  APPLICATION OF LIBERTY ENGINE MATERIALS TO THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY[1] [Footnote 1: Paper presented at the summer meeting of the S. A. E. at Ottawa Beach in June, 1919.] The success of the Liberty engine program was an engineering achievement in which the science of metallurgy played an important part. The reasons for the use of certain materials and certain treatments for each part are given with recommendations for their application to the problems of automotive industry. The most important items to be taken into consideration in the selection of material for parts of this type are uniformity and machineability. It has been demonstrated many times that the ordinary grades of bessemer screw stock are unsatisfactory for aviation purposes, due to the presence of excessive amounts of unevenly distributed phosphorus and sulphide segregations. For this reason, material finished by the basic open hearth process was selected, in accordance with the following specifications: Carbon, 0.150 to 0.250 per cent; manganese, 0.500 to 0.800 per cent; phosphorus, 0.045 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.060 to 0.090 per cent. This material in the cold-drawn condition will show: Elastic limit, 50,000 lb. per square inch, elongation in 2 in., 10 per cent, reduction of area, 35 per cent. This material gave as uniform physical properties as S. A. E. No. 1020 steel and at the same time was sufficiently free cutting to produce a smooth thread and enable the screw-machine manufacturers to produce, to the same thread limits, approximately 75 per cent as many parts as from bessemer screw stock. There are but seven carbon-steel carbonized parts on the Liberty engine. The most important are the camshaft, the camshaft rocker lever roller and the tappet. The material used for parts of this type was S. A. E. No. 1,020 steel, which is of the following chemical analysis: Carbon 0.150 to 0.250 per cent; manganese, 0.300 to 0.600 per cent; phosphorus, 0.045 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.050 maximum per cent. The advantage of direct quenching from the carbonizing heat is doubtless one of economy, and in many cases will save the cost of a reheating. Specifications for case hardening, issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers, have lately been revised; whereas they formerly called for a slow cooling, they now permit a quenching from the pot. Doubtless this is a step in advance. Warpage caused by quenching can be reduced to a minimum by thoroughly annealing the stock before any machine work is done on it. Another advantage obtained from rapid cooling from the carbonizing heat is the retaining of the majority of the excess cementite in solution which produces a less brittle case and by so doing reduces the liability of grinding checks and chipping of the case in actual service. In the case of the camshaft, it is not possible to quench directly from the carbonizing heat because of distortion and therefore excessive breakage during straightening operations. All Liberty camshafts were cooled slowly from carbonizing heat and hardened by a single reheating to a temperature of from 1,380 to 1,430°F. and quenching in water. Considerable trouble has always been experienced in obtaining uniform hardness on finished camshafts. This is caused by insufficient water circulation in the quenching tank, which allows the formation of steam pockets to take place, or by decarbonization of the case during heating by the use of an overoxidizing flame. Another cause, which is very often overlooked, is due to the case being ground off one side of cam more than the other and is caused by the roughing master cam being slightly different from the finishing master cam. Great care should be taken to see that this condition does not occur, especially when the depth of case is between 1/32 and 3/64 in.
