Hardening & Tempering is a two-stage heat treatment process used to optimize the mechanical properties of steel components. During hardening, the component is heated to its austenitizing temperature and rapidly quenched to form a hard martensitic structure. The component is then tempered at a controlled temperature to reduce brittleness, relieve internal stresses and improve toughness while retaining the required hardness.

This process produces an ideal balance of strength, toughness, impact resistance and fatigue performance. It is widely selected for engineering components that must withstand dynamic loading, heavy-duty service and repeated mechanical stresses without premature failure.