Rolling bearing steel ball hardening device and hardening method

Abstract

This invention discloses a hardening device and method for rolling bearing steel balls, relating to the field of surface hardening treatment technology. The hardening device includes a bath, an elastic base disposed below the bath, a working medium and steel balls inside the bath, the working medium comprising alloy element powder, abrasive powder, and a conductive solution, a pulsed plasma gun positioned above the bath, the outlet end of the pulsed plasma gun inserted into the bath with its axis intersecting the vertical axis of the bath at an acute angle, and an electromagnet for attracting steel balls mounted on the surface of the bath. A matching hardening method is also provided. The technical solution of this invention forms a high-hardness alloy layer on the surface of the steel ball, improving the hardening quality of the steel ball surface and enabling the steel ball to meet the performance requirements for use under high load and corrosive environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of surface hardening treatment technology, and more specifically, to a rolling bearing steel ball hardening device and hardening method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the production process of rolling bearing steel balls includes heat treatment, hardening, and re-polishing and grinding. Steel balls with higher quality requirements also need to be chrome plated.

[0003] Existing Patent 1: An apparatus for processing steel balls (USSR, No. 131286, B24B11 / 02 class, 1959). This apparatus is used in the ball bearing industry for hardening steel balls. The steel balls are placed in a groove between two coaxial discs connected to an annular working surface linked to a disc-shaped storage hopper. The disc-shaped storage hopper / feed hopper can move back and forth along a track on a support, allowing it to be moved backward away from the working discs during equipment maintenance, thus freeing up space for adjusting, disassembling, and installing the discs, or replacing worn discs, etc.

[0004] The device works as follows: The discs of the storage bin / feed hopper rotate in the same direction as the working discs. As they rotate, steel balls enter the processing area of ​​the first pair of discs from the annular area of ​​the storage bin / feed hopper, then leave that processing area. Under the control of the distributor, they are sent to the annular area of ​​the storage bin / feed hopper, from there to the second pair of discs, then to the third pair of discs, and then back to the storage bin / feed hopper, and so on. In this way, the steel balls circulate through the working areas of 2-3 pairs of discs once in the storage bin / feed hopper, thus increasing the hardening time of the steel balls in the raceway by 2-3 times, improving the processing efficiency of the steel balls, and improving the surface condition of the steel balls. Spherical objects such as steel balls are processed between the working discs in such a way that a strip-shaped area on the surface of the steel ball is hardened each time it passes between the working discs.

[0005] Existing Patent 2: A Method for Hardening Steel Balls (Belarus, No. 3115 24B39 / 04 2006.04.13) A device for hardening steel balls by plastic deformation is known, comprising a screw and a nut, the nut being dynamically connected to the screw via a steel ball located in a helical groove. The nut is a long tubular tube with steel ball supply and discharge channels. The screw is hollow and fitted with a cone, the cone being installed within the screw cavity and axially movable. The screw has a variable cross-section, its cross-section gradually decreasing from the supply channel to the discharge channel.

[0006] One end of the screw is hollow and equipped with a cone, which is mounted in the screw cavity by an adjusting nut and can move axially. The other end of the screw is mounted in the lathe chuck, and the nut is fixed to the lathe guide rail. The device is equipped with a hardened steel ball memory. After the device (screw and nut) is mounted in the lathe chuck, rotating the adjusting nut moves the cone in the screw cavity, thereby creating the desired clearance between the inner wall 2 of the nut and the outer wall of the screw.

[0007] After the drive screw starts rotating, the steel balls enter the spiral groove from the storage tank through the feed channel and roll within it. During rolling, the steel balls also contact the wall of the spiral groove, compressing their entire surface. After moving through the spiral groove to the discharge channel, the steel balls are discharged and fall into the tray. The uniformity of the compression force on the steel balls is controlled by adjusting the axial position of the cone.

[0008] Therefore, the steel ball is surface hardened by pressing it against the device and rolling it across the entire surface. Because the device generates significant contact pressure, these forces interact, causing the steel ball to undergo substantial plastic deformation and corresponding hardening.

