Cast steel
Diverse use through good mechanic properties

As regards to its mechanical properties cast steel is in many ways superior to grey and spheroidal iron. Steel is foremost used as a material when a clear thermal or chemical resistance or high solidity is needed. Castings from steel are therefore mainly used in shipbuilding, in engineering, in the automotive industry and in plant construction.
Further on, steel is well suitable for welding, is malleable and through special production procedures and after-production processes it can offer a high variety of materialsThe reason for exceptional characteristics of steels is the low share of carbon which is under 2.06 per cent.

But this low share of carbon has also its disadvantages: steel has a much higher melting temperature as cast iron which means we have special demands within the melting process. Further, the liquid steel is thicker as from cast iron; its characteristics with mould filling are not as favourable and it has about two per cent shrinkage rule.

These physical characteristics of cast steel call for extensive after-production treatments of the cast pieces. As a consequence of the unfavourable mould filling capability the parts need to be cut after moulding. Cast steel receives its mechanical characteristics mostly only after thermal treatment, as for example after tempering, annealing and similar processes.