PROCESS OF VACUUM HARDENING OF CUTTING AND SHAPING TOOLS OF HIGH-SPEED STEELS IN BELL FURNACES

The technical possibilities of vacuum elevator and belt furnaces commo nly used for brazing and annealing precision parts in instrument-makin g and electronics can be widened. Small thin-blade tools of powder ste els R6M5-P, 1OR6M5-MP and ''silver'' steels R6M5, R6M5K5 with a minimu m tolerance for sizing after hardening at a low cooling rate have high operational properties. The present paper is devoted to the process o f heat treatment of special tools of the listed steels used to cut and shape ribbons, rods, and foils of alloys 36NKhTYu, 29NK, BrB2 in vacu um bell furnaces under conditions of batch and small-batch production in electrical-engineering enterprises.