How to choose stainless steel casting
Stainless steel has the advantages of high corrosion resistance, hygiene and strength, and is a commonly used material in investment casting or lost wax casting processes to manufacture precision stainless steel components for various applications, such as food machinery, marine hardware, architectural hardware, medical components Wait
While there are many stainless steel casting grades to choose from, how can you be sure to choose the right cast stainless grade for your specific needs? The following will explain how to choose stainless steel casting:
Factor 1 – Casting Process
Since we are talking about how to choose the right stainless steel grade for casting, there is no doubt that the selected stainless steel grade is castable (refer to the castability of stainless steel). Although hundreds of stainless steel grades are found, not all grades can be cast. The fluidity of molten steel is very critical, and some stainless steel grades have poor fluidity but good machinability. Commonly used cast stainless steel grades are: 201, 303, 304, 309, 316, 410, 17-4 ph, 2205, 2207, etc.
In China and even the world, most stainless steel foundries can only cast stainless steel grades such as 304 and 316. For precipitation hardening stainless steel and duplex stainless steel, few stainless steel foundries can investment casting. Jiachuancasting has over 30 years of experience in stainless steel investment casting and we can cast all of the above stainless grades including 17-4 ph and 2205 duplex stainless steel.
Factor 2 - Corrosion Resistance
Corrosion resistance is the main reason for choosing stainless steel casting grades. It is necessary to understand the corrosion resistance of some stainless steels. Different grades have different corrosion resistance.
Austenitic stainless steels, for example, can give you the most corrosion resistance because of the high amount of chromium present. Therefore, investment casting of 304 stainless steel is usually performed in our stainless steel foundry when corrosion resistance is of the utmost importance. 316 stainless steel, with the addition of molybdenum, has better corrosion resistance than 304 stainless steel and is the casting of choice for stainless steel components for marine and chemical applications.
Factor 3 – Quality (strength, ductility, toughness, etc.)
Casting quality is one of the most important factors when considering stainless steel casting grades. Casting quality mainly depends on the strength, ductility and toughness of stainless steel.
For austenitic stainless steels, it provides the highest toughness and ductility of all types of stainless steel casting grades due to the presence of nickel. Corrosion resistance is always better for cast stainless grades with higher chromium, molybdenum and nickel content.
Also, when choosing a stainless steel grade, make sure not to focus solely on alloy content. When higher strength is required, precipitation hardening stainless steel or duplex stainless steel castings are recommended.
Note that when post-processing stainless steel castings, it is best to perform heat treatment, because this can eliminate internal stress and slightly reduce the strength, which is conducive to further processing.
Factor 4 - Magnetic
Magnetic properties should also be considered when choosing a reliable stainless steel casting grade for your part.
Basic stainless steel has a "ferritic" structure and is magnetic due to the addition of chromium. You can harden it by adding carbon, making it "martensite".
On the other hand, the most common stainless steels are austenitic because they have a higher chromium content. You'll also find nickel, which changes the physical structure of the steel, making it non-magnetic.
Austenitic grades have low magnetic reactivity or "relative permeability". Nickel-rich stainless steel grades such as 316 or 310 grades are non-magnetic under any circumstances.
Therefore, you can use them in applications that require non-magnetic metals. If you are looking for stainless steel grades with high magnetic response, choose ferritic and martensitic stainless steel grades (400 series). They have high magnetic permeability and are classified as "ferromagnetic". Also, when looking for ferromagnetic stainless grades, consider duplex grades like 2205.
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