Common Industry Terms

Industry Terms

We put together a short list of terms often used in the steel industry as a quick reference guide. While this does not give you the full meaning of the term, we hope it will provide some assistance while navigating our site and this industry!

AR – Abrasion Resistant. A type of steel that is tougher than mild steel and often used in high impact applications

Austenite- a metallic, non-magnetic bit of iron and carbon formed when iron-based alloy is heated between 1382° F and 2642°F

BHN- Brinell Hardness Number. The number calculated through the Brinell Hardness test to determine hardness of steel

COC- Certificate of Conformance

Hardenability– the ability for material to be hardened by thermal treatment

Hardness- the resistance of steel to penetration

Overlay- a mild steel plate that is then fused or overlaid with chromium carbide

QMS- Quality Management System. A formalized system that documents processes, procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives.

Quench- rapidly cooling material

Temper- reheating and cooling material to improve hardness and elasticity

Tensile- the capability of being drawn out or stretched

TGP – Turned, ground, and polished (TGP) is a classification of finishing processes often used for metal shafting. Turning creates straight round bars without the strain induced by cold drawing, while grinding and polishing improves the surface finish and roundness for high dimensional accuracy

Tolerance- an allowable variation between the specified measurements and actual product

Yield- the maximum stress that can be applied before permanent deformation

To learn more about a topic, check our knowledge center to see if we have a full post! If you still have further questions, feel free to reach out to us at 216.662.6111, we would love to help!