EP0884399A1 - Process for the manufacturing of a steel spring, the obtained product and the steel used for manufacturing said spring - Google Patents

Process for the manufacturing of a steel spring, the obtained product and the steel used for manufacturing said spring Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0884399A1
EP0884399A1 EP98401309A EP98401309A EP0884399A1 EP 0884399 A1 EP0884399 A1 EP 0884399A1 EP 98401309 A EP98401309 A EP 98401309A EP 98401309 A EP98401309 A EP 98401309A EP 0884399 A1 EP0884399 A1 EP 0884399A1
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Prior art keywords
spring
steel
layer
hrc
nitrided
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EP98401309A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP0884399B1 (en
Inventor
Gilles Auclair
Fabrice Lecouturier
Jean-Paul Lebrun
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Ascometal SA
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Ascometal SA
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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C38/00—Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys
    • C22C38/18—Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium
    • C22C38/24—Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium with vanadium
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C38/00—Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys
    • C22C38/18—Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium
    • C22C38/22—Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium with molybdenum or tungsten
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C8/00—Solid state diffusion of only non-metal elements into metallic material surfaces; Chemical surface treatment of metallic material by reaction of the surface with a reactive gas, leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, e.g. conversion coatings, passivation of metals
    • C23C8/02—Pretreatment of the material to be coated
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C8/00—Solid state diffusion of only non-metal elements into metallic material surfaces; Chemical surface treatment of metallic material by reaction of the surface with a reactive gas, leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, e.g. conversion coatings, passivation of metals
    • C23C8/06—Solid state diffusion of only non-metal elements into metallic material surfaces; Chemical surface treatment of metallic material by reaction of the surface with a reactive gas, leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, e.g. conversion coatings, passivation of metals using gases
    • C23C8/08—Solid state diffusion of only non-metal elements into metallic material surfaces; Chemical surface treatment of metallic material by reaction of the surface with a reactive gas, leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, e.g. conversion coatings, passivation of metals using gases only one element being applied
    • C23C8/24—Nitriding
    • C23C8/26—Nitriding of ferrous surfaces

