It can take place in a furnace or by induction. The process typically involves the application of heat followed by a cooling process. During heat treatment, the material is heated to a particular temperature and held for a certain amount of time before cooling at a certain rate and temperature. It can cause permanent deformation of a material if it is not done properly and care must be taken when controlling the parameters and plays an essential role in the manufacturing and production process of metal components and products, resulting in improved performance and product life.

Heat treatment is typically used to enhance the hardness, strength, ductility and resistance to wear and corrosion in the metal. The three general heat treatment processes are Annealing, Tempering, and Quenching. Annealing is carried out to soften the metal, relieving any internal stresses created from machining which can cause the part to distort during machining.

Tempering is used to balance the strength and toughness of the metal. Quenching is used to harden the metal and make it more resistant to impact and wear. In addition to alloy characteristics, heat treatment has many other benefits such as stress relief, grain refinement, and improved dimensional stability.