Features
Features of En1a Steel
En1a is a popular free-cutting low carbon steel, also known as 230M07 in British Standard (BS) designation or 1213 in American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) classification. But the original standard defined in BS970 : 1955 is still used widely today.
Here are the key features of En1a steel:
- Composition:
- Carbon (C): 0.07-0.15%
- Manganese (Mn): 0.80-1.20%
- Sulfur (S): 0.2 -0.3 %
- Phosphorus (P): 0.070% max
- Silicon (Si): 0.1% max
- Machinability:
- Excellent machinability due to high Sulphur content
- Produces short, brittle chips during machining
- Allows for high cutting speeds and extended tool life
- Mechanical Properties:
- Tensile Strength: 370-440 MPa
- Yield Strength: 200-280 MPa
- Elongation: 20-30%
- Hardness: 111-149 HB (Brinell) typical
- Heat Treatment:
- Not suitable for heat treatment or hardening due to low carbon content
- Can be case hardened for improved surface wear resistance
- Weldability:
- Welding not recommendrd
- Corrosion Resistance:
- Poor corrosion resistance; requires surface protection in corrosive environments
- Applications:
- Ideal for high-volume production of non-critical parts
- Commonly used in automatic lathes and screw machines
- Suitable for bolts, nuts, screws, pins, and other fasteners
- Used in electrical components, automotive parts, and general engineering applications
- Formability:
- Good cold formability due to low carbon content
- Cost-effectiveness:
- Economical choice for high-volume production due to excellent machinability and relatively low cost
- Limitations:
- Not suitable for high-strength applications
- Poor wear resistance in its natural state
En1a steel is valued in the manufacturing industry for its exceptional machinability, making it an excellent choice for high-volume production of non-critical components where ease of machining is prioritized over strength and wear resistance.