Casting material equivalents: EN, ASTM, DIN, JIS and IS
A drawing arrives specifying GGG-50, the foundry quotes EN-GJS-500-7, and the customer's inspector asks for ASTM A536 70-50-05. They are the same iron. These tables match the grades we are asked for most often across the standards in common use.
How to read these tables
Equivalents are matched by mechanical properties, mainly minimum tensile strength and elongation. They are near-equivalents, not identical specifications: chemistry limits, test-bar size and acceptance rules differ between standards, and two grades on the same row can behave differently in a thick section.
Use them to understand a drawing or to start a conversation. Do not use them to substitute a material on a safety-critical part without the designer's agreement. If your drawing specifies a standard, tell us which one, and we will quote against that standard rather than against our nearest house grade.
Gray cast iron (flake graphite)
Graded by tensile strength. Higher grades are stronger but less forgiving to cast in thin or complex sections, and all of them damp vibration well.
| EN 1561 | ASTM A48 | DIN (old) | JIS G5501 | IS 210 | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN-GJL-150 | Class 20 | GG-15 | FC150 | FG150 | Covers, light housings, counterweights |
| EN-GJL-200 | Class 30 | GG-20 | FC200 | FG200 | Brake drums, pump housings, machine bases |
| EN-GJL-250 | Class 35 | GG-25 | FC250 | FG260 | Loaded housings, cylinder blocks, liners |
| EN-GJL-300 | Class 40 / 45 | GG-30 | FC300 | FG300 | Heavier duty wear and pressure parts |
SG (ductile / nodular) iron
The EN designation says it plainly: EN-GJS-500-7 means 500 MPa tensile, 7 percent elongation. The ASTM number does the same in ksi: 70-50-05 is 70 ksi tensile, 50 ksi yield, 5 percent elongation.
| EN 1563 | ASTM A536 | DIN (old) | JIS G5502 | IS 1865 | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN-GJS-400-15 | 60-40-18 | GGG-40 | FCD400 | SG 400/15 | Axle housings, steering parts, shock-loaded castings |
| EN-GJS-450-10 | 65-45-12 | GGG-45 | FCD450 | SG 450/10 | General machinery, hubs, brackets |
| EN-GJS-500-7 | 70-50-05 | GGG-50 | FCD500 | SG 500/7 | Wheel hubs, housings, gearbox parts |
| EN-GJS-600-3 | 80-55-06 | GGG-60 | FCD600 | SG 600/3 | Crankshafts, gears, higher-strength parts |
| EN-GJS-700-2 | 100-70-03 | GGG-70 | FCD700 | SG 700/2 | Heavily loaded parts where wear matters |
Aluminium casting alloys
LM-6 is the alloy we pour most: an aluminium-silicon alloy that fills thin walls and stays pressure-tight. LM-25 is the choice where strength after heat treatment matters more than fluidity.
| BS 1490 | EN 1706 | ASTM / AA | JIS | Character | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LM6 | EN AC-44100 (AlSi12) | A413.0 | AC3A | Very fluid, pressure-tight, not heat treatable | Thin-walled housings, covers, steering boxes |
| LM25 | EN AC-42000 (AlSi7Mg) | A356.0 | AC4C | Heat treatable, higher strength | Loaded housings, wheels, structural castings |
Bronze and brass
Copper alloys are usually specified for bearing behaviour or corrosion resistance rather than strength.
| BS 1400 | EN 1982 | ASTM / UNS | Character | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG2 | CC491K (CuSn5Zn5Pb5) | C83600 | Leaded gunmetal, easy to machine, seals well | Bushes, valve bodies, pump parts |
| PB1 | CC481K (CuSn11P) | C90700 | Phosphor bronze, harder, good under load | Bearing shells, worm wheels, wear strips |
What to tell your foundry
If you know the grade, give it with its standard: "EN-GJS-500-7" rather than "ductile iron". If you do not, describe the duty instead: what the part carries, whether it takes shock, whether it runs hot, whether it sits in water. That is usually enough for the foundry to recommend a grade and say why.
Common questions
Are these grades interchangeable?
For most general engineering parts, yes, within reason. For a safety-critical or certified part, no: the standards differ on chemistry, test-bar size and acceptance criteria, so the substitution has to be approved by whoever designed the part.
My drawing shows an old DIN grade. Is it obsolete?
The DIN grades were superseded by the EN standards, but drawings and workshops in many countries still use them daily. We quote against either; just tell us which one your inspector will check against.
Can you supply a certificate proving the grade?
We check dimensions and casting soundness ourselves. Chemical analysis and mechanical testing are done at an independent laboratory, arranged by us and charged at cost, and you receive the report. We do not operate a laboratory of our own.