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Last edited 15 Feb 2023

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Mike Evans Engineer Website

Steel castings

1 Introduction
2 What are Steel Castings?
3 What is the purpose of using Steel Castings?
4 Cast steel properties
5 Advantages of Steel Castings
6 The types of cast steel
- 6.1 Carbon Steels
- 6.2 Alloy Steels
7 Steel casting applications
8 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Introduction

Steel is an extremely versatile and highly sought after metalworking material available in many different forms.

[edit] What are Steel Castings?

In steel castings, molten steel is poured into a mold cavity and formed into a metal component. As soon as the liquefied steel enters the mold cavity, it cools and solidifies. It is possible to tailor the shape of a mold, and therefore the casting, exactly to your specification.

Casting steel can be a challenging process. Compared to other metals, it has a lower fluidity and is more reactive to mold materials. It is important that only metalworking experts handle the steel casting process in order to ensure optimal component performance.

[edit] What is the purpose of using Steel Castings?

A variety of reasons can be given for using steel castings. The main reason they are used is other types of cast iron do not have sufficient strength or shock resistance. Castings made from steel are both strong and ductile due to its physical properties. In this way, the steel casting becomes extremely strong, reducing the likelihood of it fracturing under pressure. Additionally, steel castings are used for their corrosion resistance and weldability.

[edit] Cast steel properties

There are different properties associated with cast steels. When heat or other chemicals are introduced into the process, the physical properties may change. In order to produce the needed output, the cast steel will be carefully selected and processed.

Toughness: It is possible for cast steel to endure stress. In order to increase the toughness of cast steel, alloy metals and heat may be applied.
Hardness: Steel castings are abrasion-resistant. Due to its high level of hardness, even scratches cannot be seen in the material.
Strength: Cast steel cannot be easily deformed by force.
Wear resistance: The wear and tear resistance of cast steel is excellent. It is resistant to friction and frequent use. As a result of its high wear resistance levels, the process is perfect for components that will be subjected to heavy use.
Rust resistance: Cast steels are able to tolerate a wide range of corrosion-causing elements.
Welding: With welding, it can be formed and shaped without being damaged in any way.

[edit] Advantages of Steel Castings

Reliable: A component made from this material is unlikely to be damaged easily because of its strength and durability.
A positive economic impact: A cast steel casting has a competitive price compared to other castings, due to its high quality and durability.
Flexibility in design: It is the versatility of steel castings that allows you to design and create a variety of shapes, designs, and forms that are unique and complex. This material has the ability to be shaped and deformed easily if needed. The flexibility of cast steels can be of benefit to a wide variety of industries that require castings that are unique and durable.
Adaptability: Any processing method can be used on steel casts. A component made from it can adapt well to a variety of chemical compositions, heats, and other procedures.

[edit] The types of cast steel

There are many types of cast steel. Cast steels can be divided into two general categories based on their chemical compositions. There are two types of cast steels: carbon cast steels and alloy cast steels.

[edit] Carbon Steels

A carbon steel is a special type of steel. It contains a higher concentration of carbon. In addition, there are low-carbon steels, medium-carbon steels, and high-carbon steels. As a result, it offers a lot more benefits to its users. As compared to ordinary steel, carbon steel is stronger and more durable. If excessively exposed, it may still break despite being more resistant to stress. Construction, automotive, and many other industries use this type of cast steel.

The melting point of low carbon steel ZG15 is generally higher, but its casting performance is poor. Carburized parts and motor parts are the only things that can be manufactured with it.

Medium carbon steel ZG25ZG45's comprehensive properties are higher than those of all kinds of cast iron. This results in a very high strength, excellent plasticity, and toughness. Because of its complex shapes, high strength, and toughness, it is suitable for manufacturing parts with complex shapes. A few examples are train wheels, forging hammer stands and anvils, rolls, and high-pressure valves. Carbon cast steel is the most widely used type.

ZG55 is a high carbon steel with a low melting point. Steel with high carbon content has better casting performance than steel with medium carbon content. However, it has poor plasticity and toughness. There are only a few wear parts manufactured with it.

[edit] Alloy Steels

The alloy steel is formed when metals and non-metals are incorporated into carbon steels. A variety of industries use these products, such as mining, automobiles, road construction, and many others. It is not just that alloy steels are used to make big components, but they are also used to make small household items, such as kitchen appliances.

There are two types of alloy cast steels: low alloy steels and high alloy steels, which can be classified based on how much alloying elements they contain.

(1) Cast steel with a low alloy content. The most commonly used manganese series are manganese silicon series and chromium series. These include, for example, ZG40Mn, ZG30MnSi1, ZG30Cr1MnSi1, etc. Used in the manufacture of parts such as gears, cylinders for hydraulic presses working, and rotors for hydraulic turbines, as well as other parts.

A common use for ZG40Cr1 is to manufacture gears and shafts that are highly stressed.

(2) Cast steel with high alloy content. A special property of this material is that it is resistant to wear, heat, and corrosion. ZGMn13, for example, is a high manganese steel. This is a type of anti-wear steel. Parts used under dry friction working conditions are mainly manufactured with this material. Among them are front walls and teeth of grab buckets on excavators, crawler tracks on tractors and tanks, etc. It consists of chromium-nickel stainless steel ZG1Cr18Ni9 as well as chromium stainless steel ZG1Cr13 and ZGCr28. Nitric acid corrosion resistance is high. Generally used in the manufacture of chemicals, petroleum, chemical fibers, food, and other equipment parts.

Even though both types of steel are useful and in demand, their properties are completely different. The corrosion resistance of alloy steels is higher than that of carbon steels. However, it is weaker and less durable than carbon steel. Alloy steels and carbon steels differ in many properties and elements. However, both are highly useful for a variety of industries and professions.

[edit] Steel casting applications

Steel castings have become a staple in numerous industries due to their reliability and strength. Food processing, electronics, and oil and gas are among the industries that use steel castings. The railroad, construction, drilling, transportation, and mining industries are some specific industries that use this type of casting. Some of the items that are made from steel casting are gears, valve bodies, pump casings, mining machinery, marine equipment, cylinder blockers, forging presses, and railroad truck frames.

Castings made of steel are effective in a wide range of applications. Consequently, it has become increasingly popular. There is still a growing demand for it around the world.

--Mike Evans