MS.

90170
STRUCTURAL STEELS IN BAR FORM
Material Specification
METALLURGICAL REQUIREMENTS
(STELLANTIS HARMONIZED)
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Date: 04-OCT-2022

STELLANTIS HARMONIZED

Change level Date Description of change

- 04-OCT-2022 Initial release.
This document replaces MS.90028<S> and B53 1043
DocInfo reference 01446_22_00467

For information, please contact author and co-author in the lateral label of this document

ANY PRINTED COPY IS TO BE DEEMED AS UNCHECKED; THEREFORE THE UPDATED COPY MUST BE CHECKED IN THE APPROPRIATE WEB SITE

CONFIDENTIAL
THIS DOCUMENT MUST NOT BE REPRODUCED OR CIRCULATED TO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT BY THE RELEVANT FCA COMPANY.
IN CASE OF DISPUTE, THE ONLY VALID REFERENCE IS THE ENGLISH EDITION
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STRUCTURAL STEELS IN BAR FORM

METALLURGICAL REQUIREMENTS
(STELLANTIS HARMONIZED)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 GENERAL ................................................................................................................................................. 3
1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Coverage of this Standard ..................................................................................................................... 3
1.3 Steel Processing Routes........................................................................................................................ 3
2 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................................... 3
3 DEFINITIONS/ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS/SYMBOLS ..................................................................... 5
4 CORRELATION TO OTHER STANDARDS ............................................................................................. 6
5 REGULATED SUBSTANCES & RECYCLABILITY .................................................................................. 6
6 MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................................................. 6
6.1 Radioactivity ........................................................................................................................................... 6
6.2 Reduction ratio ....................................................................................................................................... 6
6.3 Microstructure ........................................................................................................................................ 7
6.4 Prohibited Structures.............................................................................................................................. 7
6.5 Grain Size .............................................................................................................................................. 7
6.6 Hardenability .......................................................................................................................................... 7
6.7 Decarburization ...................................................................................................................................... 7
6.8 Cleanliness............................................................................................................................................. 8
7 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION ..................................................................................................................... 9
7.1 Test Method ........................................................................................................................................... 9
7.2 Composition as Checked on Product..................................................................................................... 9
7.3 Chemical Segregation............................................................................................................................ 9
7.4 Deviations (Check Analysis) .................................................................................................................. 9
7.5 Residual Elements ................................................................................................................................. 9
7.6 Prohibited Elements and Machining Grades........................................................................................ 10
7.7 Chemistry Confirmation at Shipping .................................................................................................... 10
8 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MATERIAL..................................................................... 10
8.1 Mechanical Properties and Tests......................................................................................................... 10
8.1.1 Hardness Testing .............................................................................................................................. 10
8.1.2 Tensile Testing.................................................................................................................................. 11
8.1.3 Impact Testing................................................................................................................................... 11
8.2 Physical Properties and Tests ............................................................................................................. 11
9 QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................. 11
9.1 Internal Soundness .............................................................................................................................. 11
9.2 Surface Defects.................................................................................................................................... 11
9.3 Surface Inspection ............................................................................................................................... 12
9.4 Ultrasonic Inspection............................................................................................................................ 12
10 SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................. 12
10.1 Hot Forging Steels ............................................................................................................................. 12
10.2 Products for Cold Forging .................................................................................................................. 12
10.3 General Steelmaking Requirements .................................................................................................. 14
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1 GENERAL

1 Purpose

This standard covers the requirements for Special bar Quality (SBQ) steel product made from carbon and
alloy steel furnished to STELLANTIS in North America / APAC / EMEA / LATAM / MASERATI or their
suppliers in the form of:

A. Bars (hot rolled or cold finished)

B. Semi-finished product (hot-rolled)
C. Rods or coarse round wire (hot rolled)
D. Seamless tubing (hot rolled or cold finished)

A specific quality level classification shall be assigned to the steel bar application (e.g. bearing quality,
etc.), if applicable. In the event that new steel sources are under consideration for bar products, the use
of the STELLANTIS “Steel Mill Metallurgical Survey” should be used to assess the capability of the mill
source to meet all quality standards and metallurgical requirements as defined by STELLANTIS or other
applicable standards. Qualification may also include the need for a metallurgical assessment or as
defined STELLANTIS Materials Engineering Department or per product design/evaluation criteria.

