Vacuum Hardening
With vacuum hardening, the components are treated in a thick-walled furnace at a negative pressure of about 10–3 bar and at temperatures of between 800 and 1,200°C. The components are then quenched using inert gas at high pressure (4-6 bar). An optimal relationship between durability and toughness can be achieved by single or multiple annealing. This process is also environmentally friendly.
Advantages
- low-latency
- No oxidation, smooth surfaces
- Reproducible results
- Decarburisation-free
Materials
- Cold and hot work steels
- High-speed steels
- stainless steels
- Powder metallurgy steels
Available system sizes
- Length 900 mm, width 600 mm, height 900 mm

Typical Values for Vacuum Hardening
What hardness can be achieved by vacuum hardening? Which materials are suitable for this? The overview shows commonly used steel grades for vacuum hardening as well as the achievable service hardness.
| DIN EN 10027-2 Material number | DIN EN 10027-2 (Short) designation (manufacturer’s brand names) | Working hardness |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-work steel | ||
| 1.2080 | X210Cr12 (K100) | 58-60 |
| 1.2083 | X40Cr14 (M310) | 52-54 |
| 1.2085 | X33CrS16 (M314) | 48-50 |
| 1.2311 | 40CrMnMo7 | 48-50 |
| 1.2312 | X36CrMnMoS86 (M200) | 48-50 |
| 1.2316 | X36CrMo17 (M303) | 45-47 |
| 1.2363 | X100CrMoV5 (K305) | 57-60 |
| 1.2379 | X155CrVMo12 (K110) | 61-63 |
| 1.2436 | X210CrW12 (K107) | 58-60 |
| 1.2550 | 60WCrV7 (K455) | 59-61 |
| 1.2631 | X50CrMoW911 | 57-59 |
| 1.2767 | X45NiCrMo4 | 54-56 |
| 1.2842 | 90MnCrV8 (K720) | 63-65 |
| 1.2884 | X210CrCoW12 | 59-61 |
| STM UNIVERSAL | 60-63 | |
| STM WOV 555 | 63-65 | |
| Warmarbeitsstahl | ||
| 1.2342 | X35CrMoV511 | 48-50 |
| 1.2343 | X38CrMoV5-1 (W300) | 54-56 |
| 1.2344 | X40CrMoV5-1 (W302) | 53-55 |
| 1.2367 | X38CrMoV5-3 (W303) | 52-54 |
| 1.2714 | 55NiCrMoV7 | 58-60 |
| High-speed steel (HSS) | ||
| 1.3343 | HS6-5-2 C (S600) | 64-66 |
| 1.3355 HS18-0-1 (S200) 64-66 |
||
| Nichtrostender Stahl | ||
| 1.4021 | X20Cr13 (N320) | 46-48 |
| 1.4034 | X46Cr13 (N540) | 53-55 |
| 1.4112 | X90CrMoV18 (N685) | 55-58 |
| 1.4122 | X39CrMo17-1 (N335) | 47-49 |
| 1.4125 | X105CrMoV17 (N695) | 58-60 |
| 1.4528 | X105CrCoMo18-2 (N690) | 57-60 |
| Powder metallurgy high speed steel | ||
| 1.3377 | HS 3-3-4 (ASP 2005) | 62-64 |
| 1.3352 | HS 4-3-8 (ASP 2053) | 64-66 |
| 1.3345 | HS 6-5-3 (ASP 2023 / S790) | 62-64 |
| S290 | 64-67 | |
| 1.3344 | PM 6-5-3 | 63-65 |
| 1.3202 / 1.3253 | S390 PM | 64-67 |
| STM EWRA | 64-66 | |
| SPM 23 | 64-66 | |
| SPM 150 | 63-65 | |
| CPM 10 V | 62-64 | |
| CPM 15V | 62-64 | |
| CPM 3V | 61-63 | |
| CPM Rex 121 | 68-70 | |
| CPM Rex T15 | 61-63 | |
The max. hardness depends on the cross-section. All information is provided without warranty.
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