Chromium-nickel-molybdenum case hardening steel · EN 10084 / DIN 17210
17CrNiMo6 Forgings
1.6587 · 18CrNiMo7-6 · open-die forged rings, gear blanks, shafts, discs, bars and sleeves
- EN material number
- 1.6587
- EN 10084 designation
- 18CrNiMo7-6
- DIN 17210 designation
- 17CrNiMo6
- SAE / AISI
- 4317 (approx.)
- Steel type
- Case hardening
- Core tensile strength
- 1050-1350 N/mm²
- Case hardness
- 58-62 HRC
- Delivery hardness
- 170-200 HB
- Max. single piece
- 30 t
- Melting route
- EAF + LF + VD
- Certification
- EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2
- Minimum order
- One piece
17CrNiMo6 is the DIN 17210 designation for material number 1.6587, a chromium-nickel-molybdenum case hardening steel. EN 10084 superseded DIN 17210 and renamed the same material 18CrNiMo7-6. The grade is carburised to give a surface of about 58 to 62 HRC over a core with a tensile strength of 1050 to 1350 N/mm², which is why it is specified for heavy and highly stressed gears, pinions, shafts and rings.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., an open-die forging factory in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, China founded in 1997, manufactures 17CrNiMo6 as seamless rolled rings, gear blanks, forged rings, shafts, round bars, discs, sleeves, bushings, flanges and tube sheets up to a single-piece weight of 30 t. Material is melted in a 25 t electric arc furnace with ladle refining and vacuum degassing, dehydrogenation annealed directly after forging, ultrasonically tested to EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 or ASTM A388, and released with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certification.
Need a price for a 17CrNiMo6 forging? Send the drawing, or just the rough dimensions: OD, ID and height for rings, diameter by length for bars and shafts. Quotation within 24 hours. Single pieces are accepted, because open-die forging carries no tooling cost.
17CrNiMo6 designations and equivalent grades
17CrNiMo6 is ordered under several names. Quote the material number 1.6587 together with either the DIN or the EN chemical designation; that pair leaves no ambiguity.
| System or standard | Designation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EN material number | 1.6587 | Primary reference. Unchanged between the old and new names. |
| EN chemical designation | 18CrNiMo7-6 | Current name under EN 10084 |
| DIN 17210 | 17CrNiMo6 | Superseded standard. Still quoted on drawings and by mills. |
| EN ISO 683-3 | 18CrNiMo7-6 | Case hardening steel classification |
| SAE / AISI (USA) | 4317 | Closest cross reference. Chromium content differs. |
| AFNOR (France) | 18NCD6 | Closest equivalent |
| BS (UK) | 820A16 | Closest equivalent |
| GB (China) | 17Cr2Ni2Mo | Closest equivalent. Confirm chemistry before substitution. |
| AS 1444 (Australia) | X4317 | Closest equivalent |
Data correction. A number of datasheets describe 17CrNiMo6 as a general purpose high tensile constructional steel supplied to EN 10083-1 and ready for use after machining. That is wrong on both counts. 17CrNiMo6 is a case hardening steel covered by EN 10084, and it must be carburised after machining to develop its surface hardness. EN 10083 applies to a different family of quenched and tempered steels.
Chemical composition of 17CrNiMo6
The limits below are the specification for 1.6587. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. reports both ladle and product analysis on the mill certificate.