Low-stressed, carbon-steel forgings include such parts as carbureter control levers, etc. The important criterion for parts of this type is ease of fabrication and freedom from over-heated and burned forgings. The material used for such parts was S. A. E. No. 1,030 steel, which is of the following chemical composition: Carbon, 0.250 to 0.350 per cent; manganese, 0.500 to 0.800 per cent; phosphorus, 0.045 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.050 maximum per cent. To obtain good machineability, all forgings produced from this steel were heated to a temperature of from 1,575 to 1,625°F. to refine the grain of the steel thoroughly and quenched in water and then tempered to obtain proper machineability by heating to a temperature of from 1,000 to 1,100°F. and cooled slowly or quenched. Forgings subjected to this heat treatment are free from hard spots and will show a Brinell hardness of 177 to 217, which is proper for all ordinary machining operations. Great care should be taken not to use steel for parts of this type containing less than 0.25 per cent carbon, because the lower the carbon the greater the liability of hard spots, and the more difficult it becomes to eliminate them. The only satisfactory method so far in commercial use for the elimination of hard spots is to give forgings a very severe quench from a high temperature followed by a proper tempering heat to secure good machine ability as outlined above. The important carbon-steel forgings consisted of the cylinders, the propeller-hubs, the propeller-hub flange, etc. The material used for parts of this type was S. A. E. No. 1,045 steel, which is of the following chemical composition: Carbon, 0.400 to 0.500 per cent; manganese, 0.500 to 0.800 per cent; phosphorus, 0.045 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.050 maximum per cent. All forgings made from this material must show, after heat treatment, the following minimum physical properties: Elastic limit, 70,000; lb. per square inch, elongation in 2 in., 18 per cent, reduction of area, 45; per cent, Brinell hardness, 217 to 255. To obtain these physical properties, the forgings were quenched in water from a temperature of 1,500 to 1,550°F., followed by tempering to meet proper Brinell requirements by heating to a temperature of 1,150 to 1,200°F. and cooled slowly or The principal carbon-steel pressed parts used on the Liberty engine were the water jackets and the exhaust manifolds. The material used for parts of this type was S. A. E. No. 1,010 steel, which is of the following chemical composition: Carbon, 0.05 to 0.15 per cent; manganese, 0.30 to 0.60 per cent; phosphorus, 0.045 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.045 maximum per cent. No trouble was experienced in the production of any parts from this material with the exception of the water jacket. Due to the particular design of the Liberty cylinder assembly, many failures occurred in the early days, due to the top of the jacket cracking with a brittle fracture. It was found that these failures were caused primarily from the use of jackets which showed small scratches or die marks at this joint and secondarily by improper annealing of the jackets themselves between the different forming operations. By a careful inspection for die marks and by giving the jackets 1,400°F. annealing before the last forming operation, it was possible to completely eliminate the trouble encountered. HIGHLY STRESSED PARTSThe highly stressed parts on the Liberty engine consisted of the connecting-rod bolt, the main-bearing bolt, the propeller-hub key, etc. The material used for parts of this type was selected at the option of the manufacturer from standard S. A. E. steels, the composition of which are given in Table 11.
The heat treatment employed to obtain these physical properties consisted in quenching from a temperature of 1,525 to 1,575°F., in oil, followed by tempering at a temperature of from 925 to 975°F. Due to the extremely fine limits used on all threaded parts for the Liberty engine, a large percentage of rejection was due to warpage and scaling of parts. To eliminate this objection, many of the Liberty engine builders adopted the use of heat-treated and cold-drawn alloy steel for their highly stressed parts. On all sizes up to and including 3/8 in. in diameter, the physical properties were secured by merely normalizing the hot-rolled bars by heating to a temperature of from 1,525 to 1,575°F., and cooling in air, followed by the usual cold-drawing reductions. For parts requiring stock over 3/8 in. in diameter, the physical properties desired were obtained by quenching and tempering the hot-rolled bars before cold-drawing. It is the opinion that the use of heat-treated and cold-drawn bars is very good practice, provided proper inspection is made to guarantee the uniformity of heat treatment and, therefore, the uniformity of the physical properties of the finished parts. The question has been asked many times by different manufacturers, as to which alloy steel offers the best machineability when heat-treated to a given Brinell hardness. The general consensus of opinion among the screw-machine manufacturers is that S. A. E. No. 6,130 steel gives the best machineability and that S. A. E. No. 2,330 steel would receive second choice of the three specified. In the finishing of highly stressed parts for aviation engines, extreme care must be taken to see that all tool marks are eliminated, unless they are parallel to the axis of strain, and that proper radii are maintained at all changes of section. This is of the utmost importance to give proper fatigue resistance to the part in question. GEARSThe material used for all gears on the Liberty engine was selected at the option of the manufacturer from the following