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the manufacture of steel springs intended for be in high demand.
  • this type of spring it is known to use drawn wires in steel whose chemical composition comprises, by weight, from 0.53% to 0.6% of carbon, from 1.2% to 1.6% of silicon, from 0.5% to 0.7% of manganese, from 0.5% to 0.8% chromium, possibly 0.15% to 0.2% vanadium, the rest being iron and impurities resulting from processing.
  • the wires are hot or cold formed to obtain springs which are then forced to a temperature which does not exceed not 400 ° C, in order to release the stresses due to forming, then shot blasted and, finally, covered with a layer of lacquer to protect them against corrosion.
  • the object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks, by proposing a process for the manufacture of springs with high characteristics having a hard layer on their surface with residual stresses of high compression, and which can be manufactured under conditions satisfactory.
  • the subject of the invention is a method of manufacturing a steel spring according to which a drawn steel wire is supplied which has been subjected to quenching followed by tempering at a temperature Tr less than or equal to 500 °. C and having a tensile strength Rm greater than or equal to 1900 MPa, the chemical composition of which comprises, by weight: 0.4% ⁇ VS ⁇ 0.7% 1% ⁇ Yes ⁇ 1.7% 0.4% ⁇ Mn ⁇ 1% 0.3% ⁇ Cr ⁇ 1% 0% ⁇ Mo ⁇ 0.2% 0% ⁇ V ⁇ 0.2% the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from processing.
  • a spring blank is formed and a nitriding surface treatment is carried out on the spring blank at a temperature below the tempering temperature Tr so as to obtain a nitrided surface layer whose nitrogen content is greater than 0.4% over at least the first 20 ⁇ m, said nitrided layer being free from a white surface layer consisting of nitrides ⁇ .
  • the surface hardness of the nitrided surface layer is greater than 64 HRC and greater than 150 ⁇ m thick, the layer thickness nitrided is greater than 150 ⁇ m and the core hardness of the spring is greater than 50 HRC.
  • the nitriding treatment can, for example, be a treatment of ionic nitriding.
  • the chemical composition of the steel is such that: 0.57% ⁇ VS ⁇ 0.6% 1.5% ⁇ Yes ⁇ 1.6% 0.65% ⁇ Mn ⁇ 0.7% 0.7% ⁇ Cr ⁇ 0.8% 0.05% ⁇ Mo ⁇ 0.08% 0.15% ⁇ V ⁇ 0.2% the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from processing.
  • the invention also relates to a steel whose chemical composition comprises, by weight: 0.57% ⁇ VS ⁇ 0.6% 1.5% ⁇ Yes ⁇ 1.6% 0.65% ⁇ Mn ⁇ 0.7% 0.7% ⁇ Cr ⁇ 0.8% 0.05% ⁇ Mo ⁇ 0.08% 0.15% ⁇ V ⁇ 0.2% the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from the production, as well as a spring made of this steel, and comprising on its surface a nitrided layer whose thickness is greater than 150 ⁇ m and the surface hardness is greater than 64 HRC ; the nitrogen content of the nitrided layer is greater than 0.4% over at least the first 20 ⁇ m, and the nitrided layer is free from a white surface layer consisting of nitrides ⁇ ; the spring core hardness is greater than 50 HRC.
  • the wire thus obtained is then cold formed to obtain a spring blank helical.
  • the wire can also be hot formed, the quenching treatment and of income is, then, carried out on the draft of coil spring, and not on the wire.
  • the coil spring blank is then subjected to a treatment of ionic nitriding, known in itself, and carried out at a temperature slightly lower, for example from 15 ° C to 20 ° C, than the effective tempering temperature.
  • the ionic treatment has a sufficient duration, generally from 5 to 20 hours, so as to obtain a nitrided surface layer with a surface hardness greater than 60 HRC, and of thickness greater than 150 ⁇ m.
  • the nitrogen content of the layer nitrided surface is about 1.8% at the extreme surface, and decreases regularly with the depth below the surface. At 50 ⁇ m or even 100 ⁇ m below the surface, the nitrogen content is still more than 0.4%.
  • the nitrided layer does not have a white surface layer consisting of nitrides ⁇ , which is an advantage, because the white layer encountered usually is very brittle and therefore decreases the endurance of the springs nitrided.
  • this treatment has the advantage, on the one hand, of not deteriorating the mechanical characteristics of the steel at the heart of the spring, and in particular of maintain a core hardness greater than 50 HRC, on the other hand, to generate residual compression stresses which may exceed, on the surface, 700 MPa, and attenuating in depth.
  • These surface compression constraints have the advantage of reducing the risk of initiation of surface cracks under the effect of spring stresses.
  • helical springs were produced from a wire 14 mm in diameter, made of steel, the chemical composition of which included, in% by weight: VS Yes Mn Cr Mo S P V 0.584 1.510 0.690 0.746 0.063 0.019 0.006 0.180 the wire was quenched and returned to 420 ° C so as to obtain a tensile strength Rm of 2150 MPa.
  • the spring blanks were subjected to an ionic nitriding treatment carried out at 400 ° C for 11 hours.
  • the nitrided layer obtained on the surface of the springs was characterized by a surface nitrogen content of 1.8%, a nitrogen content at 20 ⁇ m below the surface of 0.4%, a thickness of the nitrided layer of 160 ⁇ m, a surface hardness greater than 64 HRC, the presence of residual compression stresses of approximately 900 MPa at 20 ⁇ m below the surface, and a core hardness greater than 52 HRC.
  • the nitrided layer was free of a white layer consisting of nitrides ⁇

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Springs (AREA)
  • Wire Processing (AREA)
  • Heat Treatment Of Articles (AREA)
  • Solid-Phase Diffusion Into Metallic Material Surfaces (AREA)
  • Heat Treatment Of Strip Materials And Filament Materials (AREA)

Abstract

Steel for making nitride-coated springs comprises by weight 0.57-0.6% carbon, 1.5-1.6% silicon, 0.65-0.7% manganese, 0.7-0.8% chromium, 0.05-0.08% molybdenum and 0.15-0.2% vanadium, plus iron and impurities. Also claimed is a spring made from wire drawn from that steel which has a nitride surface layer over 150 mu m thick. At least the outer 20 mu m contains over 0.4% nitrogen, the layer having a superficial hardness of over 64 HRC while the hardness of the spring interior is over 50 HRC and the layer is free of white epsilon nitrides. Also claimed is the manufacture of a spring from steel wire containing 0.4-0.7% C, 1-1.7% Si, 0.4-1% Mn, 0.3-1% Cr, 0-0.2% Mo and 0-0.2% V, plus Fe and impurities. The wire is tempered at temperature (T) up to 500 degrees C and exhibits a tensile strength of at least 1990 MPa. The spring is given a nitride surface layer by heating below temperature T, and the layer contains over 0.4% N in at least its outer surface 20 mu m and is free of white epsilon nitrides.

