Stainless steel casting: a solid force for the future of forging industry

2025-4-25

　　In the process of modern industrial development, stainless steel casting, as an important process for metal forming, continues to provide key component support for various industries with its unique advantages. From high-end precision equipment to daily necessities, stainless steel castings integrate into every aspect of people’s lives with excellent performance and diverse forms, becoming a solid force driving industrial progress and development. ​

　　Stainless steel casting can inject molten metal into various complex molds, shaping parts with different shapes. Both pump bodies with complex internal flow channels and decorative components with intricate patterns can be achieved through casting processes. Taking the cylinder block of an automobile engine as an example, it contains numerous complex channels for cooling and lubrication. Through casting technology, these structures can be accurately constructed in one molding process, without the need for cumbersome processing steps, greatly improving production efficiency while ensuring the overall performance and structural strength of the parts. ​

　　During the stainless steel casting process, the alloy composition of stainless steel can be precisely adjusted according to different usage requirements. By adding elements such as chromium, nickel, molybdenum, etc., the corrosion resistance, strength, and high temperature resistance of stainless steel can be significantly improved. In the field of ocean engineering, due to the long-term exposure of equipment to high salt and humid environments, there is a high demand for the corrosion resistance of materials. By adjusting the content of chromium and molybdenum in stainless steel, the stainless steel castings produced can effectively resist the erosion of seawater, extend the service life of equipment, and ensure the safe and stable operation of marine engineering. ​

　　The casting process is particularly suitable for large-scale production. Once the mold production is completed, batch casting can be quickly and repeatedly carried out to produce a large number of parts with consistent specifications. This efficient production method enables stainless steel castings to meet the needs of large-scale industrial production such as automobile manufacturing and home appliance production. For example, in the production of household appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, stainless steel cast components can be standardized and mass-produced, reducing production costs while ensuring the stability and consistency of product quality. ​

　　Mold is the foundation of stainless steel casting, and its quality directly affects the accuracy and quality of the castings. Modern mold design typically utilizes computer-aided design (CAD) software for 3D modeling and simulation analysis. Designers will fully consider factors such as the shrinkage rate of the casting, the layout of the pouring system, and the parting surface of the mold to ensure that the mold can smoothly complete the casting process. In the mold manufacturing process, CNC machining technology is widely used, which can accurately process complex mold structures, ensuring the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the mold. For some molds with special shapes or high-precision requirements, 3D printing technology is also used to quickly produce prototype molds for verification and optimization, shortening the mold development cycle. ​

　　The melting of stainless steel is a crucial step in casting. Common melting equipment includes electric arc furnaces, induction furnaces, etc. During the smelting process, it is necessary to strictly control the temperature, time, and chemical composition. Firstly, various stainless steel raw materials are added to the furnace in proportion and melted into a liquid state through high-temperature heating. In order to remove impurities and gases and improve the purity of molten steel, external refining techniques such as argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) and vacuum blown oxygen decarburization (VOD) are also used. These refining processes can precisely control the content of carbon, sulfur, phosphorus and other elements in stainless steel, adjust the alloy composition, and achieve the required performance indicators of the molten steel, laying the foundation for producing high-quality castings. ​