early stages of developing a range of completely new simulation products to sit alongside Train Simulator, and this broader perspective required a new company name.[5]

High carbon content provides high hardness and brittleness while low carbon content provides ductility. Alloying elements like chromium nickel and molybdenum provide corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and strength to steel. Different composition has different microstructure and properties which is important in understanding what suitable heat treatments and parameters are required to enhance the properties of that specific steel alloy.

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An additional Heat treatment process named cryogenic treatment is done after hardening and tempering. In this, the steel is subjected to extremely low temperatures of -185°Cor even lower for a long period. This process releases residual stresses from steel parts providing enhanced wear resistance, thermal fatigue, and corrosion. This process is used in the manufacturing of dies, cutting tools, and punches for their prolonged life and enhanced mechanical properties.

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This article provides a comprehensive overview of steel hardening techniques. Steel hardening is essential to tailor the mechanical properties of steel for specific applications. It provides wear resistance, abrasion resistance, and strength to steel parts.

Quenching: In this process, steel parts are heated above recrystallization temperature and then rapidly cooled in fluid-producing martensitic microstructure. This hardening process increases hardness and brittleness while decreasing ductility and toughness.

This hardening process includes high-temperature heating of steel to 800°Cto 950°Cand then rapidly cooling in water followed by tempering to reduce internal stresses. The main advantage of the process is that it provides uniform mechanical properties throughout the steel part compared to case hardening which only hardened the surface.

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On 28 October 2021, Dovetail Games released Bassmaster Fishing 2022 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One. It is an officially licensed game from the real world Bassmaster series of amateur and elite events. The game features 10 pro anglers including Scott Martin and Hank Cherry as well as 8 real world locations. A multiplayer mode also features.[18]

RailWorks' predecessor, Rail Simulator, was developed by Kuju Entertainment, the same company that developed Microsoft Train Simulator with Microsoft. With the release of Rail Simulator in October 2007, Kuju Entertainment finished development and disbanded the development team, turning its attention to the next project.

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Every application requires different mechanical properties which include toughness, hardness, and strength. In designing a specific component, it is essential to know that what are the required mechanical properties for that application.

Not all but some hardening processes improve the machinability of steel which makes it easy to cut, shape, and finish steel parts.

The microstructure of steel play’s important role in the hardening process. All hardening processes cause changes in the microstructure of steel in return changing the mechanical properties of steel. Steel composition is mainly of iron with some carbon content and alloying elements. Different compositions show different microstructures which undergo a transformation when heat treated. When heated above a certain temperature the steel microstructure transforms from ferritic to austenitic which causes dissolution of carbon content and lattice homogenization. Martensitic microstructure in steel is formed when hot metal is rapidly cooled in water. This structure is highly brittle and hard due to high internal stresses and trapped carbon content. This quenched structure is then heated to a high temperature for tempering. Tempering reduces brittleness by secondary phases of precipitation enhancing toughness and ductility

Dovetail Games (DTG), a trading name of RailSimulator.com Ltd (RSC), is a British simulation video game developer and publisher established in 2008 by former Electronic Arts executive Paul Jackson, Fund4Games backers Tim Gatland and Charlie McMicking, and a development team from Kuju Entertainment.

Dovetail Games announced on 1 July 2014 its first new simulation product; a fishing simulation game titled Euro Fishing (initially Dovetail Games Fishing), utilising Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 architecture and released for PC on 4 November 2014, with more formats to follow. The company also announced that it is laying the foundation to using Unreal Engine 4 in future versions of Train Simulator.[6]

Steel parts gone through hardening treatment show high resistance to abrasion and wear which increases the life of the hardened steel.

A lot of real-world case studies on the failure of steel parts in service life refer to inappropriate heat treatment during the manufacturing of parts. All these studies conclude that the proper steel heat treatment steps and parameters should be followed during the manufacturing of parts to reduce failure during service life.

Wrapping or distortion of steel components is seen particularly for complex shapes when they are rapidly cooled from high temperatures (quenching).

Hardened steel increases the brittleness of the steel increasing possibility of cracking and failure under certain conditions.

First, clean the steel part surface thoroughly. Heat the part by using an oxy-acetylene torch to a high temperature of 800°C to 950°C. After heating rapidly cool the part by dipping it in water. For the thick steel part repeat the heating and quenching step several times. Tempering is optional to enhance the ductility of steel parts depending on application requirements.

Is a post-heat treatment process that improves the ductility and toughness of the steel part. It reduces the internal stresses of the structure. The tempering involves heating at a temperature between 150°C to 600°C and then holding for certain hours before cooling. This process transforms martensite into tempered martensite.

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The company also announced that it will be developing and producing all-new flight simulation software based on Microsoft's genre-defining flight technology.[8] Following the announcement, the company announced on 25 July 2014 that it will be working in partnership with Flight One Software (Flight1), a developer and publisher of flight simulation content, to deliver a range of Flight1 add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition.[9] On 9 December 2014, Dovetail Games announced the launch date of Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition would be 18 December 2014.[10]

This heat treatment process is also named as salt bath nitriding. In this hardening process, the steel part is immersed in a molten salt bath heated to a high temperature. The bath contains a specific salt composition of nitrate and cyanide salts. This process causes the diffusion of nitrogen to the steel surface as a result nitride layer is formed. This nitride layer enhances surface hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of steel parts.

Originally focused on developing new content for Kuju Entertainment's Rail Simulator, they would go on to produce successors RailWorks/Train Simulator and Train Sim World, as well as fishing and flight simulation games.

0.3% carbon steel is generally subjected to quenching and tempering. Carburizing or nitriding is used to harden 1018 steel, 1045 and 4140 steel is quenched and tempered. 1018 Steel are used in manufacturing of pins, shafts, studs, and bolts. 1045 Steel are used in manufacturing of hydraulic shafts gears, shafts, and axles. 4140 Steel is used in axles, gears, bolts, crankshafts, and machine tool spindles. The desired mechanical properties requirement for specific application will ensure the specific parameters for heat treatment.

Some heat treatments like case hardening only harden steel from outside so limit the depth hardening. These types of hardening processes are suitable for certain applications.