Description

La présente invention concerne la fabrication de ressorts en acier destinés à être fortement sollicités.The present invention relates to the manufacture of steel springs intended for be in high demand.

De nombreux ressorts utilisés, par exemple, pour les soupapes de moteurs à combustion interne, pour les embrayages ou pour les suspensions d'automobiles, sont très fortement sollicités en service et doivent avoir une très bonne résistance à la fatigue.Many springs used, for example, for engine valves internal combustion, for clutches or for automobile suspensions, are very strongly stressed in service and must have a very good resistance to tiredness.

Pour fabriquer ce type de ressorts, il est connu d'utiliser des fils tréfilés en acier dont la composition chimique comprend, en poids, de 0,53 % à 0,6 % de carbone, de 1,2 % à 1,6 % de silicium, de 0,5 % à 0,7 % de manganèse, de 0,5 % à 0,8 % de chrome, éventuellement de 0,15 % à 0,2 % de vanadium, le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration. Les fils sont formés à chaud ou à froid pour obtenir des ressorts qui sont alors contraints à une température qui ne dépasse pas 400 °C, afin de relâcher les contraintes dues au formage, puis grenaillés et, enfin, recouverts d'une couche de laque pour les protéger contre la corrosion.To manufacture this type of spring, it is known to use drawn wires in steel whose chemical composition comprises, by weight, from 0.53% to 0.6% of carbon, from 1.2% to 1.6% of silicon, from 0.5% to 0.7% of manganese, from 0.5% to 0.8% chromium, possibly 0.15% to 0.2% vanadium, the rest being iron and impurities resulting from processing. The wires are hot or cold formed to obtain springs which are then forced to a temperature which does not exceed not 400 ° C, in order to release the stresses due to forming, then shot blasted and, finally, covered with a layer of lacquer to protect them against corrosion.

Afin d'améliorer l'endurance à la fatigue des ressorts à hautes caractéristiques, il a été proposé d'utiliser un acier contenant, environ, 0,6 % de carbone, 1,4 % de silicium, 0,7 % de manganèse, 1,5 % de chrome, 0,5 % de molybdène et 0,25 % de vanadium, et d'effectuer sur les ressorts un traitement de nitruration gazeuse à haute température. Cette technique a l'avantage d'améliorer l'endurance des ressorts en créant, à la surface de ceux-ci, une couche dure comportant des contraintes résiduelles de compression. Cependant, le traitement de nitruration à haute température nécessite des teneurs en éléments d'alliage élevées pour d'obtenir une dureté suffisante à coeur des fils constituant les ressorts, et cela présente plusieurs inconvénients : la résilience de l'acier est détériorée, la fabrication est rendue plus difficile par des risques de tapure, de décarburation en surface et de grossissement du grain, le coût est très sensiblement augmenté.To improve the fatigue endurance of high springs characteristics, it has been proposed to use a steel containing, approximately, 0.6% of carbon, 1.4% silicon, 0.7% manganese, 1.5% chromium, 0.5% molybdenum and 0.25% vanadium, and perform a treatment on the springs high temperature gas nitriding. This technique has the advantage of improving the endurance of the springs by creating a hard layer on the surface with residual compression stresses. However, the treatment of nitriding at high temperature requires high levels of alloying elements to obtain sufficient hardness at the core of the wires constituting the springs, and this has several disadvantages: the resilience of the steel is deteriorated, the manufacturing is made more difficult by the risk of spillage, surface decarburization and magnification of the grain, the cost is very significantly increased.

Le but de la présente invention est de remédier à ces inconvénients, en proposant un procédé pour la fabrication de ressorts à hautes caractéristiques présentant à leur surface, une couche dure comportant des contraintes résiduelles de compression importantes, et qui puissent être fabriqués dans des conditions satisfaisantes.The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks, by proposing a process for the manufacture of springs with high characteristics having a hard layer on their surface with residual stresses of high compression, and which can be manufactured under conditions satisfactory.