1.2 Coverage of this Standard

This standard covers the steel making practices, chemical composition, cleanliness and quality levels,
hardenability and additional requirements, where applicable, for basic carbon and alloy steels. Product
shall comply with the requirements of this standard and to the standards relating to the individual steel
grades, as specified by STELLANTIS.

1.3 Steel Processing Routes

Steelmaking methods and processing routes, including mold size, are approved at initial PPAP and may
not be changed without notification and approval of Stellantis Materials Engineering.

2 REFERENCES

Table 1 - References
downloadable
Shield/Designator for suppliers
Document Number
(if applicable) Document Title from
beSTandard

CS-9003 Supplier Requirements for Vehicle and Service Parts: Y

Restricted and Prohibited Substances
SQ.00010 Advance Quality Planning (AQP) & Production Part Approval Y
Process (PPAP)
SQ.00017 Supplier PFMEA and Control Plan Assessment Y
50261 Classification of Case Hardening Steel Structure Y
B20 0250 Regulated Substances / Materials and Restrictions of Use Y
Within The Group PSA
B53 1040 Construction Steels in Bar Form - Technical and Y
Administrative Requirements
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Table 1 - References
downloadable
Shield/Designator for suppliers
Document Number
(if applicable) Document Title from
beSTandard

B53 1046 Structural Steels in Bar Form - Dimensional Requirements Y

B53 1080 Structural Steels Grades with Improved Machinability Y
D32 5036 Charpy test Y
D35 1192 Method is to describe a procedure allowing to determine the Y
depth of decarburization
ASTM A255 Standard Test Methods for Determining Hardenability of
Steel N
ASTM A29 Standard Specification for General Requirements for Steel
Bars, Carbon and Alloy, Hot-Wrought N
ASTM E112 Standard Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size N
ASTM E381 Standard Method of Macroetch Testing Steel Bars, Billets,
Blooms, and Forgings N
ASTM E45 Standard Test Methods for Determining the Inclusion
Content of Steel N
ASTM E8 Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic
Materials N
IATF16949 Quality management system requirements for automotive
production and relevant service parts organizations N
ISO 377 Steel and steel products - Location and preparation of
samples and test pieces for mechanical testing N
ISO 3887 Steels - Determination of the depth of decarburization N
ISO 4967 Steel - Determination of content of non-metallic inclusions —
Micrographic method using standard diagrams N
ISO 642 Steel - Hardenability test by end quenching (Jominy test) N
ISO 643 Steels - Micrographic determination of the apparent grain
size N
ISO 683-2 Heat-treatable steels, alloy steels and free-cutting steels -
Part 2: Alloy steels for quenching and tempering - Second
Edition N
ISO 6892-1 Metallic materials - Tensile testing - Part 1: Method of test at
room temperature N
ISO Quality management systems - Requirements
9001:2015 N
SAE J419 Methods of Measuring Decarburization N
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3 DEFINITIONS/ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS/SYMBOLS
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms are defined:
- A1 : Transformation temperature of iron-carbon alloys meeting the following criteria:
o This is the temperature from which the austenite begins to appear during a very slow
heating:
o This is the temperature from which the austenite disappears completely during a very
slow cooling.
- A3 : Transformation temperature of hypoeutectoid iron-carbon alloys (up to 0.77% C) meeting the
following criteria:
o This is the temperature from which the structure is totally austenitic during a very slow
heating
o It is the temperature from which the austenite begins to turn into ferrite during a very slow
cooling.
- Ac1 et / and Ac3 : Temperatures of transformation of iron-carbon alloys with heating sufficiently
fast to not respect the equilibrium temperatures. This term is used to indicate that the
transformation temperature increases with the heating rate (Ac1> A1 and Ac3> A3).
- CF : Cold forging
- RR : Reduction ratio
- IM : Improved machinability
- AISI: American Iron and Steel Institute
- ASL: Approved Source List
- ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials
- BOF: Basic Oxygen Furnace
- CE: Carbon Equivalent
- DI: Ideal Critical Diameter
- EAF: Electric Arc Furnace
- EMS: Electro-Magnetic Stirring
- MS: Material Standard
- PF: Performance Standard
- PPM: Parts Per Million
- PS: Process Standard
- RH: Restricted Hardenability
- SAE: Society of Automotive Engineers
- UNS: Unified Numbering System
- VAR: Vacuum Arc Re-melting
- Jominy Envelope- Hardenability band defined in the standard material of the grade.
- State of Delivery- Metallurgical state chosen by the forging supplier or the bar turner on the
purchase order. Its characteristics can be defined in the standard material of the grade.
- Reference State- Sometimes materials will be required to have specific properties in a given heat
treat condition (e.g. annealed, quench and tempered, normalized, etc) called the reference state.
Those heat treat conditions and properties are defined in the specific material standard.
- Final Product- The finished product (steel delivered in bars forms) is defined by its grade, its
reference state, its delivery condition and possibly its Jominy envelope. For each grade, refer to
the corresponding material standard. Certain special requirements may be indicated in addition to
the technical requirements specific to each item (example: logistical requirements for bars and
burdens, safety requirements for burdens...).
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4 CORRELATION TO OTHER STANDARDS

