Winsteel Manual

WinSteel
for Windows™
International Translator of Steel Grades

ver. 5.0
Quantor-Soft Metal
License Agreement
This is a legal agreement between you, the end User, and Quantor-Soft
Metal (Quantor). WinSteel software program (Software) is licensed by
Quantor to the original customer and any subsequent transferee on the
product for use only on the terms set forth here.
Grant of License
• Quantor grants to you the right to use one copy of the enclosed
Software on a single computer at any given time. This Software may be
transferred for use in a different machine; however, it must be removed
from the computer on which it was originally installed.
• You may not transfer this Software, in any form, to an unlicensed User.
You cannot make any changes of the Software and develop of any
other software program based on this Software.
• You may duplicate the software reference materials (User's Guide) only
for your purposes not for commercial realization.
Copyright
• The Software is owned by Quantor and is protected by Russian
Federation copyright laws and international treaty provisions.
• Quantor retains all rights not expressly granted in this License
Agreement. Nothing in this agreement constitutes any waiver of
Quantor rights under the copyright laws of Russian Federation.
Software Limited Warranty

• Quantor warrants that:
1) The CD-ROM, reference materials (User's Guide) and Security
Device are not defective.
2) The reference materials (User's Guide) are complete and
contain all the information that Quantor deems necessary for
use of the Software.
3) The Software program functions substantially as described in
the reference materials (User's Guide), provided that the
Software program are used on the computer hardware and
operating system for which they were designed.
• If the CD-ROM on which the program are furnished and Security Device
are defective, return them to Quantor for replacement during the
warranty period. This Limited Warranty is for 12 month from delivery, as
evidenced by your receipt. Defective diskettes and Security Devices will
be replaced at no charge; damaged Devices will be replaced at EUR40
per Device, upon return of the damaged Device.
Quantor will not replace the lost Security Devices.
• Quantor does not warrant that the functions contained in the Software
program will meet your requirements or that the operation of the
programs will be uninterrupted or error-free. Quantor does warrant that
every effort will be made to correct Software program defects, provided
said defects are reported in a responsible and timely manner and with
substantial documentation for diagnosis of the defects.
LIMITATION OF REMEDIES
In no events will Quantor be liable to you for any lost profits, lost
savings, or other incidental or consequental damages arising out of
the use or inability to use the Software program, even Quantor has
been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claims by
any other party.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ______________________________________ 1-1
2. WinSteel Installation _______________________________ 2-1
2.1. Requirements for Hardware and Windows Versions ______________ 2-1
2.2. Installation Process ________________________________________ 2-2
2.3. Validation of Installation ____________________________________ 2-6
2.4. Re-Installation of the Software _______________________________ 2-7
3. Getting Started____________________________________ 3-1
3.1. The Run and the Exit of the Software __________________________ 3-2
3.2. The Main Menu ___________________________________________ 3-3
3.3. How to Find a Steel in the Database ___________________________ 3-5
3.4. How to Get Reference Information on the Chosen
Steel Grade ______________________________________________ 3-7
3.5. Finding Information on Equivalents of the Required
Steel Grade ______________________________________________ 3-9
4. User's Manual ____________________________________ 4-1
4.1. Database ________________________________________________ 4-1
4.1.1. Classification of Steels and the Database Structure ______________ 4-1
4.1.2. Getting Reference Information on Steel Grades and Standards ______ 4-4
4.2. Search for Equivalents by Steel Grade_________________________ 4-8
4.2.1. Principal Types of Search _________________________________ 4-8
4.2.2. Selection of a Steel for the Search for Equivalents ______________ 4-20
4.2.3. Set-up of Parameters for Different Types of Search _____________ 4-22
4.2.4. Operation with List of Equivalents __________________________ 4-30
4.3. Search for a Steel by the Known Chemical Composition __________ 4-35
4.3.1. Entering Data for Search _________________________________ 4-36
4.3.2. Operation with List of Found Steels _________________________ 4-40
4.4. Search for a Steel in the Database by Mask ____________________ 4-43
4.5. Notepad ________________________________________________ 4-47
WinSteel software
5. Illustration of Work with the Software ________________ 5-1

5.1. Fast Search ______________________________________________ 5-1
5.2. Search by Comparison of Chemical Compositions _______________ 5-3
5.3. Search by Chemical Composition ____________________________ 5-15
INTRODUCTION 1-1
1. Introduction
WinSteel is original user-friendly software that helps you to find the
correspondence between steel grades used in your country and the steel
grades of the other industrial countries. The database of the software
contains information on 76,000 steel grades of 26 industrial countries as
well as grades included in European (EN) and two international (ISO and
UIC) standards. We collected information on chemical compositions of
steels and the correspondence among them from national standards,
various reference books as well as brochures provided to us by Russian
and foreign steel companies.
WinSteel software will help you:
• to get information on chemical composition of steel grade of your
interest in any country;
• to find equivalents of the grade in another country (countries);
• to learn the designation of steel (and find its equivalents) if you know
only its chemical composition.
The present User's Guide consists of the following parts:
Part 2 WinSteel Installation.
Here we describe the procedure of the software installation in the User’s
PC and its preparation for operation.
Part 3 Getting Started.
This part describes the procedure of the software run and the simplest first
actions to be taken by the User to find the required steel and to get
reference information on it.
Part 4 User’s Manual
is devoted to the description of general principles of the software operation.
It contains the detailed information on the methods of operating with the
program. This part describes the structure of the database and the adopted
classification of steels and provides information on different types of search
for equivalents.
Part 5 Illustration of Work with the Software
offers many examples of the search for steels equivalents in different
countries.
1-2 WinSteel software
The authors reserve the right

to introduce amendments into the software in the process of operating
the program. That is why, before you start working, it is so important to get
acquainted with the file Read Me where we specified the differences of
the version purchased by you from the basis version described in the
User's Guide.
You can easily contact us by:
Phones: (+7 495) 234 4905, (+7 495) 232 3996
Fax: (+7 495) 232 3996
E-mail: winsteel@metaldata.info
Internet: http://www.metaldata.info
We would ask you to return completed registration forms to the following
address:
Quantor-Soft Metal, P.O. Box 39, 119049 Moscow, Russia
or to sent them us by fax or e-mail.
WinAlloy – International Translator
of Non-Ferrous Metals and Alloys
40,000 non-ferrous metals and alloys of 33 countries on your PC
We have a pleasure to present our other software WinAlloy –

International Translator of Non-Ferrous Metals and Alloys.
WinAlloy software helps you to find the

correspondence between non-ferrous
metals and alloys used in your country and
the grades of other industrial countries.
WinAlloy database contains data on
chemical composition of near 40,000 alloys
of 30 countries (CIS, USA, Germany, UK,
Japan, France, Italy, Canada, Spain,
Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Sweden,
Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Belgium,
Poland, Hungary, Czech and Slovak
Republics, Australia, India, Mexico, South
Africa and others) as well as alloys included
in International (ISO), European (EN) and
Pan American (COPANT) standards.
Features:
• Ability to find foreign equivalents for an alloy specified in any national
standard;
• Two levels of the grade equivalents search: Fast Search that is the easiest
way of search and the Advanced Search for specialists;
• Ability to find alloy if you know only its chemical composition;
• Search for an alloy designation in the database by Mask (used if you don't
know correct grade designation).
Benefits:
• Fast searching of the data on compositions and equivalents within
seconds;
• Ensure that you have the most complete and up-to-date information on
world metals and alloys;
• Printing data on grades and equivalents;
• Saving data on alloys and equivalents in HTML files;
• Context Help;
• Comprehensive User's Guide with illustrations of operation with the
software;
• Possibility to operate with all major network hardware and software.
WinAlloy Software
With your purchase you receive:

• Unlimited license to use the software;
• Our technical Support Service;
• New software releases every quarter without additional payments during
the warranty period of 12 months;
• Free access to WinAlloy Online during the warranty period;
• Ability to subscribe to our Annual Support Service on completion of the
warranty period;
• Hot information on new software versions with ability to buy upgrades;
• Discounts for another information software of Quantor-Soft Metal.
System Requirements:
• Windows 95 / 98 / NT 4.0 / 2000 / ME / XP / Vista;
• 35 MB of free hard disc storage;
• Pentium / Pentium II / Celeron / Pentium III / Pentium IV;
• 16 MB RAM or more;
• CD-ROM read driver.
The software can be delivered in two optional configurations, i.e. for use on
single PC or for network use.
Users:
Now we have more than 300 WinAlloy users in Russia and other CIS
countries, USA, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium,
Korea, Greece, Czech and Slovak Republics, Singapore, Iran, Indonesia,
Vietnam, Latvia, Estonia and others countries.
Customers and potential local distributors, please, contact us:

Tel: (+ 7 495) 234 49 05, (+7 495) 232 39 96
Fax: (+7 495) 232 3996
Address: Quantor-Soft Metal, P.O. Box 39, 119049 Moscow, Russia
E-mail: winalloy@metaldata.info
WinPlant. BLACK - Automated Directory
of CIS Steel Plants
Up-to-date information on steel products manufactured by CIS plants
If you need detailed information on manufacturers of steel products in

Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries we have a pleasure to offer you
our software WinPlant. BLACK - Automated Directory of CIS Steel Plants.
The database of WinPlant. BLACK, software
includes information on more than 520 plants
and holding companies in CIS and
neighboring countries which produce:
• cast and steelmaking iron,
• steel ingots and concast billets,
• flat products,
• rolled and extruded long products,
• tubes and pipes,
• wire,
• roll-formed profiles,
• forgings,
• wheels, tyres, rings.
Information on each plant includes:
• address, contact phones and faxes of main departments, e-mail and web-
site addresses;
• list of main traders and their contact data;
• list of main process equipment;
• detailed information on products with references to standards on assortment
and specifications, with indication of steel grades and main dimensions.
Features:
• Ability to find the mills manufacturing steel products you need;
• Additional information on any mill: address, contact phones, faxes, list of
installed equipment, general list of products produced at the mill;
• Ability to get detailed information on products manufactured at any mill;
• Inquiry information on Russian steel grades and present-time standards.
Benefits:
• Fast searching of the manufactures of products you need within seconds;
• Ensure that you have the most complete and up-to-date information on CIS
steel plants;
• Printing data on mills, products and grades;
WinPlant. BLACK Software
• Comprehensive User's Guide with illustrations of operation with the software

and Context Help;
The ways of search:
The search for information on manufactures of steel products is performed by
following parameters:
• type of product,
• standard (GOST's, TU or foreign) on assortment and specifications,
• steel grades,
• base dimensions of the product.
The search will be carried out among all plants included in the database,
among the plants situated at the chosen region or among the plants selected
by User.
• New software releases every quarter without additional payments during the
warranty period of 12 months;
• Free access to WinPlant. BLACK Online during the warranty period;
warranty period;
• Discounts for another information software of Quantor-Soft Metal.

Tel: (+ 7 495) 234 49 05, (+7 495) 232 39 96
Fax: (+7 495) 232 3996
WinPlant. RED - Automated Directory
of CIS Non-Ferrous Plants
Up-to-date data on non-ferrous products manufactured by CIS plants
If you require information on manufacturers of non-ferrous products in

CIS countries we have a pleasure to present you our software WinPlant.
RED - Automated Directory of CIS Non-Ferrous Plants.
The database of WinPlant. RED, software
includes information on more than 300
producers in CIS manufacturing:
• ingots, pigs and concast billets,
• flat products,
• extruded and drawn long products,
• tubes,
• wire,
• roll-formed profiles,
• forgings,
• wheels, tyres, rings,
• anodes and cathodes,
• solders.
Information on each plant includes:
• address, contact phones and faxes of main departments, e-mail and web-
site addresses;
• list of main traders and their contact data;
• list of main process equipment;
• detailed information on products with references to standards on assortment
and specifications, with indication of grades and main dimensions.
Features:
• Ability to find the plants manufacturing non-ferrous products you need;
• Additional information on any plant: address, contact phones, faxes, list of
installed equipment, general list of products produced at the plant;
• Ability to get detailed information on products manufactured at any plant;
• Inquiry information on Russian non-ferrous grades and present-time
standards.
Benefits:
• Fast searching of the manufactures of products you need within seconds;
• Ensure that you have the most complete and up-to-date information on CIS
non-ferrous plants;
• Printing data on plants, products and grades;
WinPlant. RED Software
• Comprehensive User's Guide with illustrations of operation with the software

and Context Help;
The ways of search:
The search for information on manufactures of non-ferrous products is
performed by following parameters:
• type of product,
• standard (GOST's, TU or foreign) on assortment and specifications,
• grades,
• base dimensions of the product.
The search will be carried out among all plants included in the database,
among the plants situated at the chosen region or among the plants selected
by User.
• New software releases every quarter without additional payments during the
warranty period of 12 months;
• Free access to WinPlant. RED Online during the warranty period;
warranty period;
• Discounts for other information software of Quantor-Soft Metal.