A cet effet, l'invention a pour objet un procédé de fabrication d'un ressort en acier selon lequel on approvisionne un fil tréfilé en acier ayant été soumis à une trempe suivie d'un revenu à une température Tr inférieure ou égale à 500 °C et ayant une résistance à la traction Rm supérieure ou égale à 1900 MPa, dont la composition chimique comprend, en poids: 0,4 % ≤ C ≤ 0,7 % 1 % ≤ Si ≤ 1,7 % 0,4 % ≤ Mn ≤ 1 % 0,3 % ≤ Cr ≤ 1 % 0 % ≤ Mo ≤ 0,2 % 0 % ≤ V ≤ 0,2 % le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration. Avec le fil, on forme une ébauche de ressort et on effectue sur l'ébauche de ressort un traitement superficiel de nitruration à une température inférieure à la température de revenu Tr de façon à obtenir une couche superficielle nitrurée dont la teneur en azote est supérieure à 0,4 % sur au moins les 20 premiers µm, ladite couche nitrurée étant exempte de couche superficielle blanche constituée de nitrures ε. On obtient, ainsi, un ressort.To this end, the subject of the invention is a method of manufacturing a steel spring according to which a drawn steel wire is supplied which has been subjected to quenching followed by tempering at a temperature Tr less than or equal to 500 °. C and having a tensile strength Rm greater than or equal to 1900 MPa, the chemical composition of which comprises, by weight: 0.4% ≤ VS ≤ 0.7% 1% ≤ Yes ≤ 1.7% 0.4% ≤ Mn ≤ 1% 0.3% ≤ Cr ≤ 1% 0% ≤ Mo ≤ 0.2% 0% ≤ V ≤ 0.2% the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from processing. With the wire, a spring blank is formed and a nitriding surface treatment is carried out on the spring blank at a temperature below the tempering temperature Tr so as to obtain a nitrided surface layer whose nitrogen content is greater than 0.4% over at least the first 20 µm, said nitrided layer being free from a white surface layer consisting of nitrides ε. We thus obtain a spring.

De préférence, la dureté superficielle de la couche superficielle nitrurée est supérieure à 64 HRC et d'épaisseur supérieure à 150 µm, l'épaisseur de la couche nitrurée est supérieure à 150 µm et la dureté à coeur du ressort est supérieure à 50 HRC.Preferably, the surface hardness of the nitrided surface layer is greater than 64 HRC and greater than 150 µm thick, the layer thickness nitrided is greater than 150 µm and the core hardness of the spring is greater than 50 HRC.

Le traitement de nitruration peut, par exemple, être un traitement de nitruration ionique.The nitriding treatment can, for example, be a treatment of ionic nitriding.

De préférence, la composition chimique de l'acier est telle que : 0,57 % ≤ C ≤ 0,6 % 1,5 % ≤ Si ≤ 1,6 % 0,65 % ≤ Mn ≤ 0,7 % 0,7 % ≤ Cr ≤ 0,8 % 0,05 % ≤ Mo ≤ 0,08 % 0,15 % ≤ V < 0,2 % le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration.Preferably, the chemical composition of the steel is such that: 0.57% ≤ VS ≤ 0.6% 1.5% ≤ Yes ≤ 1.6% 0.65% ≤ Mn ≤ 0.7% 0.7% ≤ Cr ≤ 0.8% 0.05% ≤ Mo ≤ 0.08% 0.15% ≤ V <0.2% the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from processing.

L'invention concerne également un acier dont la composition chimique comprend, en poids : 0,57 % ≤ C ≤ 0,6 % 1,5 % ≤ Si ≤ 1,6 % 0,65 % ≤ Mn ≤ 0,7 % 0,7 % ≤ Cr ≤ 0,8 % 0,05 % ≤ Mo ≤ 0,08 % 0,15 % ≤ V ≤ 0,2 % le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration, ainsi qu'un ressort constitué de cet acier, et comportant à sa surface une couche nitrurée dont l'épaisseur est supérieure à 150 µm et la dureté superficielle est supérieure à 64 HRC ; la teneur en azote de la couche nitrurée est supérieure à 0,4 % sur au moins les 20 premiers µm, et la couche nitrurée est exempte de couche superficielle blanche constituée de nitrures ε ; la dureté à coeur du ressort est supérieure à 50 HRC.The invention also relates to a steel whose chemical composition comprises, by weight: 0.57% ≤ VS ≤ 0.6% 1.5% ≤ Yes ≤ 1.6% 0.65% ≤ Mn ≤ 0.7% 0.7% ≤ Cr ≤ 0.8% 0.05% ≤ Mo ≤ 0.08% 0.15% ≤ V ≤ 0.2% the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from the production, as well as a spring made of this steel, and comprising on its surface a nitrided layer whose thickness is greater than 150 μm and the surface hardness is greater than 64 HRC ; the nitrogen content of the nitrided layer is greater than 0.4% over at least the first 20 μm, and the nitrided layer is free from a white surface layer consisting of nitrides ε; the spring core hardness is greater than 50 HRC.

L'invention va maintenant être décrite plus en détails et illustrée par des exemples.The invention will now be described in more detail and illustrated by examples.