All gears were heat-treated to a scleroscope hardness of from 55 to 55. The heat treatment used to secure this hardness consisted in quenching the forgings from a temperature of 1,550 to 1,600°F. in oil and annealing for good machineability at a temperature of from 1,300 to 1,350°F. Forgings treated in this manner showed a Brinell hardness of from 177 to 217. RATE OF COOLINGAt the option of the manufacturer, the above treatment of gear forgings could be substituted by normalizing the forgings at a temperature of from 1,550 to 1,600°F. The most important criterion for proper normalizing, consisted in allowing the forgings to cool through the critical temperature of the steel, at a rate not to exceed 50°F. per hour. For the two standard steels used, this consisted in cooling from the normalizing temperature down to a temperature of 1,100°F., at the rate indicated. Forgings normalized in this manner will show a Brinell hardness of from 177 to 217. The question has been repeatedly asked as to which treatment will produce the higher quality finished part. In answer to this I will state that on simple forgings of comparatively small section, the normalizing treatment will produce a finished part which is of equal quality to that of the quenched and annealed forgings. However, in the case of complex forgings, or those of large section, more uniform physical properties of the finished part will be obtained by quenching and annealing the forgings in the place of normalizing. The question has been asked by many engineers, why is the comparatively low scleroscope hardness specified for gears? The reason for this is that at best the life of an aviation engine is short, as compared with that of an automobile, truck or tractor, and that shock resistance is of vital importance. A sclerescope hardness of from 55 to 65 will give sufficient resistance to wear to prevent replacements during the life of an aviation engine, while at the same time this hardness produces approximately 50 per cent greater shock-resisting properties to the gear. In the case of the automobile, truck or tractor, resistance to wear is the main criterion and for that reason the higher hardness is specified. Great care should be taken in the design of an aviation engine gear to eliminate sharp corners at the bottom of teeth as well as in keyways. Any change of section in any stressed part of an aviation engine must have a radius of at least 1/32 in. to give proper shock and fatigue resistance. This fact has been demonstrated many times during the Liberty engine program. CONNECTING RODSThe material used for all connecting rods on the Liberty engine was selected at the option of the manufacturer from one of two standard S. A. E. steels, the composition of which are given in Table 13.
The heat treatment used to secure these physical properties consisted in normalizing the forgings at a temperature of from 1,550 to 1,600°F., followed by cooling in the furnace or in air. The forgings were then quenched in oil from a temperature of from 1,420 to 1,440°F. for the No. X-3,335 steel, or from a temperature of from 1,500 to 1,525°F. for No. 6,135 steel, followed by tempering at a temperature of from 1,075 to 1,150°F. At the option of the manufacturer, the normalizing treatment could be substituted by quenching the forgings from a temperature of from 1,550 to 1,600°F., in oil, and annealing for the best machineability at a temperature of from 1,300 to 1,350°F. The double quench, however, did not prove satisfactory on No. X-3,335 steel, due to the fact that it was necessary to remove forgings from the quenching bath while still at a temperature of from 300 to 500°F. to eliminate any possibility of cracking. In view of the fact that this practice is difficult to carry out in the average heat-treating plant, considerable trouble was experienced. The most important criterion in the production of aviation engine connecting rods is the elimination of burned or severely overheated forgings. Due to the particular design of the forked rod, considerable trouble was experienced in this respect because of the necessity of reheating the forgings before they are completely forged. As a means of elimination of burned forgings, test lugs were forged on the channel section as well as on the top end of fork. After the finish heat treatment, these test lugs were nicked and broken and the fracture of the steel carefully examined. This precaution made it possible to eliminate burned forgings as the test lugs were placed on sections which would be most likely to become burned. There is a great difference of opinion among engineers as to what physical properties an aviation engine connecting rod should have. Many of the most prominent engineers contend that a connecting rod should be as stiff as possible. To produce rods in this manner in any quantity, it is necessary for the final heat treatment to be made on the semi-machined rod. This practice would make it necessary for a larger percentage of the semi-machined rods to be cold-straightened after the finish heat In view of the fact that a connecting rod functions as a strut, it is considered that this part should be only stiff enough to prevent any whipping action during the running of the engine. The greater the fatigue-resisting property that one can put into the rod after this stiffness is reached, the longer the life of the rod will be. This is the reason for the Brinell limits mentioned being specified. In connection with the connecting rod, emphasis must be laid on the importance of proper radii at all changes of section. The connecting rods for the first few Liberty engines were machined with sharp