The aeronautics industry is increasingly feeling the need to develop novel surface hardening technologies to improve fatigue performance, reduce weight and increase power at the same time. In this context, induction contour hardening, which is a green surface hardening process, is now considered as an essential manufacturing technology for the development of future generations of power transmission devices.

The purpose of the proposed study is to develop simulation and optimization tools to facilitate product development and to allow this technology to be applied to challenging gear geometries such as helicoidal and bevel gears. Induction hardening is a very versatile process that can be used in other industries such as automobiles and in many other mechanical engineering contexts. Furthermore, industrial application of induction is not as capital intensive as thermo-chemical processes and the success of the present project may provide opportunities for a start-up company in the bevel gear induction hardening business. Any company that develops a robust manufacturing process for induction hardened bevel gears will be poised to increase its share of the large bevel gear market as a result of dramatic decreases in the price of these expensive power transmission components.
The results of this research are thus expected to increase the range of applications of induction hardening by providing accurate modeling tools.