While our competitor's cylinders (with only through hardening) are going into shipping boxes, the TopCare cylinder barrel spends an additional 40 hours in our high temperature nitriding furnace to case harden the bores of our barrels even further. When we're finished, our barrel bore surface is over 40% higher (based on Rockwell C scale comparison) than competitive barrels. And there is something else that our competition doesn't want to talk about. The Hard Fact is that the nitriding process not only produces a deep layer of high hardness, but it also enhances high temperature hardness and strength.
Nitriding is a process that requires specialized equipment. Furnaces that heat the barrels to 940° F in an ammonia atmosphere for 40 hours are required to achieve the exceptional hardness desired. TCM has seven of these furnaces. That's seven more than our competitors. Perhaps there is a reason they don't take the extra steps to increase hardness.
Nitriding is not just for initial wear. The nitriding process hardens the barrel to a significant depth, allowing extended service life by grinding oversize without losing the benefits of the process. For additional information see Oversize Toughness.