B53 1040 Construction Steels in Bar Form - Technical and Administrative Requirements

B53 1046 Structural Steels in Bar Form - Dimensional Requirements

B20 0250 Regulated Substances

CS-9003 Supplier Requirements for Vehicle and Service Parts: Restricted and Prohibited
Substances

SQ.00010 Advance Quality Planning (AQP) & Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

SQ.00017 Supplier PFMEA and Control Plan Assessment

5 REGULATED SUBSTANCES & RECYCLABILITY

Steel product is to be manufactured according to acceptable methods for melting, processing and/or
preparation for shipment to customers. The steel is not to be exposed to mercury or any other metal alloy
that is liquid at ambient temperatures on site at the steel mill location and/or during processing.

Suppliers of steel products to STELLANTIS and its subsidiaries shall comply with all applicable laws and
regulations regarding chemical substance prohibitions and restrictions. This includes STELLANTIS
policies outlined in CS-9003 (Supplier Requirements for Vehicle and Service Parts: Restricted and
Prohibited Substances) and B20 0250 (Regulated Substances / Materials and Restrictions of Use Within
The Group PSA) as currently implemented for vehicles and parts, including service parts.

6 MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS

6.1 Radioactivity

Products shall not emit any radioactivity greater than 0,7 μSv/h (70 uREM/hr) and in no case shall be
higher than 12 times background radiation.

Radiation checks must be noted on the steel cert.

When material is checked for radiation and found to be below the above requirement it is acceptable for
steel mills to indicate on the steel that the scrap and steel have been checked and is free from
radioactivity. Actual readings are neither expected nor desired on the steel certification as that may
cause confusion.

The mills shall maintain records detailing radiation checks including actual readings to be made available
to Stellantis upon request.

6.2 Reduction ratio

Ratio of the cross section area of the continuous casting product (bloom or billet) or raw ingot casting
product to the cross section area of the finished product section (bar or wire) delivered by the steelmaker.
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The reduction ratio shall be a minimum of 6:1 for general applications. Specific applications described
below require greater reductions.
10:1 minimum for hubs, control arms, half-shaft tulips, final drive ring gears, and safety parts
24:1 minimum for connecting rods
40:1 minimum for semi-float axle shaft

Deviations from the listed reduction ratios requires approval from STELLANTIS Materials Engineering.

6.3 Microstructure

The structure shall correspond to that indicated for each of the different delivery conditions mentioned for
each grade in its corresponding STELLANTIS material standard. It is verified by micrographic method or
any other appropriate means.

6.4 Prohibited Structures

Prohibited structures include overheating, untempered martensite, or spherodized except as required by

the print, specification, or purchase order.

Banding shall be within the limits of xFCA standard 50261 with a maximum allowable banding level of B2.

6.5 Grain Size

Austenitic grain size shall be 5 or finer as measured by ISO 643 or ASTM E112.

6.6 Hardenability

The upper and lower hardenability limits are defined in the material standard of the steel grade under
consideration. Limits are described by upper and lower limit curves or by 3-4 points defined by a nominal
hardness with tolerance.

In cases where alloys intended to be heat treated are selected based on common industry standards it is
highly recommended that the suppliers purchase material to a restricted hardenability band. This is
because common industry hardenability bands are quite wide and may lead to excessive variation in heat
treat results from batch to batch (mill heat to mill heat).

Hardenability for each heat shall be determined by Jominy test per ISO 642 or ASTM A255. Readings are
to be taken in HRC and in cases of dispute readings shall be taken in HV30.

Calculated hardenability, using appropriate standard methods, may be used only by agreement with
STELLANTIS Materials Engineering. In cases of dispute the Jominy test is considered.

The test method must be reported on the steel cert (including if calculated).

