Preface

In 1941 the first edition of the Steel Castings Handbook, prepared by Charles W. Briggs, was published in response to the need for a concise and authoritative handbook on the technology of steel castings. Since then four revised editions have been prepared. Designers, purchasers, materials engineers and engineering students will find the 6th edition of the Steel Castings Handbook to be of great value. It is a source of technical information describing the capabilities of cast steel components.

The Handbook is a comprehensive source of information including mechanical properties, design for manufacturing and the effect of quality on performance. Physical properties and all other information needed for the design and use of castings is included. The ability of castings to meet customer requirements is a particular area of emphasis.

The 6th edition has been extensively rewritten and includes references to rapid prototyping techniques, developments in molding methods, descriptions of ASTM standards and an appendix listing ISO standards for cast steel products. The chapter on heat treatment has been revised and expanded to give a greater understanding of the principles involved in optimizing mechanical properties. The Handbook provides the basis for considering cost effective quality steel castings in new demanding applications.

These major improvements in the quality of the 6th edition would not have been possible without contributions from many individuals as chapter authors. Special recognition and appreciation is expressed to these authors and to the members of the Handbook Committee who had the important task of reviewing each chapter and procuring illustrations.