Kansas Castings provides ductile iron castings in several different classes, depending on ductility and tensile strength needs, to manufacturers and end-users across the nation. We are proud to be a parts provider for agriculture, oil and gas, irrigation, construction, and other industrial manufacturers.
What Is Ductile Iron?
Ductile iron — sometimes called nodular or spheroidal-graphite (SG) iron — gets its strength and impact resistance from its rounded graphite nodules. It combines the castability of gray iron with mechanical properties closer to steel, making it the right choice when you need a strong, tough, machined part that can handle real load. At Kansas Castings we pour custom ductile iron castings up to about 150 lbs from our Southern Kansas foundry.
Why Manufacturers Choose Kansas Castings for Ductile Iron
- Nodularity verified in-house. Every heat is checked for proper graphite nodule formation before pouring production parts.
- In-house machining. Milling, turning, drilling, and finishing all under one roof — ductile iron parts ship machined and ready to install.
- Tight tolerances. Brinell hardness, tensile (third-party), green sand, chemical, and dimensional verification on every order.
- 30+ years of casting iron for agriculture, oilfield, automotive, and industrial customers.
- Nationwide shipping from Belle Plaine, Southern Kansas.
Common Ductile Iron Casting Applications
- Agricultural implements and gearbox housings
- Oilfield equipment and pressure-bearing components
- Automotive and commercial vehicle parts
- Hydraulic component housings
- Pump and valve bodies
- Structural and load-bearing industrial parts
Ductile Iron Specifications
- Process: Sand cast with in-house mold and core production
- Casting weight range: Up to ~150 lbs per part, depending on geometry
- Quality testing: In-house Brinell hardness, nodularity, green sand, chemical, and dimensional verification; third-party tensile testing
- Lead time: Typically 10-12 weeks once a new pattern is received
- Shipping: Nationwide
Get a Quote on Ductile Iron Castings
Send us your part drawing, target mechanical properties, and quantity. We’ll respond with pricing, lead time, and any process recommendations. Call (620) 488-2282 or email orders@kansascastings.com, or visit our contact page.
ASTM A536 Ductile Iron Grades We Pour
All of our ductile iron castings conform to ASTM A536, the standard specification for ductile iron. The microstructure consists of nodular graphite in a matrix of ferrite with small amounts of pearlite, giving each grade strong impact resistance, fatigue properties, and machinability — with the balance shifting depending on the grade.
| Grade | Tensile Strength | Yield Strength | Elongation | Brinell Hardness (typical) | Key Trait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65-45-12 | 65 ksi | 45 ksi | 12% | 143-217 HB | Best ductility & machinability |
| 80-55-06 | 80 ksi | 55 ksi | 6% | 187-255 HB | Strength + moderate ductility |
| 100-70-03 | 100 ksi | 70 ksi | 3% | 217-302 HB | Maximum strength / low ductility |
65-45-12 — The Forgiving Material
Benefits: Highest ductility and impact resistance of the three grades. Excellent machinability thanks to the ferritic structure. Good fatigue performance.
Tradeoff: Lower strength and wear resistance than higher grades.
Common applications: Valves, pipe fittings, housings, agricultural components, and parts that need toughness combined with machinability. Think “forgiving material” — it handles shock, vibration, and machining well. More on 65-45-12 →
80-55-06 — The Balanced Workhorse
Benefits: Higher strength and hardness than 65-45-12. Better wear resistance. Still retains useful ductility.
Tradeoff: Reduced elongation — less forgiving under impact than 65-45-12.
Common applications: Gears, crankshafts, gearboxes, heavy machinery components, and structural parts under load. The balanced workhorse — strength plus durability. More on 80-55-06 →
100-70-03 — Maximum Strength
Benefits: Very high strength and load capacity. Best wear resistance of the three grades. Responds well to heat treatment.
Tradeoff: Low ductility — more brittle under shock loading. Harder to machine.
Common applications: High-load structural components, industrial machinery, parts where strength matters more than toughness. Maximum strength, minimum forgiveness. More on 100-70-03 →
Quick Selection Guide
- Need toughness, impact resistance, and machinability → 65-45-12
- Need balanced strength and durability → 80-55-06
- Need maximum strength, wear resistance, minimal deformation → 100-70-03
The straight takeaway: all three A536 grades follow the same rule — as strength increases, ductility and machinability decrease. Selection comes down to impact vs. wear, machinability vs. strength, and failure-mode tolerance for your specific part.
Get a Ductile Iron Quote
Send your part drawing, target grade, and quantity to receive pricing, lead time, and process recommendations from our Southern Kansas foundry. Call (620) 488-2282, email orders@kansascastings.com, or request a free quote online.