1. ACTech
  2. Casting Materials
  3. Cast Iron

Cast iron prototype
castings

Among casting materials, cast iron takes a top position. This is not surprising, as depending on the structural and graphite formation, the iron carbon silicon alloy scores with excellent properties ranging from high strength and ductility to maximum wear resistance and temperature resistance. Our materials portfolio includes a complete range of highly pourable cast iron materials. As a consequence we can meet all material requirements for your cast iron part.

  • Excellent castability 

  • Wide range in terms of strength, ductility and temperature resistance 

  • Cast iron parts with high weight savings compared to steel parts

Lamellar graphite cast iron

Lamellar graphite cast iron, also known as grey cast iron, is undoubtedly one of the materials most often used in the production of cast iron parts. There is a simple reason for this: grey cast iron has outstanding properties in terms of thermal conductivity, compressive strength etc. These characteristics make the material with lamellar-structured graphite ideal for many components in the automotive, commercial and construction vehicle and mechanical and plant engineering sectors. Material standard: DIN EN 1561 

Typical applications:

  • Engine construction 

  • Cylinder crankcases and cylinder liners 

  • Casings, machine bases

  • Thermal properties
    Good thermal conductivity

  • Damping
    Lamellar graphite cast iron is characterized by high damping capacity

  • Further properties
    Good sliding and wear properties, high compressive strength, tensile strengths of 150 - 350 MPa

Spheroidal graphite cast iron

Spheroidal graphite cast iron is considered to be a particularly strong and ductile material. This is due to the globular structure of the graphite, achieved by a special melting treatment. Thanks to this structure, spherulitic graphite cast iron achieves high strength and ductility properties that are almost comparable to those of cast steel. We process the material into cast iron parts for various industries, ranging from plant and mechanical engineering to automotive engineering and the production of parts for wind turbines. Material standard: DIN EN 1563 

Typical applications:

  • Automotive engineering 

  • Crankshafts 

  • Gearbox housings 

  • Agricultural machinery parts 

  • Structural components

  • Tensile strengths
    Tensile strengths from 400 - 800 MPa

  • Weight
    With comparable properties, approximately 10% lighter than quenched and tempered steel castings

  • Further properties
    Yield strengths of 250 - 420 MPa, good dynamic properties, suitable for lower temperatures (GJS-400-18LT), no heat treatment required

Vermicular graphite cast iron

With vermicular graphite cast iron, the graphite contained is in vermicular form and the matrix is ferritic, ferritic/pearlitic to fully pearlitic. The production of this material is considered difficult because the special graphite formation is only achieved within a very narrow process window. It is, however, worth the effort: The iron casting material unites the best properties of grey iron and spherulitic graphite iron. Material standard: DIN EN 16079 

Typical applications:

  • Engine construction 

  • Cylinder crankcases and cylinder heads 

  • Casings

  • Thermal properties
    Superior thermal conductivity and thermal shock resistance compared to spherulitic graphite iron

  • Strength
    Higher strength than lamellar graphite cast iron

  • Further properties
    Good damping, tensile strength of 300 - 500 MPa

Austenitic cast iron

For cast iron parts that must withstand high temperatures, a material with special properties is needed. Our recommendation: austenitic cast iron – either with spheroidal or lamellar graphite. The special advantage of this material is that the austenitic matrix also exists at room temperature, and as a result, neither structural transformation nor volume leap occurs at higher temperatures. Due to its high silicon content, the material group also known as Ni-Resist also features high scaling resistance. Material standard: DIN EN 13835 

Typical applications:

  • Exhaust elements, e.g. manifolds and turbochargers 

  • Automotive industry 

  • High temperature applications

  • Thermal properties
    Uniform thermal expansion coefficient, application temperatures up to 950 °C, high thermal shock resistance

  • Resistance
    Material with good corrosion resistance

  • Further properties
    Stable oxide skin, high ductility

Ferritic cast iron for higher temperature applications

Application temperatures of up to 700 °C? No problem for ferritic cast iron, because even at higher temperatures there is no volume leap in this material. The material has a high silicon and molybdenum content and can be produced with either spheroidal or vermicular graphite. As a result, it is extensively used for cast iron parts such as exhaust elements. Material standard: DIN EN 16124 

 

Typical applications:

  • Exhaust elements, e.g. manifolds and turbochargers 

  • Casings 

  • General applications at higher temperatures

  • Thermal properties
    High scaling resistance, application temperature to 700 °C

Austempered ductile iron

Austempered ductile iron, also known as ADI, has an austempered matrix with embedded spheroidal graphite. The matrix and thus also the properties are set by isothermal heat treatment (cooling from the austenitization temperature) to the transformation temperature in accordance with the grade. As a result, the material scores with properties that are similar to those of rolled and forged steels, or even exceed these in some cases – and at significantly lower weights. Material standard: DIN EN 1564 

Typical applications:

  • Structural components 

  • Crankshafts 

  • High-strength parts in general mechanical engineering 

  • Strength
    Very high strengths of 800 - 1,300 MPa

  • Yield strength
    Very high yield strengths of 650 - 1,000 MPa

  • Further properties
    Applications up to 200 °C, 10% weight advantage over rolled and

Wear resistant cast iron

Do your cast iron parts have to reliably withstand even the toughest conditions and meet the strictest requirements? Then wear resistant cast iron is the solution: In this chromium-alloyed cast iron the carbon is not present as graphite but in the form of Cr-carbides. Furthermore, a martensitic microstructure guarantees increased basic matrix hardness. This all makes this material maximally wear resistant. How high the wear resistance is depends on the precise chemical composition as well as any heat treatment – we parameterize both according to your specifications. Material standard: DIN EN 12513 

Typical applications:

  • Wear resistant parts in mechanical engineering 

  • Bucket teeth 

  • Agriculture 

  • Nozzles 

  • Mixing blades 

  • Wear resistance
    Very high wear resistance

FAQ

What parts weight is possible in cast iron?

What parts weight is possible in cast iron?

In cast iron we are able to cast components weighing up to several hundred kilograms. By combining individual cast parts into assemblies, the weight and size can of course be expanded. For example, the largest assembly we produced at ACTech to date in spherulitic graphite iron consisted of six individual parts with a total weight of 2.6t.

What are typical applications for cast iron parts?

What are typical applications for cast iron parts?

Cast iron components are typically used in large engines (cylinder heads, cylinder blocks, gearbox housings, oil pans etc.) and in general mechanical and plant engineering (pipe sections, flanges, manifolds, brackets, housings etc.). 

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