corners at the point where the connecting-rod bolt-head fits on assembly. On the first long endurance test of a Liberty engine equipped with rods of this type, failure resulted from fatigue starting at this point. It is interesting to note that every rod on the engine which did not completely fail at this point had started to crack. The adoption of a 1/32-in. radius at this point completely eliminated fatigue failures on Liberty rods. CRANKSHAFTThe crankshaft was the most highly stressed part of the entire Liberty engine, and, therefore, every metallurgical precaution was taken to guarantee the quality of this part. The material used for the greater portion of the Liberty crankshafts produced was nickel-chromium steel of the following chemical composition: Carbon, 0.350 to 0.450 per cent; manganese, 0.300 to 0.600 per cent; phosphorus, 0.040 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.045 maximum per cent; nickel, 1.750 to 2.250 per cent; chromium, 0.700 to 0.900 per cent. Each crankshaft was heat-treated to show the following minimum physical properties: Elastic limit, 116,000 lb. per square inch; elongation in 2 in., 16 per cent, reduction of area, 50 per cent, Izod impact, 34 ft.-lb.; Brinell hardness, 266 to 321. For every increase of 4,000 lb. per square inch in the elastic limit above 116,000 lb. per square inch, the minimum Izod impact required was reduced 1 ft.-lb. The heat treatment used to produce these physical properties consisted in normalizing the forgings at a temperature of from 1,550 to 1,600°F., followed by quenching in water at a temperature A prolongation of not less than the diameter of the forging bearing was forged on one end of each crankshaft. This was removed from the shaft after the finish heat treatment, and physical tests were made on test specimens which were cut from it at a point half way between the center and the surface. One tensile test and one impact test were made on each crankshaft, and the results obtained were recorded against the serial number of the shaft in question. This serial number was carried through all machining operations and stamped on the cheek of the finished shaft. In addition to the above tensile and impact tests, at least two Brinell hardness determinations were made on each shaft. All straightening operations on the Liberty crankshaft which were performed below a temperature of 500°F. were followed by retempering at a temperature of approximately 200°F. below the original tempering temperature. Another illustration of the importance of proper radii at all changes of section is given in the case of the Liberty crankshaft. The presence of tool marks or under cuts must be completely eliminated from an aviation engine crankshaft to secure proper service. During the duration of the Liberty program, four crankshafts failed from fatigue, failures starting from sharp corners at bottom of propeller-hub keyway. Two of the shafts that failed showed torsional spirals running more than completely around the shaft. As soon as this difficulty was removed no further trouble was experienced. One of the most important difficulties encountered in connection with the production of Liberty crankshafts was hair-line seams. The question of hair-line seams has been discussed to greater length by engineers and metallurgists during the war than any other single question. Hair-line seams are caused by small non-metallic inclusions in the steel. There is every reason to believe that these inclusions are in the greater majority of cases manganese sulphide. There is a great difference of opinion as to the exact effect of hair-line seams on the service of an aviation It was found that hair-line seams occur generally on high nickel-chromium steels. One of the main reasons why the comparatively mild analysis nickel-chromium steel was used was due to the very few hair-line seams present in it. It was also determined that the hair lines will in general be found near the surface of the forgings. For that reason, as much finish as possible was allowed for machining. A number of tests have been made on forging bars to determine the depths at which hair-line seams are found, and many cases came up in which hair-line seams were found 3/8 in. from the surface of the bar. This means that in case a crankshaft does not show hair-line seams on the ground surface this is no indication that it is free from such a defect. One important peculiarity of nickel-chromium steel was brought out from the results obtained on impact tests. This peculiarity is known as "blue brittleness." Just what the effect of this is on the service of a finished part depends entirely upon the design of the particular part in question. There have been no failures of any nickel-chromium steel parts in the automotive industry which could in any way be traced to this phenomena. Whether or not nickel-chromium-steel forgings will show "blue brittleness" depends entirely upon the temperature at which they are tempered and their rate of cooling from this temperature. The danger range for tempering nickel-chromium steels is between a temperature of from 400 to 1,100°F. From the data so far gathered on this phenomena, it is necessary that the nickel-chromium steel to show "blue brittleness" be made by the acid process. There has never come to my attention a single instance in which basic open hearth steel has shown this phenomena. Just why the acid open hearth steel should be sensitive to "blue brittleness" is not known. All that is necessary to eliminate the presence of "blue brittleness" is to quench all nickel-chromium-steel forgings in water from their tempering temperature. The last 20,000 Liberty crankshafts that were made were quenched in this manner.
