Many materials require heat treatment to achieve the correct condition or strength. Carbon steels are hardened and tempered to achieve high strength, usually at the expense of ductility. Austenitic stainless steels are stress-relieved, softened or solution-annealed to modify the physical or chemical properties. The final condition is usually confirmed by taking hardness readings. When components are heat treated to achieve specific physical properties a test piece is heat treated as well. The necessary physical tests are conducted on the test piece.
The customer may request a certificate detailing the duration of the heat treatment and the temperature achieved at specified intervals. If necessary a continuous trace of the temperatures may be provided.
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