Stainless steel casting industry moves towards high-quality development: prospective analysis of new materials and new processes
01 Policy guidance promotes qualitative changes in the industry
The guiding opinions jointly issued by the three departments on promoting high-quality development of the casting and forging industry draw a clear development blueprint for the stainless steel casting industry.
The policy clearly states that by 2025, advanced process technologies such as integrated die-casting, moldless casting, and sand 3D printing will be industrialized.
This policy orientation not only clarifies the direction of technological development, but also puts forward quantitative indicators: cultivating more than 100 green factories and building more than 30 smart manufacturing demonstration factories.
Under the guidance of policies, the stainless steel casting industry is transforming from scale expansion to quality improvement, and the industrial structure will become more reasonable.
02 New material research and development breaks through the upper limit of performance
In terms of new materials, the stainless steel casting industry is developing in the direction of high purity and high performance.
The "High-Strength Stainless Steel Discs and Castings for Cryogenic Engineering" developed by the Chengdu Advanced Metal Materials Industry Technology Research Institute show the potential of new materials.
By controlling the nitrogen content and improving purity, this material enables stainless steel castings to maintain good mechanical properties in low-temperature environments.
In the field of fusion device applications, 316LN stainless steel has successfully solved the grain control problem of large-walled arc-shaped stainless steel forgings through dynamic recrystallization control and near-net forming technology innovation.
This breakthrough enables stainless steel to maintain excellent performance in a low temperature environment of 4.2K, with a tensile strength exceeding 1600MPa.
03 Innovative processes guide manufacturing changes
Process innovation is another engine for the development of the stainless steel casting industry. The "Duplex Stainless Steel Propeller Forming Method" developed by the 12th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation uses 3D printing technology to form sand molds, which solves the problems of sand loss, difficult molding and low strength in traditional casting.
Femtosecond laser surface texturing technology shows good promise in improving the corrosion resistance of stainless steel.
Research from Sun Yat-sen University shows that medium-depth femtosecond laser scanning can make 316L stainless steel superhydrophobic, significantly improving its local corrosion resistance and stress corrosion cracking resistance.
Process innovation not only improves product quality, but also promotes changes in production models. By 2025, processes such as sand 3D printing and ultra-high-strength steel hot forming will become industry standards, promoting the transformation of the stainless steel casting industry into an intelligent and green one.
04 Future development trends and prospects
Looking forward to 2035, the overall level of the stainless steel casting industry will enter the international advanced ranks, forming a complete industrial technology system and continuous innovation capabilities. In the future, the stainless steel casting industry will show three major trends: intelligence, greenness, and upgrading. Intelligent transformation will run through the entire stainless steel casting production process, accelerating the in-depth integration of new generation information technology and the entire casting production process.
Green development is reflected in the improvement of environmental protection management. The emission of particulate matter pollution in the foundry industry will be reduced by more than 30% compared with 2020.
The transformation is reflected in breakthroughs in casting products in important fields, mastering a number of core technologies with independent intellectual property rights, and providing solid support for the security and stability of the equipment manufacturing industry chain and supply chain.
With the deepening of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, stainless steel casting companies should increase investment in the research and development of new materials, master core technologies with independent intellectual property rights, and take the initiative in future market competition.
