Flame Hardened Sheave Grooves

To prolong the life of a sheave groove, Bear Equipment flame hardens the groove to a minimum Rockwell 35C. Hardening the groove eliminates premature wear and deformation.

Here is an example of what can happen to a sheave groove that is not flame hardened:

Our customer sent us this non-Bear Equipment sheave (21.5″ OD, grooved for 3/4″ rope) so that we could replace it with a sheave designed and flame hardened, for optimal performance in their application. In some cases, Bear can regroove sheaves and then flame harden. Unfortunately in this case, regrooving was not an option because A36 steel had been used to fabricate the original non-Bear Equipment sheave. A36 steel can not be flame hardened. Bear Equipment uses 1045 alloy steel for its strength, machinability, and hardenability.

The replacement sheaves started with a 1045 alloy steel pattern burnt sheave blank. Note that lightening holes were added to the design to reduce the sheave weight for the application.

The sheave blank was then CNC machined in our vertical lathe.

The groove was then flame hardened in-house and tested to ensure appropriate hardness of the groove.

After the groove hardening, the premachine hub needed to be welded into the sheave.

Bear Equipment also machines shaft and pins for our customers. In this case, the customer needed a shaft installed with a shrink fit. Bear Equipment machined the shaft to the precise dimensions and tolerances required to ensure the proper shrink fit. The shaft was then chilled in dry ice and installed into the sheave, expanding for the required shrink fit.

Contact Bear Equipment today if you have any sheaves with groove damage. Let our team provide the properly designed and flame hardened sheave for your application.