Casting Industry Standards

Several standards are in use in the foundry industry.

ASTM

The American Society for Testing and Materials is one of the world’s leading standards organizations. All cast iron grades available at Laroche Foundry are based on ASTM standards, which are used to certify that the gray or ductile iron grade requested by the customer meets the applicable requirements.

ASTM-A-48 specifications covers cast iron castings for general engineering use where tensile strenght is a major consideration. A test bar is cast and is subjected to a test to determine its tensile strength. The results obtained must meet the requirements set by ASTM, depending on the type of cast alloy.

ASTM-A-536 specifications covers ductile iron castings. Parts must meet specific requirements such as tensile strength, yield strength and elongation. The casting must also comply with the requirements of hardness, chemical composition and microstructures.

BNQ

Many of our municipal products are BNQ (Bureau de normalisation du Québec)-certified. BNQ standards specify the physical, mechanical and dimensional characteristics of cast iron castings used in municipal sewer and water distribution systems. These castings include frames, grates, covers and catch basin traps as well as valve boxes made of gray iron or ductile iron installed on drinking water conduit valves.