SCOPE
This information sheet recommends steel material and metallurgical quality characteristics for use in conjunction with AGMA gear rating standards.  This information sheet identifies specifications and requirements for various metallurgical quality grades for through hardened, carburize and hardened, induction and flame hardened, and nitrided gearing.  Characteristics covered include raw material, heat treatment and post heat treat processing, and their associated inspections. Topics related to gear design and rating, such as case depth, stress numbers, and quality control sampling plans are not included in this document.

FOREWORD
[The foreword, footnotes and annexes, if any, in this document are provided for informational purposes only and are not to be construed as a part of AGMA 923-B05, Metallurgical Specifications for Steel Gearing.]

In November, 1984, an ad hoc Metallurgy and Gear Rating Committee met to define the factors required to qualify the various metallurgical quality grades that were to be introduced into the gear rating standard that eventually became ANSI/AGMA 2001- B88, Fundamental Rating Factors and Calculation Methods for Involute Spur and Helical Gear Teeth.

In May, 1988, ANSI/AGMA 6033-A88, Standard for Marine Propulsion Gear Units - Part 1, Materials, was published using a short list of metallurgical factors in table form.

In September, 1988, ANSI/AGMA 2001-B88 was published using metallurgical factors in table form.

Starting in July, 1992, AGMA representatives participated in writing ISO 6336-5, Calculation of Load Capacity of Spur and Helical Gears - Part 5: Strength and Quality of Materials, which was a modification of the tables in ANSI/AGMA and DIN Standards.

In February, 1993, AGMA 6002-B93, Design Guide for Vehicle Spur and Helical Gears, was published using a modified version of the tables used in ANSI/AGMA 2001-B88.

In September, 1993, the AGMA Metallurgy and Materials Committee accepted the task of consolidating the various tables to avoid redundancies and conflicting requirements, and started work on AGMA 923 A00, Metallurgical Specifications for Steel Gearing.

In January, 1995, a revised ANSI/AGMA 2001-C95 was published using a version of the ANSI/AGMA 2001-B88 tables as revised by the AGMA Helical Gear Rating Committee.

In November, 1997, a revised ANSI/AGMA 2003-B97, Rating the Pitting Resistance and Bending Strength of Generated Straight Bevel, Zerol Bevel and Spiral Bevel Gear Teeth, was published using a version of the ANSI/AGMA 2001-B88 tables as revised by the AGMA Bevel Gearing Committee.

The committee reviewed all metallurgical tables of the gear rating standards ANSI/AGMA 2001-B88, ANSI/AGMA 2003-A86, and ISO 6336-5:1996 and their proposed revisions to develop consolidated tables describing the metallurgical characteristics associated with each specific type of heat treatment and metallurgical quality grade.  Effort was made to reference ISO specifications where possible.  The consolidated tables were submitted to the gear rating committees for their agreement and are published here for reference by other standards.

AGMA’s goal is to develop a consistent metallurgical specification which reflects the quality requirements for steel gearing.  AGMA 923-A00 was such a document, and was intended to be consistent with the applicable portions of ISO 6336-5:1996, to the extent possible while the two standards were in parallel development.  The AGMA Technical Division Executive Committee approved the publication of AGMA 923-A00 in August, 2000.

This edition of the information sheet, AGMA 923-B05, incorporates changes to item 8, microstructure, of table 1, Metallurgical characteristics for through hardened gearing.  The balance of the document remains unchanged.  The AGMA Technical Division Executive Committee approved the publication of AGMA 923 B05 in May, 2005.

Suggestions for improvement of this standard will be welcome.  They should be sent to the American Gear Manufacturers Association, 1001 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, Virginia  22314.

NORMATIVE REFERENCES
The following standards contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this document.  At the time of initial development, the editions shown were valid.  All standards are subject to revision, and parties to agreements based on this document are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the standards shown below.

