ABSTRACT
References .......................................................................................................................... 648
In various manufacturing processes of steel components, heat treatment is the most sensitive
and least controllable operation because it involves unexpected and uncontrollable distortion.
To assure high quality and reliability of steel components, manufacturers perform heat
treatments. As long as parts have been heat-treated, distortion has been a concern. As greater
dimensional accuracy is required for components, distortion becomes even more of a prob-
lem. The main industrial concern is therefore to account for distortion during design and
manufacturing. Recent studies and contacts with industry have often highlighted the frustra-
tions experienced by manufacturers trying to control dimensions consistently.