Tel: (+ 7 495) 234 49 05, (+7 495) 232 39 96
Fax: (+7 495) 232 3996
WINSTEEL INSTALLATION 2-1
2. WinSteel Installation
The installation of WinSteel software on the User’s computer is easy and does not
require the presence of our specialists. In this chapter, we shall describe the
minimum requirements your computer should meet and inform you how installation
is to be done.
2.1. Requirements for Hardware and

Windows Version
To operate with WinSteel software, your PC should meet the following
requirements:
• be compatible with computers IBM PC Pentium / Pentium II / Celeron /
Pentium III / Pentium IV;
• have at least 16 Mb of RAM;
• have CD-ROM read driver.
WinSteel software operates under Windows 95 / 98 / NT 4.0 / 2000 / ME / XP /
Vista.
2-2 WinSteel Software
2.2. Installation Process

In order to install the software, it is necessary to have at least 60.0 MB of free
space on the hard disk of your PC. During the installation, a directory with the name
chosen by you will be set up on the hard disk (that directory is set up automatically,
and by default it is set up to C:\Program Files\Quantor\WinSteel).
Notice that you should have Administrator’s Privileges when you install the
software under Window 2000 / XP / Vista.
It is most convenient to install the software from CD-ROM you have received by
using the Autorun program. This program runs automatically when you insert the
CD-ROM in your PC. The window of the Autorun program consists of several
pages, and the toggling between them can be done by means of the Tabs located
in its upper part (see Fig. 2.1.). Their purpose is described below:
Fig. 2.1 Autorun program. Main page

• the Read Me Tab opens a page that describes the content of the CD-ROM
acquired by you;
• the WinSteel, WinAlloy, WinPlant. BLACK and WinPlant. RED pages are
used for the installation of the above software;
• the HASP page contains drivers and other software used in operation with the
Security Device.
In order to start the procedure of installation, you should go to the WinSteel page.
By means of the relevant Check Box field, you should select Program Mode in the
central part of the page and then click the WinSteel icon located on the left side.
Fig. 2.2 Autorun program. WinSteel

Please notice that CD-ROM contains both Single and Network versions of the
software. While installing the software, you should select the version (Program
Mode) that corresponds to the version purchased by you. For your information:
• violet USB or white LPT: Security Devices are supplied with the Single version,
• red USB and LPT: Devices are supplied with the Multi-User version.
The Light version does not require the Security Device. This version with
considerably reduced database, along with the Demo-version is used to familiarise
a user with the main features of the software.
The Update mode is selected when you install the new software release over the
old one. In this case all old settings are retained.
In case the Autorun program has not run in your PC automatically for any reason,
you can also install the software manually. The installation starts with the run of the
setup.exe file which can be found on the CD-ROM in the \WinSteel directory. To
run this file, please:
1. Click the Start button.

2. Select the Run... in the appearing menu. The Run window will be displayed.
3. Enter in the Open string: [name:]\winsteel\setup.exe,
where [name:] is a name of your CD-ROM read driver (usually D:).
4. Click the OK to run the installator.
After the start, the main window of the installation program appears on the screen.
This window contains basic information on the software, with which you should
familiarise yourself before the installation. After reading, you should click the Next >
button, in this way passing to the next page (see Fig. 2.3).
Fig. 2.3 Installation program

By default, the software is installed in the C:\Program Files\Quantor\WinSteel
directory. If you wish to install the software in another directory, click the Browse…
button and indicate another path in the appearing window (see Fig. 2.4). When the
directory is selected, click the Next > button to continue the process of installation.
If for any reason you have to interrupt the installation, click the Cancel button.
To start the installation, click the Install button at the bottom of the next window
when you check the directory for installation. The process of installation is
visualised on the screen by means of a Progress Bar. The Bar shows the
percentage of the program fulfilled and the time left till the end of copying.
After the successful installation, the window with the appropriate message will be
displayed on the screen. To exit the installation program, it is necessary to click the
Finish button.
Fig. 2.4 Selection of a directory for installation

As a result of the installation, you will have a WinSteel 5.0 icon on the Desk Top of
your PC.
2.3. Validation of Installation

Make sure of the presence of the WinSteel 5.0 icon on the Desk Top. Then connect
the Security Device (HASP) supplied with the software to USB (or LPT:) port of your
PC. If the Security Device driver has been installed correctly in several seconds
you’ll see the red light in the HASP. It means that your Windows has been found the
driver and the Security Device is ready for operation.
To run the software, point the mouse to the WinSteel 5.0 icon and double-click the
left mouse button. If you have carried out the installation correctly, and insert the
Security Device, the software will start operation: the main window and menu will
appear on the screen.
In case you:
• forgot to insert the Security Device,
• inserted it in a wrong way,
• inserted not the device that was supplied to you with the software,
the software would not run, and an appropriate message will be displayed.
If the software does not run, check:
• is the Security Device connected to your PC;
• have your inserted in your PC the HASP supplied with the software;
• does the red light shine in your HASP.
If the Security Device is inserted correctly and the red lump shines, clear all files of
the software from the hard disk and the directory where they were stored, extract
the Security Device, restart your PC and repeat the process of installation (during
the first installation some malfunction could have taken place). If the new run fails
again, you should contact our Support Service by fax or e-mail given in this User's
Guide.
We draw your attention that after you have installed the software and it
proved to be workable, you will have to fill in the attached Registration Form
and send it to the address given in Chapter 1 (you can also send your Form
by fax or e-mail).
Otherwise you would be deprived of our free user service, namely:
• the possibility to use consultations of our Support Service;
• to receive new software releases each quarter during the warranty period.
2.4. Re-Installation of the Software

The installation CD-ROM of WinSteel software do not contain any counters of the
installations: you may re-install the software in your or other PCs as many times as
you wish. The process of re-installation does not differ from the original installation.
If you have re-installed the software in another computer, you will have to connect
the Security Device to that computer.
After the re-installation, your PC will have the basic version of the software with
empty Notepad (see 4.5). In order to preserve the information you saved in the
Notepad you will have to store on a separate diskette the wmfilen.tps file.
When the installation is over, it would be necessary to copy the above file from the
diskette over the existing file of the same name in the directory where the software
has been re-installed.
We also recommend you to save the above file periodically in the process of
operation, even if you are not going to reinstall the software. It will save the
information entered by you in case of failure or breakdown of the computer.
We draw your attention to the fact that in accordance with the License
Agreement, a simultaneous operation of the software on several
computers is not allowed.
If you need to do so, you can address Quantor-Soft Metal or your local distributor
and to buy the lacking copies at a reduced price or to purchase the Multi-User
version of the software.
GETTING STARTED 3-1
3. Getting Started
In this part we shall offer you brief information on the software which will enable
you:
• to run WinSteel software;
• to exit from it;
• to find the required steel grade in the software database;
• to get reference information on the required steel;
• to get a list of equivalents of the given grade in other countries.
Further information on the above-mentioned software functions and on its other
capabilities can be found in Part 4.
3.1. The Run and the Exit of the Software

WinSteel software can only be operated if you connect to your computer the
Security Device supplied with the software. So, make sure that it is available
before you start to operate.
Fig. 3.1 Main window of the software

The operation starts with running the wm32.exe file. The above file can be run in a
standard way by pointing the mouse on the WinSteel icon formed during the
software installation and double-clicking the left mouse button or by selecting the
Start / Programs / WinSteel 5.0 / WinSteel 5.0 item of the main Windows menu. If
you forget to insert the Security Device, the software would not run and the
message would be displayed: Security Device Not Found. If the installation was
done correctly, the main window of the software will be displayed (see Fig. 3.1.).
The upper part of the window contains the main menu items, the purpose of which
will be described in the next part (see 3.2).
To exit the software use the File / Exit item of the main WinSteel menu.
GETTING STARTED 3-3
3.2. The Main Menu

WinSteel software is operated by means of the items of the main menu which are
available in all windows and procedures of the software.
When you click items of the main menu, pull-down menus appear and help you to
perform the required actions. By means of these items, in any window of the
software, you can (for example) start a new session of search for equivalents, get
references on some other steel or standard, call Help, etc.
Information
The Information item of the main menu is intended for getting reference
information on the steel grades and standards contained in the software database.
When you choose the above item of the main menu, the appearing pull-down menu
consists of two items: the Steel Grades and the Standards.
The procedures of viewing lists of steels and standards called by means of the
items of the Information pull-down menu are explained in detail in 4.1.2.
Search
The above item of the main menu is intended for the call of procedures of the
search for equivalents. WinSteel software provides the search for equivalents in two
modes: by a known steel grade and by known chemical composition. You can pass
to the search in the above modes by means of the Search by Steel Grade and the
Search by Chemical Composition items. You can read detailed information on the
above procedures in 4.2 and 4.3.
Beside the search for equivalents, the software provides for the search of a steel by
Mask. You can pass to this mode of search by choosing the Search by Mask item
of the pull-down menu located in the lower part under the horizontal line. The
procedure of searching for steel by Mask is described in 4.4.
Notepad
The Notepad item of the main menu is intended for passing to the Notepad where
you can store information on the chosen steel or store results of the search for
equivalents. The information entered by you in the Notepad is stored on the hard
disk of your PC. The operation with the Notepad is described in detail in 4.5.
Below we shall briefly describe standard Windows items of the main menu: File,
Edit, Window and Help. Users who are well acquainted with Windows will not learn
anything new here, and they may skip the end of this part.
File
The File item of the main menu is intended for calling the procedure of printer
selection and set-up, and also for exit the software. To perform the above actions,
you should click the relevant items of the pull-down menu. The detailed information
on the procedure of selection and set-up of printer can be found in Windows
manuals or by addressing the specialist servicing your PC.
Edit
The Edit item of the main menu is intended for editing information. In most
procedures of the software, information editing is prohibited and the relevant menu
items are disabled. However, in some procedures connected with the viewing of
text information, there is a possibility to copy information through the Windows
clipboard. You can find more detailed information in appropriate Windows manuals.
Window
The Window item of the main menu is used for putting in order the software
windows on the screen and for quick passage from one window to another. The
sequencing of window lay out is done in two ways: you can select the Tile or the
Cascade mode. For doing this, you should click the relevant item of the pull-down
menu.
The quick toggle between the windows of the software is also done by means of the
above menu. To pass to the required window, you should click one of the menu
items located in its lower part (under the horizontal line).
Help
The Help item of the main menu is meant for calling Help and additional information
on WinSteel software. The first two items of the Help menu serve to call various
windows of the Help. The operation with the Help is described in Windows Manuals.
The How To Use Help item of the menu will help you to get information on the
Help. You can call the About WinSteel… item if you need information on the serial
number of your software copy and the details (address, phones) of the owner of the
software – Quantor-Soft Metal.
GETTING STARTED 3-5
3.3. How to Find a Steel in the Database

In order to find the required steel grade in the WinSteel database, you should do the
following:
1. Click the Information item of the main menu.
2. Click the Steel Grades item of the appearing pull-down menu. The display will
show the list-box containing information on steels included in the software
database (see Fig. 3.2).
Fig. 3.2. List of steel grades
3. If you know the country to which the steel belongs, click the button located
at the end of the Country: string, and select the required country in the
appearing list-box. If the country is unknown to you, leave the All Countries in
that string.
4. Find the steel grade of interest to you in the list-box by means of the mouse,
scroll bars or locator.
It should be noted that steels in the list-box are arranged in alphanumeric order:
first go grades starting with zero, then one and so on till nine. The further order
is determined by letters of Latin alphabet.
Locator makes it much easier to search for the necessary steel grade. To make
use of locator, you should point the cursor (highlight) to any line on the list-box
and then type on the keyboard the designation of the required grade. In doing
this, the typed characters will be displayed in the lower part under the list-box.
When you enter the first character, the cursor will automatically point to the first
line (steel) in the list-box whose designation starts with the entered character.
When you type the next character, the cursor will pass to the line whose
designation starts with the combination of the two typed characters, and so on.
Usually, it is sufficient to type 3-4 characters to find the necessary steel grade in
the list-box.
5. If using the locator or the mouse you failed to find the required steel in the list-
box, it may mean the following:
• For the given grade, you indicated a wrong country; try to look for this steel
in all countries. For doing this, you should choose the All Countries in the
Country: string instead of the name of the country.
• You entered a wrong designation of the steel grade. Try to look for your
grade using the Search by Mask. Please remember that you can find the
details of this kind of search in 4.4.
• The required steel is not available in the database of the software. If you
know its chemical composition, you can find equivalents of that steel by
using the mode of Search by Chemical Composition. This type of search is
described in detail in 4.3.
If the chemical composition is unknown, we recommend you to address our
Support Service: probably your steel grade has already been included in the
new release or a new version of the software. If not, we shall try to find for you
information on this grade in our sources which are constantly updated and
renovated.
GETTING STARTED 3-7
3.4. How to Get Reference Information on the

Chosen Steel Grade
You can get reference information on the highlighted steel grade (see Fig. 3.2) in
one of two ways:
• by clicking the Information button in the lower right part of the screen;
• by clicking the Information item of the pop-up menu; the pop-up menu is
called by pressing the right mouse button or by clicking button located on

the right.
There is a special procedure for viewing reference information on steel grade (see
Fig. 3.3). This information includes:
• chemical composition of the grade,
• additional information on the steel (remark),
• information on other designations of the steel,
• list of standards that include the grade,
• applications of the steel grade,
• list of the steel equivalents in other countries.
Fig. 3.3 Reference information on the steel grade

Reference information has a paginal arrangement on the screen. To call the
required page, you should use the relevant Tab. Sometimes all Tabs cannot be
placed on the display at the same time. In this case, to get access to the absent
Tabs, it is necessary to click once or several times button located on the right
side. In doing this, each click of the button will make the extreme left Tab disappear,
and the other Tabs will shift to the left, and one of the absent Tabs will appear on
the right side. button allows you to repeat the above actions in the reverse order.
Please note that if some information on a steel is not available in the database of
the software, then the relevant Tabs will be lacking in the procedure of viewing
reference information on that grade.
To print out information on the found steel grade, you should click button
located on the right side of the window.
This information can also be stored in HTML file. button should be used for
this purpose.
GETTING STARTED 3-9
3.5. Finding Information on Equivalents

of the Required Steel Grade
In the preceding part we mentioned that reference information on a steel includes,
among other data, a list of its foreign equivalents. To access this list, it is necessary
to click the Equivalents Tab in the procedure of viewing information on the steel
grade (see Fig. 3.3).
The generalised list of equivalents for each steel (see Fig. 3.4) has been drawn up
by our experts on the basis of various literature sources, standards, reference
books and also brochures of Russian and foreign steel companies. This list includes
equivalents of the chosen grade in all countries.
Fig. 3.4 Generalised list of equivalents of the steel grade

