ASTM A915/A915M-08(2018)

Standard Specification for Steel Castings, Carbon, and Alloy, Chemical Requirements Similar to Standard Wrought Grades

ABSTRACT
This specification covers carbon and low alloy steel castings having chemical analyses similar to that of the standard wrought grades. Several grades are covered, such as; SC 1020, SC 1025, SC 1030, SC 1040, SC 1045, SC 4130, SC 4140, SC 4330, SC 4340, SC 8620, SC 8625, and SC 8630. Castings shall be heat treated either by full annealing, normalizing, normalizing and tempering, or quenching and tempering. The steel shall conform to the requirements of chemical composition as specified.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers carbon and low-alloy steel castings having chemical analyses similar to those of the standard wrought grades.  
1.2 Several grades are covered and are designated by chemical composition shown in Table 1.  
1.3 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.3.1 Within the text, the SI units are shown in brackets.  
1.3.2 Inch-pound units are applicable for material ordered to Specification A915, and SI units for material ordered to Specification A915M.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-Aug-2018
• ICS: 77.140.85 - Iron and steel forgings
• Technical Committee: A01 - Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys
• Drafting Committee: A01.18 - Castings

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM A915/A915M-08(2013) - Standard Specification for Steel Castings, Carbon, and Alloy, Chemical Requirements Similar to Standard Wrought Grades
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2018
• Refers: ASTM A370-24 - Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2024
• Refers: ASTM A370-19 - Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2019
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-18c - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2018
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-18b - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2018
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-18a - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 15-May-2018
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-18 - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 01-Jan-2018
• Refers: ASTM A370-17a - Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• Effective Date: 15-Nov-2017
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-17 - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 01-May-2017
• Refers: ASTM A370-17 - Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• Effective Date: 01-Jan-2017
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-16 - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2016
• Refers: ASTM A370-15 - Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2015
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-14b - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2014
• Refers: ASTM A370-14 - Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• Effective Date: 15-May-2014
• Refers: ASTM A781/A781M-14a - Standard Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
• Effective Date: 01-May-2014

Overview

ASTM A915/A915M-08(2018) is an international standard specification developed by ASTM International, covering carbon and low-alloy steel castings with chemical requirements similar to standard wrought grades. The standard applies to several grades, including SC 1020, SC 1025, SC 1030, SC 1040, SC 1045, SC 4130, SC 4140, SC 4330, SC 4340, SC 8620, SC 8625, and SC 8630. This specification outlines the requirements for chemical composition, heat treatment, repair by welding, and testing, ensuring that castings meet exacting industry quality and performance criteria.

Key Topics

• Scope and Coverage: Defines the range of steel casting grades, their chemical composition, and the choice of metric (SI) or inch-pound units for specification and ordering.
• Heat Treatment: Mandates heat treatment options such as full annealing, normalizing, normalizing and tempering, or quenching and tempering of steel castings.
• Chemical Requirements: Specifies that the chemical composition of castings must align with the wrought steel grades, ensuring predictable mechanical and physical properties.
• Repair by Welding: Describes conditions under which weld repairs are allowed, requires specific inspections, and sets guidelines for post-weld heat treatment.
• Supplementary Requirements: Outlines additional testing and certification options, such as magnetic particle examination, radiographic inspection, and mechanical property testing.
• Ordering Information: Details the purchasing requirements, including grade, specification date, and any supplementary conditions.
• International Alignment: Developed in line with internationally recognized standardization principles, supporting global trade and technical interoperability.

Applications

ASTM A915/A915M-08(2018) has wide practical value in multiple industries:

• Industrial Equipment Manufacturing: Used to specify durable steel castings in critical machinery, heavy vehicles, and equipment where mechanical properties must match those of wrought steel components.
• Construction and Infrastructure: Ensures reliable performance of structural parts, connectors, and support elements in buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure projects.
• Oil and Gas Sector: Applied in valves, pumps, and fittings where enhanced strength, toughness, and weldability are required.
• Automotive and Transportation: Used in manufacturing drivetrain and power transmission components with rigorous standards for material integrity and consistency.
• General Engineering: Provides a standardized approach for steel casting procurement in diverse mechanical and structural applications where adherence to chemical and mechanical property standards is critical.

Related Standards

When implementing ASTM A915/A915M-08(2018), it is often referenced alongside other ASTM standards:

• ASTM A370 - Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
• ASTM A781/A781M - Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy, Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use

These related standards support the mechanical testing, quality evaluation, and procurement processes associated with steel castings.

