The generic term "steel" covers a wide range of grades of materials, however, for simplicity two alloy groups are normally considered: Carbon and Low Alloy (C&LA) and High Alloy. High Alloy grades include stainless steels and nickel-base alloys. Austenitic Manganese steels and all other non-stainless steels are usually included in the C&LA group.

　　Some of the larger users are: Railroad industry which uses 50% of the total production of steel castings. These parts are used in severe applications such as couplers, draft gears, side frames, bolsters, and wheels.

　　A steel casting is the product formed by pouring molten steel into a mold cavity. The liquid steel cools and solidifies in the mold cavity and is then removed for cleaning. Heat treating may be required to meet desired properties.

　　This process provides the near net shape and mechanical properties required by a purchaser to meet his specifications.

　　Construction machinery manufacturers use about 15% of the steel castings produced each year. The applications here are as varied as the equipment produced,such as cement plant equipments. Parts range from end caps on hydraulic cylinders for a small backhoe to transmission housings on large earth-moving machinery.

　　Valves and fittings of cast steel account for about 5% of production and are used for the drilling, recovery, transportation, and refining of natural gas and crude oil both on land and offshore. These parts vary in size from a few pounds to many tons. Applications are very severe requiring performance in corrosive liquids at both subzero and elevated temperatures. Operating pressures can reach many thousands of p.s.i. in valves and blowout preventers.

　　Heavy trucks—both on and off-highway—use about 5% of industry production. Some applications include: axle housings, suspension brackets, wheels, brake parts, axle spindles, differential housings, and fifth wheels.

　　Mining industry makes extensive use of steel castings for their extreme requirements of toughness and abrasion resistance both for ore recovery equipment and crushing mills. Both high manganese and other alloy steels are widely used, and these materials can only be produced as castings.

　　Numerous other industries use steel castings. These range from food processing and electronics to oil and gas, defense and pulp and paper industries. In fact, castings touch every aspect of our lives.