Heat Treatment

Precision Thermal Processing for Maximum Performance

Optimize your tools and components to reach their full potential. At voestalpine, we combine state-of-the-art technology with decades of metallurgical expertise to deliver heat treatment solutions that ensure superior hardness, toughness, and wear resistance.

Why Heat Treatment Matters

The quality of a tool is only as good as its heat treatment. Even the highest-grade steel cannot perform without the correct thermal cycle.

Our mission is to provide a “One-Stop-Shop” solution from material selection to final hardening, ensuring your components withstand the most demanding industrial environments.

Our Core Services

We offer a comprehensive range of vacuum and conventional heat treatment processes across our global network of service centers.

1. Vacuum Hardening & Tempering

Our high-pressure vacuum hardening (up to 10 bar) ensures clean, oxidation-free surfaces and minimal distortion.

• Benefits: Bright surface finish, controlled cooling, and repeatable results.
• Applications: Cold work steels, hot work dies, and plastic molds.

2. Nitriding & Nitrocarburizing

Increase surface hardness and corrosion resistance without the risk of distortion associated with high-heat processes.

• Plasma Nitriding: Ideal for complex geometries and partial hardening.
• Gas Nitriding: Superior wear protection for high-load components.

3. Specialized Annealing

• Stress Relieving: Crucial after rough machining to ensure dimensional stability.
• Soft Annealing: Improves machinability and prepares the structure for further processing.

4. Sub-Zero / Cryogenic Treatment

By cooling materials to as low as -150°C, we transform retained austenite into martensite, maximizing dimensional stability and wear life for critical precision tools.

Industry-Leading Quality & Lab Services

Quality is not an afterthought; it is engineered into our process. Our facilities are backed by advanced metallurgical laboratories to validate every batch.

The voestalpine Advantage

• Integrated Expertise: We know the steel because we make the steel. We tailor the heat treatment to the specific chemistry of our BÖHLER and Uddeholm brands.
• Global Footprint: With over 25 service centers worldwide, we offer local expertise with global standards.
• Sustainability: Our modern vacuum furnaces utilize energy-efficient technologies and closed-loop cooling systems to reduce environmental impact.

Ready to optimize your production?

Don’t let poor heat treatment be the weak link in your supply chain. Contact our technical team today to discuss your specific application requirements.