Unfortunately, in this procedure you cannot compare chemical compositions of the
sample grade and the chosen equivalents and print out this information. In case you
need it, click the Equivalents button located in the lower left corner of the window,
pass to the procedure of entering search parameters (see Fig. 4.6) and conduct the
search for the steel equivalents in the particular country (or in all countries at a time)
in Fast Search mode. Before you start the search, we recommend that you should
familiarise yourself with the Fast Search and the way it operates by reading
carefully the relevant sections in 4.2.1 and 4.2.3.
The procedure of viewing search results (see Fig. 4.12) where you will get the list of
equivalents found enables you not only to compare information on the sample
grade with information on the chosen equivalent and to print it out, but also to edit
the resulting list, as well as to enter the data on equivalents in the Notepad and in
HTML file. The procedure of viewing search results is described in detail in 4.2.4.
And now let us discuss what you can do if in the procedure of viewing information
on the chosen grade (see Fig. 3.3) the Equivalents Tab is absent, or you could not
find the equivalent of that steel in the required country. Does it mean that the
equivalents do not exist at all?
In the general case, it does not. WinSteel software is not simply an electronic
reference book replacing several literature sources at the same time, but also an
efficient tool which allows you to find exact equivalents of the steel required by you,
and also the grades with similar chemical composition. For this purpose, we have
developed special algorithms of "extended" search for equivalents and search by
the comparison of chemical compositions.
The "extended" search is an additional option of the Fast Search (see details in
4.2.1 and 4.2.3) and in some cases it allows you to find equivalents which you could
not find directly in any source used.
The search by the comparison of chemical compositions is more complicated. Here
you have to choose elements by which to search, the search mode and to carry out
a readjustment. That is why to familiarise yourself with this type of search, we
recommend you not only to study the relevant sections in 4.2.1 and 4.2.3, but also
follow the examples offered in Part 5.
USER'S MANUAL 4-1
4. User's Manual
4.1. Database
4.1.1. Classification of Steels and the
Database Structure
Classification of Steels
The steels included in the software database are classified by countries. The
present software version contains information on steels of 25 countries of the world:
Russia and other CIS countries, USA, Germany, Japan, UK, France, Italy, Canada,
Spain, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Australia, Hungary,
Czech Republic and Slovakia, Poland, China, Republic of Korea, Brazil, former
Yugoslavia, Romania and Bulgaria. Along with the above countries, the software
also contains grades included in European standard (EuroNorms – EN) and two
international standards (ISO and UIC). In the database, the European and the
international standards are considered as separate 26th, 27th and 28th countries.
For all countries, except the USA, the designation of steel grades is given in
accordance with the national standard adopted in the country or the European
Standard (if it is used in the country). In some cases, in accordance with the above
standards, one steel grade may have several designations. For example, Russian
steel 08Ch16N13M2B has also designations 1Ch16N13M2B and EI680, German
steel RQSt 34-2 has also designation 1.0109, Spanish steel 36 Mn 5 - F.8212, etc.
Besides, for some steels, we give commercial designations used by steel
companies in different countries of the world.
As distinct from the other countries, in the USA, there are several systems of
naming metals and alloys adopted in different fields of industry. For example, UNS
– Universal Numbering System, AISI – American Iron and Steel Institute, SAE –
Society of Automotive Engineers, ASTM – American Society for Testing Materials,
ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and others. That is why one
and the same steel, in accordance with different designation systems, may have
different designations. For example, steel 1005 (designation in AISI and SAE
systems) is named G 10050 in UNS system, A 29 (1005) and A 510 (1005) in
ASTM system and MIL-S-11310 (CS 1005) in MIL system. In future, for unification
purposes, we shall call standards the different systems of designation adopted in
the USA for steels and metals.
For the USA, like other countries, when searching for the required steel in the
database of the software, you can indicate its name in accordance with any of its
designations. It means that the list-boxes where the search is carried out include all
steel designations used in different countries. As distinct from the above list-boxes,
in search result list-boxes, each steel equivalent found is present only once. Only
one of its designations is chosen by default. If you need information on other
designations of the found equivalent, the list of equivalents may be extended in

such a way that all designations of the found steels will be included in it.
Apart from the designations of steel grades, the database contains references to
standards that include these steels. In some countries – France, Italy, Russia and
CIS, Japan and others – steel of the same designation may be included in several
national standards. In this case, in different standards chemical composition and
other information on the steel may be identical or somewhat different. If this steel is
included in several standards and all information on it, included in the software
database, is identical in different standards, then we enter the information on this
steel in the database only once. But if in different standards (or even in the same
standard) the chemical composition or any other information on it differs depending
on the application of the steel, then the file of steel designations contains several
strings with the same designation and with reference to appropriate standards.
Basing on the above-mentioned, it becomes clear why, e.g. Chinese steel Q345A
included in six standards appears five times in the database, while Japanese steel
SUS 316 L included in 7 different standards appears in the database only once.
The Database Structure

The database contains the following information on steels:
1
• designation of a steel grade ;
• chemical composition;
• standard or list of standards that contain information on the steel;
• additional information (remark);
• information on other designations of the steel;
• field of application;
• generalised list of steel equivalents in other countries.
The chemical composition of steels contains information on the percentage of the
following elements: carbon (C), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P),
sulphur (S), chrome (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), niobium
(Nb), titanium (Ti), aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), nitrogen (N), tungsten (W), lead
(Pb), cobalt (Co), cerium (Ce), zirconium (Zr), arsenic (As) and boron (B). In some
countries, the chemical composition of steels also includes carbon factors CM and
CE.
As a rule, the information on the content of each chemical element occupies two
fields in the database: minimum and maximum contents of an element are
indicated. Very often the information on an element in standards is recorded in the
form: Cr ≤ 0.3% or Ni ≥ 93.0%. In the former case, we can suppose that minimum
Cr content is 0, and maximum 0.3%; in the latter case, minimum Ni content is
93.0% and maximum 100%. However, in chemical compositions of some steels and
1
In several countries, some steels do not have designations. We assigned “no
name” designation to them.
USER'S MANUAL 4-3
heat-resistant alloys we can meet records of the type: Fe ≤ 12.0% or Al ≥ 0.025%.

In this case, it would not be correct to suppose that minimum Fe content is 0 and
maximum Al content is 100%. That is why a special algorithm is used for processing
information in the search of such elements in steels and alloys. See details below in
4.2.1.
4.1.2. Getting Reference Information on

Steel Grades and Standards
Reference information on steels and national standards is called by clicking the
Information item of the main menu. After clicking this item of the main menu, a
pull-down menu will appear, and its items will help you to receive the required data.
Getting Information on Steels

For getting information on a steel, it is necessary to click the Steel Grades item of
the Information menu. On taking these actions, the list-box (see Fig. 4.1) will
appear containing the information on steels included in the software database.
Fig. 4.1. List of steel grades

By default, the above list-box will contain information on all steel grades i.e. on
grades of all countries.
If you want to display information on steel of some particular country, use the
Country: string located under the list-box. In order to do this selection, click
button located at the end of the string and select the required country in the list-box.
If you want to get information on steels belonging not only to the chosen country,
but also included in the required standard, you should use the Standard Tab. The
USER'S MANUAL 4-5
selection of the required standard is done by clicking the Select Standard button
located in the lower left corner of the window. After clicking this button, the
reference list-box of standards will be displayed. Initially it will be empty. The
country in the list-box can be selected in the same way, as in the list-box of steel
grades - in the Country: string.
When you have found the required standard in the list-box of standards, click the
Select button; you can exit the procedure without selecting a standard by clicking
the Cancel button.
For moving along the list-box of steel grades in search for the required steel, you
can use scroll bars or locator. The locator operates in the following way: you type
the designation of the required steel on the keyboard letter by letter. When you
enter the first character, the cursor will highlight the first line in the list-box whose
designation starts with the entered character. When you type the next character, the
cursor will pass to the grade whose designation starts with the combination of the
two typed characters, and so on. Usually, it is sufficient to type 3-4 characters to
find the necessary grade in the list-box.
Fig. 4.2 Reference information on a steel grade

The Information button located in the lower right part of the window is intended for
getting reference information on the steel chosen by you. For the same purpose you
can use the Information item of the pop-up menu. Here and further on, the pop-up
menu is called by one of the following ways:
• from the list-box by clicking the right mouse button;
• by clicking button located on the right of the list-box.

Please note that by means of the pop-up menu items, as a rule, you can only
perform actions with a highlighted line in the list-box.
Reference information on a steel can be viewed in a special procedure (see

Fig. 4.2). In order to call the required page, you should use the relevant Tab. In
some cases, all Tabs cannot be placed on the appropriate window at the same
time. In order to access the absent Tabs, it is necessary to click once or several
times button located on the right side. In doing this, each click of the button will
make the extreme left Tab disappear, and the other Tabs will shift to the left, and
one of the absent Tabs will appear on the right side. button allows you to repeat
the above actions in the reverse order.
You can print out information on the chosen steel both from the list-box of steel
grades (see Fig. 4.1) and from the procedure of viewing information on the steel
(see Fig. 4.2). You can do this in one of the following ways:
• click button located on the right side of the window;

• click the Print item of the pop-up menu (this way is accessible only if you are in
the list-box of steel grades).
Fig. 4.3 List of standards

Similarly, the information on the chosen steel can be saved in HTML file. For doing
this, click button or, being in the list-box of steel grades, click the Export to
HTML item of the pop-up menu.
The information on the steel that interests you can also be entered in the General
Notepad (more details on the Notepad in 4.5). To do this, it is necessary to highlight
USER'S MANUAL 4-7
that steel in the list-box of grades and to click button, or to click the Notepad
item of the pop-up menu.
If necessary, you can immediately pass to the search for equivalents of the steel
that you have found in the list-box. For doing this, you should click the Equivalents
item of the pop-up menu. The search for equivalents is explained in more detail in
4.2.
Getting Information on Standards

Reference information on standards included in the software database (please
remember that by standards we understand national and regional standards proper,
systems of steel and metal designations in the USA and names of companies that
use their own commercial steel designations) is also called by clicking the
Information item of the main menu. Then you have to click the Standards item of
the Information pull-down menu. Depending on your choice, the list-box of
standards may contain information on all standards referenced in the software or
only on the standards belonging to the particular country (see Fig. 4.3). Like in the
procedures described above, a country is selected in the Country: string located
under the list-box.
You can find the required standard in the list-box using the mouse, scroll bars or
locator, and get additional information for this standard available in the database by
clicking the Information button.
4.2. Search for Equivalents by Steel Grade

4.2.1. Principal Types of Search
The search for equivalents by the known steel grade consists in the following: you
know a steel grade in one country and you want to establish its equivalents in
another country (other countries).
This search may be conducted in one of two modes: Fast Search or Search by
Comparison of Chemical Compositions of the steel or its assumed equivalents.
Fast Search
The Fast Search consists in establishing direct correspondence between the
selected steel and its equivalent(s) in another country. This correspondence is
established by comparing data obtained by our experts on the basis of the analysis
of different sources: standards, reference books and brochures provided to us by
Russian and foreign steel companies.
Apart from the standard mode, Fast Search may be carried out in "extended"
mode. The extended search mode is based on a special algorithm developed by
the authors. In a number of cases, this algorithm makes it possible to find quite
acceptable equivalents for the steels, which you could not find directly in any of
sources used by us.
Search for Equivalents by Comparison of
Chemical Compositions
If the Fast Search does not produce positive results, you have an opportunity to find
equivalents by comparison of chemical compositions of the sample steel grade and
steels included in the software database. The search by the comparison of chemical
compositions is performed only by elements indicated by a User (the contents of
other elements are disregarded). To establish the correspondence between the
indicated chemical elements in the sample steel grade and in its potential
equivalent, you can use one of the three search modes (see Table 4.1):
• getting within the range;
• covering range;
• overlapping ranges.
At your wish, you can select the common search mode for all indicated chemical
elements, or a separate mode for each indicated element. Before starting the
search, you can correct the chemical composition of the sample grade by widening
or narrowing the ranges of content of some elements, in order to ensure the
required flexibility of the search and to fulfil the terms of the chosen mode. Let us
consider the examples of the above-stated.
USER'S MANUAL 4-9
It is known that an equivalent of American steel 431 (in AISI standard) is Russian
steel 20Ch17N2. The chemical compositions of these grades are given in
Table 4.2. The table shows that the percentage of some elements in steel 431 and
steel 20Ch17N2 differs slightly. We shall try to show how WinSteel software
enables us to establish a correlation between the chosen steels using different
search modes.
Table 4.1
Modes of Search for Equivalents by Comparison of Chemical Compositions
Search mode Content Figure
Getting within The content of a chemical element in Sample

the range the equivalent fits into the range of I−−−−−−−−−−−−I
this element in the sample grade Equivalent
I−−−−−−−I
Covering range The content of a chemical element in Sample

the sample grade fits into the range I−−−−−−−−I
of this element in the equivalent Equivalent
I−−−−−−−−−−−−I
Overlapping The ranges of a chemical element in Sample

ranges the sample grade and in the I−−−−−−−−−I
equivalent are overlapping Equivalent
I−−−−−−−−−I
1
Getting within the range
The main elements in steel 431 are C, Cr and Ni. Ni content in steel 20Ch17N2
completely fits in the relevant range in the chemical composition of steel 431. For C
and Cr this condition is not fulfilled. In order to find an equivalent of steel 431 in CIS
countries in this mode, it is necessary to correct the ranges of C and Cr content. If
we enter the range of Cr 15.0 - 18.0%, and the range of C content 0.1 - 0.25%, then
the condition of getting within corrected ranges in the sample grade for these
elements will be fulfilled.
If you do this with the help of WinSteel software, you will note that with these values
of search factors, among the equivalents of steel 431, along with steel 20Ch17N2,
there will also be steel 14Ch17N2 (its chemical composition is also given in
Table 4.2), as well as steels EP479 and EP866-Sh. In order to exclude these steels
from the list of equivalents, it is necessary to correct C content again, by entering,
for example, the range 0.15 - 0.25%.
1
See also example 2.1 on page 5-3
1
Covering range
The content of neither of the above elements in steel 20Ch17N2 covers the ranges
of appropriate elements in steel 431. After the correction of the values (we enter
Cr 16.0 - 17.0%, Ni 1.5 - 2.5% and C 0.2 - 0.2%), the condition of covering the
ranges will be fulfilled, and steel 20Ch17N2 will be in the list of equivalents.
Table 4.2
Chemical Composition of Steel Grades
431 20Ch17N2 14Ch17N2

