Knowledge Center
Guides for the Person Who Has to Specify the Part
Material comparisons, process selection, tolerance and wear part buying. Written to answer the questions we get asked during enquiries, not to fill a blog.
Material Guide
Gray Iron vs Ductile Iron
Both are cast iron and both are cheap to pour. The graphite shape inside them is the whole difference, and it decides which one belongs in your part.
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Process Guide
How to Choose a Casting Process
Producing the same casting by a different process changes both the cost and the quality. Four questions usually settle which route your part should take.
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Design Guide
Casting Tolerance and CT Grades Explained
CT grades are the single most misused item on casting drawings. Specifying them well is usually worth more than negotiating on price.
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Material Guide
Why Manganese Steel Work Hardens
Manganese steel arrives soft. It is supposed to. Understanding why is the difference between a wear part that lasts and one that disappoints.
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Material Guide
Heat Resistant Alloy Selection Guide
Temperature alone does not choose the alloy. Atmosphere, load and how often the part cycles matter just as much, and each attacks the metal in a different way.
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Buying Guide
Crusher Wear Parts Buying Guide
Wear parts are the one purchase where the cheapest quotation is regularly the most expensive decision. Here is how to compare properly.
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Browse by Type
Material Guides
Gray iron against ductile iron, why manganese steel work hardens, and how to select a heat resistant alloy for temperature, atmosphere and load.
Process and Design Guides
How to choose between green sand, resin sand, shell moulding, lost foam, vacuum process and investment casting, and how to specify tolerance without overpaying.
Buying Guides
How to compare wear part suppliers on cost per tonne rather than price per piece, and what to check when a part fails early.
FAQ
Questions About These Guides
Who writes these guides?
Our engineering and quality team, based on the questions customers actually ask during enquiries.
Can I ask a question that is not covered here?
Yes. Message us on WhatsApp or email and we will answer directly. If it comes up often we will write it up.
Do you publish material datasheets?
Grade cross reference tables for aluminium and copper alloys are on the Download Center as PDF. Grade tables for iron and steel are shown on the relevant product pages.
Can you review our drawing before we tender?
Yes. Send the drawing and we will tell you what will drive cost and what is likely to cause a production problem, whether or not you order from us.
Are these guides specific to Chinese standards?
No. Where standards are referenced we give the GB, ISO, EN, DIN, BS, JIS and ASTM equivalents so the guidance works wherever you are.
Ask Us Something That Is Not Covered Here
If you have a specification question we have not written up, send it. The answer comes from the engineers who would run your job.