The Normalizing Process

The Normalizing Process

Industrial parts makers frequently perform normalizing in order to soften steels and ferrous metals while also further refining the size of the grains to obtain a tougher, more ductile consistency. This process proves far more cost-effective than some other forms of annealing. It has attained fairly widespread commercial use today.

Typically, normalizing occurs before finishing and after casting, forging or cold-rolling. Steels and other ferrous metals benefit from this process. They might otherwise remain brittle and prone to fracturing after hardening

The Process

During normalizing, a manufacturer re-heats the metal to a temperature slightly above the critical re-crystallization point. This temperature varies depending upon the alloys involved. However, it generally occurs between 810 degrees Centigrade and 930 degrees Centigrade.

Sometimes referred to as the “soaking temperature”, this point also may vary in some cases based upon the thickness of the metal work piece. Manufacturers don’t want to cause the entire work piece to liquefy since this result would result in dimensional distortions. After re-heating and “soaking”, the manufacturer removes the metal from the heat source and allows it to cool gradually at ambient room temperatures. Cooling permits molten metals to recrystallize again.