In the field of mechanical engineering, selecting the right materials is crucial for ensuring the performance, reliability, and safety of machinery. This article will introduce twenty commonly used metallic materials and their characteristics, helping mechanics better understand and select materials.

1. 45# Steel (High-Quality Carbon Structural Steel)

45# steel is the most commonly used medium-carbon quenched and tempered steel with good comprehensive mechanical properties but low hardenability, prone to cracking during water quenching. Small parts should be quenched and tempered, while large parts should be normalized. It is mainly used to manufacture high-strength moving parts, such as turbine impellers, compressor pistons, shafts, gears, racks, worms, etc.

2. Q235A (A3 Steel, the Most Commonly Used Carbon Structural Steel)

Q235A has high plasticity, toughness, and welding performance, as well as certain strength and good cold bending properties. It is widely used in general-purpose parts and welded structures, such as lightly loaded rods, connecting rods, pins, shafts, screws, nuts, bushes, brackets, bases, building structures, bridges, etc.

3. 40Cr (Alloy Structural Steel)

40Cr, after quenching and tempering, exhibits good comprehensive mechanical properties, low-temperature impact toughness, and low notch sensitivity, with good hardenability. It is mainly used to manufacture medium-speed and medium-loaded parts, such as machine tool gears, shafts, worms, spline shafts, etc. Additionally, it can be used to manufacture heavily loaded, low-impact, wear-resistant parts, such as worm gears and spindles.

4. HT150 (Gray Cast Iron)

HT150 is a commonly used gray cast iron, primarily used to manufacture gearbox housings, machine tool beds, housings, hydraulic cylinders, pump bodies, valve bodies, flywheels, cylinder heads, pulleys, bearing caps, etc.

5. 35# Steel

35# steel is a commonly used material for various standard parts and fasteners, with appropriate strength, good plasticity, high cold plasticity, and acceptable welding performance. It is suitable for manufacturing small-section parts and parts subjected to large loads, such as crankshafts, levers, connecting rods, hooks, rings, etc.

6. 65Mn (Spring Steel)

65Mn is a commonly used spring steel, used for manufacturing small-sized various flat and round springs, cushion springs, spring hairpins, etc.

7. 0Cr18Ni9 (Stainless Steel)

0Cr18Ni9 is the most commonly used stainless steel, widely used in food equipment, general chemical equipment, atomic energy industrial equipment, etc.

8. Cr12 (Cold Work Die Steel)

Cr12 is a commonly used cold work die steel with good wear resistance and hardenability. It is mostly used to manufacture cold dies subjected to small impact loads, such as punches, die blanks, etc.

9. DC53 (High Strength and Toughness Cold Work Die Steel Imported from Japan)

DC53 has high hardness and toughness after high-temperature tempering, excellent wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) properties. It is used for precision cold stamping dies, drawing dies, threading dies, etc.

10. SM45 (Ordinary Carbon Plastic Mold Steel)

SM45 is used to manufacture ordinary drawing dies, punch die blanks, etc.

11. DCCr12MoV (Wear-Resistant Chromium Steel)

DCCr12MoV has high hardenability and good wear resistance, suitable for manufacturing dies with large cross-sections and complex shapes.

12. SKD11 (Tough Chromium Steel)

SKD11 has high toughness and wear resistance, extending the service life of dies. It is commonly used to manufacture cutting tools requiring high precision and long service life, such as stretching dies, cold extrusion dies, etc.

13. ASP-23 (Powder Metallurgy High-Speed Steel)

ASP-23 has extremely uniform carbide distribution, wear resistance, high toughness, easy processing, and stable dimensions during heat treatment. It is used for punches, deep drawing dies, drilling dies, milling cutters, shearing blades, and other types of long-life cutting tools.

14. P20 (Plastic Mold Steel)

P20 can be subjected to electrical discharge machining (EDM), pre-hardened to HB270-300 as delivered, and quenched to HRC52. It is used for plastic molds of general requirements and various sizes.

15. 718 (Plastic Molds with High Requirements)

718 is especially suitable for EDM operations, pre-hardened to HB290-330 as delivered, and quenched to HRC52. It is commonly used for plastic molds with high requirements.

16. Nak80 (Plastic Mold Steel with High Mirror Surface and High Precision)

Nak80 is pre-hardened to HB370-400 as delivered and quenched to HRC52. It is used for plastic molds with a high mirror surface and high precision.

17. S136 (Plastic Mold Steel with Corrosion Resistance and Mirror Polishing Requirements)

S136 is pre-hardened to HB<215 as delivered and quenched to HRC52. It is used for plastic molds requiring corrosion resistance and mirror polishing.

18. H13 (Commonly Used Die-Casting Dies)

H13 is used for die-casting of aluminum, zinc, magnesium, and alloys, hot stamping dies, and aluminum extrusion dies.

19. SKD61 (Advanced Die-Casting Dies)

SKD61, through electroslag remelting technology, significantly improves service life compared to H13. It is used for hot stamping dies, aluminum extrusion dies, etc.

20. 8407 (Advanced Die-Casting Dies)

8407 is also an advanced die-casting die material, commonly used for hot stamping dies, aluminum extrusion dies, etc.

Summary of Material Characteristics

Metallic Materials:

  • Electrical Conductivity and Thermal Conductivity: Such as copper and aluminum, commonly used in electrical wires and cables and heat exchangers.
  • Strength and Toughness: Able to withstand large stresses and deformations without easily breaking.
  • Corrosion Resistance: Such as stainless steel, capable of long-term use in harsh environments.
  • Processability: Can be processed and formed through casting, forging, welding, and other methods.

Non-Metallic Materials:

  • Plastics: Lightweight, easy to process, corrosion-resistant, commonly used to manufacture mechanical parts, piping, electrical wires and cables, etc.
  • Rubber: Has good elasticity and wear resistance, used for manufacturing seals, tires, vibration isolators, etc.
  • Ceramics: High hardness, high melting point, corrosion-resistant, commonly used to manufacture cutting tools, abrasives, wear-resistant parts, etc.
  • Composites: Made up of two or more materials of different properties, exhibiting excellent comprehensive performance, such as high strength, light weight, corrosion resistance, etc.

Understanding the characteristics and applications of these materials helps mechanics select the appropriate materials during the design and manufacturing process, optimizing product design and improving machinery performance and reliability.