For microalloy grades, the equivalent Manganese (Mneq) is defined by the formula:

Mneq = % Mn + 0.35 x % Ni + 1.5 x % Cr+ 2 x % Mo + 0.17 x % Cu

6.7 Decarburization

The decarburized depth is defined as that of the area where carbon deficiency is observed.
Decarburization can be either total (complete carbon elimination) or partial (partial carbon elimination).
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The overall decarburization depth is the total decarburization depth plus the partial decarburization depth.

This decarburization is determined according to the methods defined by the PSA test method D35 1192,
SAE J419, or ISO 3887.

Allowable limits:

As Rolled Products
Allowable Decarburization Depth
Diameter of product
Total (mm) Partial (mm)
10 < D < 40 < 0.10 < 0.20
40 < D < 110 < 0.15 < 0.30

Drawn Products
Allowable Decarburization Depth
Diameter of product
Total (mm) Partial (mm)
10 < D < 40 < 0.05 < 0.15
40 < D < 110 < 0.10 < 0.25

Decarburization up to 1.0% of bar diameter is allowed with approval by Stellantis Materials Engineering.

Peeled or ground products shall have no evidence of decarburization.

6.8 Cleanliness

Cleanliness is determined by microscopic examination according to ISO 4967 Method A or ASTM E45
Method A. The worst field rating on any of the test specimens shall be used to determine the results
rather than the average of fields.

Exogenous inclusions are prohibited.

Unless otherwise specified on specific steel grade standard or technical specification for products, the
maximum limits are as found in Table 2 below.

Table 2 - Maximum Allowable Inclusion rating

Type A(1) (sulfides) Type B (Aluminates) Type C (Silicates) Type D (Globular)
Thin Heavy Thin Heavy Thin Heavy Thin Heavy
3.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5
B+C+D thin < 4.0

NOTE 1: For resulfurized grades above 0.040% sulfur, the limit for type A inclusions shall be agreed upon with Stellantis
Materials Engineering.
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7 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
The chemical composition of the grade is defined in the appropriate STELLANTIS material specification
specific to that grade. If no STELLANTIS specification exists for a particular grade the industry standard
composition found in the appropriate EN, ISO, or ASTM specification shall be used.

Chemistry samples for final certification of heat chemistry shall be taken from the tundish during casting,
preferably at halfway through the ladle pour.

7.1 Test Method

Chemistry shall be checked per the appropriate EN, ISO, ASTM, or Stellantis standard.

Carbon and sulfur may be reported on the steel cert from spectrometer results, however, in cases of
dispute, test results from Leco testing shall be used.

7.2 Composition as Checked on Product

Composition checked from a sample in bar or part form shall be taken in such a way that the composition
is not affected by the presence of heterogeneities such as decarburization or segregation.

The sampling shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of standard ISO 377. The material
subjected to analysis is taken from an area centered at a distance from the surface equal to 1/3 of the
radius or ½ diagonal of the product.

7.3 Chemical Segregation

Chemical segregation is allowed only to the extent that the composition, both at the core and on the
surface, remains within the limits imposed by the materials standards.

7.4 Deviations (Check Analysis)

Check analysis deviations are permitted to within the limits described within the appropriate EN standard
by steel group (Example of the steels group for quenching and tempering: ISO 683-2) or as found in
ASTM A29.

7.5 Residual Elements

Small quantities of certain elements, which are not specified or required for the respective steel grade,
are present in steel. These elements are considered to be residual or incidental and may include but are
not limited to copper, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, and tin. Residual elements are permitted to the
below listed maximums.

Element Max %
Cu 0.35
Ni .025
Cr .020
Mo 0.06
Sn 0.05
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Ca(1) 25 ppm
N 110 ppm
O 20 ppm
H 2.5 ppm

NOTE 1: For calcium treated steel grades

7.6 Prohibited Elements and Machining Grades

The addition of Se, Te or Pb is prohibited except in the case of improved machinability steel as defined in
B53 1080 standard and shall be restricted to the limits defined in that standard.

The addition of lead to any steel must be approved by STELLANTIS Materials Engineering.

The boron content, when not defined in the composition, shall be less than 0,0007% (7 ppm).

7.7 Chemistry Confirmation at Shipping

To prevent steel mixing, product shall be verified for chemistry by chemical analysis such as XRF, IXRD
or by spark testing by a qualified operator either at the inspection line (each bar) or in bundle form prior to
shipping. Results shall be compared to the bundle tag to confirm it is correct.

