1020 vs 1045 Material

I am not sure if this is the place to ask...but I don't have any other resource that I can tap into that has such a wide and varied body of knowledge.

We have supplied raw product that is identical in dimension and is shipped in the same containers. The material is tagged with a part number. However the possibility exists (and is indentified on the PFMEA) that the material received could be the incorrect grade of steel.

is there a method that could be used, on the production line, to could quickly identify the material as either 1020 or 1045 steel? We could take a sample to the lab and perform a hardness test but I am trying to see if there is a method that could be used without the lab.

 

Having some small experience in identifying metals in the previous century, I got curious and googled around and learned a little, but I saw no quick answer to your question.

If it matters to your outfit, then you better get lot control early in the game. Links to what I learned below - you probably already know this stuff though.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/1020-vs-1045-a-159965/

https://www.makeitfrom.com/compare/...AISI-1045-S45C-C45-1.0503-G10450-Carbon-Steel

 

Your best bet is to require and review an actual material cert from your supplier. You can supplement that with independent lab test from time to time.

If you absolutely have to know each time, you can try something like this

http://www.koslow.com/thermoelectric-alloy-sorter-te-3000.html

 

Thank you both. Our problem is we have had shipments - with material certs calling out the material as 1045 when the actual material was 1020. This is a problem in our application. A hardness check in the lab can tell them apart, but the lab is, while not overtaxed, occasionally backed up and if we have to wait for the results to begin production we could have downtime. This is one of the first processes in our flow and downtime affects the rest of the processes.

 

Exactly the two articles I found!

 

Looks like you need a durometer, not that expensive, the hardness difference is fairly wide, so it should show up easily. 1045 should be around 179, 1020 should be around 130 or so. test the incoming batches against the matcerts and hold anything that doesn't match.

 

Good day Chris Glover;
As I'm sure you are aware, the use of the wrong grade of material could certainly have catastrophic consequences depending on the use/application. For that reason I highly recommend an analysis of the materials and comprehensive resultant material certs as opposed to a hardness check, since carbon content and hardness are not the only considerations.

For example:
a) If your product is intended to be manufactured from 1045 (medium carbon steel) and is instead manufactured from 1020 (low carbon steel), and then your product is subjected to an austenitizing heat treatment process (by your customer?...downstream process?), the 1020 material will not "'harden" as necessary, which could result in a significant field failure.

b) If your product is intended to be manufactured from 1020 (low carbon steel), and is instead manufactured from 1045 (medium carbon steel) and then your product is subjected to a stamping or forming process (by your customer?...downstream process?), the 1045 material will not form as easily and could indeed "work harden", again, changing the performance characteristics via the mechanical properties.

These are only a few of the potential examples and risks.

1045 material is commonly used on critical application components (in the automotive industry for example, strut tower bolts, knuckle bolts, etc..., are commonly made from hardened 1045 material. A failure of any of these can be catastrophic and indeed deadly).

I have some significant background in this area. There are few risks greater than use of the wrong material grade. A full analysis of the materials with newly generated material certs, verification and development of the supplier, and poka-yoke corrective actions is the suggested course of action.

Hope this helps