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Keywords: ASTM A915, steel castings standard, alloy steel, carbon steel, heat treated castings, standard wrought grades, chemical requirements, international steel standards, industrial castings, manufacturing specifications.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation:A915/A915M −08 (Reapproved 2018)
Standard Specification for
Steel Castings, Carbon, and Alloy, Chemical Requirements
Similar to Standard Wrought Grades
This standard is issued under the fixed designationA915/A915M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3.1.1 Quantity,
3.1.2 Specification, including year, date, and grade,
1.1 This specification covers carbon and low-alloy steel
3.1.3 Description of the casting by pattern number or
castings having chemical analyses similar to those of the
drawing. Dimensional tolerances shall be included on the
standard wrought grades.
casting drawing,
1.2 Several grades are covered and are designated by
3.1.4 Options in the specification, and
chemical composition shown in Table 1.
3.1.5 Supplementary requirements desired, including stan-
1.3 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units dards of acceptance.
are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in
4. Heat Treatment
each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each
system shall be used independently of the other. Combining
4.1 Grades SC 1020 and SC 1025 may be supplied unheat
values from the two systems may result in nonconformance
treated or heat treated as described in 4.2.
with the standard.
4.2 Castings shall be heat treated either by full annealing,
1.3.1 Within the text, the SI units are shown in brackets.
normalizing, normalizing and tempering, or quenching and
1.3.2 Inch-poundunitsareapplicableformaterialorderedto
tempering. Unless otherwise specified in the inquiry, contract,
Specification A915, and SI units for material ordered to
or order, the castings may be heat treated by any of these heat
Specification A915M.
treatmentsorcombinationoftheseheattreatmentsattheoption
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
of the manufacturer.
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
4.3 Heat treatment shall be performed after the castings
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
have been allowed to cool below the transformation range.
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical 4.4 The furnace temperature for heat treating shall be
effectively controlled by the use of recording-type pyrometers.
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
5. Chemical Composition
2.1 ASTM Standards:
5.1 The steel shall conform to the requirements of chemical
A370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing
composition as prescribed in Table 1.
of Steel Products
5.2 The product analysis tolerances given in Specification
A781/A781M Specification for Castings, Steel and Alloy,
A781/A781M shall apply to all product analysis performed on
Common Requirements, for General Industrial Use
castings supplied to this specification.
3. Ordering Information
6. General Conditions for Delivery
3.1 Orders for material under this specification should
6.1 Material furnished to this specification shall conform to
include the following information:
the applicable requirements of Specification A781/A781M,
including the supplementary requirements indicated on the
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A01 on Steel,
Stainless Steel and Related Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
purchaser’s order.
A01.18 on Castings.
Current edition approved Sept. 1, 2018. Published September 2018. Originally
7. Repair by Welding
approved in 1993. Last previous edition approved in 2013 as A915/A915M – 08
(2013). DOI: 10.1520/A0915_A0915M-08R18.
7.1 Weld repairs shall be inspected to the same quality
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
standards used to inspect the castings. When castings are
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
produced with Supplementary Requirement S1 specified, weld
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. repairs shall be inspected by magnetic particle examination to
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
A915/A915M−08 (2018)
TABLE 1 Chemical Composition (weight, percent)
Grade C Mn P, max S, max Si Ni Cr Mo
SC 1020 0.18/0.23 0.40/0.80 0.040 0.040 0.30/0.60 . . . . . . . . .
(J02003)
SC 1025 0.22/0.28 0.40/0.80 0.040 0.040 0.30/0.60 . . . . . . . . .
(J02508)
SC 1030 0.28/0.34 0.50/0.90 0.040 0.040 0.30/0.60 . . . . . . . . .
(J03012)
SC 1040 0.37/0.44 0.50/0.90 0.040 0.040 0.30/0.60 . . . . . . . . .
(J04003)
SC 1045 0.43/0.50 0.50/0.90 0.040 0.040 0.30/0.60 . . . . . . . . .
(J04502)
SC 4130 0.28/0.33 0.40/0.80 0.035 0.040 0.30/0.60 . . . 0.80/1.10 0.15/0.25
(J13502)
SC 4140 0.38/0.43 0.70/1.10 0.035 0.040 0.30/0.60 . . . 0.80/1.10 0.15/0.25
(J14045)
SC 4330 0.28/0.33 0.60/0.90 0.035 0.040 0.30/0.60 1.65/2.00 0.70/0.90 0.20/0.30
(J23259)
SC 4340 0.38/0.43 0.60/0.90 0.035 0.040 0.30/0.60 1.65/2.00 0.70/0.90 0.20/0.30
(J24053)
SC 8620 0.18/0.23 0.60/1.00 0.035 0.040 0.30/0.60 0.40/0.70 0.40/0.60 0.15/0.25
(J12095)
SC 8625 0.23/0.28 0.60/1.00 0.035 0.040 0.30/0.60 0.40/0.70 0.40/0.60 0.15/0.25
(J12595)
SC 8630 0.28/0.33 0.60/1
...