8 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MATERIAL

8.1 Mechanical Properties and Tests

For each steel grade, the mechanical characteristics in the reference or delivery condition, when required,
are defined in the corresponding material standards, print, or purchase order. Mechanical properties are
checked using specimens taken, prepared and tested according to the requirements of standard ISO 377.

8.1.1 Hardness Testing

The hardness (HB, HV, or Rockwell as specified in the material standard) is measured according to the
appropriate ISO or ASTM hardness testing standard after proper preparation of the sample.

On Product in Reference State (in the ordered heat treat condition)

The hardness is carried out on a (10 ± 1) mm thick transverse section treated according to the reference
conditions provided for the steel grade in the material standard (e.g., as-rolled, normalized, etc.).

The hardness is done in the center for bar ∅ 20 mm, mid-radius for 20 mm < ∅ 40 mm and ¼
radius or mid-radius for 40 mm < ∅ 100 mm.

On Product in Delivery Condition

On a transverse section whose thickness is (10 ± 1) mm unless otherwise specified in the material
standard, print, or purchase order. The hardness is carried out as indicated in the abo ve section; “On
Product in Reference State”.

Alternatively, on the surface of a piece of length ≈ 70 mm, after grinding deep enough to eliminate the
decarburized area and provide a flat surface of sufficient width for testing
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8.1.2 Tensile Testing

Test specimens are taken according to the standard ISO 377.

The test specimens have a diameter D = 10 mm, the initial length L0 between marks being equal to 50
mm (Lo = 5 * D).

The test is made according to standard ISO 6892-1 or ASTM E8.

8.1.3 Impact Testing

The reference test is the resilience test CHARPY test; the dimensions of the specimens, the method of
sampling and preparation, the measuring method are defined in the test method D32 5036.

8.2 Physical Properties and Tests

Not applicable.

9 QUALITY
All material must be produced in accordance with quality system requirements such as ISO 9001:2015, or
IATF 16949 Standards.

It is the responsibility of the steel maker to ensure that all requirements of this and all other appropriate
standards are met. Steel defects related to cast and/or rolled product such as swelling, flakes, cracks,
blowholes, pipe, excessive surface discontinuities, lack of cohesion at the core and steel chemistry mixes
are not permissible in any frequency or severity. The internal quality of the bar product shall meet the
intended use and/or requirements of the finished component.

The mill shall have a clear and defined quality procedure that includes inspection, acceptance and
rejection criteria, reaction plans, quarantine procedures, and continuous improvement sufficient to ensure
no defective product reaches STELLANTIS or it’s suppliers.

9.1 Internal Soundness

The macrographic appearance or analysis of continuously cast billets or ingot product shall be checked
by macro-etching in accordance with ASTM E381. Checks may be made in bar form but testing of
billet/bloom is preferred. The mill shall have a plan and procedure that allows for each strand to be
checked on a regular, rotating basis and it is preferred that the sampling includes checks at the
beginning, middle, and end of heats on a rotating basis.

The severity levels shall not exceed S2 R2 C2 as defined by ASTM E381.

Baumman Sulfur printing is allowed only by permission of STELLANTIS Materials Engineering.

9.2 Surface Defects

Surface defects (cracks, seams, laps, marks, scratches) shall not exceed 1.2% of bar diameter, 2.4% for
re-sulfurized grades. For cold drawn products surface defects shall not exceed 100 microns. Bars that
are turned, peeled, or polished shall have no surface defects.
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9.3 Surface Inspection

All bars shall be Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) tested (preferred) or eddy current inspected using rotating
probes and shall be sufficient to detect all defects exceeding the limits in section 9.2. In addition, the test
system shall have an automatic rejection capability that either marks the affected area with ink or paint for
later removal or rejects the bar entirely.

Magnetic particle inspection or other inspection methods approved by Stellantis Materials Engineering is
permitted only on finished product in coil form or where bar diameter does not allow for automatic
inspection. In these cases, the mill shall have a well-defined sampling, testing, and reporting practice that
ensures no defects are shipped to STELLANTIS or its suppliers.

9.4 Ultrasonic Inspection

All bars shall be ultrasonically inspected using straight and angle beam transducers or a phased array
system (preferred) to insure inspection of the entire bar cross-section. Ultrasonic testing results shall be
capable of detecting a 0.5mm x 12.5mm side drilled hole.