• AGMA 904-C96, Metric Usage
• ANSI/AGMA 1010-E95, Appearance of Gear Teeth - Terminology of Wear and Failure
• ANSI/AGMA 1012-F90, Gear Nomenclature, Definitions of Terms with Symbols
• ANSI/AGMA 2001-C95, Fundamental Rating Factors and Calculation Methods for Involute Spur and Helical Gear Teeth
• ANSI/AGMA 2003-B97, Rating the Pitting Resistance and Bending Strength of Generated Straight Bevel, Zerol Bevel and Spiral Bevel Gear Teeth
• ANSI/AGMA 2004-B89, Gear Materials and Heat Treatment Manual
• ANSI/AGMA 2007-B92, Surface Temper Etch Inspection After Grinding
• ANSI/AGMA 6002-B93, Design Guide for Vehicle Spur and Helical Gears
• ANSI/AGMA 6032-A94, Standard for Marine Gear Units: Rating
• ASTM A29-99, Specification for Steel Bars, Carbon and Alloy, Hot-Wrought and Cold-Finished, General Requirements for
• ASTM A148-93b(1998), Specification for Steel Castings, High Strength, for Structural Purposes
• ASTM A255-99, Test Method for Determining Hardenability of Steel
• ASTM A275-98, Test Method for Magnetic Particle Examination of Steel Forgings
• ASTM A290-95(1999), Specification for Carbon and Alloy Steel Forgings for Rings for Reduction Gears
• ASTM A291-95(1999), Specification for Steel Forgings, Carbon and Alloy, for Pinions, Gears and Shafts for Reduction Gears
• ASTM A304-96, Specification for Carbon and Alloy Steel Bars Subject to End-Quench Hardenability Requirements
• ASTM A322-91(1996), Specification for Steel Bars, Alloy, Standard Grades
• ASTM A370-97a, Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• ASTM A388-95, Practice for Ultrasonic Examination of Heavy Steel Forgings
• ASTM A519-96, Specification for Seamless Carbon and Alloy Steel Mechanical Tubing
• ASTM A534-94, Specification for Carburizing Steels for Anti-Friction Bearings
• ASTM A609-91(1997), Practice for Castings, Carbon, Low-Alloy, and Martensitic Stainless Steel, Ultrasonic Examination Thereof
• ASTM A751-96, Test Methods, Practices, and Terminology for Chemical Analysis of Steel Products
• ASTM A837-91(1996)ε1, Specification for Steel Forgings, Alloy, for Carburizing Applications
• ASTM A866-94, Specification for Medium Carbon Anti-Friction Bearing Steel
• ASTM A919-84 (1993) ε1, Terminology Relating to Heat Treatment of Metals
• ASTM A941-99a, Terminology Relating to Steel, Stainless Steel, Related Alloys, and Ferroalloys
• ASTM A956-97, Test Method for Equotip Hardness Testing of Steel Products
• ASTM E3-95, Practice for Preparation of Metallographic Specimens
• ASTM E8-99, Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
• ASTM E10-98, Test Method for Brinell Hardness of Metallic Materials
• ASTM E18-98, Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness and Rockwell Superficial Hardness of Metallic Materials
• ASTM E23-98, Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic Materials
• ASTM E45-97ε2, Test Methods for Determining the Inclusion Content of Steel
• ASTM E92-82(1997)ε2, Test Method for Vickers Hardness of Metallic Materials
• ASTM E110-82(1997)ε2, Test Method for Indentation Hardness of Metallic Materials by Portable Hardness Testers
• ASTM E112-96, Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size
• ASTM E125-63(1997), Reference Photographs for Magnetic Particle Indications on Ferrous Castings
• ASTM E140-97ε1, Hardness Conversion Tables for Metals (Relationship Among Brinell Hardness, Vickers Hardness, Rockwell Hardness, Rockwell Superficial Hardness, Knoop Hardness, and Scleroscope Hardness)
• ASTM E350-95(1997)ε1, Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Carbon Steel, Low-Alloy Steel, Silicon Electrical Steel, Ingot Iron, and Wrought Iron
• ASTM E384-89(1997)ε2, Test Method for Microhardness of Materials
• ASTM E407-99, Practice for Microetching Metals and Alloys
• ASTM E415-99, Test Method for Optical Emission Vacuum Spectrometric Analysis of Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel
• ASTM E428-92, Practice for Fabrication and Control of Steel Reference Blocks Used in Ultrasonic Inspection
• ASTM E709-95, Guide for Magnetic Particle Examination
• ASTM E1077-91, Test Methods for Estimating the Depth of Decarburization of Steel Specimens
• ASTM E1444-94a, Practice for Magnetic Particle Examination
• ISO 642:1979, Steel - Hardenability test by end quenching (Jominy test)
• ISO 643:1983, Steels - Micrographic determination of the ferritic or austenitic grain size
• ISO 683-1:1987, Heat-treatable steels, alloy steels and free-cutting steels - Part 1:  Direct-hardening unalloyed and low-alloyed wrought steel in form of different black products
• ISO 683-11:1987, Heat-treatable steels, alloy steels and free-cutting steels - Part 11:  Wrought case-hardening steels
• ISO 4967:1979, Steel - Determination of content of non-metallic inclusions - micrographic method using standard diagrams
• ISO 6336-5:1996, Calculation of load capacity of spur and helical gears - Part 5:  Strength and quality of materials
• ISO 14104:1995, Surface temper etch inspection after grinding
• SAE/AMS 2300G, Premium Aircraft-Quality Steel Cleanliness, Magnetic Particle Inspection Procedure
• SAE/AMS 2301H, Cleanliness, Aircraft Quality Steel Magnetic Particle Inspection Procedure
• SAE/AMS 2304, Special Aircraft-Quality Steel Cleanliness, Magnetic Particle Inspection Procedure
• SAE/AMS-S-13165, Shot Peening of Metal Parts
• SAE J419 Dec 83, Methods of Measuring Decarburization
• SAE J422 Dec 83, Microscopic Determination of Inclusions in Steels
• SAE J423 Dec 83, Methods of Measuring Case Depth
• SAE J864 May 93, Surface Hardness Testing with Files