| Element | Min % | Max % | Role in the alloy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | 0.15 | 0.21 | Low by design. Keeps the core tough and lets carbon be added at the surface by carburising. |
| Silicon (Si) | — | 0.40 | Deoxidiser |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.50 | 0.90 | Hardenability and sulphur control |
| Phosphorus (P) | — | 0.025 | Residual, kept low for toughness |
| Sulphur (S) | — | 0.035 | Residual. Lower limits available on request for transverse properties. |
| Chromium (Cr) | 1.50 | 1.80 | Hardenability and case depth. The main difference against SAE 4317. |
| Nickel (Ni) | 1.40 | 1.70 | Core toughness, particularly at low temperature |
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 0.25 | 0.35 | Hardenability in heavy sections, resistance to temper embrittlement |
| Copper (Cu) | — | 0.30 | Residual limit |
| Aluminium (Al) | 0.020 | — | Grain size control through aluminium nitride |
| Iron (Fe) | Balance | Base element | |
Limits differ slightly between DIN 17210 and the current EN 10084 revision, and between hardenability classes (+H, +HH, +HL). State the standard revision and class called up on your drawing and the heat will be melted and certified to it.
Mechanical properties of 17CrNiMo6
17CrNiMo6 has two sets of properties that matter: the soft condition it is supplied in for machining, and the properties after the customer has carburised and hardened the finished part.
| Property | Value | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 229 HB max, typically 170-200 HB | Soft annealed, as delivered |
| Surface hardness | 58-62 HRC | Carburised, hardened and tempered |
| Core tensile strength, Rm | 1050-1350 N/mm² | Case hardened |
| Core hardness | approx. 30-40 HRC | Case hardened, section dependent |
| Impact energy, KV | Tested to customer specification, down to -60 °C | Normalised or case hardened |
| Grain size | ASTM E112, to customer requirement | Reported on the certificate |
| Flame or induction hardening | Not suitable | Carbon content is too low |
| Nitriding | Suitable | After hardening and tempering |
Case depth is set by carburising time and temperature and is specified by the designer, not by the steel. Effective case depth on heavy gear teeth in this grade commonly runs from 1 mm to over 6 mm. State the required case depth, surface hardness and core hardness on the enquiry so the forging allowance can be set correctly.
Used without carburising, 17CrNiMo6 can be hardened and tempered and applied as a high tensile steel. That route is used for shafts and pins where wear is not the limiting factor.
Physical properties of 17CrNiMo6
| Property | Value (metric) | Value (imperial) |
|---|---|---|
| Density at 20 °C | 7.85 g/cm³ | 0.284 lb/in³ |
| Modulus of elasticity at 20 °C | approx. 210 GPa | approx. 30.5 × 10³ ksi |
| Mean thermal expansion, 20-100 °C | approx. 11.5 × 10⁻⁶ /K | approx. 6.4 × 10⁻⁶ /°F |
| Specific heat at 20 °C | approx. 460 J/(kg·K) | approx. 0.11 BTU/(lb·°F) |
| Magnetic response | Ferromagnetic. Magnetic particle inspection is applicable. | |
Physical constants are typical published values for low-alloy case hardening steel and are given for reference only. The mill certificate supplied with the forging governs for acceptance.
Forging and heat treatment of 17CrNiMo6
Forging
- Start forging temperature: 1150-1200 °C.
- Finish forging temperature: not below 850 °C.
- Reduction: a forging ratio of at least 3:1 is normally applied to break down the cast structure. Higher ratios are used for ring blanks before rolling.
- Cooling after forging: controlled. This grade is not air cooled freely off the press.
Dehydrogenation, and why it decides whether the forging passes UT
17CrNiMo6 carries about 1.5 % nickel at low carbon. Steels of this type are sensitive to hydrogen flaking, known in the trade as white spots: internal cracks that open as the forging cools. They show up at ultrasonic testing, by which point the machining is already paid for.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. controls this at two points. Hydrogen is taken out of the liquid steel by vacuum degassing before casting, and an anti-flaking anneal is run directly off the press rather than letting the piece cool freely. The furnace chart from that anneal is issued with the certificate.