La composition chimique de l'acier utilisé pour la fabrication de ressorts selon l'invention comprend, en poids :

  • de 0,4 % à 0,7 %, et, de préférence, de 0,57 % à 0,6% de carbone pour obtenir une dureté suffisante, lorsque la teneur en carbone est supérieure à 0,7 %, la résilience est diminuée ;
  • de 1 % à 1,7 %, et, de préférence, de 1,5 % à 1,6 % de silicium pour obtenir une bonne limite d'élasticité et permettre un fort durcissement de la ferrite en retardant la précipitation de fins carbures ; la teneur en silicium est limitée à 1,7 % pour éviter une décarburation excessive au cours du laminage du fil ;
  • de 0,4 % à 1 %, et, de préférence, de 0,65 % à 0,7 % de manganèse pour obtenir une trempabilité suffisante ; la teneur maximale est limitée à 1 % pour éviter de détériorer la résilience ;
  • de 0,3 % à 1 %, et, de préférence, de 0,7 % à 0,8 % de chrome pour obtenir une dureté suffisante sans détériorer la résilience ; le chrome, susceptible de former des carbures et des nitrures, permet de limiter l'adoucissement au revenu ;
  • moins de 0,2 %, et, de préférence, de 0,05 % à 0,08 % de molybdène ; cet élément augmente la trempabilité de l'acier et ralentit l'adoucissement au revenu ; lorsque la teneur en molybdène est inférieure à 0,05 %, l'effet ralentisseur de l'adoucissement au revenu est négligeable ; lorsque la teneur en molybdène est supérieure à 0,2 %, l'acier est rendu fragile ; de plus, cet élément est très coûteux ;
  • moins de 0,2 %, et, de préférence, de 0,15 % à 0,2 % de vanadium pour augmenter la résistance de l'acier et éviter un grossissement excessif du grain au cours de l'austénitisation ; lorsque la teneur en vanadium est supérieure à 0,2 %, il se forme des carbures trop gros qui ne se redissolvent pas au cours de l'austénitisation et piègent du carbone sous une forme qui n'est pas favorable à une augmentation de résistance de l'acier;
le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration.The chemical composition of the steel used for the manufacture of springs according to the invention comprises, by weight:
  • from 0.4% to 0.7%, and preferably from 0.57% to 0.6% of carbon to obtain sufficient hardness, when the carbon content is greater than 0.7%, the resilience is decreased;
  • from 1% to 1.7%, and preferably from 1.5% to 1.6% of silicon to obtain a good elastic limit and allow strong hardening of the ferrite by delaying the precipitation of fine carbides; the silicon content is limited to 1.7% to avoid excessive decarburization during the rolling of the wire;
  • from 0.4% to 1%, and preferably from 0.65% to 0.7% of manganese to obtain sufficient quenchability; the maximum content is limited to 1% to avoid deteriorating the resilience;
  • from 0.3% to 1%, and preferably from 0.7% to 0.8% chromium to obtain sufficient hardness without deteriorating the resilience; chromium, capable of forming carbides and nitrides, makes it possible to limit softening on tempering;
  • less than 0.2%, and preferably 0.05% to 0.08% molybdenum; this element increases the hardenability of the steel and slows the softening on tempering; when the molybdenum content is less than 0.05%, the retarding effect of the softening on the income is negligible; when the molybdenum content is greater than 0.2%, the steel is made fragile; moreover, this element is very expensive;
  • less than 0.2%, and preferably 0.15% to 0.2% vanadium to increase the strength of the steel and avoid excessive grain enlargement during austenitization; when the vanadium content is greater than 0.2%, excessively large carbides are formed which do not redissolve during austenitization and trap carbon in a form which is not favorable to an increase in strength. steel;
the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from processing.

Avec cet acier, on fabrique un fil de diamètre inférieur à 14 mm. Ce fil est rasé pour supprimer les défauts de surface, puis tréfilé jusqu'au diamètre voulu. Il est alors austénitisé et trempé et revenu au défilé afin d'obtenir une structure martensitique revenue. La trempe se fait après réchauffage à une température comprise entre 800 °C et 950 °C. Le revenu est effectué à une température comprise entre 400 °C et 500 °C et ajustée afin d'obtenir la résistance à la traction Rm visée, comprise entre 1900 MPa et 2200 MPa.With this steel, a wire with a diameter of less than 14 mm is produced. This wire is shaved to remove surface defects, then drawn to the desired diameter. It is then austenitized and soaked and returned to the parade in order to obtain a structure martensitic returned. Quenching takes place after reheating to a temperature between 800 ° C and 950 ° C. Tempering is carried out at a temperature between 400 ° C and 500 ° C and adjusted to obtain the tensile strength Rm targeted, between 1900 MPa and 2200 MPa.

