Analisis Pengaruh Media Pendingin Terhadap Sifat Fisik Mata Pisau Mesin Pencacah di Dinas Lingkungan Hidup (DLH) Kabupaten Bengkalis

The knife-making industry, particularly traditional blacksmithing, often faces complaints from consumers regarding the hardness and strength of the produced blades. This study aims to analyze the effect of different quenching media on the mechanical properties, particularly the hardness, of waste shredder blades made from AISI 1045 steel. The method used was a laboratory experiment involving heat treatment at a temperature of 800°C, followed by quenching in three different cooling media: freshwater, saltwater, and oil. After the heat treatment process, each specimen was tested using the Rockwell hardness (HRC) method to determine its hardness level.The test results showed that the quenching medium had a significant effect on the material’s hardness. The highest average hardness value was obtained from specimens quenched in oil, reaching 81,2 HRC, followed by saltwater at 87.1 HRC. Meanwhile, freshwater produced the lowest hardness value at only 96 HRC. For comparison, the specimen without heat treatment had a hardness value of 96.8 HRC. These findings indicate that oil as a quenching medium provides the most optimal increase in hardness, whereas freshwater is not recommended due to its tendency to significantly reduce the mechanical properties of the steel.