Design and Optimization of Fixtures for High-Pressure Gas Quenching of Transmission Components

Case-hardening is widely used to enhance the durability of transmission gears. Low-pressure carburizing (LPC) and high-pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) offer advantages over other quenching methods, including reduced distortion, higher fatigue strength, and improved wear resistance. Optimizing LPC and HPGQ processes can minimize distortion, making subsequent dimensional corrections more predictable and, in some cases, unnecessary. The geometry and material of the fixture supporting the gears during LPC and HPGQ significantly influence temperature uniformity across the load. This study explores fixture optimization using computational fluid dynamics to achieve uniform temperature distribution during HPGQ.