Thermal Treatment

Most plate, especially low carbon plate is used in the as-burned condition. Some grades, such as A516 or A514, will have been put through a thermal treatment process at the mill to achieve certain mechanical properties as required by the specification; these generally do not require further thermal treatment after flamecutting. But certain grades or certain applications will need it.

Thermal treatment of steel plate is done for a variety of reasons, but these can generally be divided into three categories:

1. Reduce and relieve internal stresses
2. Reduce hardness and/or create a more uniform grain structure
3. Achieve specific mechanical properties

Grades, like A36 or A572 may need to be stress-relieved after burning. Medium carbon 1045 and alloy plate like 4140 and 4340 should always be annealed after burning and in many applications go on to be quench-and-tempered to achieve certain hardness or strength levels. Whatever your requirements for thermal treatment, Oliver is prepared to handle them for you.