[0009] The most similar prior art patent to this invention is 3: a method for quenching and hardening steel balls (Belarusian patent number 11580, C21B 10 / 00 2009.02.29). This method uses materials that produce a strength of at least 10. 7 This is achieved using a device with a pulsed magnetic field of A / m, where the pulse duration does not exceed 0.001s, and the number of pulses is 1 to 5, depending on the diameter and number of steel balls. A batch of 20-30 steel balls is placed in a multi-turn inductor of the magnetic pulse device. These steel balls are insulated from the inductor coil by an insulating medium. The steel balls are stacked perpendicularly to each other, i.e., one steel ball is placed on top of another. Subsequently, discharge occurs through the coil in the inductor. The magnetic field in the inductor induces eddy currents in the steel balls. These magnetic fields induce a repulsive force (reaction force) between the inductor and the steel balls, thereby compressing the steel balls throughout the inductor. Therefore, phase transitions, microstructural changes, and changes in internal stress occur in the steel balls, which positively affect the strength of the steel balls. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This invention addresses the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a rolling bearing steel ball hardening device and method. This invention overcomes problems in existing technologies such as insufficient steel ball hardness, inability to alloy the steel ball surface, and excessive equipment wear. The technical solution of this invention forms a high-hardness alloy layer on the steel ball surface, improving the hardening quality of the steel ball surface and enabling the steel ball to meet the performance requirements for use under high load and corrosive environments.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following first technical solution: a rolling bearing steel ball hardening device, comprising: a bath, an elastic base disposed below the bath, the bath containing a working medium and steel balls, the working medium comprising alloy element powder, abrasive powder and conductive solution, a pulsed plasma gun disposed above the bath, the outlet end of the pulsed plasma gun being inserted into the bath and its axis intersecting the vertical axis of the bath at an acute angle, and an electromagnet capable of attracting steel balls being installed on the surface of the bath.

[0012] By employing the above technical solution, a pulsed plasma jet acts on the steel balls within the bath. The surface of the steel balls, above the working medium and within the "spot" of the pulsed plasma jet, is heated (plasma + current). Simultaneously, the shock wave generated by the pulsed plasma jet acts on the steel ball layer (at this time, the bath and the steel balls within it become one under the action of the electromagnet), causing the bath to move 3-5mm along the axis of the pulsed plasma gun. The heated steel balls are submerged and cooled by the working medium. Subsequently, the pulsed plasma is turned off, the electromagnet is de-energized, and the bath and steel balls are released from their integrated state. Under the elastic force of the elastic base, the bath oscillates and returns to its original position. During the oscillation process, the steel balls slide relative to each other, relative to the working medium (liquid), and relative to the bath, gradually returning to their original positions under the action of gravity. During this process, the surface of the steel balls is alloyed, hardened, and polished. When the electromagnet is energized, the steel balls and the bath become one again, and the pulsed plasma acts again, repeating the cycle until the equipment completes one working cycle and all the steel balls in the bath are hardened.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that: the pulsed plasma gun includes a reaction chamber for generating plasma, an explosive spray gun connected to the reaction chamber and supplying plasma-forming gas, and a consumable electrode located in the middle of the reaction chamber, the consumable electrode being connected to the positive terminal of an external power supply.

[0014] Preferably, the reaction chamber includes a plasma gun nozzle, which is connected to the negative terminal of an external power supply.

[0015] Preferably, the bath tub is conductive and connected to the negative terminal of an external power source.

[0016] The present invention is further configured such that the bath tank is a spherical bath tank with a spherical inner wall.

[0017] Preferably, the spherical bath has a cavity in its wall, and the cavity is connected to an external cooling system.

[0018] Preferably, the spherical bath is divided into an upper bath and a lower bath, and the upper bath and the lower bath are hinged on one side.

[0019] Preferably, the axis of the electromagnet is perpendicular to the inner wall of the spherical bath.

[0020] Preferably, the axis of the pulsed plasma gun intersects the vertical axis of the spherical bath at a 30° angle.

[0021] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following second technical solution: a method for hardening rolling bearing steel balls, based on the above-mentioned hardening device, comprising the following steps:

[0022] S1: Open the upper bath and add the working medium into the bath;

[0023] S2: Turn on the cooling system switch to put the cooling system into operation;

[0024] S3: Turn on the power switch of the hardening equipment and the plasma gas supply valve;

[0025] S4: Add the steel balls to be hardened into the bath according to the ratio, and lower and lock the upper bath.

[0026] S5: Turn on the steel ball hardening control program switch. The equipment will automatically stop after running one work cycle.

