Stress Relieving

Process Documentation

Technical Overview

Stress Relieving is a sub-critical thermal process performed to reduce internal residual stresses accumulated during heavy manufacturing operations such as machining, grinding, welding, casting, or cold forming. This prevents dimensional warping during subsequent finish grinding.

Metallurgical Principles

Unlike annealing or normalizing, stress relieving is performed below the critical transformation temperature. Therefore, it relieves mechanical stresses without modifying the core crystal structure (ferrite/pearlite phases) or altering the bulk hardness.

Typical Thermal Cycle Parameters

Heated uniformly to 550-650?C, soaked for 1 to 2 hours depending on section thickness, then slowly cooled in the furnace or still air to prevent thermal gradients.

Key Component Applications

Commonly specified for: Welded machine beds, casting molds, precision crankshafts before grinding, and complex machined components.

Process Specifications Table