Other inspection methods approved by Stellantis Materials Engineering is permitted only on finished
product in coil form or where bar diameter does not allow for automatic inspection. In these cases, the
mill shall have a well-defined sampling, testing, and reporting practice that ensures no defects are
shipped to STELLANTIS or its suppliers.

It is understood that bar ends, typically up to approximately 25mm of each end, are not able to be
inspected. For this reason, it is recommended that forging facilities take a drop, removing a small portion
from each end of the bar.

10 SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

10.1 Hot Forging Steels

Forging steels can be ordered in the following conditions:

● Not softened: Condition of the bar as it is cooled from the rolling mill. The term "as rolled" is
typically used.
● Softened: The state of a steel which has undergone, after rolling, a softening treatment
(commonly a heating less than Ac1) to lead to a determined hardness specified in the material
standard of the steel in question.

10.2 Products for Cold Forging

● Not softened: Definition identical to that paragraph 10.1

● Softened: Definition identical to that of paragraph 10.1
● Direct cooling: The state of a product whose cooling at the output of the rolling mill (the zone is
called the cooler) leads to a lamellar pearlite structure with an apparent ferritic grain size index of
between 5 and 8 and a specified hardness range noted in the applicable standards.
● Normalized: Condition resulting from a heat treatment including austenitisation followed by a
cooling leading to a lamellar perlite + ferrite structure: the transformation of the ferrite then of the
perlite is done in continuous cooling (Figure 1).
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Figure 1 - Basic Theoretical Diagram for normalizing

● Isothermal annealing: Condition resulting from a heat treatment including austenitisation followed
by cooling to a given temperature and then maintaining it at this temperature leading to a lamellar
perlite + ferrite structure: the transformation of ferrite and then of pearlite done at constant
temperature (Figure 2).

Figure 2 - Basic theoretical diagram for isothermal annealing

● Spheroidized: Condition resulting from a heat treatment usually at constant temperature between
Ac1 and Ac3 leading to a structure of spheroidal carbides + ferrite structure.
● Quenched and tempered: Condition resulting from a heat treatment including austenitisation
followed by quenching and tempering to obtain the mechanical characteristics specified in the
order. The structure obtained shall be that of a tempered martensite
● Cold Drawn: Condition resulting from a cold deformation of the product to obtain the mechanical
characteristics specified in the materials standards.
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10.3 General Steelmaking Requirements

Steelmaking methods and processing routes, including mold size, are approved at initial PPAP and may
not be changed without notification and approval of Stellantis Materials Engineering.

It is not the intention of Stellantis to dictate the steelmaking practices for individual mills. However, certain
steelmaking practices will promote higher and more consistent product quality over the lifetime of a
program. Below are practices that Stellantis deems important to consistent quality and the practices that
are required or preferred.

