Normalizing
Glossary · Materials & Heat Treatment
At a glance
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- Materials & Heat Treatment
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- 2 terms
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- Written in the shop
Normalizing is heating steel above its transformation range and cooling it in still air to produce a uniform, refined grain structure.
In practice
It leaves the steel harder and stronger than annealing does, with more consistent properties throughout the section. It is often used on forgings and weldments before machining.
Why it matters
Uniform structure means uniform movement. A part machined from material with inconsistent grain structure will distort unpredictably as material is removed.
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