Letter 6050

How to harden AL2024-T351? 

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I am a mechanical engineer for a small aerospace company. I wouldlike to find out a process as well as specification for hardening asection of an Aluminum 2024-T351 one-off part. Part is essentially amachined channel, 2 inch web, shaped in a 33" diam. ring with theflanges of the channel concentric to the ring centerline. Insidesurface of outer flange needs to be hardened for use as a track for acadmium plated chrome steel roller bearing.

1) Can only that surface be hardened, or must entire part betreated?

2) What process and specification can be use to do this?

3) Will process affect heat treat?

4) Any recommended shops? Input is greatly appreciated...

Rob Berger
Aeromet, Inc - Tulsa, OK, USA

Ed. note: Sorry, we can't print answers to question 4 as that one veers out of the technical area into the commercial arena and we can't very well ask our advertising sponsors to pay the cost of maintaining testimonials to their competitors

Well, I don't have the answer to your problem. But I do have aquestion for you. Why are you using 2024-T351? For aerospace usage,2024-T3XX, -T4XX and -T6XX are usually a forbidden tempers due tostress corrosion crack susceptibility. Consider using the 2024-T8XXor another alloy if possible.

Kirk Mueller
Raytheon Systems Co. - El Segundo, CA USA

In principle the 2024-T351 is already heat treated. If you still just want to harden a specific section then here are two tips:

1. Lase induction furnace - very expensive and works only with sheets

2. DC current - very difficult because you have to wrap the rest of the material with Teflon tape.

As a solution I would look at shot-peening, it is cheap and localised.

Dr C A Rodopoulos
University of Sheffield - Sheffield, UK

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