The piston pin on an aviation engine must possess maximum resistance to wear and to fatigue. For this reason, the piston pin is considered, from a metallurgical standpoint, the most important part on the engine to produce in quantities and still possess the above characteristics. The material used for the Liberty engine piston pin was S. A. E. No. 2315 steel, which is of the following chemical composition: Carbon, 0.100 to 0.200 per cent; manganese, 0.500 to 0.800 per cent; phosphorus, 0.040 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.045 maximum per cent; nickel, 3.250 to 3.750 per cent. Each finished piston pin, after heat treatment, must show a minimum scleroscope hardness of the case of 70, a scleroscope hardness of the core of from 35 to 55 and a minimum crushing strength when supported as a beam and the load applied at the center of 35,000 lb. The heat treatment used to obtain the above physical properties consisted in carburizing at a temperature not to exceed 1,675°F., for a sufficient length of time to secure a case of from 0.02 to 0.04 in. deep. The pins are then allowed to cool slowly from the carbonizing heat, after which the hole is finish-machined and the pin cut to length. The finish heat treatment of the piston pin consisted in quenching in oil from a temperature of from 1,525 to 1,575°F. to refine the grain of core properly and then quenching in oil at a temperature of from 1,340 to 1,380°F. to refine and harden the grain of the case properly, as well as to secure proper hardness of core. After this quenching, all piston pins are tempered in oil at a temperature of from 375 to 400°F. A 100 per cent inspection for scleroscope hardness of the case and the core was made, and no failures were ever recorded when the above material and heat treatment was used. APPLICATION TO THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRYThe information given on the various parts of the Liberty engine applies with equal force to the corresponding parts in the construction of an automobile, truck or tractor. We recommend as first choice for carbon-steel screw-machine parts material produced by the basic open hearth process and having the following chemical composition; Carbon, 0.150 to 0.250 per cent; manganese, 0.500 to 0.800 per cent; phosphorus, 0.045 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.075 to 0.150 per cent. As second choice for carbon-steel screw-machine parts we recommend ordinary bessemer screw stock, purchased in accordance with S. A. E. specification No. 1114. The advantage of using No. 1114 steel lies in the fact that the majority of warehouses carry standard sizes of this material in stock at all times. The disadvantage of using this material is due to its lack of uniformity. The important criterion for transmission gears is resistance to wear. To secure proper resistance to wear a Brinell hardness of from 512 to 560 must be obtained. The material selected to obtain this hardness should be one which can be made most nearly uniform, will undergo forging operations the easiest, will be the hardest to overheat or burn, will machine best and will respond to a good commercial range of heat treatment. It is a well-known fact that the element chromium, when in the form of chromium carbide in alloy steel, offers the greatest resistance to wear of any combination yet developed. It is also a well-known fact that the element nickel in steel gives excellent shock-resisting properties as well as resistance to wear but not nearly as great a resistance to wear as chromium. It has been standard practice for a number of years for many manufacturers to use a high nickel-chromium steel for transmission gears. A typical nickel-chromium gear specification is as follows: Carbon, 0.470 to 0.520 per cent; manganese, 0.500 to 0.800 per cent; phosphorus, 0.040 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.045 maximum per cent; chromium, 0.700 to 0.950 per cent. There is no question but that a gear made from material of such an analysis will give excellent service. However, it is possible to obtain the same quality of service and at the same time appreciably reduce the cost of the finished part. The gear steel specified is of the air-hardening type. It is extremely sensitive to secondary pipe, as well as seams, and is extremely difficult to forge and very easy to overheat. The heat-treatment range is very wide, but the danger from quenching cracks is very great. In regard to the machineability, this material is the hardest to machine of any alloy steel known.