(USA, AISI) (CIS) (CIS)
C ≤ 0.2 0.17 - 0.25 0.11 - 0.17
Si ≤ 1.0 ≤ 0.8 ≤ 0.8
Mn ≤ 1.0 ≤ 0.8 ≤ 0.8
P ≤ 0.04 ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.03
S ≤ 0.03 ≤ 0.025 ≤ 0.025
Cr 15.0 - 17.0 16.0 - 18.0 16.0 - 18.0
Mo - ≤ 0.3 ≤ 0.3
Ni 1.25 - 2.5 1.5 - 2.5 1.5 - 2.5
V - ≤ 0.2 ≤ 0.2
Ti - ≤ 0.2 ≤ 0.2
Cu - ≤ 0.3 ≤ 0.3
N - − −
W - ≤ 0.2 ≤ 0.2
2
Overlapping ranges
As may be seen in Table 4.2, the ranges of the same elements in the sample grade
and in the equivalent are overlapping. The search by means of WinSteel software
confirms that. However, the indicated ranges overlap with another 23 steels. Some
of them contain a large quantity of Mn. If we take Mn as the main element and do
the search by five elements (C, Cr, Ni, Mn and Fe - base), these steels will be
excluded from the list of equivalents (14 steels will be left in the list). To exclude
steels with lower C content from the list, it is necessary to correct the range of this
element in the sample grade, for example, by entering the values 0.19 - 0.20%.
After doing the search, only 4 steels 20Ch17N2, 2Ch15N3M-Sh, EP811 and Np-
20Ch17N3M will remain in the list. Steels EP811, 2Ch15N3M-Sh and Np-
20Ch17N3M contain Mo. Let us include this element into the elements by which the
search is done inputting range of its content 0 - 0.25%. As a result of the search,
only steel 20Ch17N2 will remain in the list of equivalents.
1
2
USER'S MANUAL 4-11
It follows from the above examples, that the search for equivalents should be
carried out by steps, gradually extending the number of main (marked by a User)
chemical elements. In doing this, there is always an opportunity to go back to the
previous step, to correct the search parameters, to change the mode and so on, in
order to reach the required results. This process will be illustrated by concrete
examples in Part 5.
Processing the elements marked as "Rest" during the search
It was noted above (see 4.1.1) that along with steels, the software database
includes Ni- and Co-base heat-resistant alloys. As a rule, the precise content of the
base material in steels and alloys is not indicated and these elements are marked
as Rest in tables and in the database. To process the content of these elements
during the search, an algorithm is used that consists in the following:
1. To determine the correspondence of the content of the above elements in the
sample grade and in its presumed equivalents, we use the Overlapping ranges
search mode irrespective of the chosen general search mode.
2. The maximum value of the content of an element marked as Rest is calculated
as difference between 100% and minimum values of the content of all other
elements constituting the steel (alloy).
3. The minimum value of the content of the said element is assumed as half of the
maximum value.
Processing elements content in steels in the form of "no more" ( ≤ )
and "no less" ( ≥ )
As we mentioned earlier (see 4.1.1), the content of some elements in chemical
compositions of steels is recorded in the form: El ≤ x% or El ≥ x%. During the
search, we use the following algorithm for processing the content of such elements:
1. For elements whose content in a steel is entered as El ≤ x%, their maximum
value is assumed to be equal to x%, and minimum value is a * x%, where a is a
ratio that can be changed by a User. By default, it is equal to 0.5.
2. For elements whose content in a steel is entered as El ≥ x%, their minimum
value is assumed to be equal to x%, and maximum value is b * x%, but less
than 100%. Here also, b is a ratio that can be corrected by a User. By default, it
is equal to 2.
So, if in the database we find that Cr ≤ 0.3%, it means that by default in the search
Cr content is supposed to be 0.15 - 0.3%. If we meet an entry of Fe ≤ 12.0%, then
Fe content in the search is supposed to be within 6.0 - 12.0%. Accordingly, for
Ni ≥ 93.0%, Ni content is assumed to be 93.0 - 100%, and for the case of
Al ≥ 0.025% - Al content is 0.025 - 0.05%.
It can be illustrated by the following example. In the mode of overlapping ranges,
let us try to locate in Germany an equivalent of Russian Ni-base heat-resistant alloy
1
Ch15N60 (see chemical composition in Table 4.3) . First we shall do the search by
Cr, Ni and Fe (element marked in alloy Ch15N60 as Rest, but not forming the base
of the alloy). The search will result in a list of equivalents containing 6 alloys. Four
of them have considerable Nb content, which is absent from alloy Ch15N60. If we
search by four elements (Cr, Ni, Fe and Nb), the list of equivalents would contain
only two alloys: NiCr 60 15 and Chronitherm 60 Spezial (see chemical
compositions in Table 4.3). Let us discuss how the above alloys appeared in the list
of equivalents and the correlation between different chemical elements was
established.
It is simpler with the Chronitherm 60 Spezial alloy. For this alloy, like for Ch15N60,
Fe is marked as Rest, and the values of Ni and Cr fall within the relevant ranges for
these elements in alloy Ch15N60 and that satisfies the chosen search mode (see
Table 4.1).
Table 4.3
Alloy Alloy Alloy

Ch15N60 NiCr 60 15 Chronitherm 60
(CIS) (Germany) Spezial
(Germany, Thyssen)
C ≤ 0.15 ≤ 0.15 -
Si 0.8 - 1.5 0.5 - 2.0 -
Mn ≤ 1.5 ≤ 2.0 -
P ≤ 0.03 ≤ 0.02 -
S ≤ 0.02 ≤ 0.015 -
Cr 15.0 - 18.0 14.0 - 19.0 15.0
Ni 55.0 - 61.0 ≥ 59.0 60.0
Ti ≤ 0.3 - -
Al ≤ 0.2 ≤ 0.3 -
Cu - ≤ 0.5 -
Co - ≤ 1.0 -
Fe Rest 19.0 - 25.0 Rest
Now let us take NiCr 60 15 alloy. Here Cr range (14.0 - 19.0%) overlaps the range
of this element in Ch15N60 alloy (15.0 - 18.0%), and that also complies with the
chosen search mode.
When processing Ni content in NiCr 60 15 alloy, the algorithm is used that is
described above. Here Ni content - Ni ≥ 59.0% during the search is presented as
59.0 - 100%. This range overlaps the appropriate range of Ch15N60 alloy (55.0 -
61.0%), and the correspondence between these elements is established.
1
USER'S MANUAL 4-13
And finally, Fe. For NiCr 60 15 alloy, its content is clearly indicated (19.0 - 25.0%),
but for Ch15N60 alloy this element is marked as Rest. In accordance with the
algorithm discussed above, for search purposes, Fe content in Ch15N60 alloy is
taken as 14.6 - 29.2%. The maximum value 29.2% is the difference between 100%
and minimum values of all other elements comprising the alloy. The minimum value
- 14.6% - is half of the maximum value. This range overlaps the range of Fe content
in NiCr 60 15 alloy. So, the correspondence by this element is also established
between the above alloys.
Special treatment of admixtures
In the search for equivalents of a steel of the known grade by comparison of
chemical compositions, a User has an opportunity to treat any element as
admixture. During the search for equivalents, the elements so marked are
processed in a different way from the other elements included in the search.
Table 4.4
Steel C 10 Steel 10 Steel 270V(10) Steel 10A Steel 08

(Germany) GOST 1050 GOST 16523 by TU by TU
(CIS) (CIS) (CIS) (CIS)
C 0.07 - 0.13 0.07 - 0.14 0.07 - 0.14 0.07 - 0.14 0.12
Si ≤ 0.40 0.17 - 0.37 0.17 - 0.37 0.17 - 0.37 0.17 - 0.37
Mn 0.30 - 0.60 0.35 - 0.65 0.35 - 0.65 0.35 - 0.65 0.65
P ≤ 0.045 ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.030 ≤ 0.035
S ≤ 0.045 ≤ 0.040 ≤ 0.040 ≤ 0.030 ≤ 0.040
Cr - ≤ 0.15 ≤ 0.15 ≤ 0.15 ≤ 0.10
Ni - ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.30 -
Cu - ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.30
N - ≤ 0.008 ≤ 0.006 - -
As - ≤ 0.08 ≤ 0.08 - 0.08
This special treatment consists in the following:

1. For elements marked as admixtures, the search mode chosen for other
elements is disregarded.
2. The correspondence between the contents of such elements is considered to
be established, if the said element is absent in the sample grade or an
equivalent, or its content fits into the range 0 - x% where x is a ratio that can be
established by a User. By default this ratio is equal to 0.5. Please note that the
left 0 in this case is obligatory.
By way of example, let us try to locate an equivalent of German steel C 10 in CIS

1
countries in the mode of getting within the range . At the first stage, we shall
conduct the search by four elements: C, Si, Mn and Fe (as a base). As a result, we
shall find 35 equivalents. In this list, some steels are "irrelevant", as they contain Cr,
Mo and Ni. To exclude the presence of these elements, we shall add these
elements to the query. In this case, the search by seven elements (C, Si, Mn, Cr,
Mo, Ni and Fe) does not produce any result. Why? The matter is that the ranges of
Cr and Ni content in Russian equivalents (see Table 4.4) do not fit in the relevant
range of steel C 10 (which has no Cr and Ni at all). For a successful search, Cr and
Ni should be marked as admixtures. As a result, steels 10 (by several standards),
K270V(10), 10A and 08 will be presented in the list of equivalents.
Table 4.5
Steel Sanicro 28 T Steel EK77

(Sweden, Sandvik) (CIS)
C ≤ 0.02 ≤ 0.02
Si 0.5 ≤ 0.20
Mn 1.7 0.50 - 1.80
P ≤ 0.025 ≤ 0.020
S ≤ 0.003 ≤ 0.020
Cr 26.7 27.0 - 29.0
Mo 3.4 2.8 - 3.5
Ni 30.5 29.0 - 31.0
Nb - 0.05 - 0.20
Cu 1.0 0.9 - 1.5
"Extended" search mode

Like in the Fast Search, when searching by comparison of chemical compositions,
you have an opportunity to use the "extended" search mode. This mode is useful in
cases where instead of a range (minimum and maximum value), only one value of
the element is specified. That is often the case with commercial steels (heat-
resistant alloys) offered by European companies. For example, Table 4.5 shows the
chemical composition of steel Sanicro 28 T (Sandvik, Sweden). As can be seen in
the table, the content of Si, Mn, Cr, Mo, Ni and Cu in steel Sanicro 28 T is given not
in the form of range, but in the form of values. In its reference materials, Sandvik
states that the equivalent of this steel in CIS is EK77 (02Ch28N30MDB) (see
chemical composition in Table 4.5). Let us try to confirm it by means of WinSteel
2
software .
1
2
USER'S MANUAL 4-15
We shall search for the equivalent in the overlapping range mode by Mn, Cr, Mo,
Ni and Fe (base). As a result, we will find no equivalent. The matter is that the value
of Cr (26.7%) in steel Sanicro 28 T does not fall within its range (27.0 - 29.0%) in
EK77 steel. Does it mean that steels Sanicro 28 T and EK77 are not equivalents?
No, it does not. It is quite possible that steel Sanicro 28 T allows for greater Cr
content, but Sandvik does not indicate it considering it a commercial secret. How
can we find the equivalent in this case?
It is in such cases that the extended search mode will be useful. When we use it,
the only value of the element content is converted into a range. The algorithm is
very simple: the minimum value of the range of the element content in steel is
calculated as 0.9*a, and the maximum value as 1.1*a where a is the available
value. Thus in our case, instead of the value 26.7%, we have the range: 24.03 -
29.37%. As can be seen in Table 4.5, the above range overlaps the range of Cr
content in EK77 steel, and this steel will appear in the list of equivalents.
Setting up the values for getting within, covering and
overlapping the range
Sometimes in the process of search by comparison of chemical compositions, it is
necessary to narrow the circle of equivalents considered, excluding the steels
whose chemical compositions, though meet the conditions of the chosen search
mode, but their content ranges of some elements do not coincide with the ranges of
the same elements in the sample grade. Let us explain the above-stated by
examples.
Example 1
Let us try, in the mode of overlapping ranges, to find a Japanese equivalent of
1
Russian steel 20 (chemical composition is given in Table 4.6) . At first we will
search by C, Si and Mn, and as a result we will have 196 grades in the list of
equivalents. To reduce their number, let us include in the query other elements: Cr,
Mo, Ni (marking them as admixtures) and B. The number of equivalents will be
reduced to 86, but there will be some steels among them that could not be called
equivalents of steel 20 in the universally accepted sense. We can make the circle of
equivalent steels narrower by correcting the values of overlapping ranges (see
Fig. 4.4.1). These values are two: the first of them characterises minimum possible
percentage of range coincidence, and the second - maximum admissible
percentage of range discrepancy. The both above values are calculated from an
element content in the sample grade (the indicated range is taken as 100%). By
default both parameters are equal to zero: it means that they are disregarded in the
search, i.e. we monitor all overlapping ranges of the elements included in the
search irrespective of the percentage of overlapping. If in our example we take the
minimum possible percentage of the coincidence of ranges as equal to 80 (the
other parameter remaining 0), the number of steels in the list of equivalents will be
reduced to 27. But if we also enter the percentage of range discrepancy, taking it as
1
equal to 50, there will only be left four equivalents of the Russian steel: S 20 C, S
20 CK, SDK 20C and SDK 20 (chemical compositions are given in Table 4.6).
Table 4.6
Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel

20 S 20 C S 20 CK SDK 20C SDK 20
(CIS) (Japan) (Japan) (Japan) (Japan)
C 0.17 - 0.24 0.18 - 0.23 0.18 - 0.23 0.18 - 0.23 0.18 - 0.23
Si 0.17 - 0.37 0.15 - 0.35 0.15 - 0.35 0.15 - 0.35 0.15 - 0.35
Mn 0.35 - 0.65 0.30 - 0.60 0.30 - 0.60 0.30 - 0.60 0.30 - 0.60
P ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.030 ≤ 0.025 ≤ 0.040 ≤ 0.030
S ≤ 0.040 ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.025 ≤ 0.040 ≤ 0.035
Cr ≤ 0.25 ≤ 0.20 ≤ 0.20 - -
Ni ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.20 ≤ 0.20 - -
Cu ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.30 ≤ 0.25 - ≤ 0.25
N ≤ 0.008 - - - -
As ≤ 0.08 - - - -
Example 2
And now, let us try, in the getting within the range mode, to find an equivalent of
British steel 304 S 40 (chemical composition is given in Table 4.7) in CIS
1
countries . We shall search by C (narrowing its content range to 0.01 - 0.07%), Cr
and Ni. As a result of the search, there will be 25 steels in the list of equivalents.
From this list, we should exclude those steels that although fit in the similar range in
the sample grade, but do not correspond to it completely. For doing this, we should
introduce the value of getting within the range (see Fig. 4.4.2). This value
characterises the minimum possible percentage of range coincidence and is
calculated from content of the chosen element in the sample grade. By default the
percentage of getting within the range is zero, and that means that in the search
this parameter is disregarded. If in our example we indicate the percentage of
getting within the range as equal to 50, then only three steels will be left in the list:
07Ch18N10, 07Ch18N10-Sh and M (their chemical compositions are also given in
Table 4.7).
1
USER'S MANUAL 4-17
Sample
Equivalent
2 1 2
4.4.1 Overlapping ranges
Sample
Equivalent
4.4.2 Getting within the range
Sample
Equivalent
2 2
4.4.3 Covering range
Fig. 4.4 The values for getting within, covering and overlapping the range
1 - minimum possible percentage of range coincidence;
2 - maximum admissible percentage of range discrepancy.
Example 3
And now, let us find, in the mode of covering range, an equivalent of French steel
1
C 40 E in CIS countries (chemical composition is given in Table 4.8) . We shall
search by C, Si, Mn and S correcting the ranges of Si content (0.2 - 0.3%) and S
content (0.025 - 0.035%). As a result of the search, there will be 24 steels in the list
of equivalents. To exclude steels with higher Cr and Ni content, we include the
above elements in the query marking them as admixtures. As a result, the list of
equivalents will be reduced to 12 steels. Among the equivalents located, there are
some steels containing Pb, Co, Bi and B that are absent from steel C 40 E. Let us
include these elements in the query, and we will reduce the list to 8 records.
Though the ranges of content of elements included in the search for all the located
equivalents fit in the relevant ranges of the sample grade, it would be wrong to call
them all equivalents of steel C 40 E. To exclude the irrelevant steels from the list of
Table 4.7
Steel Steel Steel Steel

304 S 40 07Ch18N10 07Ch18N10-Sh M
(UK) (CIS) (CIS) (CIS)
C ≤ 0.07 ≤ 0.07 ≤ 0.07 ≤ 0.07
Si ≤ 1.0 ≤ 1.0 ≤ 1.0 ≤ 1.0
Mn ≤ 2.0 ≤ 2.0 ≤ 2.0 ≤ 2.0
P ≤ 0.04 ≤ 0.04 ≤ 0.04 ≤ 0.045
S ≤ 0.025 ≤ 0.03 ≤ 0.03 ≤ 0.03
Cr 17.0 - 19.0 17.0 - 19.0 17.0 - 19.0 17.0 - 19.0
Mo ≤ 0.7 - ≤ 0.5 -
Ni 8.0 - 11.0 8.5 - 10.5 8.5 - 10.5 8.0 - 11.0
Nb ≤ 0.2 - - -
Ti ≤ 0.1 - ≤ 0.15 -
Cu ≤ 0.5 - - -
B ≤ 0.005 - - -
equivalents, it is necessary to introduce the value of covering the range. This value
characterises the maximum admissible percentage of range discrepancy of an
element content in the sample grade and in an equivalent (see Fig. 4.4.3). By
default the percentage of covering the range is equal to zero, and it means that this
parameter is disregarded in the search. In this example, if we define the percentage
of covering the range as equal to 80, then the list of equivalents would contain only
steels 40 and K490V(40); their chemical compositions are given in Table 4.8.
1
USER'S MANUAL 4-19
Table 4.8
Steel C 40 E Steel 40 Steel K490V(40)

(France) (CIS) (CIS)
C 0.37 - 0.44 0.37 - 0.45 0.37 - 0.45
Si ≤ 0.4 0.17 - 0.37 0.17 - 0.37
Mn 0.5 - 0.8 0.5 - 0.8 0.5 - 0.8
P ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.035
S ≤ 0.035 ≤ 0.04 ≤ 0.04
Cr ≤ 0.4 ≤ 0.25 ≤ 0.25
Mo ≤ 0.1 - -
Ni ≤ 0.4 ≤ 0.3 ≤ 0.3
Cu - ≤ 0.3 ≤ 0.3
N - ≤ 0.008 ≤ 0.006
As - ≤ 0.08 ≤ 0.08
4.2.2. Selection of a Steel for the Search

for Equivalents
The search for equivalents of the known steel in another country (countries) starts
with clicking the Search item of the main menu and the Search by Steel Grade
item of the pull-down menu. Then you should select the required steel in the
appearing list-box (see Fig. 4.5). This list-box is similar to the list-box of steel
grades that is called by clicking the Information item of the main menu and
described in the previous part (see 4.1.2 and Fig. 4.2).
Fig. 4.5 List of steel grades

Since the buttons, menus and Tabs are the same for the above list-boxes, we shall
not dwell at length on this, but just remind you some points.
1. You can place in this list-box:
• list of all steels included in the software database;
• list of steels belonging to the chosen country;
• list of steels included in the standard that interests you.
2. You can display detailed information on the chosen steel grade by means of the
Information button and the relevant item of the pop-up menu.
USER'S MANUAL 4-21
3. All information on any steel contained in the database of the software may be:
• printed out by means of button or the relevant item of the pop-up menu;
• saved in HTML file; for this purpose you should use button and the
Export to HTML item of the pop-up menu.
4. You can save information on the chosen steel into the General Notepad. For
doing this, you should click button or make use of the relevant menu item.
Proceeding to the search for equivalents of the chosen steel grade (calling the
procedure of selecting search parameters) is performed by clicking the Equivalents
button located in the lower part of the window or by clicking the same item of the
pop-up menu.
4.2.3. Set-up of Parameters for Different

Types of Search
Fast Search
In the procedure of parameters set-up, the mode of Fast Search (see Fig. 4.6) is
chosen by default. To find equivalents of the required steel in the said mode, you
should enter the name of a country where the search will be conducted, in the
relevant string and click the Start Search button. Please note that you can also
search for equivalents in all countries at a time.
The Fast Search is visualised on the screen with the help of two progress bars.
When it is over, you can see the search results and then return to the procedure for
correcting its parameters, if the search results do not satisfy you.
Fig. 4.6 Fast Search. Setting up search parameters

In case the searched country does not have any equivalents of your steel, try to put
on the mode of "extended" equivalent search. Please recall that in that mode a
special search algorithm is used which can extend considerably a number of
examined equivalents. To put on this mode, you should use the relevant Check Box
field located in the lower part of the window.
USER'S MANUAL 4-23
By button located on the right, you have an opportunity to get reference

information on the sample steel grade for which you wish to find an equivalent.
You can exit the procedure of search parameters set-up and return to the main
menu of the software by clicking the Cancel button.
Search by Comparison of Chemical Compositions

If you cannot find any equivalent in the general and "extended" modes of the Fast
Search, we recommend you to try and search for them by comparison of chemical
compositions. For this purpose, you should select the required search mode (see
Table 4.1) by means of the relevant Radio Button field located in the Search by
Chemical Composition box. When this is done, the window for the procedure of
entering search parameters will change: in the upper part, two more Tabs: the
Search Parameters and the Settings will appear (see Fig. 4.7).
Fig. 4.7. Search by comparison of chemical compositions.

The search mode selection
When the search mode is selected, it is necessary, by means of the appropriate
Tab, to move to the Search Parameters page in order to define chemical elements
by which the search will be conducted.
Search Parameters
The box located in the center of the screen (see Fig. 4.8) contains chemical
composition of the sample steel grade for which you are going to search for
equivalents. The names of chemical elements are in the form of buttons; they are
arranged in two columns.
By default, information on 16 elements included in a steel can be displayed at a
time. If a steel contains more than 16 elements, the buttons for the 17th and other
elements will be absent. They can be accessed by using the Next >> button located
at the bottom. The << Previous button returns all buttons in their initial position.
Chemical elements included in the search are selected by means of a procedure
that is called for each element separately by clicking a button with its designation.
Fig. 4.8 Search by comparison of chemical compositions.

Search Parameters
If you need to include in the search a new chemical element that is not displayed,
use the Element button located at the bottom or any empty button in the middle of
the screen. The name of the required element can be selected in the reference list-
box by clicking the Select button; the Cancel button is used to exit this list-box
without selecting an element.
USER'S MANUAL 4-25
The window of procedure for the inclusion of an element in the search is presented
in Fig. 4.9. With the help of Check Box fields located in the left part of the window
you can:
1. Include the selected chemical element in a number of elements by which the
search will be conducted. For this purpose you should use the Search by
Element Check Box field. The re-selection of this field excludes the element
from the search. Please note that elements, the content of which is marked in
the chemical composition as Rest are always included in the search by default.
2. Mark that in the search, the selected element should be treated as admixture.
For doing this, upon inclusion of an element in the search, click the Admixture
option by means of Check Box field of the same name.
3. For the search, remove the mark Rest from the element so marked. In this case,
the content of this element in a steel will be calculated by the algorithm
described on page 4-11. To perform the above actions, use the Rest Check Box
field.
Fig. 4.9 Inclusion of an element in the search. Search parameters

4. Select an element as a steel (alloy) base, i.e. mark it as Rest. This option is also
selected by the Rest Check Box field and can be accessed only if no other
element included in the steel (alloy) has been marked in this way. Thus it is not
allowed to mark two, three or more elements at a time as Rest.
5. If you exclude an element from the search, you can remove the button with the
name of this element from the screen on the Search Parameters page (see
Fig. 4.8). For doing this, you should make use of the Keep the button Check
Box field. Please note that by default this button will remain on the screen.
We would like to draw your attention that the content values of elements selected
as admixtures become zero at the time of exiting the procedure of inclusion of an
element in the search. The content values of elements marked as Rest also
changes. That is why, when you revert to the said procedure in case you want to
cancel the marking of an element as admixture or to remove the Rest mark from it,
do not forget to click button located on the right side, and in this way to restore
the initial values of this element content in the steel.
In the process of search, correction of values of an element contents is done on the
right side of the window. If necessary, you can enter new values in the relevant
fields by changing the minimum a and/or the maximum b content of an element.
button is also used to restore the corrected values.
By and buttons located on the right of the values, in the process of search
you can present an element content in a steel in the form of El ≤ b% (by
button) or El ≥ a% (by button). A second click on these buttons restores the
initial value of the range.
You can return to the procedure of entering search parameters with saving of the
set-up by clicking the OK button, or do it without saving the set-up by the Cancel
button.
On the Search Parameters page (see Fig. 4.8), the values of all chemical
elements in the sample steel grade that are included in the search, are underlined
and set in red colour. If an element included in the search is not present in the steel
or marked as admixture, then appropriate inscription will appear in place of its
content.
Let us note that on the above page, by means of button located on the right
side, you can restore the whole chemical composition, i.e. bring the values
corrected by you (the contents of all chemical elements in a steel) to its initial state.
Settings
On the Settings page (see Fig. 4.10), you can do the following:
1. Depending on the search mode selected on the Search Type page (see
Fig. 4.7), to enter:
• value of minimum coincidence of ranges – for getting within the range mode;
• value of maximum discrepancy of ranges – for covering range mode;
• values of minimum coincidence and maximum discrepancy of ranges – for
the mode of overlapping ranges.
The above values are entered in the upper part of the screen.
2. To determine by means of the relevant Check Box field: will the set-up selected
by you (search mode, values of getting within, covering and overlapping ranges)
be common for all chemical elements, or will you set up each chemical element
separately. By default the set-up is supposed to be common.
USER'S MANUAL 4-27
If you decided to carry out the set-up for each chemical element separately, then
the common set-up selected by you will automatically spread to all elements
included in the search except those for which individual set-up was fixed before
(this is explained in detail below). If you want to make the said set-up common
to all chemical elements without exception, click the Generalise button, which
will appear in the same string to the right of the relevant Check Box field.
3. To introduce corrections in the values of ratios used during the search in
algorithms of processing the content of elements:
• marked as admixtures (see page 4-13),
• for which the content in a steel is given in the form of "no more" ( ≤ ) and
"no less" ( ≥ ) (see page 4-11).
Fig. 4.10 Search by comparison of chemical compositions. Settings