Le fil ainsi obtenu est, alors, formé à froid pour obtenir une ébauche de ressort hélicoïdal.The wire thus obtained is then cold formed to obtain a spring blank helical.

A noter que le fil peut également être formé à chaud, le traitement de trempe et de revenu est, alors, effectué sur l'ébauche de ressort hélicoïdal, et non pas sur le fil.Note that the wire can also be hot formed, the quenching treatment and of income is, then, carried out on the draft of coil spring, and not on the wire.

L'ébauche de ressort hélicoïdal est alors soumise à un traitement de nitruration ionique, connu en lui même, et effectué à une température légèrement inférieure, par exemple de 15 °C à 20 °C, à la température effective de revenu. Le traitement ionique a une durée suffisante, en général de 5 à 20 heures, de façon à obtenir une couche superficielle nitrurée de dureté superficielle supérieure à 60 HRC, et d'épaisseur supérieure à 150 µm. La teneur en azote de la couche superficielle nitrurée est d'environ 1,8 % à l'extrême surface, et décroít régulièrement avec la profondeur sous la surface. A 50 µm, voire à 100 µm sous la surface, la teneur en azote est encore supérieure à 0,4 %. De plus, avec de telles conditions de nitruration, la couche nitrurée ne comporte pas de couche superficielle blanche constituée de nitrures ε, ce qui est un avantage, car la couche blanche rencontrée habituellement est très fragile et, de ce fait, diminue l'endurance des ressorts nitrurés.The coil spring blank is then subjected to a treatment of ionic nitriding, known in itself, and carried out at a temperature slightly lower, for example from 15 ° C to 20 ° C, than the effective tempering temperature. The ionic treatment has a sufficient duration, generally from 5 to 20 hours, so as to obtain a nitrided surface layer with a surface hardness greater than 60 HRC, and of thickness greater than 150 µm. The nitrogen content of the layer nitrided surface is about 1.8% at the extreme surface, and decreases regularly with the depth below the surface. At 50 µm or even 100 µm below the surface, the nitrogen content is still more than 0.4%. In addition, with such conditions of nitriding, the nitrided layer does not have a white surface layer consisting of nitrides ε, which is an advantage, because the white layer encountered usually is very brittle and therefore decreases the endurance of the springs nitrided.

Par ailleurs, ce traitement a l'avantage d'une part, de ne pas détériorer les caractéristiques mécaniques de l'acier à coeur du ressort, et, en particulier, de conserver une dureté à coeur supérieure à 50 HRC, d'autre part, d'engendrer des contraintes résiduelles de compression pouvant dépasser, en surface, 700 MPa, et s'atténuant en profondeur. Ces contraintes de compression en surface ont l'avantage de réduire les risques d'amorçage de fissures en surface sous l'effet des sollicitations du ressort.Furthermore, this treatment has the advantage, on the one hand, of not deteriorating the mechanical characteristics of the steel at the heart of the spring, and in particular of maintain a core hardness greater than 50 HRC, on the other hand, to generate residual compression stresses which may exceed, on the surface, 700 MPa, and attenuating in depth. These surface compression constraints have the advantage of reducing the risk of initiation of surface cracks under the effect of spring stresses.

A titre d'exemple, des ressorts hélicoïdaux on été réalisés à partir d'un fil de 14 mm de diamètre, en acier dont la composition chimique comprenait, en % en poids : C Si Mn Cr Mo S P V 0,584 1,510 0,690 0,746 0,063 0,019 0,006 0,180 le fil a été trempé et revenu à 420 °C de façon à obtenir une résistance à la traction Rm de 2150 MPa. Les ébauches de ressort ont été soumises à un traitement de nitruration ionique effectué à 400 °C pendant 11 heures. La couche nitrurée obtenue à la surface des ressorts était caractérisée par une teneur en azote en surface de 1,8 %, une teneur en azote à 20 µm sous la surface de 0,4 %, une épaisseur de la couche nitrurée de 160 µm, une dureté superficielle supérieure à 64 HRC, la présence de contraintes résiduelles de compression d'environ 900 MPa à 20 µm sous la surface, et une dureté à coeur supérieure à 52 HRC. La couche nitrurée était exempte de couche blanche constituée de nitrures εBy way of example, helical springs were produced from a wire 14 mm in diameter, made of steel, the chemical composition of which included, in% by weight: VS Yes Mn Cr Mo S P V 0.584 1.510 0.690 0.746 0.063 0.019 0.006 0.180 the wire was quenched and returned to 420 ° C so as to obtain a tensile strength Rm of 2150 MPa. The spring blanks were subjected to an ionic nitriding treatment carried out at 400 ° C for 11 hours. The nitrided layer obtained on the surface of the springs was characterized by a surface nitrogen content of 1.8%, a nitrogen content at 20 µm below the surface of 0.4%, a thickness of the nitrided layer of 160 µm, a surface hardness greater than 64 HRC, the presence of residual compression stresses of approximately 900 MPa at 20 µm below the surface, and a core hardness greater than 52 HRC. The nitrided layer was free of a white layer consisting of nitrides ε

