Carbon steel and low-alloy steels are the most widely used materials in the mechanical world. There is no other group of alloys that offer such a wide range of mechanical properties. Carbon steels are made of iron, carbon, manganese and silicon.

Low-alloy steels are similar to carbon steel but also have additional elements such as chromium and molybdenum to improve heat treatment process. With heat treatment, the final strength of 40 to 200 tons per square meter is possible in this group of alloys.

By using specialized heat treatment, it is possible to make different properties for different pieces of a same part. For example, casting parts can first be subjected to very harsh conditions in heat treatment to increase their strengths, and then a second heat treatment can be performed in order to make the surface harder and wear-resistant.

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