Please note that in the latter case the values of the ratios in question are entered in
per cent. By default, the deviation for the "no more" case amounts to 50% of the
content range of that element in a steel, i.e. the above range is reduced twice, and
that corresponds to ratio 0.5 in the algorithm described on page 4-11. For the "no
less" case, by default this deviation amounts to 100% of the lower value of the initial
range, and that corresponds to ratio 2 in the described algorithm, i.e. the higher
value becomes twice greater than the lower value.
For the selection of individual set-up for each chemical element, for setting its
parameters, you will have to return to the Search Parameters page (see Fig. 4.8).
Parameters of individual set-up are entered in the procedure of the inclusion of an

element in the search. Please recall that this procedure is called for each chemical
element individually by clicking a button with its designation. In this case, along with
the Search Parameters page, the window of this procedure will show the Settings
page also (see Fig. 4.11).
On the Settings page, for the selected chemical element, you can change the
search mode and enter the values of minimum coincidence and maximum
discrepancy of the ranges, different from the others. The search mode is selected
by means of Radio Button fields in the left part of the window, and values of
coincidence and discrepancy of ranges are entered in appropriate fields located on
the right side, after selection of the search mode.
We have mentioned before that while changing the search mode, common for all
elements, and common values of getting within, covering and overlapping of
ranges, this set-up automatically spreads to all elements included in the search
except those, for which an individual set-up was fixed before. The fixing is done by
the Fix Check Box field.
Fig. 4.11 Inclusion of an element in the search. Settings

When you have selected elements for the search and performed the common and
individual set-up, you should come back to the Search Type page, and select a
country in the relevant string (see Fig. 4.7) for the purpose of search. Please note
that the search for equivalents can be conducted in all countries at a time.
If you conduct a phased search, you have an opportunity to repeat the search for
equivalents not among all steels in the selected country (countries), but only among
the steels selected on the previous phase of the search. In order to use this
opportunity, you should select the Repeated Search Check Box field which in this
case will appear on the screen.
You can proceed to the direct search for equivalents of the selected steel grade in
the database by clicking the Start Search button located at the bottom of the
USER'S MANUAL 4-29
window. Let us note that this button is not connected with any page of the
procedure of entering search parameters (see Fig. 4.7, 4.8, 4.10) and it can be
clicked any time.
Please also note that being on any page, you can get reference information on the
sample grade, an equivalent for which you are going to search. For this purpose
you should make use of button located on the right.

You can exit the procedure of the set-up of search parameters and to return to the
main menu of the software from any page by clicking the Cancel button.
Search for Equivalents
The process of search is visualised on the screen by means of a progress bar
showing the percentage of processed steels. A number of equivalents found is
shown under the bar. In case there are too many equivalents, you can stop the
search. For doing this, you should click the Cancel button. To save your time,
WinSteel software will stop the search automatically if the number of equivalents
found exceeds 500.
If as a result of the search, there will be no equivalent found of the selected steel
(and the relevant message will be displayed), you will have, on reading that
message, to click the OK button, and in this way to return to the procedure of
entering search parameters. Here we would advise you to reduce the number of
chemical elements included in the search, to correct the ranges of percentage for
the rest of the elements, to change the values of coincidence and discrepancy of
ranges, and maybe, to conduct the search in another mode. All this depends on
concrete cases and it will be demonstrated by examples in Part 5.
Accordingly, if you have too many equivalents, you should return from the list-box of
equivalents to the procedure of entering search parameters (the way to do it will be
explained in the next part), if possible, include new elements in the search, correct
contents of other elements, change set-up parameters, etc. till you get acceptable
results. The same should be done if the search is interrupted automatically when
the number of equivalents found exceeds 500.
4.2.4. Operation with List of Equivalents

If the search is successful, the software will offer you a list of found equivalents of
the steel that interests you, proceeding to the relevant procedure. The procedure of
viewing search results represents a list-box, within which you can move by means
of the mouse and scroll bars (see Fig. 4.12). A total number of found equivalents is
shown in the list-box header, in the Equivalents Tab.
Fig. 4.12 Search results

We would like you to note that the total number of found equivalents shown in the
header may exceed the number of equivalents placed in the list-box. It is connected
with the fact that button is clicked, and the so-called tied equivalents are
removed from the list i.e. only one of its designations is left for each equivalent (this
was described in detail on page 4-1). If you release the above button, the number
of equivalents in the list-box will increase to be equal to the number shown in the
header. In this case, all designations of the equivalents found will be available in the
list.
Getting Comparative Information on Steels

When you highlight the required equivalent in the list-box and click the Information
button, you will get comparative information on the sample steel and the selected
USER'S MANUAL 4-31
equivalent (see Fig. 4.13). You can get the same information by clicking the
Information item of the pop-up menu. Let us recall that the pop-up menu is called
by the right mouse button or by clicking button located to the right of the list-
box.
If you searched for equivalents by comparison of chemical compositions, signs

will appear on the left side of the elements included in the search by you.
Using the relevant Tabs, you can get the following information on the steel and its
highlighted equivalent:
Fig. 4.13 Comparison of the sample grade and its equivalent

• chemical compositions of steels - the Chemical Composition Tab;
• additional information on steels (remarks) - the Remark Tab;
• information on other designations of steels - the Other Designations Tab;
• lists of standards which include the sample grade and its selected equivalent –
the Standards Tab;
• fields of application of the steel and its selected equivalent – the Application
Tab.
Here, like in the procedure of viewing reference information on a steel (see

Fig. 4.2), in some cases all Tabs cannot be placed in the window at a time. To
access the absent Tabs, use and buttons located to the right of the Tabs.
WinSteel software provides you with an opportunity to compare chemical
compositions of the steel and its highlighted equivalent not only in a table, but also
in a graphic form. To call the procedure of creating comparative histograms (see
Fig. 4.14) you should use the Diagram button located in the lower left corner of the
screen. In this procedure, to access the information on the content of elements that
are absent from the screen at the moment, we use the horizontal scroll bar located
at the bottom of the window.
Fig. 4.14 Comparison of chemical compositions in graphic form
To print out information on the steel and its highlighted equivalent, you should click
button located on the right side of the screen. button is used for storing
this information in HTML file.
USER'S MANUAL 4-33
Editing the List of Equivalents

To make subsequent work with the list of equivalents more convenient, you can
mark with signs all equivalents by clicking the Select button. Another click of
the Select button deselects the equivalent.
The equivalents can also be selected by the Select item of the pop-up menu. On
clicking this menu item, a submenu will be displayed which would help you to:
• select the equivalent of interest to you - the Highlighted grade item;
• select all equivalents at a time - the All grades item;
• deselect all equivalents - the Deselect item;
• select all non-selected equivalents and at the same time deselect all selected
equivalents (i.e. change all marks to the opposite ones) - the Reverse selection
item.
All operations connected with editing the list of the found equivalents are performed
by clicking relevant items of the pop-up menu and buttons located to the right of the
list-box. Please note that on clicking most menu items (those located under the
horizontal line) submenus will appear, and with their items you will be able to
determine, with what lines in the list-box of equivalents this or that operation should
be performed. Here the following alternatives are possible:
• an operation is performed for the highlighted equivalent - the Highlighted
grade item;
• an operation is performed for all steels included in the list-box of equivalents -
the All grades item;
• an operation is performed for all equivalents marked with sign - the

Selected grades item;
• an operation is performed for all non-selected equivalents - the All except
selected item.
As different from the menu, by means of relevant buttons you can perform this or
that operation only for the highlighted grade.
Thus by means of the pop-up menu items and the buttons, you can:
• print out information on equivalents - the Print item of the menu or button;
• save information on equivalents in HTML file - the Export to HTML item of the
menu or button;
• delete an unnecessary equivalent (equivalents) from the list - the Delete item
of the menu;
• store information on the found equivalents in the Notepad of Equivalents (more

details on operating with the Notepad are in 4.5) - the Notepad item of the
menu or button.
The transfer to the Notepad is done by clicking the Notepad item of the main menu
or by the Tab of the same name. In the latter case, the screen will show only one
page of the Notepad of Equivalents connected with the sample grade, for which you
were trying to find an equivalent. In operating with the above page of the Notepad of
Equivalents, you can use the same menus and buttons (described in the present
Part) that you use in operating with the list-box of equivalents.
Exit from the Procedure of Viewing Search Results

Depending on the search results and your wish, you can exit the procedure of
viewing search results (and go to other procedures) in several ways.
1. In case you want to continue the search for equivalents (i.e. to start searching
for equivalents of the highlighted steel grade in the list-box of equivalents in third
country), it is necessary to use the Equivalents item of the pop-up menu.
2. If you are not satisfied with the search results, you can go back to the procedure
of set-up and entering search parameters (see 4.2.3) with the aim of correcting
those parameters using the Search Parameters button.
3. And finally, the OK button is used to return to the software main menu when the
search is over.
USER'S MANUAL 4-35
4.3. Search for a Steel by the Known

Chemical Composition
The search for a steel grade by the known chemical composition consists in the
following: you know chemical composition of a steel and you want to find out its
designation and/or to find its equivalent in other country (countries).
In many respects, this search is similar to the search by steel grade by comparison
of chemical compositions. The search is conducted only by the marked chemical
elements in one of the modes described above (see Table 4.1). Here again you can
use its additional possibilities, namely, mark selected elements as Rest or as
admixtures, enter the values of getting within, covering and overlapping of ranges,
and also correct the parameters of additional set-up. The main difference is that you
should enter the chemical composition of the sample grade from the keyboard.
The search for a steel by the known chemical composition starts with selecting the
Search by Chemical Composition item of the Search pull-down menu. Then you
pass to the procedure of data input for the search, which is similar to the procedure
of the choice of parameters for the search for equivalents by the known steel grade,
described in 4.2.3.
4.3.1. Entering Data for Search

The entering of data for the search for steel grades by the known chemical
composition consists of three phases, and accordingly, the window of this
procedure includes three pages: Search Type, Search Parameters, Settings (see
Fig. 4.15). You can move from one page to another by means of relevant Tabs.
Search Type
In the Search Type page you have to select one of the search modes (see 4.2.1
and Table 4.1) and to name a country in which the search for the required steel will
be conducted. The required search mode is selected by one of Radio Button fields,
and the name of the country is entered in the appropriate string located at the
bottom of the window. Like in the search by steel grade, in this case the search can
be conducted in all countries at the same time also.
Fig. 4.15 Search by chemical composition. Entering data for search
Search Parameters
Search parameters are entered in the window located in the centre of the screen
(see Fig. 4.8) which is similar to entering parameters for the search by steel grade
by comparison of chemical compositions (see 4.2.3). The only difference is that the
chemical composition of the sample steel grade should be entered directly by an
User. Let us recall that the search for equivalents is conducted only by selected
USER'S MANUAL 4-37
(included in the search) chemical elements, and in doing this, some chemical
elements included in the search may be marked as Rest or be considered as
admixtures.
The content values of the selected element is entered in the procedure of the
inclusion of an element in the search (see Fig. 4.9). Operation with this procedure
was described in detail in 4.2.3. The window of this procedure will appear on the
screen when you select a chemical element, the content of which you are going to
enter. The name of the element is selected in the reference list-box, which is called
by clicking one of unmarked buttons in the centre of the screen or the Element
button located at the bottom.
Let us remind you briefly that before you enter the content of the selected chemical
element, you should include it in the search by means of the Search by Element
Check Box field. The content values of the element in the steel are entered in the
right side of the window. If in the search you want an element to be considered as
Rest or as admixture, its content in the steel is not to be entered; in this case, after
inclusion of the element in the search you should select one of the options: the Rest
or the Admixture by means of the relevant Check Box field.
We would like to draw your attention that in the search by chemical composition, a
different algorithm is adopted for processing the content of elements marked as
"Rest". In contrast to the search by steel grade by comparison of chemical
compositions, here the maximum value of the content of this element is not
calculated, but taken as 100%; the minimum value, like in the search by steel
grade, amounts to the half of that value, i.e. 50%.
Let us also recall that by means of buttons and you can present the
content of an element in the steel in the form of El ≥ a% or El ≤ b%, and by means
of the Keep the button Check Box field you can select whether you will leave the
button with the name of the element in question on the screen after you decided to
exclude this element from the search.
You can return to the procedure of entering search parameters with saving of the
set-up by clicking the OK button, and do it without saving the set-up by the Cancel
button.
On the Search Parameters page, the values of all chemical elements in the sample
steel grade that are included in the search, are underlined and set in red colour (see
Fig. 4.8), and the appropriate inscriptions will appear instead of the percentage of
elements marked as Rest or as admixture.
Before the search is started, you should save the chemical composition of the
sample steel grade. For this purpose you should click button located at the
right. Further on, to ensure the flexibility of the search, like in the search by steel
grade by the comparison of chemical compositions, you can correct the entered
content values for elements in the steel. However, if you want to restore the entire
chemical composition entered by you, you can do it by clicking button. The