If the nickel content of this steel is eliminated, and the percentage of chromium raised slightly, an ideal transmission-gear material is obtained. This would, therefore, be of the following composition: Carbon, 0.470 to 0.520 per cent; manganese, 0.500 to 0.800 per cent; phosphorus, 0.040 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.045 maximum per cent; chromium, 0.800 to 1.100 per cent. The important criterion in connection with the use of this material is that the steel be properly deoxidized, either through the use of ferrovanadium or its equivalent. Approximately 2,500 sets of transmission gears are being made daily from material of this analysis and are giving entirely satisfactory results in service. The heat treatment of the above material for transmission gears is as follows: "Normalize forgings at a temperature of from 1,5.50 to 1,600°F. Cool from this temperature to a temperature of 1,100°F. at the rate of 50° per hour. Cool from 1,100°F., either in air or quench in water." Forgings so treated will show a Brinell hardness of from 177 to 217, which is the proper range for the best machineability. The heat treatment of the finished gears consists of quenching in oil from a temperature of 1,500 to 1,540°F., followed by tempering in oil at a temperature of from 375 to 425°F. Gears so treated will show a Brinell hardness of from 512 to 560, or a scleroscope hardness of from 72 to 80. One tractor builder has placed in service 20,000 sets of gears of this type of material and has never had to replace a gear. Taking into consideration the fact that a tractor transmission is subjected to the worst possible service conditions, and that it is under high stress 90 per cent of the time, it seems inconceivable that any appreciable transmission trouble would be experienced when material of this type is used on an automobile, where the full load is applied not over 1 per cent of the time, or on trucks where the full load is applied not over 50 per cent of the time. The gear hardness specified is necessary to reduce to a minimum the pitting or surface fatigue of the teeth. If gears having a Brinell hardness of over 560 are used, danger is encountered, due to low shock-resisting properties. If the Brinell hardness is under 512, trouble is experienced due to wear and surface fatigue of the teeth. For ring gears and pinions material of the following chemical composition is recommended: Carbon, 0.100 to 0.200 per cent; Care should be taken to see that this material is properly deoxidized either by the use of ferrovanadium or its equivalent. The advantage of using a material of the above type lies in the fact that it will produce a satisfactory finished part with a very simple treatment. The heat treatment of ring gears and pinions is as follows: "Carburize at a temperature of from 1,650 to 1,700°F. for a sufficient length of time to secure a depth of case of from 1/32 to 3/64 in., and quench directly from carburizing heat in oil. Reheat to a temperature of from 1,430 to 1,460°F. and quench in oil. Temper in oil at a temperature of from 375 to 425°F. The final quenching operation on a ring gear should be made on a fixture similar to the Gleason press to reduce distortion to a minimum." One of the largest producers of ring gears and pinions in the automotive industry has been using this material and treatment for the last 2 years, and is of the opinion that he is now producing the highest quality product ever turned out by that plant. On some designs of automobiles a large amount of trouble is experienced with the driving pinion. If the material and heat treatment specified will not give satisfaction, rather than to change the design it is possible to use the following analysis material, which will raise the cost of the finished part but will give excellent service: Carbon, 0.100 to 0.200 per cent; manganese, 0.350 to 0.650 per cent; phosphorus, 0.040 maximum per cent; sulphur, 0.045 maximum per cent; nickel, 4.750 to 5.250 per cent. The heat treatment of pinions produced from this material consists in carburizing at a temperature of from 1,600 to 1,650°F. for a sufficient length of time to secure a depth of case from 1/32 to 3/64 in. The