Heat treatment reference data
| Operation | Temperature | Cooling | Carried out by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forging | 1150 down to 850 °C | Controlled | Forging factory |
| Dehydrogenation anneal | 630-650 °C | Furnace | Forging factory |
| Normalising | 850-880 °C | Air | Forging factory |
| Soft annealing | 650-700 °C | Furnace | Forging factory |
| Carburising | 880-980 °C | To specified case depth | Customer, after machining |
| Core hardening | 830-870 °C | Water or oil | Customer |
| Case hardening | 780-820 °C | Water or oil | Customer |
| Tempering | 150-200 °C | Air | Customer |
Forgings leave the works soft annealed or normalised at 170 to 200 HB, which is the condition the part has to be in for gear cutting or turning. Carburising is carried out after the teeth are cut, so it belongs to the customer or the customer's heat treatment shop rather than to the forging factory. The carburising data above is published here so that the delivery condition and machining allowance can be agreed correctly.
Machining
In the soft annealed condition at 170 to 200 HB, 17CrNiMo6 machines much like a normalised low-alloy steel. It is softer and gummier than a quenched and tempered grade, so sharp tooling and a positive constant feed give a better finish than high speed with light cuts. Forgings are supplied rough machined with an agreed allowance where the finishing route requires it.
Welding
17CrNiMo6 is not a structural welding grade. Where welding is unavoidable, preheat, use a low-hydrogen process and stress relieve afterwards, and keep the weld out of any area that will be carburised. Carburised surfaces are not welded.
17CrNiMo6 compared with other case hardening steels
Case hardening steels are chosen by section size. The alloy content has to be enough to harden the core through the section under the quench. 17CrNiMo6 sits at the heavy end of the range, which is why it appears on wind turbine and mill gearing rather than on automotive gears.
| Grade | Material no. | C % | Cr % | Ni % | Mo % | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16MnCr5 | 1.7131 | 0.14-0.19 | 0.80-1.10 | — | — | Small gears and light sections |
| 20MnCr5 | 1.7147 | 0.17-0.22 | 1.00-1.30 | — | — | Automotive gears, medium sections |
| 17NiCrMo6-4 | 1.6566 | 0.15-0.20 | 0.80-1.10 | 1.20-1.50 | 0.20-0.30 | Medium to heavy sections |
| 17CrNiMo6 / 18CrNiMo7-6 | 1.6587 | 0.15-0.21 | 1.50-1.80 | 1.40-1.70 | 0.25-0.35 | Heavy, highly stressed gearing |
| 42CrMo4 | 1.7225 | 0.38-0.45 | 0.90-1.20 | — | 0.15-0.30 | Through hardened, not carburised |
If the drawing calls for 17CrNiMo6 but the part is a small gear in a light section, 20MnCr5 usually does the same job for less money. If the part will be through hardened rather than carburised, 42CrMo4 is the grade to look at. All of these are forged here. Ask if the selection is not settled.
17CrNiMo6 forged product forms and sizes
Every item below is open-die forged to the customer's drawing. There is no die cost, no minimum quantity, and dimensions are free between the ranges shown rather than fixed to a stock list.
| Product form | Size range | Typical 17CrNiMo6 items |
|---|---|---|
| Seamless rolled rings | OD 200-4000 mm, height to 1000 mm | Gear rims, slewing bearing rings, bearing rings, contoured and stepped rings |
| Forged rings | OD 100-3000 mm | Rings too heavy or too short in ratio to roll |
| Gear blanks and pinions | To drawing | Wind gearbox gears, mill drive pinions, planet and sun gears |
| Shafts and spindles | Ø 60-1000 mm | Pinion shafts, stepped shafts, eccentric shafts, spindles |
| Round bars | Ø 20-1200 mm, length to 12 000 mm | Machining stock for shafts, pins and wear parts |
| Discs and blocks | Ø 100-2500 mm | Gear blanks, blanks, plates, blocks |
| Sleeves and bushings | OD 100-2000 mm | Heavy duty bushings, wear sleeves, hubs, hollow bars |
| Flanges | 50-3000 mm | Forged flange blanks, gasket seats |
| Tube sheets | to 3000 mm, to 400 mm thick | Heavy plate-form forgings, ultrasonically tested before drilling |
| Forged pipes and tubes | OD 100-1500 mm | Hollow forged and bored sections |
Maximum single-piece forging weight is 30 t. Also produced in this grade: forged rolls, wheels, cam followers, wear pins, sprockets and open-die forged parts made to drawing. Delivery condition options are as-forged, normalised, soft annealed, rough machined with an agreed allowance, or finish machined to drawing tolerance.