Claims (8)

Procédé de fabrication d'un ressort en acier caractérisé en ce que : on approvisionne un fil tréfilé en acier ayant été soumis à une trempe et à un revenu à une température Tr inférieure ou égale à 500 °C et ayant une résistance à la traction Rm supérieure ou égale à 1900 MPa, dont la composition chimique comprend, en poids: 0,4 % ≤ C ≤ 0,7 % 1 % ≤ Si ≤ 1,7 % 0,4 % ≤ Mn ≤ 1 % 0,3 % ≤ Cr ≤ 1 % 0 % ≤ Mo ≤ 0,2 % 0 % ≤ V ≤ 0,2 %
le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration, on forme une ébauche de ressort, et on effectue sur l'ébauche de ressort un traitement superficiel de nitruration à une température inférieure à la température de revenu Tr de façon à obtenir une couche superficielle nitrurée dont la teneur en azote est supérieure à 0,4 % au moins sur les 20 premiers µm, ladite couche nitrurée étant exempte de couche superficielle blanche constituée de nitrures ε. Method for manufacturing a steel spring, characterized in that: a drawn steel wire is supplied which has been subjected to quenching and tempering at a temperature Tr less than or equal to 500 ° C. and having a tensile strength Rm greater than or equal to 1900 MPa, the chemical composition of which comprises, in weight: 0.4% ≤ VS ≤ 0.7% 1% ≤ Yes ≤ 1.7% 0.4% ≤ Mn ≤ 1% 0.3% ≤ Cr ≤ 1% 0% ≤ Mo ≤ 0.2% 0% ≤ V ≤ 0.2%
the rest being iron and impurities resulting from the production, we form a spring blank, and a surface nitriding treatment is carried out on the spring blank at a temperature below the tempering temperature Tr so as to obtain a nitrided surface layer of which the nitrogen content is greater than at least 0.4% over the first 20 µm, said nitrided layer being free of a white surface layer consisting of ε nitrides. Procédé selon la revendication 1 caractérisée en ce que la dureté superficielle de la couche superficielle nitrurée est supérieure à 64 HRC et d'épaisseur supérieure à 150 µm, la dureté à coeur du ressort étant supérieure à 50 HRC.Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the hardness surface of the nitrided surface layer is greater than 64 HRC and thicker than 150 µm, the core hardness of the spring being greater than 50 HRC. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2 caractérisée en ce que l'épaisseur de la couche nitrurée est supérieure à 150 µm.Method according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that the thickness of the nitrided layer is greater than 150 μm. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendication 1 à 3 caractérisée en ce que la dureté à coeur du ressort est supérieure à 50 HRC.Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the hardness at the core of the spring is greater than 50 HRC. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4 caractérisé en ce que le traitement de nitruration est un traitement de nitruration ionique.Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that that the nitriding treatment is an ionic nitriding treatment. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5 caractérisée en ce que la composition chimique de l'acier est telle que : 0,57 % ≤ C ≤ 0,6 % 1,5% ≤ Si ≤ 1,6% 0,65 % ≤ Mn ≤ 0,7 % 0,7 % ≤ Cr ≤ 0,8 % 0,05 % ≤ Mo ≤ 0,08 % 0,15 % ≤ V ≤ 0,2 %
le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration.Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the chemical composition of the steel is such that: 0.57% ≤ VS ≤ 0.6% 1.5% ≤ Yes ≤ 1.6% 0.65% ≤ Mn ≤ 0.7% 0.7% ≤ Cr ≤ 0.8% 0.05% ≤ Mo ≤ 0.08% 0.15% ≤ V ≤ 0.2%
the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from processing. Ressort caractérisé en ce qu'il est constitué d'un fil tréfilé en acier dont la composition chimique comprend, en poids : 0,57 % ≤ C ≤ 0,6 % 1,5 % ≤ Si ≤ 1,6 % 0,65 % ≤ Mn ≤ 0,7 % 0,7 % ≤ Cr ≤ 0,8 % 0,05 % ≤ Mo ≤ 0,08 % 0,15 % ≤ V ≤ 0,2 %
le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration,
et en ce qu'il comporte à sa surface une couche nitrurée dont la teneur en azote sur au moins les 20 premiers µm est supérieure à 0,4 %, dont l'épaisseur est supérieure à 150 µm et la dureté superficielle est supérieure à 64 HRC, la dureté à coeur du ressort étant supérieure à 50 HRC, la couche nitrurée étant exempte de couche superficielle blanche constituée de nitrures ε.Spring characterized in that it consists of a drawn wire of steel, the chemical composition of which comprises, by weight: 0.57% ≤ VS ≤ 0.6% 1.5% ≤ Yes ≤ 1.6% 0.65% ≤ Mn ≤ 0.7% 0.7% ≤ Cr ≤ 0.8% 0.05% ≤ Mo ≤ 0.08% 0.15% ≤ V ≤ 0.2%
the rest being iron and impurities resulting from the production,
and in that it comprises on its surface a nitrided layer whose nitrogen content on at least the first 20 µm is greater than 0.4%, whose thickness is greater than 150 µm and the surface hardness is greater than 64 HRC, the hardness at the core of the spring being greater than 50 HRC, the nitrided layer being free of a white surface layer made up of ε nitrides. Acier pour la fabrication de ressorts nitrurés en surface, caractérisé en ce que sa composition chimique est telle que : 0,57 % ≤ C ≤ 0,6 % 1,5 % ≤ Si ≤ 1,6 % 0,65 % ≤ Mn ≤ 0,7 % 0,7 % ≤ Cr ≤ 0,8 % 0,05 % ≤ Mo ≤ 0,08 % 0,15 % ≤ V ≤ 0,2 %
le reste étant du fer et des impuretés résultant de l'élaboration.Steel for the manufacture of nitrided springs on the surface, characterized in that its chemical composition is such that: 0.57% ≤ VS ≤ 0.6% 1.5% ≤ Yes ≤ 1.6% 0.65% ≤ Mn ≤ 0.7% 0.7% ≤ Cr ≤ 0.8% 0.05% ≤ Mo ≤ 0.08% 0.15% ≤ V ≤ 0.2%
the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from processing.
EP98401309A 1997-06-04 1998-06-02 Process for the manufacturing of a steel spring, the obtained product and the steel used for manufacturing said spring Expired - Lifetime EP0884399B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9706848 1997-06-04
FR9706848A FR2764219B1 (en) 1997-06-04 1997-06-04 METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A STEEL SPRING, SPRING OBTAINED AND STEEL FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH A SPRING