● Steelmaking- Steelmaking may be by either electric arc furnace (EAF) or basic oxygen furnace
(BOF). Other steelmaking practices must be approved by Stellantis Materials Engineering.
● Casting- Casting must be either by bottom pour ingot or continuous strand cast. Other casting
methods must be approved by Stellantis Materials Engineering.
● Unless otherwise noted on the print, specification, or purchase order steel shall be supplied at the
Special Bar Quality (SBQ) level. Merchant quality steel is not permitted under any
circumstances.
● Scrap- Mills will have a well-defined procedure for scrap purchase, storage, selection, and use to
ensure adequate quality of the final product.
● All scrap shall be checked for radioactivity.
● Deoxidation- All steels shall be fully killed.
● Calcium treated steels shall not be used for applications with rolling contact fatigue stress.
● Grain Refinement- All grain refinement additions shall be made in the ladle. Aluminum grain
refinement is the preferred method. For aluminum killed steels a minimum total aluminum
content of 0.015% and a maximum total aluminum content of 0.050% is required with a preferred
range of 0.025-0.040%.
● Optional grain refining elements such as Niobium, vanadium and titanium may also be used with
STELLANTIS Materials Engineering approval only. Typical Niobium content range is 0.015-
0.030% and the typical vanadium content range is 0.030-0.060%. Titanium range is 0.010%-
0.025% maximum.
● Ladle Refining- Ladles shall be stirred during refining. Synthetic ladle slag shall be used, and
compositions checked on a regular basis according to a documented plan and procedure
maintained by the steel mill.
● Vacuum Degas- Vacuum degas is preferred but not required. Certain applications may require
vacuum degas and will be noted on the print, specification, or purchase agreement.
● Re-Oxidation Protection- The molten metal shall be protected against re-oxidation through
various procedures such as mechanical and/or gaseous shrouding. Fully submerged ceramic
shrouding with gas protected seals is preferred for transfer from ladle to tundish and tundish to
mold.
● Nozzle Clogging- Ladle non-free opens or tundish nozzle clogging events shall be tracked and
the mill will have a procedure to ensure any resulting sub-standard quality product is not shipped
to Stellantis or its suppliers.
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● Tundish Practice- The mill will utilize a tundish with sufficient capacity to preclude vortexing and
provide adequate residence time for the flotation of inclusions/oxides. Chemical additions made
to the tundish are prohibited. The use of impact pads, dams, weirs, baffles, and other flow control
devices to promote inclusion flotation are encouraged.
● Superheat- Superheat shall be controlled and temperatures shall be measured and recorded in
the tundish at a minimum frequency of beginning, middle, and end of casting of the heat. High
superheats should be avoided, and the mill should aim to consistently have low superheats.
Preferred maximum superheat is 95oF (35oC).
● Mold Level Control- The mill shall ensure consistent mold level control of molten steel. Automatic
mold level control is preferred.
● Casting parameters- Casting temperature, stopper-rod or slide gate position, mold level, mold
oscillation, and casting speed shall be monitored and recorded during casting. It is preferred that
secondary cooling parameters are also recorded.
● Mold Additions- The addition of alloying or grain refining elements to the mold are strictly
prohibited. The preferred chemical addition method is to have all the chemistry/chemical additions
made in the ladle refining furnace or ladle metallurgy station prior to tapping the molten steel into
the tundish. In the cases where mill are using centrifugal casting processes mold additions may
be made with approval from Stellantis Materials Engineering.
● Secondary Cooling- solidification processes shall be controlled to prevent excessive segregation,
banding, inclusions, pipe, etc. that will adversely affect the use of the finished component in
manufacturing operations or functional requirements.
● Electromagnetic Stirring (EMS)- Electromagnetic stirring in the mold is not required but highly
preferred. Additional, secondary stirring and/or soft reduction is preferred. Certain applications
may require EMS and will be noted on the print, specification, or purchase agreement.
● Re-heating- Billet re-heating furnaces will preferably have a walking beam hearth, multi-zone, and
sufficient temperature control to ensure adequate and uniform heating of blooms/billets without
overheating.
● Heat Lot Traceability- All blooms, billets, bars, tube or rod in either cut lengths or coil shall retain
a unique heat identification for traceability purposes. The mill shall have adequate procedures to
ensure heat mixing does not occur including reaction plans in the event of mixing.
● Cold Shearing- When cold shearing of the steel bar product is required, a microstructure and/or
hardness shall be provided that does not contribute to the formation of cracks/tears that could
render the material unsuitable for subsequent hot or cold forming. Bar sawing is preferred. Table
3 below provides recommendations for cold shearing limitations.
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Table 3 - Recommended Cold Shearing Limitations for Hot Rolled Carbon and Alloy
Steel Bar or Equivalent Cross Sectional Area
Steel Designation Carbon Content (Weight Diameter (Maximum)
Percent)
Not Annealed
Carbon, Resulfurized and Less than 0.35 incl. 90 mm (3.5 inch)
Resulfurized – Rephosphorized 0.40 – 0.45 incl. 75 mm (3.0 inch)
Grades with less than 1.00%
Mn 0.45 – 0.50 incl. 63.5 mm (2.5 inch)
0.50 – 0.55 incl. 50 mm (2.0 inch)
0.55 – 0.75 incl. 40 mm (1.5 inch)
0.75 – 1.00incl 25 mm (1.0 inch)
Manganese – Chrome Grades Less than 0.25 incl. 100 mm (4.0 inch)
Chrome – Molybdenum Grades Less than 0.25 incl. 100 mm (4.0 inch)
Nickel – Chrome – Less than 0.25 incl. 100 mm (4.0 inch)
Molybdenum
Grades
Annealed for Cold Shearing
All grades cited above Less than 0.25 incl. 125 mm (5.0 inch)
For all other steel grades, carbon content and diameters, reference Tables 10.3 (not annealed), 10.4 (annealed) and 10.5
(metric equivalents) in the ISS/AME/AISI Steel Bar Product Guidelines (available from AISI at http://www.autosteel.org)