[0027] S6: Open the upper bath and remove the hardened steel ball;

[0028] S7: Repeat steps S4 to S6 until the hardening of the same batch of steel balls is completed;

[0029] S8: Discharge the working medium and clean the bath tank;

[0030] S9: Turn off the power switch of the hardening equipment and the plasma gas supply valve;

[0031] S10: Turn off the cooling system switch to end the operation.

[0032] The surface of the steel ball is heated by pulsed plasma jet and current through the above-mentioned hardening method, and thermal diffusion alloying treatment is carried out. This refines the microstructure of the steel ball surface layer, improves the microhardness of the surface layer, and enhances the anti-jamming and corrosion resistance of the steel ball surface layer by several times.

[0033] In summary, compared with the prior art, the above-described technical solutions conceived by this invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. The surface of the steel ball is heated by pulsed plasma jet and current. At the same time, the shock wave generated by the pulsed plasma jet, combined with the pulsed plasma shutdown, electromagnet de-energization, and elastic force of the elastic base, generates oscillation. During the oscillation, the steel ball and working medium are "stirred" together, which alloys, hardens, and polishes the surface of the steel ball. This achieves the alloying of carbon, nitrogen, chromium, molybdenum and other alloying elements in the surface layer of the steel ball, and refines the microstructure of the surface layer of the steel ball into nanocrystals, which improves the microhardness of the surface layer of the steel ball. At the same time, the anti-jamming and corrosion resistance of the surface layer of the steel ball is improved several times. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Appendix Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the rolling bearing steel ball hardening device of the present invention;

[0036] Appendix Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pulsed plasma gun of the present invention forming a plasma jet and treating the surface of a steel ball;

[0037] Appendix Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the microstructure and microhardness distribution of the surface layer of the steel ball after treatment by the hardening device of the present invention.

[0038] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows: 1. Bath; 2. Elastic base; 3. Working medium; 4. Steel ball; 5. Hanger; 6. Plate; 7. Electromagnet; 8. Reaction chamber; 9. Explosive spray gun; 10. Spark plug; 11. Flexible joint; 12. Consumable electrode; 13. Conductive nozzle; 14. Energy storage capacitor; 15. Plasma gun nozzle; 16. Spherical bath; 17. Cavity; 18. Upper bath; 19. Lower bath. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can more clearly understand how to practice the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with its preferred embodiments, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, a rolling bearing steel ball hardening device is composed of a bath 1 and a high-energy plasma pulse source, including a bath 1, an elastic base 2, a working medium 3, a steel ball 4, a hanger 5, a plate 6, an electromagnet 7, a reaction chamber 8, an explosive spray gun 9, a spark plug 10, a flexible joint 11, and a consumable electrode 12.

[0041] The plasma bath 1 is a spherical bath 16 with a spherical inner wall. The spherical bath 16 is made of conductive material and is fixedly connected to the plate 6 and the elastic base 2 in sequence. The spherical bath 16 is filled with a working medium 3 and steel balls 4 to be hardened. The working medium 3 consists of alloy element powder, abrasive powder, and a conductive solution. Multiple electromagnets 7 are fixed on the spherical bath 16, with the axes of the electromagnets 7 perpendicular to the inner wall of the spherical bath 16. When the electromagnets 7 are energized, they generate electromagnetic force to fix the steel balls 4 to the spherical bath 16 as a single unit. When the electromagnets 7 are de-energized, the "integration" between the steel balls 4 and the bath 1 is released, allowing the steel balls 4 to move and mix within the bath 1. When the position of the steel balls 4 changes, they rotate and mix evenly. An outlet is also provided above the spherical bath 16, connecting the interior of the spherical bath 16 to the outside. This outlet serves as a channel for continuously discharging waste gas (generated during the plasma working process, which is non-toxic).

[0042] The high-energy plasma pulse source is a pulsed plasma gun fixed on a hanger 5 above a spherical bath 16. The hanger 5 is fixed on a plate 6. The nozzle of the pulsed plasma gun is inserted into the spherical bath 16, and its axis intersects the vertical axis of the spherical bath 16 at an acute angle, causing the spherical bath 16 to shift and vibrate in a non-horizontal, non-vertical direction. The "overturning" swing of the spherical bath 16 causes the steel balls 4 and working medium 3 inside the spherical bath 16 to be "stirred up". The pulsed plasma gun includes a reaction chamber 8, a consumable electrode 12 located in the middle of the reaction chamber 8, an explosive spray gun 9 connected to the reaction chamber 8, a flexible connector 11 for supplying combustible gas mixture into the explosive spray gun 9, and a spark plug 10 on the explosive spray gun 9 for igniting the combustible gas mixture. The outer wall of the spherical bath 16 is connected to the negative terminal of an external power supply, and the consumable electrode 12 is connected to the positive terminal of an external power supply.