Manufacturing capability for 17CrNiMo6 forgings
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. runs the whole route in-house: melting, secondary refining, remelting, open-die forging, heat treatment, machining and testing. On this grade the two steps that decide the outcome are vacuum degassing before casting and the dehydrogenation anneal straight off the press. Both are done here rather than subcontracted.
- Max. single-piece forging
- 30 t
- Largest forging press
- 6300 t
- Largest forging hammer
- 5 t
- Largest heat
- 60 t VOD
- Remelting in-house
- ESR · VAR · VIM
- Heat treatment furnaces
- 17 in service
- Largest furnace chamber
- 8.0 × 2.0 × 2.0 m
- Longest part heat treated
- 15 m (well furnace)
- Largest turned diameter
- Ø 5000 mm
- Largest CNC envelope
- Ø 2000 × 10 000 mm
- Deep-hole drilling
- Ø 1600 × 10 000 mm
- Forging since
- 1997
Melting and refining
17CrNiMo6 is melted in the 25 t electric arc furnace, refined and desulphurised in the 25 t and 50 t ladle furnaces, then vacuum treated in the 30 t and 60 t converters to bring hydrogen down before casting. Where a specification calls for reduced segregation, cleaner inclusion ratings or better transverse properties, the heat is remelted by ESR or VAR.
| Equipment | Capacity | Units | Role for 17CrNiMo6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric arc furnace (EAF) | 25 t | 1 | Primary melting of the charge |
| Ladle furnace (LF) | 25 t · 50 t | 2 | Composition trimming and desulphurisation |
| Vacuum degassing converter | 30 t · 60 t | 2 | Hydrogen removal before casting, the first defence against white spots |
| Induction furnace (IF) | 2 t · 8 t · 25 t | 3 | Small and medium heats, alloy additions |
| VIM (vacuum induction melting) | 3 t | 1 | Clean-melt stock for critical parts |
| IGESR (protective-atmosphere ESR) | 3 t · 6 t | 2 | Reduced segregation, improved transverse properties |
| VAR (vacuum arc remelting) | 6 t | 1 | Highest cleanliness where the specification calls for it |
Open-die forging
Three hydraulic open-die presses and five hammers cover everything from a 20 kg wear pin to a heavy gear rim or tube sheet. Ring blanks are upset, punched and expanded over a mandrel, so the ring comes out seamless with grain flow following the circumference. That grain flow is the reason a rolled ring outperforms a ring cut from plate on gear rim duty.
| Equipment | Capacity | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic open-die press | 6300 t | 1 |
| Hydraulic open-die press | 4000 t | 1 |
| Hydraulic open-die press | 2000 t | 1 |
| Forging hammer | 5 t | 1 |
| Forging hammer | 3 t | 1 |
| Forging hammer | 2 t | 1 |
| Forging hammer | 1 t | 1 |
| Forging hammer | 750 kg | 1 |
Heat treatment
Everything 17CrNiMo6 needs at the forging stage sits in the 950 °C class: dehydrogenation at 630 to 650 °C, soft annealing at 650 to 700 °C and normalising at 850 to 880 °C. Seventeen furnaces cover that range, including two well furnaces that take shafts up to 15 m long. Every furnace is temperature-surveyed and produces a chart record issued with the certificate.
