heat treatment

Soft annealing

We reduce the hardness of your steel to an absolute minimum. By forming cementite, we significantly improve cold formability and machinability, even for extremely high-strength steels.

Soft all the way to the microstructure

Maximum deformability without risk of cracking

In soft annealing, time is a critical quality factor. Through our high-precision, extended-duration cycles, we ensure that the cementite fully forms. The result is an extremely soft, crack-resistant material that you can then machine safely and efficiently.

Soft annealing

Annealing followed by slow cooling to achieve a condition that is sufficiently soft and as stress-free as possible for the intended application, primarily to ensure good machinability.

Heat Treatment & Temperatures

  • Operating temperatures up to 1050 °C (up to 1070 °C for short periods)
  • Unrestricted operation throughout the entire lower temperature range
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Do you have questions about our products or services? Would you like to request a customized quote or schedule an initial consultation? Please feel free to use our contact form—we look forward to hearing from you!

Quality, in black and white

quality assurance (QA)

quality assurance (QA) At our company, a team of in-house certified inspectors handles this process, utilizing a wide range of non-destructive and destructive testing methods, precise 3D measurement, and comprehensive batch traceability. This ensures that every component meets our quality standards and complies with applicable regulations.

For a comprehensive and audit-ready Documentation Handled by our own team. All materials, components, and filler metals remain traceable; all documentation is stored in an audit-proof manner and prepared in accordance with standards and individual customer requirements.

Qualitätssicherung
Certificates

Excellent.

Contact

Any questions? We’re here to help you personally.

At WOLF Vessel and Apparatus Construction, you and your projects are our top priority. You can always count on our consistently high product quality and our comprehensive service.

Volker Ermert

Werksleiter/Leiter Wärmebehandlung

Team
FAQs

Questions about soft annealing

How long does a complete soft annealing cycle take? For which tool steels is this process essential prior to machining? In this section, we explain the details for maximizing machinability.

What information do you need to prepare a specific quote? +

Component dimensions (max. length, width, height), component weight, desired heat treatment type (stress relieving heat treatment, normalizing, or other processes), desired surface treatment or cooling strategy, required process documentation, and, if applicable, standards (e.g., DIN/EN standards).

What specific characteristics or factors of your facility affect the quality of the heat treatment? +

Very high operating temperatures and controlled cooling rates support the required mechanical properties and stress relief. Large cooling tanks (polymer quenching tanks) and a variety of cooling methods allow for customized process adjustments depending on the material and component.

What advantages does your system offer specifically for heavy-duty welded structures? +

Performing stress relieving heat treatment or normalizing, as well as other specialized heat treatment processes. The large dimensions of the working area and high weight capacity enable the treatment of large and heavy components.

What types of bridge or process solutions do you offer in addition to heat treatment? +

Professional stress relieving heat treatment or normalizing, as well as other specialized heat treatment processes for optimizing heavy-duty welded structures. Goal: To relieve stresses and ensure the longevity of the components.