Surface Failure and Durability of Induction-Hardened Sintered Powder Metal Rollers and Gears with Various Hardened Depths

Abstract

In this report, the effect of hardened depth on failure modes and fatigue strengths of induction-hardened sintered powder metal rollers and spur gears was elucidated, including the effect of relative radius of curvature of the rollers. These experimental results were discussed by an amplitude of ratio of orthogonal shear stress to Vickers hardness. Failure mode of the rollers was spalling due to subsurface origin crack with slight micropits and that of the gears was pitting with spall near the pitch point independent of the hardened depth. The depths of spalling cracks agreed almost with the occurring depths of peak amplitude of the ratio of orthogonal shear stress to Vickers hardness. Surface durability of the test rollers increased as the surface hardness increased and the relative radius of curvature decreased. Surface durability of the test rollers and the test gears was hardly influenced by the hardened depth.