| Furnace | Model | Working chamber | Rated max. temp. | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-temperature bogie hearth | RTX-12-350KW | 3.5 × 1.3 × 1.1 m | 1200 °C | 3 |
| Bogie hearth | RTX-9-900KW | 6.0 × 3.5 × 2.3 m | 950 °C | 1 |
| Bogie hearth | RTX-9-810KW | 8.0 × 2.0 × 2.0 m | 950 °C | 2 |
| Bogie hearth | RTX-9-720 | 5.5 × 3.0 × 1.8 m | 950 °C | 2 |
| Bogie hearth | RTX-9-530KW | 8.0 × 1.5 × 1.2 m | 950 °C | 2 |
| Bogie hearth | RTX-9-430 | 6.5 × 1.5 × 1.1 m | 950 °C | 1 |
| Bogie hearth | RTX-9-430 | 5.5 × 1.5 × 1.1 m | 950 °C | 1 |
| Well (pit) furnace | RJ-9-850KW | 15 m deep × Ø1.5 m | 950 °C | 2 |
Machining
Forgings ship as-forged, rough machined with an agreed allowance, or finish machined to drawing tolerance. The Ø5000 mm vertical lathe takes large ring and tube-sheet work. The deep-hole drilling machine bores hollow bars and sleeves up to 10 m long.
| Equipment | Working envelope | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical turning lathe (VTL) | Ø 5000 mm | 1 |
| Vertical turning lathe | Ø 3500 mm | 1 |
| Vertical turning lathe | Ø 2500 mm | 4 |
| Horizontal lathe (C61180) | Ø 1800 × 8000 mm | 3 |
| Horizontal lathe (C61140) | Ø 1400 × 8000 mm | 2 |
| Horizontal lathe (C61125 / C61160) | Ø 1250 × 10 000 mm · Ø 1600 × 14 000 mm | 1 each |
| CNC lathe | Ø 2000 × 10 000 mm | 1 |
| CNC lathe | Ø 2000 × 8000 mm | 1 |
| CNC lathe | Ø 1600 × 3300 mm | 3 |
| Deep-hole drilling machine | Ø 1600 × 10 000 mm | 1 |
Commercial data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Max. single-piece forging weight | 30 t (66 000 lb) |
| Established | 1997 |
| Export markets | Worldwide |
| Minimum order | One piece. Open-die forging carries no die cost. |
| Quotation turnaround | Within 24 hours of receiving the drawing or dimensions |
| Production lead time | 30-60 days |
Testing, inspection and certification of 17CrNiMo6 forgings
Chemistry, mechanical testing, metallography and non-destructive testing are all carried out in the works laboratory, so results are traceable to the heat number without waiting on an outside lab. 17CrNiMo6 is ferromagnetic, so magnetic particle inspection is available alongside ultrasonic testing.
| Test | Standard | Reported on |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical analysis | Ladle and product analysis, optical emission spectrometry | Mill certificate |
| Tensile test | ISO 6892-1 / ASTM A370 | Mill certificate |
| Impact test | ISO 148-1 / ASTM A370, Charpy V, down to -60 °C | Mill certificate |
| Hardness | Brinell, Rockwell, Leeb | Mill certificate |
| Grain size | ASTM E112 | Mill certificate |
| Jominy hardenability | ISO 642 / ASTM A255, for +H, +HH and +HL classes | On request |
| Ultrasonic testing (UT) | EN 10228-3, SEP 1921, ASTM A388 | UT report and certificate |
| Magnetic particle (MT) | EN 10228-1, ASTM E1444, ASTM E709 | MT report, on request |
| Liquid penetrant (PT) | EN 10228-2 / ASTM E165 | PT report, on request |
| Macro and micro examination | To customer specification | On request |
| Dimensional inspection | Against customer drawing | Dimensional report |
| Inspection document | EN 10204 3.1 (works) or 3.2 (third party) | Issued with every shipment |
Laboratory and NDT equipment
| Purpose | Instrument | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Alloy chemistry | Mobile optical emission spectrometer | SPECTROTEST TXC25 |
| Carbon and sulphur | Infrared carbon-sulphur analyser | HIR-9440D |
| PMI at loading | Handheld alloy composition analyser | X-Mwt3000TX + XTPS2610 |
