SMS Elotherm achieves perfect hardening profiles with simulation software

In Remscheid, Germany, the team at SMS Elotherm needed to design inductors for hardening processes that met precise customer requirements. Judith Levermann, a process development engineer at SMS Elotherm, was designing inductors for new hardening cases that typically requires multiple lab trials and prototypes.

This process is time-consuming and expensive. Judith and her team needed a way to streamline this process and reduce costs while still achieving high-quality results.

Using CENOS simulation software allowed the team to test and refine inductor designs on a computer before building them. By simulating the hardening process, they could see which designs would work best without having to build and test multiple prototypes.

As a result, the team at SMS Elotherm was able to develop inductors that met the hardening zone requirements on the first try. For example, they designed a ring inductor for a gear ring and a scanning inductor for pre-heating and hardening another gear. By simulating these designs, they could test different options quickly and choose the best one.

Judith explained, “We had many ideas on how to harden the tooth area of the gear ring. With CENOS, we could try out different options without large expenses and meet the hardening zone requirements with the first inductor built.”

After selecting the best design based on the simulation, they built the inductor and ran a physical test. The results were impressive. The hardening zone matched perfectly with the predicted zone from the 3D model in CENOS.

What can we learn from it?

For engineers and manufacturing managers, this story shows how simulation software is improving design processes. By using simulation software, SMS Elotherm saved time and money and achieved high-quality results on the first try.

Judith’s success at SMS Elotherm shows that with the right tools, you can overcome tough challenges efficiently. Simulation software allows engineers to test ideas quickly, refine designs, and achieve desired outcomes without costly and time-consuming lab trials.