corrected content values of elements in the steel can also be restored individually.
For doing this, you should click the same button located in the right part of the
Search Parameters page of the procedure of including an element in the search.
In order to make the search more efficient, we do not recommend conducting
search by all chemical elements at once. First you should enter the content of 3 or 4
elements that are more important to you. Then depending on the results, you can
correct modes and parameters of the search or add other chemical elements, etc.
to reach the necessary results.
Settings
On the Settings page (see Fig. 4.10), you can do the following:
• depending on the search mode selected by you, enter the values of getting
within, covering and overlapping of ranges;
• determine whether your set-up will be common for all chemical elements
included in the search, or you will carry out an individual set-up for each
element;
• change ratio values used by default during the search in the algorithms of
processing the content of elements marked as admixture and elements for
which the content is given in the form of "no more" ( ≤ ) and "no less" ( ≥ ).
If you decide to carry out the set-up for each chemical element individually, you will
have to go back to the Search Parameters page for setting up the parameters.
Please recall that the parameters of individual set-up are entered on the Settings
page of the procedure of the inclusion of an element in the search (see Fig. 4.11).
For each chemical element, you can change the search mode and enter the values
of coincidence and discrepancy of the ranges, different from other elements.
Please recall that the search mode is selected by means of the relevant Radio
Button field in the left part of the window, and values of coincidence and
discrepancy of ranges are entered in appropriate fields located on the right side,
after selection of the search mode. The fixing of the individual set-up for the
selected element is done by the Fix Check Box field.
Search for Steel in the Database

You can proceed to the proper search in the database for a steel with the entered
chemical composition by clicking the Start Search button.
If you conduct a phased search, you have an opportunity to repeat the search not
among all steels in the selected country, but only among the steels selected on the
previous phase of the search. For doing this, on the Search Type page, you should
select the Repeated Search Check Box field which will appear when you return to
USER'S MANUAL 4-39
this procedure from the procedure of viewing search results after the first phase of
the search is over.
The process of search for a steel grade in the database is visualised on the screen
by means of a progress bar showing the percentage of processed grades. A
number of equivalents found is shown under the bar. You can stop the search any
moment. For doing this, you should click the Cancel button. Like in the search by
steel grade by comparison of chemical compositions of the sample steel grade and
a presumed equivalent, in order to save your time, the search will stop if the number
of grades found exceeds 500.
If as a result of the search, there will be no steel found with the chemical
composition entered by you, you will have to return to the procedure of entering
search parameters and to reduce the number of chemical elements included in the
search, to correct the ranges of percentage for the rest of the elements, and to
change the values of coincidence and discrepancy of ranges, and maybe, to
change a search mode. Similar actions, but in the reverse direction, should be
taken if you get too many steels in the list-box of equivalents, or the search will stop
automatically because of too many found equivalents. The above-mentioned will be
demonstrated by examples in Part 5.
4.3.2. Operation with List of Found Steels

If the search is successful, the software will offer you a list of found steels with
similar chemical composition. The operation with the procedure of viewing the
results of search by chemical composition is subject to the same rules as the
operation with the list-box of equivalents in the search by steel grade (see 4.2.4 and
Fig. 4.12).
Like in the search by steel grade, a total number of found grades is shown in the
list-box header, in the Equivalents Tab.
Here also the number of found steels shown in the header may exceed the number
of grades placed in the list-box, as by default button is selected i.e. only one
of its designations is left for each steel. If you want to bring into conformity the
number of steels shown in the header and the number of steels in the list, this
button should be released. After that all designations of the found steel grades will
be available in the list.
Getting Comparative Information on Steels

When you highlight the steel in the list-box and click the Information button (or click
the relevant item on the pop-up menu which is called by the right mouse button or
by clicking button), you can compare the chemical composition entered by you
with chemical composition of the selected steel grade (see Fig. 4.13). After
that signs will appear on the left side of the names of elements by which you
conducted the search.
Using the relevant Tabs, you can get the following information on the steel selected
in the list-box of equivalents:
• chemical compositions of the steel - the Chemical composition Tab;
• additional information on the steel (remark) - the Remark Tab;
• information on other designations of the steel - the Other Designations Tab;
• standards which include the selected steel grade - the Standards Tab;
• fields of application of the selected steel - the Application Tab.
Besides this, you can compare the chemical composition entered by you with the
chemical composition of the highlighted steel also in a graphic form. To call the
procedure of creating comparative histograms you should use the Diagram button
located in the lower left corner of the screen.
To print out information on the selected steel, you should click button located
on the right side of the screen. button is used for storing this information in
HTML file.
USER'S MANUAL 4-41
Editing the List of Found Steels

To make subsequent operation with the list of equivalents more convenient, you
can mark with signs the steel grades of interest to you by clicking the Select
button. Another click of the Select button deselects the grade. The steels can also
be selected by the Select item of the pop-up menu. On clicking this menu item, a
submenu will be displayed which would enable you to:
• select only the highlighted steel - the Highlighted grade item;
• select all steels in the list-box - the All grades item;
• deselect all steels - the Deselect item;
• select all non-selected steels and at the same time deselect all selected steels
(i.e. change all marks to the opposite ones) - the Reverse selection item.
All operations connected with editing the list of found steels are performed by
clicking relevant items of the pop-up menu and buttons located to the right of the
list-box. Please note that on clicking most menu items (those located under the
horizontal line) submenus will appear, and with their items you will be able to
determine, with what steels in the list-box this or that operation should be
performed. Here the following alternatives are possible:
• an operation is performed for the highlighted steel - the Highlighted grade item;
• an operation is performed for all steels included in the list-box - the All grades
item;
• an operation is performed for all steels marked with sign - the Selected
grades item;
• an operation is performed for all non-selected steels - the All except selected
item.
As different from the menu, by means of the relevant buttons you can perform this
or that operation only for the highlighted steel grade.
Thus by means of the pop-up menu items and buttons, you can:
• print out information on the found steels - the Print item of the menu or
button;
• store information on steels in HTML file - the Export to HTML item of the menu
or button;
• delete an unnecessary grade (grades) from the list-box - the Delete item of the
menu;
• store information on the found steels in the General Notepad (more details on
operation with the Notepad are in 4.5) - the Notepad item of the menu or
button.
You can move to the Notepad by clicking the Notepad item of the main menu or by
the Tab of the same name. In the latter case, the screen will show only one part of
the Notepad – the General Notepad. In operating with this section of the Notepad,
you can use the same menus and buttons that you use in operating with the list-box
of found steels.
Exit from the Procedure of Viewing Search Results

Depending on the search results and your wish, you can exit the procedure of
viewing search results (and go to other procedures) in several ways.
1. In case you want to start the search for equivalents of a steel found in the list-
box in another country (countries), you should use the Equivalents item of the
pop-up menu.
2. If you are not satisfied with the search results, you can go back to the procedure
of set-up and entering search parameters with the aim of correcting the said
parameters using the Search Parameters button.
3. And finally, the OK button is used to return to the software main menu when the
search is over.
USER'S MANUAL 4-43
4.4. Search for Steel in the Database by Mask

In order to find a steel in the database, you should know the correct spelling of its
designation (steel grade). As a rule, a steel grade designation consists of a
combination of alphanumeric characters and full stops, dashes, slashes, blanks,
etc. Both capital and small letters are used in designations. Here are some
examples: C 25-1, 37/23 HR, St 37.4, UStW 23, St5ps, ShCh15, 30 NiCrMo 8, etc.
If searching for the required steel by locator (see Fig. 4.1, 4.5), you entered a wrong
designation of the required steel grade (for example, typing a full stop for dash,
forgetting to strike space, etc.), the steel will not be found. Sometimes you may face
a more complicated problem - to search the database for a steel, for which some
characters are unknown to you or indicated incorrectly.
For the above cases, when the User’s knowledge of the required steel is not
precise, the software offers a special mode - Search by Mask which can be called
by clicking the item of the same name on the main menu.
Fig. 4.16 Entering parameters for the search for steels by Mask
Mask is a designation of a steel grade where some unknown characters (or groups
of characters) are replaced with signs " * " or " ? ". The sign " ? " is used to
replace only one unknown character and the sign " * " is used to replace a group of
characters (a group may include any number of characters, also one character, or
no character).
Entering Parameters for Search by Mask

Before you start the search (see Fig. 4.16), it is necessary to enter the Mask for
search and to define the country where the search for the required steel will be
conducted.
The Mask for search should be entered in the upper string. Please note that in
entering characters in the Mask field, the difference between upper- and lower-case
letters is disregarded. Use the appropriate string to select the country in which the
search will be conducted. By default the search is supposed to be conducted in all
countries at the same time.
By selecting the Search by "short name" Check Box field, you can "put on" the
mode in which the search will consider only the alphanumeric characters that you
entered in the Mask field. The other characters, namely: full stops, commas,
dashes, blanks, slashes, etc. will be disregarded in the search, even if you enter
them in the Mask field.
Like in the search by chemical composition, if you conduct a phased search, you
have an opportunity to repeat a search for the required steel not among all steels in
the selected country, but only among the steels selected at the previous phase of
the search. In this case, the Repeated search Check Box field will appear on the
screen and you should select it in order to use this opportunity.
The search will start when you click the Start Search button located at the bottom
of the screen. The search can be interrupted any time by clicking the relevant
button. After viewing the search results, if they are unsatisfactory, you can return to
this procedure, make corrections and repeat the search.
You can return to the software main menu by clicking the Cancel button.
Viewing Search Results

The list-box of search results will contain the list of all steels found in the search by
Mask (see Fig. 4.17).
When you highlight the required steel and click the Information button (or click the
Information item of the pop-up menu), you will be able to get reference information
on the selected grade. This information includes:
• chemical composition of the steel;
• additional information on the steel (remark);
• list of standards which include this steel grade;
• fields of application of the steel;
• generalised list of equivalents of the steel in other countries.
Let us recall that the pop-up menu is called by the right mouse button or by clicking
button located to the right of the list-box.

Like in working with the list of equivalents, to make subsequent operation more
convenient, you can mark with signs the grades of interest to you by clicking
the Select button. Another click of the Select button deselects the steel. The steels
USER'S MANUAL 4-45
can also be selected by the Select item of the pop-up menu. On clicking this menu
item, a submenu will be displayed which would help you to:
• select all steels in the list-box at a time - the All grades item;
Fig. 4.17 Results of search by Mask

Here also, all operations connected with editing the list of steels found by Mask are
performed by clicking relevant items of the pop-up menu and buttons. On clicking
most menu items, submenus will appear and with their items you will be able to
determine, with what lines in the list-box this or that operation should be performed.
Like in the search for equivalents, the following alternatives are possible:
• an operation is performed for the highlighted steel - the Highlighted grade
item;
• an operation is performed for all steels included in the list-box - the All grades
item;
grades item;
item.
As different from menu, by means of relevant buttons you can perform this or that
operation only for the highlighted steel.
Thus by means of the pop-up menu items and buttons, you can:
• print out information on found steels - the Print item of the menu or button;
• store information on found steels in HTML file - the Export to HTML item of the
menu or button;
• delete an unnecessary grade (grades) from the list-box - the Delete item of the
menu;
• store information on the found steels in General Notepad (more details on
operation with Notepad in 4.5) - the Notepad item of the menu or button.
The transfer to the Notepad is done by clicking the Notepad item of the main menu.
In the procedure of viewing the results of search by Mask, you have an opportunity
to pass to the search for equivalents of the steel, found in the list-box, in another
country (countries). For doing this, you should make use of the Equivalents item of
the pop-up menu.
In case the results of the search for the steel by Mask do not satisfy you, you can
go back to the procedure of entering search parameters with the aim of correcting
them by means of the Search Parameters button.
You can return to the software main menu by clicking the OK button.
USER'S MANUAL 4-47
4.5. Notepad
The Notepad is intended for storing information on the steels selected by you in the
course of operation with the software. The information entered by you is stored on
the hard disk of your PC and you can use it in your future sessions of operation with
the software.
In order to enter the Notepad, it is necessary to click the Notepad item of the main
menu.
Fig. 4.18 The General Notepad

The Notepad consists of two sections (see Fig. 4.18):
1. The first section is called General Notepad, and you can store in it information
on any steel grade found by you in the software database.
2. The second section – Notepad of Equivalents is intended for storing
information only on equivalents of this or that steel that is of interest to you.
Passing from one Notepad section to the other and back is done by relevant Tabs.
The General Notepad