| Wet analysis | High-speed digital automatic analyser | HC-II |
| Tensile testing | 600 kN hydraulic universal testing machine | WE-600B |
| Tensile testing | Computer-controlled electronic universal testing machine | WDW-300 |
| Impact testing | Pendulum impact tester | JBN-300 |
| Sub-zero impact | Low-temperature cooling bath to -60 °C | DWC-60 |
| Charpy specimen prep | Notch broaching machine and notch projector | VU-2D · CST-50 |
| Hardness | Leeb hardness tester | TH140 |
| Grain size and microstructure | Metallurgical microscope with mounting, pre-grinding and polishing | XJP-6A · XQ-2B · M-2 · P-2 |
| Ultrasonic testing | Digital ultrasonic flaw detectors, three sets | USM35XS · PXUT-3300 · CTS-22 |
| Magnetic particle testing | Multipurpose MT crack detector | CYE-3A |
| Bore and internal inspection | Industrial video endoscope | DNJ |
| Specimen preparation | CNC wire-cut EDM, surface grinder, sample grinder, drying oven | DK7720 · MYS7120 · GJ-I · 101-2A |
Third-party 3.2 certificates can be countersigned by TUV, SGS, BV, DNV or Lloyd's Register. Positive material identification on the handheld analyser at loading, marking and painting to your specification, and full heat-number traceability are available at no extra charge.
Applications of 17CrNiMo6 forgings by industry
| Industry | Typical 17CrNiMo6 forged components |
|---|---|
| Wind energy | Gearbox gear rims, planet and sun gears, planet carriers, pinion shafts, slewing and main bearing rings |
| Mining and cement | Mill drive pinions and gear rims, crusher shafts, eccentric shafts, wear pins, sprockets, forged rolls |
| Cranes and earth-moving | Slewing rings, swing drive gears, travel drive components, heavy duty bushings |
| Marine and shipbuilding | Marine gearbox gears and pinions, thruster gearing, propulsion shafting components |
| Rail | Traction gearing, gear blanks, axle-drive components |
| Industrial gearboxes | Gear blanks, pinions, quill shafts, spindles, gear rings and gaskets seats |
| Pumps and compressors | Pump shafts, fan shafts, compressor gearing, spindles, sleeves |
| Heavy machinery | Cam followers, clutch dogs, tappets, wire guides, wear parts, forged wheels |
| Sugar, paper and pulp | Mill gearing, drive pinions, process rolls, heavy bushings |
Where the part will see corrosion rather than wear, 17CrNiMo6 is the wrong choice. Ask about stainless steel forgings or nickel alloy forgings instead.
How to order 17CrNiMo6 forgings
- Send the drawing or dimensions. Email a 2D drawing, a 3D model, or simply the rough sizes to sales@steelforgepieces.com. For rings give OD by ID by height. For bars and shafts give diameter by length. For discs give diameter by thickness.
- Confirm grade and standard. State 17CrNiMo6 / 1.6587, and say whether the certificate should also carry 18CrNiMo7-6 to EN 10084. Give the hardenability class if your specification names one (+H, +HH, +HL).
- State delivery condition and testing. As-forged, normalised, soft annealed, rough machined or finish machined. UT to EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 or ASTM A388. Certificate to EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2.
- Give the case hardening data if you have it. Required case depth, surface hardness and core hardness let the forging allowance be set so that the case is not machined away later.
- Receive the quotation within 24 hours, with unit price, forging weight, lead time and Incoterms.
Drawings are treated as confidential and are used only to prepare your quotation.
Frequently asked questions about 17CrNiMo6
What is 17CrNiMo6 material?
