What is Annealing?

Annealing is the process of softening a metal, specifically an alloy, in order to meet a product requirement by a manufacturer. Every material has a temperature where the material will soften. This temperature range will vary depending on the type of anneal needed, such as a sub-critical anneal, process anneal, or a full anneal.  Annealing may be required for many different applications such as machinability, shaping, and products final use may be in the annealed condition.