EN31 alloy steel refers to a chromium-alloyed steel with high carbon content. This steel is well-known for its wear resistance, exceptional hardness and compressive strength, thereby making it an ideal choice for bearings, tools which need high surface durability and precision machine parts. It offers fatigue resistance and good toughness as well, which is equivalent to German100Cr6 or AISI 52100, thereby performing well under heavy loads as well as friction after tempering and hardening. It is used chiefly for wear-resistant elements such as taps, ball and roller bearings, ejector pins, gauges and several other automotive parts like crankshafts and axles and is valued for its toughness, excellent fatigue resistance, high strength, specifically after heat treatment for the enhancement of wear and hardness properties in demanding applications.
Various Applications of EN31
Due to the robust properties of EN31, it is widely applied across several automotive as well as engineering fields:
- Automotive components: This steel is used for heavy-duty pinions, shafts, gears, crankshafts, front axle beams and camshafts.
- Bearings: The primary and foremost application of EN31is in ball and roll bearings.
- Tools and machine parts: EN31 alloy steel is ideal for ejector pins, swaging dies, gauges, general wear-resisting machine components and taps that usually do not need a more complex tool steel quality.
Why is EN31 used
- Toughness: This alloy steel provides impact and good ductility properties, even at low temperatures.
- High wear resistance: To achieve a high surface hardness of between 60 and 67 HRC, EN31 has excellent abrasion resistance.
- High strength: This alloy steel offers compressive and superior tensile strength.
- Fatigue Resistance: EN31 is excellent for the components which are under cyclic loading.
Properties of EN31
- Composition: The composition of EN31 includes chromium and high carbon, between 0.9 to 1.15%.
- Heat treatment: The steel can be tempered and hardened in order to achieve specific wear properties and hardness as well.
Heat treatment
In order to achieve the desired properties of EN31 alloy steel, you have to rely on proper heat treatment. The proper treatment of heat involves the following steps:
- Annealing: It involves heating the steel slowly to 800-810 degree celsius, soaking and then cooling in a furnace for softening for machining.
- Hardening the steel: You need to heat the steel slowly to 800-820 degree celsius and soak thoroughly. Thereafter, you are required to quench it in oil to achieve high hardness.
- Tempering: EN31 needs to be tempered between 150 and 300 degrees Celsius after hardening in order to reduce the brittleness, thereby increasing toughness.
Conclusion
En31 proves to be a reliable choice for applications which need durable parts that can withstand significant amounts of wear as well as stress. B.K. Steel Company deals in all types of steel. Manish Maddan provides the best and highest quality steel to be used for various purposes. You can visit us and buy the steel for several purposes – be it for home, office, or your industry. We deal in all kinds of steel and provide efficient service as well.
FAQs
Q1: Is it resistant to abrasion?
A: Yes, it is exceptionally resistant to abrasion.
Q2: What is the full form of EN steel?
A: The full form of EN steel is European Norm.
