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This section provides an overview for free-machining steel as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 12 free-machining steel manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked free-machining steel companies as of December, 2024: 1.Lapham-Hickey Steel Corporation, 2.Crucible Industries LLC, 3.Charter Dura-Bar, Inc..
Table of Contents
Free-machining steel is a steel alloy that includes additives such as sulfur, lead, phosphorus, and manganese. These additions are made to enhance machinability and facilitate cutting during machining operations using machining centers and lathes.
By improving machinability, free-cutting steel is widely used for continuous unmanned machining and high-speed machining using NC machine tools. It is an indispensable material for increasing the efficiency of parts production.
Free-machining steel is denoted by SUM, and numbers such as SUM21 and SUM22 indicate the carbon content, with the number depending on whether it is a low-carbon steel or a medium-carbon steel.
Free-machining steel is often used as a material for bolts and nuts produced in large quantities because of its good cutting performance and continuous high-speed machining.
In the automotive field, free-machining steel is used for engine crankshafts, connecting rods, and hydraulic parts, and free-machining steel is also widely used for the shafts of printers.
Free-machining steel is also used for parts of home appliances such as digital cameras, DVD players, and televisions, as well as air conditioners, gas appliances, and other devices that are indispensable in our daily lives.
Free-machining steel is classified into low-carbon free-machining steel and medium-carbon free-machining steel according to their carbon content and has different characteristics.
Low-carbon free-machining steel is described as "SUM21-SUM22" and represents free-machining steel with a carbon content of 0.13% or less. Low-carbon free-machining steel is characterized by its emphasis on machinability rather than strength and is used for parts that do not require much strength.
Medium-carbon free-machining steel, described as "SUM31-SUM43", is stronger than low-carbon free-machining steel and has hardness equivalent to widely used steel materials such as "S35C," "SS400". It is quenched for tempering, and since the added sulfur accelerates deterioration, more manganese is added to prevent deterioration.
A small amount of sulfur added to free-machining steel (0.16-0.23%) is added because too much sulfur is harmful to the human body, and higher sulfur content results in properties such as slightly inferior toughness and ductility in the rolling direction.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Taubensee Steel & Wire Co., established in 1946 and based in Wheeling, Illinois, is a manufacturer of steel bars and wire products. Its comprehensive product range encompasses cold-finished carbon and alloy steel bars, low and medium carbon steel wires, spring steel wire, cold heading wire, and hot-rolled rods. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and conducts quality control for raw materials, tensile strength, internal stability, and grain structure. The products are available in diverse grades, shapes, lengths, and surface finishes, finding utility in numerous applications including construction, manufacturing, automotive, and industrial sectors.
Dura-Bar, headquartered in Woodstock, United States of America, and established in the 1930s, is a manufacturer of continuous cast iron bars and a supplier of related services. The company offers tubes produced using the trepan process and permanent mold round ingots. It also provides grinding, milling, trepanning, and engineering services. The company's products have various applications, including accessory draft gears, balance shaft gears, bearing housing, compressor rotors, and cylinder blocks. It is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and its ductile irons are NACE-compliant.
Alro Plastics, formerly Johnson Plastics & Supply Co, founded in the year 1987, and based in Michigan, USA, is a manufacturer and supplier of engineered plastics. Their product portfolio includes a diverse range of plastic sheets, rods, tubes, and other machinery parts. The company also specializes in general engineered materials with high-performance metals, fiberglass, and other industrial supplies. The company also offers services with a team of experts in machining, design, and fabrication.
Farmers Copper Ltd., based in the United States, is a major supplier of copper, brass, and bronze metals since 1920. The company's extensive product range includes copper tubing, brass fittings, and bronze alloys, meeting the specific needs of their customers in industries such as manufacturing, construction, and marine. They also provide the raw copper alloy materials in different standard shapes as well as custom cut copper alloys. They offer machining and cutting services on all of their materials including brass, copper, stainless steel, ductile iron and more.
Lapham-Hickey Steel Corp., Chicago, USA, in 1926 is a steel services provider. The company's services include laser cutting, press brake forming, punch/plasma cutting, plasma & oxy-fuel cutting, and shot blasting. The company also offers supply solutions such as distribution, fabrication, logistics, and inventory management. The company serves industries such as Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Construction, and Power Generation. They have national distribution network and a customer support center.
Daido Steel Co., Ltd., originally founded in 1916 in Japan, is a manufacturer of alloy and tool steels. The company offers a wide range of products that include mechanical construction steels, superalloys used in engine components, welding wires, alloy powders, and permalloy foil. Daido Steel Co., Ltd.'s specialty steel products are used in the automotive parts, industrial machinery parts, electrical machinery parts, and welding markets. The company has diversified to include businesses in real estate, insurance, and the provision of welfare services and has expanded operations outside of Japan in North America, Asia, and Europe.
Shimomura Tokushu Seiko Co., Ltd. (STS) is an Osaka, Japan-based cold finished steel bar manufacturer founded in 1946. The company produces specialized steels such as stainless steel for medical equipment, alloy steels for gears and springs, free cutting steel for nuts and bolts, and tool steel used in dies and molds. They also provide steel type simulation and shaping to help clients select suitable steels for unique use cases. STS is a member of Daido Steel Group, and has clients in various industries including in the manufacturing, automotives, and food processing sectors.
American Heavy Plates, founded in 2018 and located in Clarington, Ohio, is a manufacturer of carbon and alloy steel metals. The company offers a range of services that include grinding, stress relief, shot blasting, flattening, painting, and testing. These services are designed to prepare and enhance the quality of steel plates for industrial applications, including machinery, construction, and manufacturing. Services like grinding ensure a smooth surface finish, while stress-relieving improves material stability. Shot blasting and painting are used to ensure corrosion resistance, and testing ensures quality to specifications.
Nippon Steel Corporation is based in Tokyo, Japan, and is an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer of steel production materials and steel products established in 1970 following the merger of Yawata Iron & Steel and Fuji Iron & Steel. The company produces steel parts for industrial projects, flat or wire steel products, and steel plates. It also offers chemicals used for metal treatment, including carbon materials, coal tar, and coke. The company also provides plant construction and engineering services for its clients in the energy distribution, shipbuilding, and railway sectors.
Continental Steel & Tube Company (Continental) was founded in 1985 and operated out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Continental is a supplier and distributor of quality metals and is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9120B:2016 certified. Continental serves the aerospace, petrochemical, construction, military, medical, industrial, racing, automotive, and marine industries. Continental offers products of a number of materials including titanium and titanium-based metals, nickel, carbon and alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and bronze.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lapham-Hickey Steel Corporation |
13.3%
|
| 2 | Crucible Industries LLC |
10.0%
|
| 3 | Charter Dura-Bar, Inc. |
10.0%
|
| 4 | Alro Steel |
10.0%
|
| 5 | Farmer’s Copper Ltd. |
10.0%
|
| 6 | Continental Steel & Tube Co. |
10.0%
|
| 7 | Taubensee Steel & Wire Co. |
6.7%
|
| 8 | American Grinding & Machine Co. |
6.7%
|
| 9 | Shimomura Tokushu Seiko Co., Ltd. |
6.7%
|
| 10 | NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION |
6.7%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the free-machining steel page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States of America
|
6 | 75.0% |
|
Japan
|
2 | 25.0% |
