3D FEM simulation of steel quenching and investigation of the effect of asymmetric geometry on residual stress distribution

During quench hardening of steel components, obtaining the desired distribution of microstructure and residual stresses with minimum distortion is essential in order to achieve production goals and reliable service performance. In this study, a 3D FEM based model, which is integrated into commercial FEA software Msc.Marc® via user subroutines, has been developed to predict temperature history, evolution of microstructure and internal stresses during quenching. For experimental verification, eccentrically drilled C60 steel cylinders were quenched from 830 °C into water at 20 °C. The results indicate that the model can effectively predict the trends in the distribution of residual stresses for 3D asymmetric components.