Lindure®

Lindure® is a proprietary Bodycote diffusion treatment which is an alternative to conventional heat treatment when improved dimensional control is desired. During the Lindure® process nitrogen, carbon and oxygen are diffused into the surface of a work piece. The colour of a Lindure® processed part is typically matte grey. The actual surface finish will not change if the finish is greater than 32 RMS. For finishes finer than 32 RMS, the surface will roughen slightly. Lindure® surfaces can be polished to produce a surface that is both cosmetically appealing and durable.

The Lindure® process produces a primarily epsilon phase nitride surface layer commonly referred to as the compound layer, which results in a high integrity metallurgical bond not subject to flaking or peeling. Below this layer, nitrogen is at lower concentrations and can be found in solid solution; this region is referred to as the diffusion zone. Nitrogen in solid solution imparts compressive stress into the surface of a work piece resulting in improved fatigue properties. While tempering is not required as part of the Lindure® process it can be used to enhance ductility by precipitating out nitrogen in the diffusion zone.

Lindure® has been successfully applied to a wide range of parts from a single plastic injection tool through to high-volume automotive gearing. In most cases, Lindure® is selected as a cost-effective engineering alternative to conventional heat treat processes that create unacceptable distortion or growth. While growth and distortion are not entirely eliminated, they are reduced by an order of magnitude. Dimensional changes are typically controlled to less than .0005” per surface. In some applications, post grinding and plating operations have been eliminated.