annealing; lose hardness when heated
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb
(of metal tools) to lose hardness when heated during use; to lose temper
Refers to the unintentional softening of hardened steel tools when they overheat during grinding, cutting, or drilling operations. In metallurgy, this is called 'losing temper.'
This drill bit lost its temper after running at high speed and couldn't cut through the steel plate.
When grinding, pay attention to adding water for cooling to prevent the cutting tool from losing its hardness.
verb
to anneal; to heat metal to a specific temperature and cool slowly to reduce hardness and brittleness
A controlled heat treatment process used in metallurgy to soften metal, relieve internal stresses, increase ductility, and improve machinability. The process involves heating to a specific temperature, holding for a set time, then cooling slowly (usually in a furnace).
These spring steels need to be annealed before they can be machined.
Annealing can reduce the brittleness of metal and improve its plasticity.
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After heating the workpiece to 700 degrees, perform slow annealing inside the furnace.