17CrNiMo6 is the DIN 17210 designation for material number 1.6587, a chromium-nickel-molybdenum case hardening steel containing 0.15 to 0.21 % carbon, 1.50 to 1.80 % chromium, 1.40 to 1.70 % nickel and 0.25 to 0.35 % molybdenum. It is carburised to produce a surface of about 58 to 62 HRC over a core with a tensile strength of 1050 to 1350 N/mm², and is specified for heavy and highly stressed gears, pinions, shafts and rings.
Is 17CrNiMo6 the same as 18CrNiMo7-6?
In practical terms, yes. Both carry material number 1.6587. 17CrNiMo6 is the older DIN 17210 designation and 18CrNiMo7-6 is the current EN 10084 designation for the same steel, with slightly adjusted carbon and manganese. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. supplies forgings under either name and can show both on the certificate.
What is the AISI or SAE equivalent of 17CrNiMo6?
SAE/AISI 4317 is the closest cross reference, and 17CrNiMo6 is also cross referenced to X4317 under AS 1444, 18NCD6 under AFNOR and 820A16 under BS. None is an exact match. 17CrNiMo6 carries more chromium at 1.50 to 1.80 % than SAE 4317, so confirm with your design authority before substituting.
Is 17CrNiMo6 a case hardening steel or a through hardening steel?
17CrNiMo6 is a case hardening, or carburising, steel. With 0.15 to 0.21 % carbon it cannot reach a hard surface by direct hardening. Carbon is diffused into the surface during carburising at 880 to 980 °C and the part is then quenched. Used without carburising, the grade can still be hardened and tempered and applied as a high tensile steel.
Which standard covers 17CrNiMo6 forgings?
EN 10084 is the current material standard, where the grade appears as 18CrNiMo7-6. DIN 17210 is superseded but still in circulation, and EN ISO 683-3 covers the case hardening steel classification. 17CrNiMo6 is not covered by EN 10083, which applies to a different family of quenched and tempered steels. That error appears on many datasheets.
What hardness does 17CrNiMo6 reach after carburising?
Approximately 58 to 62 HRC at the surface after carburising, hardening and low-temperature tempering, over a core with a tensile strength of 1050 to 1350 N/mm² and a core hardness of roughly 30 to 40 HRC. Actual values depend on case depth and section size.
Why does 17CrNiMo6 need dehydrogenation after forging?
17CrNiMo6 carries about 1.5 % nickel at low carbon, and steels of this type are prone to hydrogen flaking, also called white spots. These are internal cracks that form as the forging cools. They are found at ultrasonic testing, after the machining has been done. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. removes hydrogen by vacuum degassing before casting and runs an anti-flaking anneal at 630 to 650 °C directly after forging rather than letting the piece cool freely.
Do you carburise the forgings, or does the customer?
Forgings leave the works soft annealed or normalised at 170 to 200 HB, which is the condition needed for gear cutting and turning. Carburising is carried out after the teeth are cut, so it belongs to the customer or the customer's heat treatment shop. State the required case depth on the enquiry so the machining allowance can be set correctly.
Can 17CrNiMo6 be flame or induction hardened?
No. The carbon content of 17CrNiMo6 is too low for either process to produce a useful hardness. Nitriding after hardening and tempering is a workable alternative where carburising is not wanted.
Which case hardening steel should I use instead of 17CrNiMo6?
Case hardening steels are selected by section size. 16MnCr5 and 20MnCr5 suit small and medium gears. 17NiCrMo6-4 covers medium to heavy sections. 17CrNiMo6 / 1.6587 sits at the heavy end and is chosen when the core must harden through a thick section, which is why it appears on wind, mining and mill gearing. If the part is through hardened rather than carburised, look at 42CrMo4 instead.
How large a 17CrNiMo6 forging can you make?