pinions are then quenched in oil from a temperature of 1,500 to 1,525°F. to refine the grain of the core and quenched in oil from a temperature of from 1,340 to 1,360°F. To refine and harden the case. The use of this material however, is recommended only in an emergency, as high-nickel steel is very susceptible to seams, secondary pipe and laminations. The main criterion on rear-axle and pinion shafts, steering knuckles and arms and parts of this general type is resistance to fatigue and torsion. The material recommended for parts of Parts of this general type should be heat-treated to show the following minimum physical properties: Elastic limit, 115,000 lb. per square inch; elongation in 2 in., 16 per cent; reduction of area, 50 per cent; Brinell hardness, 277 to 321. The heat treatment used to secure these physical properties consists in quenching from a temperature of from 1,520 to 1,540°F. in water and tempering at a temperature of from 975 to 1,025°F. Where the axle shaft is a forging, and in the case of steering knuckles and arms, this heat treatment should be preceded by normalizing the forgings at a temperature of from 1,550 to 1,600°F. It will be noted that these physical properties correspond to those worked out for an ideal aviation engine crankshaft. If parts of this type are designed with proper sections, so that this range of physical properties can be used, the part in question will give maximum service. One of the most important developments during the Liberty engine program was the fact that it is not necessary to use a high-analysis alloy steel to secure a finished part which will give proper service. This fact should save the automotive industry millions of dollars on future production. If the proper authority be given the metallurgical engineer to govern the handling of the steel from the time it is purchased until it is assembled into finished product, mild-analysis steels can be used and the quality of the finished product guaranteed. It was only through the careful adherence to these fundamental principles that it was possible to produce 20,000 Liberty engines, which are considered to be the most highly stressed mechanism ever produced, without the failure of a single engine from defective material or heat treatment. MAKING STEEL BALLSSteel balls are made from rods or coils according to size, stock less than 9/16-in. comes in coils. Stock 5/8-in. and larger comes in rods. Ball stock is designated in thousandths so that 5/8-in. rods are known as 0.625-in. stock.
For the larger sizes a typical analysis is:
Balls 5/8 in. and below are formed cold on upsetting or heading machines, the stock use is as follows:
For larger balls the blanks are hot-forged from straight bars. They are usually forged in multiples of four under a spring hammer and then separated by a suitable punching or shearing die in a press adjoining the hammer. The dimensions are:
The hardening temperature is from 1,425 to 1,475°F. according to size and composition of steel. Small balls, 5/16 and under, are quenched in oil, the larger sizes in water. In some special cases brine is used. Quenching small balls in water is too great a shock as the small volume is cooled clear through almost instantly. The larger balls have metal enough to cool more slowly. Balls which are cooled in either water or brine are boiled in water for 2 hr. to relieve internal stresses, after which the balls are finished by dry-grinding and oil-grinding. The ball makers have an interesting method of testing stock for seams which do not show in the rod or wire. The Hoover Steel Ball Company cut off pieces of rod or wire 7/16 in. long and subject them to an end pressure of from 20,000 to 50,000 lb. A pressure of 20,000 lb. compresses the piece to 3/16 in. and the 50,000 lb. pressure to 3/32 in. This opens any seam which may exist but a solid bar shows no seam. Another method which has proved very successful is to pass the bar or rod to be tested through a solenoid electro-magnet. With suitable instruments it is claimed that this is an almost infallible test as the instruments show at once when a seam or flaw is present in the bar. |
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