Manufacturing Technology 2026, 26(3):319-333 | DOI: 10.21062/mft.2026.030

Applications of the Boriding process in the Defence industry

Martin Ja¹¹o ORCID...1, Richard Pastirèák ORCID...2, Peter Fabian ORCID...2, Jozef Bronèek ORCID...3
1 HS Technik. ®ilinská cesta 84, 013 11, Lietavská Lúèka. Slovak Republic
2 Faculty of Technological Engineering, University of ®ilina. Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 ®ilina. Slovak Republic
3 Department of Design and Mechanical Elements, University of ®ilina. Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 ®ilina

The study analyses current trends in the manufacturing of highly stressed components used in the defence industry, with a particular focus on handgun components. These parts are commonly produced from low-alloy steels that are refined to achieve medium strength levels. To enhance their resistance to mechanical and thermal loading, conventional production routes typically involve surface hardening followed by tempering. This study investigates the potential of replacing these established methods with a chemical–thermal surface treatment, specifically boriding, in which the surface layer is enriched with boron atoms. The mechanical properties of selected materials used for test samples are described and compared after treatment by induction surface hardening and boriding. The results provide a basis for evaluating the applicability of boriding as an alternative surface treatment for highly stressed components in the defence industry.

Keywords: Handgun barrel, Surface treatment, Induction hardening, Boron surface saturation

Received: January 22, 2026; Revised: May 6, 2026; Accepted: May 7, 2026; Prepublished online: May 25, 2026; Published: June 29, 2026  Show citation

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Ja¹¹o M, Pastirèák R, Fabian P, Bronèek J. Applications of the Boriding process in the Defence industry. Manufacturing Technology. 2026;26(3):319-333. doi: 10.21062/mft.2026.030.
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