What Is 1018 Steel?

​What Is 1018 Steel?

​When you begin looking at steel products, you will find several options. A popular product is 1018 steel, which is a type of general-purpose steel with a low carbon content and higher case hardening qualities. This type of steel has more manganese in the makeup than other types of low carbon steel grades, including 1020. Thanks to the higher manganese levels, 1018 steel is considered a better option for carburized parts. That is because it provides you with a case that is more uniform and harder.

Another feature of 1018 steel is that it offers higher mechanical properties, which ensures better levels of machinability. This is attributed to the cold drawing process used during fabrication.

As mentioned above, most 1018 steel products are created through cold drawing. With this method, the oversized hot roll bars, which are cleaned for any scale present, are pulled through the provided dies to create the size and shape needed. The cold drawing process will help to increase the yield strength and the tensile strength. While this is true, the process also reduces the overall ductility.

Another benefit offered by cold drawing is that it will increase things like wear resistance, overall torsional strength, and the item’s surface strength. Because of the limitations of size present with the cold drawing process, the bigger bars are usually polished and turned, while the hot roll rounds will be machine turned, instead of being drawn. After this, the items are polished. It is possible to purchase 1018 steel in several shapes including squares, hexagons, rounds, and flats. The sizes vary and large options are available.

Applications for 1018 Steel
Today, 1018 steel can be used for several applications. For example, it is a popular option for any part that requires cold forming, including bending, crimping, or swaging. For more extensive bends, it may be necessary to engage stress relieving to help prevent the appearance of cracks.

This product is suitable for all types of carburized parts, which include machine parts, gears, dowels, rachets, chain pins, worms, pins, and other components of die and tool sets that are considered non-critical, along with tool holders, and more. This type of steel is commonly used when a high level of workability is required. It is also beneficial for parts that require machining, threading, punching, and drilling. You will also find that it is a common choice for fixtures, spacers, and for mounting plates. The 1018 grade of steel is a suitable option for any type of application that does not demand the increased strength offered by alloy steels or high carbon levels.

Finding the Right Supplier
If you have plans to purchase 1018 steel, be sure to find a quality supplier. This is going to help ensure you get the quality results you want and for a price you can afford. Being informed is the best way to ensure the desired results are achieved and that you get the quality results needed from the 1018 steel that is purchased.