To subject steel to a special heat treatment process that creates a specific crystal structure, making it stronger and more flexible.
From 'austenit(e)' (a form of steel structure) plus 'form,' German engineers developed this term to describe a controlled heating and cooling process for strengthening metal.
Steel makers discovered that if you heat steel to just the right temperature and cool it in a special way, you get metal that's both hard and flexible—kind of like creating a superhero version of steel!
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