[0043] When the steel ball hardening device is working, the electromagnet 7 is energized, causing the bath 1 and the steel ball 4 inside the bath 1 to become one under the action of electromagnetic force. The pulsed plasma jet acts on the steel ball 4 inside the bath 1. The surface of the steel ball 4 above the liquid surface of the working medium 3 and within the "spot" of the pulsed plasma jet is heated (heating is achieved through irradiation by the plasma jet and discharge between the consumable electrode and the surface of the steel ball 4). At the same time, the shock wave generated by the plasma jet acts on the steel ball layer, causing the bath 1 to move 3-5 mm along the axis of the pulsed plasma gun. The heated steel ball 4 is submerged and cooled by the working medium 3. When the pulsed plasma is turned off, the electromagnet 7 is de-energized, and the bath 1 and the steel ball 4 are released from their one-to-one constraint. The bath 1 oscillates under the elastic force of the elastic base 2 and eventually returns to its original position. During the oscillation, the steel ball 4 slides relative to itself, relative to the working medium 3, and relative to the bath 1, and gradually returns to its original position under the action of gravity. During this process, the surface of the steel ball 4 is alloyed, hardened, and polished. When electromagnet 7 is energized, steel ball 4 and bath 1 become one again, and pulsed plasma acts again, repeating the cycle until all steel balls 4 harden and the working cycle ends.

[0044] like Figure 2 The diagram shows a pulsed plasma gun forming a plasma jet and treating the surface of a steel ball 4. The conductive nozzle 13 and the consumable electrode 12 are connected to the positive plate of the energy storage capacitor 14 of the power supply, and the plasma gun nozzle 15 is connected to the negative terminal (grounded) of the energy storage capacitor 14. The pulsed plasma is formed by the combustion and discharge of the combustible mixture gas from the explosive spray gun 9 through the energy storage capacitor 14.

[0045] Example 1

[0046] 120 steel balls 4, each 5 mm in diameter, are placed in a spherical bath 16. The spherical bath 16 is filled with working medium 3, which includes a sodium bicarbonate solution (10-15% by mass), approximately 30% of the total working medium 3 composed of finely crushed graphite (5-10 μm in diameter), chromium powder (15 μm in diameter), and abrasive particles. The end of the reaction chamber 8 of the pulsed plasma gun is inserted into the spherical bath 16, with its axis intersecting the vertical axis of the spherical bath 16 at a 30° angle. At this point, the distance between the intersection of the pulsed plasma gun's axis and the maximum horizontal section of the spherical bath 16 and the center of the spheres in the spherical bath 16 is equal to 1 / 4 of the diameter of the spherical bath 16.

[0047] The mixing ratio of working medium 3 to steel balls 4 should be such that the top two rows of steel balls 4 are above the liquid level of working medium 3, and then the pulsed plasma gun is activated. The pulsed plasma jet and the current between the consumable electrode 12 and the steel balls 4 heat the surface of the upper steel balls and perform thermal diffusion alloying treatment, with a surface heating depth of 15-20 μm. Simultaneously, the shock wave of each pulse acts on the surface of the steel balls 4, causing the spherical bath 16 to move 3-5 mm within the deformation range of the elastic base 2. During the pulsed plasma turn-off period, the electromagnet 7 is de-energized, and the spherical bath 16 returns to its initial position, but the positions of all the steel balls 4 in the spherical bath 16 have changed. In this process, they are rotated and uniformly mixed. During this process, the mutual movement of the steel balls 4 and the working medium 3 containing abrasive particles and saturated alloy element powder causes the surface of the steel balls 4 to be ground and cleaned. At the same time, the surface of the steel balls 4 is coated with a thin layer of alloy element powder, which is heated under the action of the pulsed plasma jet, resulting in thermal diffusion and alloying, leading to uniform hardening of the surface of the steel balls 4.

