Abstract: A method for heat-treating a component which consists of a metal alloy, in which or on which at least one surface section is coated with a glaze or enamel coating, includes heating the component to a heating temperature which at least equals a minimum quenching temperature, and quenching the component starting from a temperature which at least equals the minimum quenching temperature in order to produce a higher-strength microstructure in the component. The components can be heat-treated such that the glaze or enamel coating is reliably prevented from chipping. The glaze or enamel coating is pre-cooled to a pre-cooling temperature at least on its free surface prior to quenching, said pre-cooling temperature maximally corresponding to the temperature at which the glaze or enamel coating begins to soften, and wherein the cooling rate at which the glaze or enamel coating is cooled is lower than the cooling rate during quenching.

Abstract: A metal component which has a face which during use is thermally or mechanically more highly loaded than the environment thereof and which is at least partially covered with a glaze or enamel layer and a method for the production thereof. The metal component requires no specific limitations during the thermal processing operation and nonetheless ensures optimum protection for the surfaces which are highly loaded during use. The glaze or enamel layer contains, with respect to the enamel frit used to produce the enamel coating, from 2 to 35% by weight of an admixture of particles which consist of at least one material from glass, organic plastics materials, and synthetic oxide mixtures or melts, which each have a thermal expansion coefficient of a maximum of 50×10?7 K?1 and a melting temperature of at least 500° C.