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What is Cast Stainless Steel?

Cast stainless steel is something you may heard even if you are not familar with it. You may do not really know what this type of metal alloy is produced from, and even do not understand the term “cast”. As a professional cast stainless steel manufacturer and supplier, we will explain everything about cast stainless steel.

Cast stainless steel is a specific alloy that has gone through one of the primary metal forming processes known as casting.

When it comes to corrosion resistance, cast stainless steel is the right way to go. The bright apperance, good corrosion resistance, and high strength all makes cast stainless steel popular in several applications like marine, food machinery, building fittings, medical, etc.

Cast Stainless Steel – Manufacturing Process

Investment casting is the proper manufacturing process to creat cast stainless steel components in intricate shapes. Here is a breakdown of the stainless steel investment casting process:

• A design engine first makes a wax pattern using a metal injection die. The pattern will have all the details for a section or portion of the finished component but with slightly larger dimensions to account for thermal contraction.
• Next, the engineer creates the runner and gating system by connecting multiple patterns to form the final component. Molten metal will flow through the runner system as it fills cavities in the mold, creating a well-balanced casting. Gates are the openings between the runner and the cavity that feeds molten metal into the space.
• Once the entire pattern is complete, it is dipped into a ceramic slurry and covered with sand stucco. The design engineer repeats the dipping process until the shell achieves the appropriate thickness. At this point, the dried shell’s durability is strong enough to withstand the heat from the molten metal. Also, it will retain its shape during the last step.
• The wax melts away under high temperatures, and trace amounts soak into the plaster or ceramic mold. The void left by the melted wax pattern will be filled with an alloy to create a precise cast stainless steel part.

Why Cast Stainless Steel?

Cast stainless steel is usually chosen because it is resistant against corrosion—but it is also chosen because it is steel. Besides corrosion resistance, cast stainless steel also has some other advantages as below:

High Accuracy
Cast stainless steel parts created by investment casting process are extremely accurate and near net shape. Since cast stainless steel components are created by using the same wax patterns, this accuracy can be maintained from part to part.

Custom Design
Cast stainless steel can be used to make any shape you like. It is also a designer’s dream. Logos, product ID’s or numbers, and letters can easily be added to the inside and/or outside of components. Lots of complicated stainless steel parts unavailable from forging or machining could be produced by casting process.

Good Hardness
Compared to other cast alloys, cast stainless steel exhibits superior hardness. Hardness is the ability of cast stainless steel to resist indentation and abrasion. Due to its good hardness, parts made from cast stainless steel can work longer than expected.

Common Products Created With Cast Stainless Steel


You may be surprised to find out that many of the commercial products you come in contact may be using cast stainless steel parts and components or even be made entirely from cast aluminum.

Automotive Parts
Due to the amazing strength and corrosion resistance, it is very popular in the production of automotive parts. For example, exhaust pipe is made with investment cast stainless steel. In addition, other automotive parts such as transmission components, vehicle interior components, are also made from cast stainless steel.

Medical Components
Many medical components are also made from cast stainless steel, not only due to the strength but also due to its easy clean. Some of the more common medical components you may see made from this cast stainless steel is parts for various pumps, surgical tools, components for monitors, and even gearboxes for hospital beds.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Aluminum Casting. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Marine Hardwares
Another popular application for cast stainless steel is the production of marine boat hardwares. While many popular firearms may have aluminum components, there are still a number of parts that are created from cast stainless steel. Some of these cast stainless steel marine parts may include boat deck drain, marine boat anchors, hand rail end fitting and much more.

Kitchen hardware
For decades, cast stainless steel has been a vital material in a well-stocked home kitchen. It is dishwasher safe, making for a quick and easy clean up. Typical kitchen hardwares made from cast stainless steel are: cookware handles, meat grinder parts, etc.

Start A Cast Stainless Steel Project With CFS Foundry

Stainless steel casting may have roots dating back 5,000 years, but it still has beneficial applications in modern society. Throughout the world, industries rely on cast stainless steel to produce intricate stainless steel components with smooth finishing, unique geometric shapes, and tight tolerances, including marine, automotive, food processing equipment, and automotive manufacturing industries.

CFS Foundry offers superb stainless steel investment casting and machining services. We use specialized lost wax investment casting process to customize quality cast stainless steel parts quickly. If you would like to learn more about our casting services and receive a free quote on your upcoming project, contact our stainless steel foundry today.

Case Study:

Stainless Steel Casting VS Cast Iron

Two of the most common types of casting materials are stainless steel and cast iron, both of which allow for quality investment casting.  While there are many different types of materials and metals which can be cast, iron and steel casting is very common due to their mechanical properties, which allow for widespread use, reliability, and durability.

While it is easy to think that steel and cast iron may be very similar, there are actually several advantages or disadvantages for either material. Before deciding which material you want to use, it helps to talk to a stainless steel casting company to understand which might be right for you and your project.

The biggest difference between cast iron and steel is the carbon content in the materials. Cast iron usually contains more than two percent carbon, while cast steel checks in between 0.1-0.5 percent carbon. What does this mean in terms of the difference when casting?

The higher the carbon content, the more malleable the iron will be. This makes cast iron easier to cast than steel, as it pours more easily when melted and doesn’t shrink as much as steel. This means that less molten material is required for filling complex voids within molds, which makes cast iron ideally suited for more intricate structures. This is why cast iron is often used for projects such as fencing, or street furniture, which may have a more ornate design.

Along similar lines, cast iron is generally easier to machine than steel, meaning it is easier to cut or grind than stainless steel. Cast iron breaks away more easily and in a more uniform way than cast steel, which reduces tool wear and can make the casting costs lower.

On the other hand, stainless steel has a big advantage in that it is more resistant to impact than cast iron. Steel excels at taking heavy impacts without deforming, breaking, or even bending, due to an impressive ability to withstand high stress forces. This makes steel very effective for mechanical as well as structural applications. It’s load-bearing capabilities make it the most used metal in the world.

In most cases, cast iron is cheaper than cast steel because the material costs, energy, required labor are all lower in cost than cast steel. Raw steel costs more to purchase, and then takes more time and energy during the casting process. However, this may just be a short-term look at the costs. For any project, it is important to factor in the long lasting nature of cast steel, as well as the cost of replacement parts if any are required. In many cases, even with higher upfront costs, stainless steels casts can be more cost-effective in the long-run.