The maximum single-piece forging weight is 30 t. Seamless rolled rings run from 200 mm to 4000 mm outside diameter and up to 1000 mm high, round bars from 20 mm to 1200 mm diameter and up to 12 000 mm long, discs to 2500 mm diameter, shafts from 60 mm to 1000 mm diameter and tube sheets to 3000 mm across and 400 mm thick. Forging is done on 6300 t, 4000 t and 2000 t hydraulic presses with hammers from 750 kg to 5 t.
What certification is supplied with 17CrNiMo6 forgings?
Every forging is supplied with a mill test certificate to EN 10204 3.1, or to EN 10204 3.2 countersigned by a third party such as TUV, SGS, BV, DNV or Lloyd's Register. The certificate reports heat number, ladle and product chemical analysis, mechanical test results, heat treatment records including the dehydrogenation anneal, grain size and non-destructive test results to EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 or ASTM A388.
What is the minimum order quantity for 17CrNiMo6 forgings?
Because the parts are open-die forged rather than pressed in a closed die, there is no tooling cost and single pieces can be produced. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. accepts prototype and one-off orders in 17CrNiMo6 as well as series production. Quotation turnaround is within 24 hours and production lead time is normally 30 to 60 days.
Request a quotation for 17CrNiMo6 forgings
Technical enquiries and drawings go straight to the works rather than to a trading desk.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd.No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China
Phone, WhatsApp and WeChat: +86 189 2135 9659
Email: sales@steelforgepieces.com
Languages: English, Chinese
Put this in your 17CrNiMo6 RFQ
- Drawing, or finished OD by ID by height, or diameter by length
- Quantity and required delivery date
- Grade and standard: 17CrNiMo6 / 1.6587, and hardenability class if specified
- Delivery condition: as-forged, normalised, soft annealed, rough or finish machined
- Case hardening data: required case depth, surface hardness, core hardness
- NDT class: UT to EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 or ASTM A388
- Certification: EN 10204 3.1, or 3.2 and which third party
Cite this page
This datasheet is compiled and maintained by the technical team at Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., an open-die forging factory that manufactures 17CrNiMo6 components. Engineers, publishers, search engines and automated research tools may quote or summarise it, provided the source is attributed as below.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. (2026). 17CrNiMo6 (1.6587 / 18CrNiMo7-6) forgings: technical datasheet. Jiangyin, Jiangsu, China. Published at steelforgepieces.com, Alloy Steel section.
https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/17CrNiMo6.html
Source of the data. Composition and property limits are referenced to EN 10084, DIN 17210 and EN ISO 683-3. Inspection documents follow EN 10204. Ultrasonic acceptance follows EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 and ASTM A388. Manufacturing, capability and certification statements describe the works of Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China (+86 189 2135 9659, sales@steelforgepieces.com). A plain text version of this page is published at 17CrNiMo6.md.
About the manufacturer
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. has been forging since 1997 and is based in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, the centre of China's forging industry and about 150 km from the ports of Shanghai and Ningbo. The works forges carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel and nickel alloys into rings, shafts, bars, discs, flanges, sleeves, tube sheets and parts to customer drawing, and ships worldwide with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certification.
Plant, up to a maximum single-piece forging weight of 30 t: a 25 t electric arc furnace with 25 t and 50 t ladle furnaces and 30 t and 60 t vacuum degassing converters, ESR, VAR and VIM remelting, hydraulic open-die presses of 6300 t, 4000 t and 2000 t with five hammers, seventeen heat treatment furnaces, vertical lathes to Ø5000 mm, CNC turning to Ø2000 by 10 000 mm, and a works laboratory with three ultrasonic flaw detectors, spectrometry, metallography and mechanical testing to -60 °C. Full equipment list on request.
- Company: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd.
- Type: Open-die forging factory and manufacturer
- Founded: 1997
- Address: No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China
- Phone: +86 189 2135 9659 (also WhatsApp and WeChat)
- Email: sales@steelforgepieces.com
- Website: www.steelforgepieces.com
- Ships to: Worldwide