[0048] After 4-5 processing steps, the surface of steel ball 4 becomes a uniform silvery-white color. For example... Figure 3 As shown, metallographic analysis indicates that the surface layer of steel ball 4 is uniformly hardened to a depth of 15-20 μm, with an average microhardness value of 1000 MPa.

[0049] During pulsed plasma processing, the consumable electrode 12 is fixed so that the current in the gap between the electrode tip and the steel ball 4 in the spherical bath 16 (the spherical bath is grounded, with a potential of "-") forms a pulsed electromagnetic lens that focuses the plasma jet onto the surface of the steel ball 4. Overheating of the consumable electrode 12 causes the surface layer at the electrode tip to melt and evaporate. The products of electrode melting and evaporation mix with the plasma jet, accelerate, and form an extremely thin compressed layer on the surface of the steel ball 4, thereby initiating diffusion, plasma chemical synthesis, and the deposition of synthesized compounds on the surface of the steel ball 4. The relevant parameters of this pulsed plasma processing mode are shown in Table 1.

[0050] Table 1

[0051]

[0052]

[0053] When operating the pulsed plasma gun at a frequency of 3Hz using a capacitor with a capacitance of 800μF and a charging voltage of 3.2kV, the power consumption is 12.3kW, and the plasma processing spot diameter is equal to 10mm. Under these conditions, the hardening rate of steel balls 4 is 50-80 per minute. If the capacitor capacitance is increased to 1000μF, the capacitor charging voltage is increased to 5kV, and the plasma tube power is increased to 37.5kW, under these conditions, by changing the mode and defocusing the plasma processing spot to 20mm, the productivity will increase to 200 per minute while maintaining the same plasma gun frequency (3Hz).

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, the spherical bath 16 is divided into an upper bath 18 and a lower bath 19. The upper bath 18 and the lower bath 19 are hinged on one side. After the steel balls 4 in the spherical bath 16 are hardened, the upper bath 18 of the spherical bath 16 is raised to remove the steel balls 4 from the spherical bath 16. The remaining steel balls 4 of the same batch are then put in. The loading and unloading of the steel ball hardening equipment can be automated by using a magnetic picker and a corresponding combined robotic arm.

[0055] Different batches of steel balls 4 use different working media 3 for hardening. At the end of each batch, the working media 3 needs to be drained and the spherical bath 16 cleaned. During mass production, the conductivity of the working media 3 also needs to be tested, and its composition replenished and adjusted. Meanwhile, if... Figure 1 As shown, the spherical bath 16 has a cavity 17 inside its wall, which is connected to an external cooling system to keep the temperature of the working medium 3 within a reasonable range.

[0056] The device for hardening steel balls proposed in this invention has the following technical advantages: it can automatically perform surface thermal diffusion hardening of the steel ball 4, significantly improving the performance of the rolling bearing steel ball. Based on the composition of the combustion products of the explosive spray gun 9, the composition of the protective gas, the material of the consumable electrode 12, and the composition of the alloying element powder in the working medium 3, multiple elements can be used for thermal diffusion alloying. The required hardening thickness and surface microhardness are set according to the anti-galling and corrosion resistance requirements of the steel ball 4 under specific loads.

[0057] The steel balls 4 made of Russian ball bearing steel ШХ-15 (Chinese GCr15 steel, EU 100Cr6 steel) were hardened using the hardening technology proposed in this invention and the hardening technology of existing patent 3 (Belarusian patent number 11580).

[0058] Microhardness was determined by pressing a steel ball 4 into a diamond cone under a 20g load.

[0059] According to GOST 9490-75 standard (Russia), the anti-seize properties of treated steel balls 4 were tested on a four-ball friction testing machine under sliding friction conditions. During the test, hardened ball bearing steel balls 4 with a diameter d = 12.70 mm were clamped in the machine spindle, which rotated at 1430 rpm. Three fixed steel balls 4 were placed in an equilateral triangle in a plane perpendicular to the spindle axis, and a given load of 130 N ≤ F ≤ 10000 N was applied to the steel balls 4. The ultimate load capacity was evaluated based on the seize load of the steel balls 4.

[0060] After hardening treatment, steel ball 4 was placed in a 3% NaCl solution for 12 months for a comprehensive corrosion comparison test. The mass loss rate of steel ball 4 was measured to obtain its corrosion resistance performance.

