Method of producing roughly shaped material for rolling bearing

1. A method of producing a roughly shaped material for a rolling bearing by forging a steel composed of a high-carbon chrome bearing steel of which a Vickers hardness is Hv240 or less containing 0.7 mass % to 1.2 mass % of a carbon, and 0.8 mass % to 1.8 mass % of a chromium, the method comprising:

(A) forging the steel to a predetermined shape while heating the steel to a forging temperature in a range of (Ae 1 point+25° C.) to (Ae 1 point+105° C.), and cooling a forged article to a temperature of Ae 1 point or lower; and

(B) performing an annealing in which the forged article obtained in (A) is heated to a soaking temperature in a range of (Ae 1 point+25° C.) to (Ae 1 point+85° C.), the forged article is retained for 0.5 hours or longer and 1 hour or shorter, and the forged article is cooled down to 700° C. or lower at a cooling rate of 0.020° C./s or faster and 0.30° C./s or slower.

2. The method of producing a roughly shaped material for a rolling bearing according to claim 1 ,

wherein the soaking temperature is set to 760° C. to 820° C.

3. The method of producing a roughly shaped material for a rolling bearing according to claim 1 ,

wherein the cooling rate is set to 0.27° C./s or slower.

4. The method of producing a roughly shaped material for a rolling bearing according to claim 2 ,

wherein the cooling rate is set to 0.27° C./s or slower.