Stainless Steel Casting
Stainless steels are iron alloys containing at least 12% chromium and usually other elements such as nickel and carbon that are resistant to corrosion (rust). Cast stainless steels are suitable for many applications and available in many different grades depending on desired properties.
Waukesha Foundry offers more than 30 grades of cast stainless steels available in shapes and sizes to fulfill your cast component needs.
Our Stainless Steel Casting Services
At Waukesha Foundry, we handle over 200 alloys to fit any solution. Regarding stainless steel alloys, we can handle every option that falls under the three broad categories: austenitic, ferritic, and martensitic, as well as options like duplex or ferritic-austenitic stainless steel and precipitation-hardening(PH) stainless steel.
With this capacity, our products are made to serve different industries, which include the following:
- Defense
- Aerospace
- Food processing
- Petrochem
- Industrial and more
Stainless Steel Grades That We Deal With
Learning and understanding about stainless steel grades is crucial to help you identify the best option for your stainless steel casting. At Waukesha Foundry, we deal with over 30 grades of cast stainless steel alloys in different shapes and sizes to fulfill your needs. These alloys include the following:
Austenitic
Austenitic stainless steels such as CF8 (304) and CF8M (316) are usable at a wide range of temperatures and with a wide range of corrosive chemicals. However, austenitic grades are not hardenable by heat treatment and are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking.
Super austenitic stainless steels such as CN7M (Alloy 20) and CN3MN (AL6XN) are very corrosion resistant, especially to crevice and pitting corrosion. Their limitations come from embrittlement at higher temperature applications.
Ferritic
Ferritic stainless steels such as CB-30 are great at resisting stress corrosion cracking that is typically caused by chlorides, unlike the austenitic grades. However, ferritic grades are not as machinable or weldable, and their performance decreases at lower temperatures.
Duplex
Duplex stainless steels such as CD4MCuN are stronger and more resistant to both erosion and corrosion than other grades. Lower alloy content (nickel and molybdenum) decreases the metal cost of these alloys. Their limitations come from a lower impact toughness at low temperatures and decreased performance at elevated temperatures.
Martensitic
Martensitic stainless steels such as CA15 (410), 420, 440, and CA6NM are hardenable by heat treatment with good corrosion and impact resistance. They are most used in turbines, pumps, and valves. However, since they contain the minimum amount of chromium necessary to be considered stainless, they are not as corrosion resistant as the other grades listed here.
Precipitation Hardenable
Precipitation hardenable stainless steels such as CB7Cu-1 (17-4 PH) offer high strengths, toughness, and weldability while still providing good corrosion resistance especially to stress corrosion cracking (chlorides). They are most used in pump and valve components where hot corrosives or vapors are used.
What is Stainless Steel Casting?
Stainless steel casting is a steel manufacturing process that involves forming complex stainless steel products with fine details and dimension accuracy. It works by pouring molten stainless steel into molds for solidification to achieve a stainless steel product with the desired shape.
Unlike other tool-casting processes, stainless steel casting creates complex products with excellent dimension accuracy and fine details, eliminating or reducing post-machining operations. It’s also a suitable alternative to welding fabrication since manufacturers can cast several stainless steel parts into one and save time and cost associated with welding and assembly.
Stainless steel casting involves melting metal, molding, and creating quality products through constant cleaning or heating. This process suits situations where the normal casting process does not deliver enough shock resistance features and strength. It can produce precision net shape casting without machining with tolerance or up to CT5-6 levels.
Other benefits of stainless steel casting include the following:
- Ability to achieve tight tolerance
- Can achieve very smooth finishes
- Efficient production
- Affordable tooling
- Allows use of different materials
- Reliable process for controls and repeatability
Stainless steel casting helps achieve various properties that make products suitable for multiple industries, including food and restaurant, hospital and medicine, automotive, aerospace, and construction. This wide variety of applications makes it a popular choice for different sectors. Its versatility also extends to medical equipment and other critical industrial applications.
Why Choose Waukesha Foundry for Stainless Steel Casting?
There are various reasons why you should choose Waukesha Foundry for stainless steel casting. We have over 100 years of experience in this industry, which attests to our reputation for high-level production. In addition, we use advanced technology to combine extensive metallurgical experience and different options based on material chemistry to manufacture a full range of products to meet our customers’ needs.
We also possess an extensive manufacturing capability that allows us to use over 200 alloys with weights ranging from 1 to over 6000 pounds. We also understand how crucial maintaining quality assurance is. Therefore, with our ISO 9001:2015 by TÜV Rheinland certification and build-to-ship scheduling, you can rest assured that you get high-quality castings for any industry.
We also utilize advanced design and engineering support to ensure ultimate product and customer satisfaction. From wherever you are, we will offer the support you deserve to ensure your satisfaction with our products. This makes us a reliable partner in providing high-quality products that meet industry standards.
FAQs
Why is Stainless Steel Selected for Casting Processes?
Stainless steel alloys are primarily regarded for casting due to their mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. All types of stainless steel have outstanding foundry characteristics, such as excellent fluidity for mold fills, ease of melting in an air melt furnace, and excellent weldability.
What Industries Benefit from Casting Components in Stainless Steel?
Several industries benefit from components made through stainless steel casting. These include power generation, aviation, hydropower, hospitality, and medical industries. These industries prefer stainless steel made through this process due to its key benefits, such as corrosion resistance, versatility, durability, cost-effectiveness, aesthetic appeal, and hygiene. In particular, medical components and devices are often manufactured using stainless steel due to its reliability and ease of sterilization.
How Detailed and Intricate can Designs be When Casting with Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel casting provides high-level tolerance and surface finishes. It can achieve a tolerance of up to +/- 0.010 inches for the first linear dimension and another +/- 0.005 per inch for additional linear sizes. Stainless steel casting can also achieve a finish of up to 125 RMS.
What are the Advantages of Choosing Stainless Steel Casting Compared to Other Metal Casting Methods?
Several methods are used for stainless steel casting. These include shell mold casting, sand casting, ceramic mold casting, and investment casting. The investment casting process offers the most significant advantages, especially if you want to achieve complex shapes requiring exceptional surface qualities, tight tolerance, and minimal machining and surface finishing after the casting process. This process is particularly efficient in reducing production costs by minimizing post-casting work.
How Does Waukesha Foundry Ensure the Quality of Stainless Steel Castings?
We use state-of-the-art testing processes at Waukesha Foundry to ensure you get stainless steel casting products with the highest standards. These processes include:
- Chemical analysis, including nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen
- Embrittlement, hardness, Charpy impact, and corrosion test
- Weldability test
- Microstructure analysis
- Robust adherence to heat treatment certifications and charts
- Coefficient of thermal expansion
- Radiographic inspection
- Magnetic particle inspection using the wet fluorescent method
- Digital radiography
- Hydrostatic testing
- Liquid penetration inspection – Type II (Visible Dye) Method A (Water Washable) & Method C (Solvent Removable)
Schedule Your Stainless Steel Casting Services at Waukesha Foundry Today
Waukesha Foundry is undoubtedly your go-to place for all stainless steel casting services. With over 100 years of experience and extensive manufacturing capabilities, you can confidently depend on us to manufacture cast stainless steel products with unmatched quality. Contact us today to speak with one of our experts.