Heat treatment cost calculator
KARBAZ offers a wide range of part hardening technologies. This tool helps you quickly and easily estimate the cost of various types of heat treatment for your parts. Please follow the instructions below to get a correct estimate.
How the Heat Treatment Cost Calculator Works
The online heat treatment calculator estimates the approximate cost of an order based on part weight, treatment type, material and batch size. It is a preliminary estimate for budget planning: it shows the price range before you send a drawing. The final cost of heat treating your parts is fixed after our process engineer reviews the drawing. Below we explain what the price is made up of, what makes treatment more expensive and how to get an exact quote for your batch.
What the Heat Treatment Calculator Takes into Account
Treatment type
The basic calculation parameter: cycle time and equipment load differ
several-fold between carburizing, nitriding and induction hardening.
Part weight and dimensions
Furnace processes are priced by load weight, so weight is the main multiplier
in the cost estimate.
Batch size
One furnace load costs the same whether it holds one part or twenty,
so the price per part drops as the batch grows.
Part material
Carbon, alloy or stainless steel, or another alloy: the material group
determines the process cycle, medium and standard time.
Additional operations
Cleaning, surface preparation, post-treatment and delivery are added
to the estimate as separate items.
Production costs
Cycle time, energy, consumables and operator labour — this is what
the treatment cost in the calculator is made up of.
The calculator gives an approximate estimate. It does not take into account drawing requirements for case depth, hardness and permissible distortion, which may change the final cost.
What Makes Up the Cost of Heat Treatment
| Cost item | Influencing factors | Effect on price |
|---|---|---|
| Furnace load | Batch weight and dimensions, loading density | The main part of the price; the fuller the load, the lower the cost per kilogram |
| Cycle time | Required case depth, process type | A 1.2 mm case instead of 0.5 mm means several times more furnace hours |
| Material | Steel grade, alloy group | Alloy and stainless steels cost more to treat than carbon steels |
| Drawing requirements | Hardness tolerance, distortion limits | Tight tolerances require fixtures, protective atmospheres or straightening — separate cost items |
| Preparation and finishing | Abrasive blasting, machining | Priced separately and included only when needed |
| Inspection and documentation | Hardness testing, test reports | Depends on the scope of inspection agreed with the customer |
| Logistics | Shipping to the plant and back | Nova Poshta, Delivery, SAT — at carrier rates |
How the Cost Is Calculated by Treatment Type
The pricing principle depends on the process: furnace operations are priced by load weight, local ones by the treated zone.
| Treatment | Pricing basis | What increases the price |
|---|---|---|
| Carburizing | By load weight | Greater case depth means a longer saturation cycle |
| Carbonitriding | By load weight | Case requirements and subsequent hardening and tempering |
| Nitriding | By load weight and holding time | Long cycle: dozens of hours to reach the required depth |
| Nitrocarburizing | By batch weight | Surface preparation before treatment |
| Cyaniding | By load weight | Case depth and post-treatment requirements |
| Hardening and tempering | By load weight | Large cross-section, distortion limits, fixtures |
| Induction hardening | Per part or per hardened zone | Making an inductor for non-standard geometry |
| Local heat treatment | Per part | Complex shape of the hardened zone, single parts |
| Isothermal hardening, hardening in protective atmospheres | By load weight | A more expensive cycle for minimal distortion and a clean surface |
| Annealing, normalizing | By load weight | Slow furnace cooling means long equipment occupancy |
| Boriding | By batch weight | A special process, mostly for individual critical parts |
How to Reduce the Cost of Heat Treating a Batch
- Don't overspecify case depth. The difference between 0.5 and 1.2 mm means extra furnace hours in the estimate.
- Specify hardness as a range. "58–62 HRC" is easier to achieve and cheaper than "exactly 61 HRC".
- Consolidate batches. One part and ten identical parts often take up the same furnace load, so the price per piece drops.
- Specify the steel grade. Without it, a safety margin is built into the cycle, and the estimate comes out higher than the actual cost.
- Agree on the machining allowance in advance. If the part is ground afterwards, distortion can be absorbed by the allowance, so you don't pay for a more expensive distortion-control technology.
- Check whether through-hardening is needed. Often, instead of hardening the whole part, induction hardening or local heat treatment of the working zone is enough.
What to Send for an Accurate Quote
- Part drawing — PDF, DWG, DXF, STEP. If there is no drawing, send photos, dimensions and weight.
- Steel or alloy grade.
- Required hardness and case depth per drawing, or a description of the part's operating conditions: wear, impact loads, corrosion. If hardness is specified in a different scale, convert it in the hardness converter.
- Number of parts per batch and order frequency.
- Desired lead time and any additional operations needed — cleaning, machining, hardness testing.
Need an exact heat treatment cost for your parts?
Send us a drawing (PDF, DWG, DXF, STEP), the steel grade and the required hardness — our process engineer will check the estimate and quote a price for the batch.
In-house production in Starokostiantyniv (Khmelnytskyi region). Shipping across Ukraine: Nova Poshta, Delivery, SAT. Our work