Comparisons of Steel Plate Grades
Standard Type Brief Description of Plate
A36 A36 plate is the highest demand hot-roll steel plate in the world, as engineers specify ASTM A36 for more structural steel fabrications than any other type of plate. Among the least expensive of the carbon steels. Very good welding properties along with 36ksi yield strength. Considered a mild steel due to hardness.
A572-42
A572-50A572 grade 50 steel plate is a high-strength, low-alloy plate, specified for bridges, higher strength structural duties, and light pressure vessel requirements. Recommended for riveted, bolted, or welded structures, such as Gussets and Bridge Plates, when intended for construction of bridges. At 50ksi, a higher strength steel than A36. This alloy is often specified for various structural steel applications whenever durability and hardness demands are slightly greater than 36ksi ASTM A36. The additional strength may be purchased for a relatively low cost difference.
1020 1020 steel is a mild carbon steel denoted solely by a Chemistry specification. Easily ground, machined, and welded into fabrications. Chosen for general & non-critical structural parts.
1045 A medium hard steel often used for machine parts, for those machines that manufacture parts from ceramic, plastic, steel, other metals, and other composite materials. 1045 steel can be heat-treated and hardened for increased durability. Annealing is recommended following Flame Cutting in order to improve machinability and to prevent stress cracks.
4140 AISI 4140 is suitable for heavy-duty service because of strength, high hardenability, good abrasive characteristics, and its impact resistance. Especially suitable for tooling die and press plates. In the Rockwell range of 28 – 32 (and higher through hardening.) Precision Grinding has an onsite furnace for Annealing. We offer annealing services to all customers purchasing 4140 burn-outs. Optionally, 4140 can be purchased in the Pre-hardened (PH) condition with a higher Rockwell hardness rating.
4340 Specially formulated for manufacturing forging equipment and tooling. Known to be tough and shock-resistant, 4340 is also capable of being oil-hardened to increase toughness, strength, and durability. Especially desirable when faced with severe impact, high-heat, and extreme wear conditions. This steel must also be annealed following flame cutting, then flame-hardened or quench and tempered, if required.
A514-T1 At 100,000 pounds per square inch tensile strength, this is a low-alloy, quenched and tempered steel. Typically used to manufacture heavy equipment structures, such as used in railcars, mining truck frames, boom crane extension arms, and for mining applications such as with rock crushers, sifting machines, and rock sorters.
A516 Grades 50, 60, 70 Pressure Vessel Plate (PVQ). Intended primarily for welded pressure vessels. Meets DoD Requirements.
Special Order *Not all plate grades and sizes mentioned may be currently in stock, please contact us for a quotation! If you need another carbon or alloy plate product that is not listed above, please, call us to discuss options. Special order inventory also includes, but is not limited to the following: A516-70, A2, D2, S7, 4130, Astralloy, Tribraze, and other tool steels, alloy plates, wear parts, pressure vessel parts, and carbon steel plates. Additional support for platens include stainless 410ss and 420ss.
Steel Plate Standards
Structural steel shape properties, such as composition and strength are regulated by agreement between parties who choose to accept international standards. These international standards are created by formally recognized regulating boards, often times comprised of worldwide, volunteer members within respective industries. It is customary for American made steel plate manufacturers to choose to have their hot rolled plates recognized by several of these governing bodies, such as ASTM International, ANSI, AISC, AISI, ASCE, ASME, and the AWS along with their European Union standards counterparts.
| ASTM International | American Society for Testing and Materials |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute |
| AISC | American Institute of Steel Construction |
| AISI | American Iron & Steel Institute |
| ASCE | American Society of Civil Engineers |
| ASME | American Society of Mechanical Engineers |
| AWS | American Welding Society |
PGI stocks large quantities of 96″ x 240″ in a range of thicknesses up to 8″ thick and larger. We inventory full sheets of plate that adhere to international standards specifications regulated by AISI and ASTM. We also inventory small quantities of structural steel angle, channel, I-beam, steel bar, and hollow structural sections of tubing, including steel pipe and square tubing for fabricated weldments. When fabricating steel weldments, we adhere to the standard practices as specified by ANSI, AISC, ASCE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Welding Society.
Cash Flow Improvement
Customers save a considerable amount of production time by taking advantage of our Single Source Solution approach. At the same time you receive a very competitive price, you’re also able to improve your cash flow. When you have multiple vendors process your steel orders, often times, you’ll have to pay for parts of the production cycle prior to receiving your goods. One of the greatest benefits from using our single source solution approach to cutting, grinding, machining, and fabricating steel plate products in-house, under one roof, is that you, the customer, will have the benefit of shipping finished products to your customers prior to receiving your bill for the materials.