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EP0884399A1 true EP0884399A1 (en) 1998-12-16
EP0884399B1 EP0884399B1 (en) 2002-08-14

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AT (1) ATE222299T1 (en)
DE (1) DE69807155T2 (en)
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Cited By (2)

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WO2002002840A1 (en) * 2000-07-04 2002-01-10 Robert Bosch Gmbh Coil spring from an alloy steel and method for producing such coil springs
DE10056842A1 (en) * 2000-11-16 2002-06-06 Bosch Gmbh Robert Process for surface treating a spring steel wire comprises nitriding the wire surface in such a way that a diffusion layer is formed on the whole surface of the wire without using a connecting layer between the diffusion layer and the wire

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WO2002002840A1 (en) * 2000-07-04 2002-01-10 Robert Bosch Gmbh Coil spring from an alloy steel and method for producing such coil springs
DE10056842A1 (en) * 2000-11-16 2002-06-06 Bosch Gmbh Robert Process for surface treating a spring steel wire comprises nitriding the wire surface in such a way that a diffusion layer is formed on the whole surface of the wire without using a connecting layer between the diffusion layer and the wire
DE10056842B4 (en) * 2000-11-16 2005-06-23 Robert Bosch Gmbh Process for the surface treatment of compression coil springs

Also Published As

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FR2764219B1 (en) 1999-07-16
DE69807155D1 (en) 2002-09-19
PT884399E (en) 2002-11-29
ATE222299T1 (en) 2002-08-15
ES2182243T3 (en) 2003-03-01
DK0884399T3 (en) 2002-12-09
FR2764219A1 (en) 1998-12-11
DE69807155T2 (en) 2003-05-08
EP0884399B1 (en) 2002-08-14

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