[0061] The above measurement results are shown in Table 2.

[0062] Table 2

[0063]

[0064] As can be seen from Table 2, the average microhardness value of the surface layer of the ball bearing steel ball 4 obtained by the hardening technology of the present invention can reach 1000MPa, which is much higher than the hardening technology of the prior art 3. At the same time, the anti-seizing performance and corrosion resistance of the surface layer of the steel ball 4 are improved by several times.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] A method for hardening rolling bearing steel balls, based on the hardening apparatus described in Example 1, includes the following steps:

[0067] S1: Open the upper bath 18 and add the working medium 3 into the bath 1;

[0068] S2: Turn on the cooling system switch to put the cooling system into operation;

[0069] S3: Turn on the power switch of the hardening equipment and the plasma gas supply valve;

[0070] S4: Add the steel balls 4 to be hardened into the bath tank 1 according to the proportion, and put down and lock the upper bath tank 18.

[0071] S5: Turn on the steel ball hardening control program switch. The equipment will automatically stop after running one work cycle.

[0072] S6: Open the upper bath 18 and take out the hardened steel ball 4;

[0073] S7: Repeat steps S4 to S6 until the hardening of steel balls 4 in the same batch is completed;

[0074] S8: Discharge working medium 3 and clean bath tank 1;

[0075] S9: Turn off the power switch of the hardening equipment and the plasma gas supply valve;

[0076] S10: Turn off the cooling system switch to end the operation.

[0077] The surface of the steel ball is heated by pulsed plasma jet and current through the above-mentioned hardening method, and thermal diffusion alloying treatment is carried out. This refines the microstructure of the steel ball surface layer, improves the microhardness of the surface layer, and enhances the anti-jamming and corrosion resistance of the steel ball surface layer by several times.

[0078] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the invention should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A rolling bearing steel ball hardening device, characterized in that, include: A bath (1) and an elastic base (2) are provided below the bath (1). The bath (1) contains a working medium (3) and steel balls (4). The working medium (3) includes alloy element powder, abrasive powder and conductive solution. A pulsed plasma gun is provided above the bath (1). The outlet end of the pulsed plasma gun is inserted into the bath (1) and its axis intersects the vertical axis of the bath (1) at an acute angle. An electromagnet (7) that can attract steel balls (4) is installed on the surface of the bath (1).

2. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pulsed plasma gun includes a reaction chamber (8) for generating plasma, an explosive spray gun (9) connected to the reaction chamber (8) and delivering plasma-forming gas, and a consumption electrode (12) located in the middle of the reaction chamber (8), the consumption electrode (12) being connected to the positive terminal of an external power source.

3. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reaction chamber (8) includes a plasma gun nozzle (15), which is connected to the negative terminal of an external power supply.

4. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bath (1) is conductive and connected to the negative terminal of an external power source.

5. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bath (1) is a spherical bath (16) with a spherical inner wall.

6. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The spherical bath (16) has a cavity (17) inside its wall, and the cavity (17) is connected to an external cooling system.

7. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The spherical bath (16) is divided into an upper bath (18) and a lower bath (19), and the upper bath (18) and the lower bath (19) are hinged on one side.

8. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The axis of the electromagnet (7) is perpendicular to the inner wall of the spherical bath (16).

9. The rolling bearing steel ball hardening device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The axis of the pulsed plasma gun intersects the vertical axis of the spherical bath (16) at a 30° angle.

10. A method for hardening steel balls in rolling bearings, characterized in that, Based on the hardening device according to claim 7 Includes the following steps: S1: Open the upper bath (18) and add the working medium (3) into the bath (1); S2: Turn on the cooling system switch to put the cooling system into operation; S3: Turn on the power switch of the hardening equipment and the plasma gas supply valve; S4: Add the steel balls (4) to be hardened into the bath (1) according to the proportion, and put down and lock the upper bath (18); S5: Turn on the steel ball hardening control program switch. The equipment will automatically stop after running one work cycle. S6: Open the upper bath (18) and take out the hardened steel ball (4); S7: Repeat steps S4 to S6 until the hardening work of the same batch of steel balls (4) is completed; S8: Discharge the working medium (3) and clean the bath (1); S9: Turn off the power switch of the hardening equipment and the plasma gas supply valve; S10: Turn off the cooling system switch and end the operation.

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