Grades & Mechanical Properties We Pour (ISO 17804)

​In the field of engineering materials, austempered ductile iron (ADI) has become a preferred material across many industries due to its cost-effectiveness, lightweight design capabilities, and excellent durability. With the growing global focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, and materials innovation, ADI's excellent adaptability is increasingly finding application in agriculture and forestry. This article will delve into the core performance of ADI and highlight its important role in agriculture and forestry.

To gain a deeper understanding of the performance and characteristics of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) products, we have conducted a two-year project research starting from 2023. This project focuses on six sets of steering components for heavy-duty trucks as the research objects. Through a comparative analysis of the most authentic experimental data, it demonstrates the process of product performance enhancement, aiming to provide strong support for global ADI customers in product iteration and upgrading or new product design.

In agricultural machinery, the performance of tillage and sowing components directly determines operational efficiency and equipment life. While traditional cast steel offers strength, it is susceptible to wear and fracture under complex operating conditions. Austempered ductile iron (ADI), with its unique microstructure and comprehensive performance, is becoming an ideal alternative to cast steel. The following analyzes ADI's core advantages over cast steel in tillage and sowing components from four perspectives: microstructure, mechanical properties, wear resistance, and cost-effectiveness.

In the field of advanced materials, austempered ductile iron (ADI) is a star material, known as the "Hermès of casting." Its exceptional mechanical properties and wear resistance have earned it widespread application in industries such as automotive manufacturing, construction machinery, and rail transit. The revision of China's national standard GB/T 24733-2023, "Austempered Ductile Iron Castings," marks a significant milestone in the development of my country's ADI industry technology system, propelling the sector into a new era.

From July 9 to 11, 2025, the annual event of China's foundry industry - 2025 China Cast Iron Annual Conference and Isothermal Quenching Castings Annual Conference was successfully held at the Buckingham Hotel in Changzhou, Jiangsu. This annual meeting was hosted by the China Foundry Association and co-organized by the China Foundry Association Cast Iron Working Committee and Isothermal Quenching Castings Working Committee. It attracted more than 220 representatives from more than 110 units across the country to discuss the digital transformation and high-end development path of the cast iron industry.

At SMEMACH,we specialize in producing Austempered Ductile Iron castings tailored to meet the demanding requirements of industries such as automotive, construction, agriculture, rail, mining, and heavy machinery. Our expertise in advanced heat treatment ensures that our ADI castings deliver exceptional performance and durability under harsh operating conditions.

Does the name of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) sound a bit difficult to pronounce? It doesn't matter, you can think of it as the "Iron Man" in the material world - not only has high strength and high toughness, but also wear resistance and shock absorption, it is simply "proficient in all kinds of martial arts". After being treated by the isothermal quenching process, the microstructure of ADI is like a specially trained super soldier, ready to show its prowess in various industrial fields at any time. Now, let's take a look at the wonderful performance of this "Iron Man" in various industries!

Europe also has a deep foundation in the formulation of ADI standards. Before the introduction of the EN 1564-1997 standard, each European member state had its own ADI standard, which to some extent hindered the circulation and application of ADI materials in Europe. In order to break this situation, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) took a key step in 1997 to unify the standards of 19 European member states and formulate the EN 1564-1997 ADI standard.

ISO 17804:2005 "Classification of Cast Austempered Ductile Iron" is an ISO standard rather than a standard from a single country. This standard specifies the grades and corresponding requirements for austempered ductile iron, and classifies austempered ductile iron based on the mechanical properties measured from machined test pieces. These test pieces may also be made from separate cast samples, cast sample(s), or cut from castings. And it also sets up two levels according to the division of hardness function. ISO 17804:2005 has been replaced by ISO 17804:2020, which is the current version. But ISO 17804:2005 still has a certain historical significance and reference value in the foundry industry.

Now, we’ll study the international American ADI Austempered Ductile Iron standards in chronological order for today.