This specification covers a group of common requirements that, unless covered by the individual product specification in another ASTM document, applies to steel and alloy castings for use in general industrial applications. Materials shall be produced by open-hearth or electric furnace process with or without separate refining, such as argon-oxygen-decarburization (AOD), and then consequently heat treated in the working zone. Castings shall receive heat and product analysis to evaluate their conformance to chemical composition requirements. Mechanical requirements shall also be assessed. The surfaces of castings shall be free of adhering sand, scale, cracks, hot tears, and other surface discontinuities. Repair welding may be performed as required.

1.1 This specification covers a group of requirements that are mandatory requirements of the following steel casting specifications issued by ASTM. If the product specification specifies different requirements, the product specification shall prevail.

1.2 This specification also covers a group of supplementary requirements that may be applied to the above specifications as indicated therein. These are provided for use when additional testing or inspection is desired and apply only when specified individually by the purchaser in the order.

1.3 The requirements of the individual material specification, and this general specification shall prevail in the sequence named.

1.4 The values stated in either inch-pound units or SI units are to be regarded separately as standard. Within the text, the SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system are not exact equivalents; therefore, each system must be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the specification. Inch-pound units are applicable for material ordered to Specification A 781 and SI units for material ordered to Specification A 781M.