When you enter the General Notepad, you can get detailed information on any steel
saved by you in the Notepad, print out this information or store it in HTML file, and
edit the list of steels entered in the General Notepad.
To get reference information on the required steel, you should highlight its name
and click the Information button. You can get the same information on the steel by
clicking the item of the same name of the pop-up menu which is called by a click of
the right mouse button or button located on the right. Let us recall that this
reference information includes:
• chemical composition of the steel;
• additional information on the steel (remark);
• list of standards which include this steel;
• fields of application of the steel;
• generalised list of equivalents of the steel in other countries.
Like in the procedures of viewing search results, in the Notepad, you can mark with
signs the highlighted steel grades by clicking the Select button. Another click of
the Select button deselects the steel. The steels can also be selected by clicking
the Select item of the pop-up menu. On clicking this menu item, a submenu will be
displayed which would help you to:
• select all steels entered in the General Notepad at a time – the All grades item;
Here also all operations connected with editing the list of steels entered in the
General Notepad are performed by clicking relevant items of the pop-up menu and
buttons. On clicking most menu items, submenus will appear and with their items
you will be able to determine, with what steels in the General Notepad this or that
operation should be performed. Like in the procedure of viewing search results, the
following alternatives are possible:
• an operation is performed for the highlighted steel - the Highlighted grade
item;
• an operation is performed for all steels entered in the General Notepad - the All
grades item;
grades item;
item.
As different from the menu, by means of relevant buttons you can perform this or
that operation only for the highlighted steel.
USER'S MANUAL 4-49
Thus by means of the pop-up menu items and the buttons, you can:
• print out information on the steels entered in the General Notepad - the Print
item of the menu or button;

• store information on the entered steels in HTML file - the Export to HTML item
of the menu or button;

• delete an unnecessary steel (steels) from the Notepad - the Delete item of the
menu.
From the General Notepad, you can proceed to the search for equivalents of the
selected steel grade in another country (countries). For this purpose, you should
click the Equivalents item of the pop-up menu.
The Notepad of Equivalents

As we mentioned before, only information on the found equivalents is saved in the
Notepad of Equivalents. This information is stored on the hard disk of your PC and
you can always use it in future if you will have to repeat the search for equivalents,
already found earlier.
The information on the found equivalents is arranged in the Notepad of Equivalents
by pages: each page contains a list of equivalents for only one sample steel grade
whose name can be found in the appropriate string located in the upper part of the
window (see Fig. 4.19).
In order to proceed to the next page of the Notepad of Equivalents, you have to
click button located at the end of the Sample Grade: string, and in the
appearing list-box, select another sample steel grade.
Operating in the Notepad of Equivalents, you can get information on any equivalent
that interests you, print out this information, store it in HTML file and edit the lists of
equivalents. To perform the above actions, the same buttons and menu items are
used that in operating with the General Notebook.
You can get comparative information on the sample steel grade and its highlighted
equivalent by clicking the Information button or by clicking the Information item of
the pop-up menu. Let us recall that this information includes the following:
• chemical compositions of steels;
• additional information on steels (remarks);
• information on other designations of steels;
• lists of standards which include the sample steel and its selected equivalent;
• fields of application of the sample steel and its selected equivalent.
Like in the General Notepad, by the Select button you can select the equivalents of
interest to you by placing sign to the left of them. Another click of the Select
button deselects the equivalent. Besides, the equivalents can be selected by means
of submenu items, which appear when you click the Select item of the pop-up
menu. The operation with this submenu is subject to the same rules as the
operation with the General Notepad.
Like in the General Notepad, in the Notepad of Equivalents all operations
connected with editing the list of entered equivalents are performed by means of the
relevant items of the pop-up menu and buttons. The purpose of most items of this
menu and buttons corresponds completely to the same items and buttons for the
General Notepad, and it was described above.
Fig. 4.19 The Notepad of Equivalents
The exceptions are button and the To General Notepad item of the pop-up
menu which enable you to enter the information on steels to the General Notepad
also.
Please bear in mind that by using different items of a submenu that appears on
clicking most items of the pop-up menu, you can perform these operations not only
for the highlighted equivalent or all steels included in the Notepad of Equivalents,
but also for steels selected or non-selected with sign.

USER'S MANUAL 4-51
Operating with the Notepad of Equivalents, you can continue the search for
equivalents, i.e. to search another country for equivalents of a steel selected in the
list-box. For this purpose, you should use the Equivalents item of the pop-up
menu.
You can return to the main menu from both the General Notepad and the Notepad
of Equivalents by clicking the OK button.
Saving Information in the Notepad

At failures, breakdowns or change of your PC, you can always reinstall WinSteel
software using the available distribution kit. However, the information entered by
you in the Notepad will not be saved. To save that information, we recommend you
to copy to a separate diskette the file:
wmfilen.tps
so that after reinstallation of the software you will be able to copy its content to the
directory where the software will be installed. Please remember that the process of
reinstallation is described in part 2.4.
ILLUSTRATION OF WORK WITH THE SOFTWARE 5-1
5. Illustration of Work with the Software1

5.1. Fast Search
Example 1.1.
Search for equivalents of American steel 304 L in CIS countries
1. Select the Search item of the main menu and the Search by Steel Grade item
of the pull-down menu.
2. Click button at the right of the Country: string and find USA in the
appearing list-box of countries.
3. Find 304 L steel (AISI) in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator
and click the Equivalents button. The Search Type page of the procedure of
inputting search parameters appears on the screen.
4. Select the type of search – the Fast Search.
5. Click button to the right of the Country where you wish to find
equivalents: string and select CIS countries in the appearing list-box.
6. Click the Start Search button.
7. As a result, the list of equivalents will contain 03Ch18N11 steel grade.
Example 1.2.
Search for equivalents of Russian steel Ch12MF in Austria
2. Click button at the right of the Country: string and find CIS countries in the
3. Find Ch12MF steel in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator and
click the Equivalents button. The Search Type page of the procedure of
4. Select the type of search – the Fast Search.
1
Please notice that when you repeat these samples on your PC the search results
(number of found equivalents) may be different from the results indicated in the
samples. The reason is that you are working with new software release with
extended database.
equivalents: string and select Austria in the appearing list-box.
7. A message will appear: No match found.
8. Click the OK button and in this way return to the procedure of inputting search
parameters.
9. Turn on the "Extended" search mode using the appropriate Check Box field.
10. Re-start the search by clicking the Start Search button.
11. As a result, the list of equivalents will contain steels of Bohler company K100,
K105, K110, K305, K600, K605. All of them are not exact equivalents of
Ch12MF but are similar grades.
5.2. Search by Comparison of Chemical

Compositions
Example 2.1.
Search for equivalents of American steel 431 (AISI standard) in
CIS countries ("Getting within the range" mode)1
2. Click button at the right of the Country: string and find the USA in the
3. Find 431 (AISI) steel in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator and
4. Select the mode of search by chemical composition the Getting within the
range and pass over to the relevant page by means of the Search Parameters
Tab.
5. Click the C button and pass to the procedure of including the element into the
search.
6. Select the Search by Element Check Box field located in the left part of the
window and correct the higher and lower values of C content range in the steel:
enter 0.1 - 0.25% in the relevant fields on the right side.
parameters.
8. Click the Cr button and the same way include Cr in the search changing the
range of its content to 15.0 - 18.0%.
9. Do the same for Ni and include it in the search, but without changing the range
of Ni content in steel.
10. Go back to the Search Type page by means of the appropriate Tab.
equivalents: string and select CIS countries.
13. The list of equivalents will contain steels 14Ch17N2, 20Ch17N2, EP479 and
EP866-Sh.
14. Click the Search Parameters button and go back to the procedure of inputting
search parameters.
1
See also page 4-9 and Table 4.2
15. Pass to the Search Parameters page by means of the Tab of the same name.
16. Click the C button again and correct the lower value of the C content in steel by
introducing the range of carbon content 0.15 - 0.25%.
17. Repeat items 10 - 12 of this example.
18. Only steel 20Ch17N2 will remain in the list of equivalents.
Example 2.2.
CIS countries ("Covering range" mode)1
4. Select the mode of search by chemical composition the Covering range and
pass over to the relevant page by means of the Search Parameters Tab.
search.
window and correct the lower value of C content range in the steel: enter 0.2 -
0.2% in the relevant fields on the right side.
parameters.
8. Do the same also for Cr and Ni ("corrected" ranges are 16.0 - 17.0% and 1.5 -
2.5% respectively).
12. The list of equivalents will contain steel 20Ch17N2.
1
Example 2.3.
CIS countries ("Overlapping ranges" mode)1
4. Select the mode of search by chemical composition the Overlapping ranges
and pass over to the relevant page by means of the Search Parameters Tab.
search.
window and thus include C in the search.
parameters.
8. Do the same also for Cr and Ni.
10. Click button located at the end of the Country where you wish to find
12. The list of equivalents will contain 24 steels (taking into account different
designations, the total number of equivalents indicated in the list-box header is
44).
13. Click the Search Parameters button and go back to the Search type page of
the procedure of inputting search parameters.
15. Click the Mn button to include manganese in the search.
17. The list of equivalents will contain 14 steels (taking into account different
designations, the total number of equivalents is 31).
1
18. Go back to the procedure of inputting search parameters, repeating items 13

and 14 of this example.
19. Click the C button and "correct" carbon content in the steel by entering 0.19 -
0.20%.
20. Search for equivalents by repeating items 9 - 11 of this example.
21. Only steels 20Ch17N2, 2Ch15N3M-Sh, EP811 and Np-20Ch17N3M remain in
the list of equivalents.
22. Go back to the procedure of inputting search parameters, repeating items 13
23. Click the Element button located at the bottom, and by the Select button select
Mo in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
window and input the range of Mo content 0 - 0.25% in the relevant fields on the
right side.
parameters.
26. Search for equivalents again by repeating items 9, 10 and 11 of this example.
27. Only steel 20Ch17N2 remains in the list of equivalents.
Example 2.4.
Search for equivalents of Russian heat-resistant alloy Ch15N60
in Germany ("Overlapping ranges" mode)1
2. Click button at the right of the Country: string and find CIS countries in the
3. Find Ch15N60 alloy in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator and
5. Click the Cr button and pass to the procedure of including the element into the
search.
window and thus include Cr in the search.
1
parameters.
8. Do the same also for Ni.
equivalents: string and select Germany.
12. The list of equivalents will contain 6 alloys (taking into account different
27).
13. Click the Search Parameters button and go back to the Search Type page of
Nb in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
16. Select the Search by Element Check Box field and include Nb in the search.
18. Two alloys – NiCr 60 15 and Chronitherm 60 Spezial will remain in the list of
equivalents (taking into account other designations, the total number of
equivalents is 15).
Example 2.5.
Search for equivalents of steel C 10 (Germany) in CIS countries
("Getting within the range" mode)1
2. Click button at the right of the Country: string and find Germany in the
3. Find C 10 steel in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator and click
the Equivalents button. The Search Type page of the procedure of inputting
search parameters appears on the screen.
Tab.
1
search.
window and correct the higher value of the range of C content in the steel by
entering 0.07 - 0.14%.
parameters.
8. Do the same also for Si (changing the range of silicon content in steel to 0.15 -
0.4%) and Mn ("corrected" range: 0.3 - 0.65%).
12. The list of equivalents will contain 35 steel grades (taking into account different
39).
Cr in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
16. Select the Search by Element Check Box field and include Cr in the search.
17. Similarly, include Mo and Ni in the search.
19. There will be a message that no equivalents are found.
20. Click the OK button and return to the procedure of inputting search parameters.
22. Click the Cr button again, and in the procedure of including the element in the
search, select the Admixture Check Box field, thus marking this element as
admixture.
23. Repeat the same for Ni, marking it as admixture also.
24. Make the search once more by repeating items 9, 10 and 11 of this example.
25. The list of equivalents will include steels 10 (by different standards), 08, 10A
and K270V(10).
Example 2.6.
Search for equivalents of steel Sanicro 28 T (Sweden, Sandvik)
in CIS countries ("Overlapping ranges" mode)1
2. Click button at the right of the Country: string and find Sweden in the
3. Find Sanicro 28 T steel in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator
and click the Equivalents button. The Search Type page of the procedure of
5. Click the Mn button and pass to the procedure of including the element into the
search.
window, thus including Mn in the search.
8. Similarly, include Cr, Mo and Ni in the search.
12. There will be no equivalents of this steel.
13. Click the OK button and return to the Search Type page of the procedure of
inputting search parameters.
14. Select the "Extended" search mode Check Box field located under the name
of the country and click the Start Search button again.
15. The list of equivalents will show steel EK77.
1
Example 2.7.
Search for equivalents of steel 20 (CIS) in Japan ("Overlapping
ranges" mode)1
2. Click button to the right of the Country: string and find CIS countries in the
3. Find 20 (included in 52 standards) steel grade in the list-box of steel grades by
means of the locator and click the Equivalents button. The Search Type page
of the procedure of inputting search parameters appears on the screen.
search.
8. Do the same also for Si and Mn.
equivalents: string and select Japan.
12. In the list of equivalents, there will be 196 steels (taking into account other
designations, the total number of equivalents specified in the list-box header is
274).
15. Click the Cr button and include the element in the search, marking it as
admixture.
16. Do the same for Ni and include the element in the search, also marking it as
admixture.
1
17. Click the Element button located at the bottom and by the Select button select
Mo in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
18. In turn, select the Search by Element and the Admixture Check Box fields to
include Mo in the search as an admixture.
19. Similarly include B in the search but do not marking it as admixture.
23. Pass to the Settings page by means of the Tab of the same name.
24. Enter 80% value in the Minimum range coincidence field.
25. Carry out the search by repeating items 9, 10 and 11 of this example.
26. The list of equivalents will be reduced to 27 steels (taking into account other
designations, the total number of equivalents in the header is 44).
27. Return to the procedure of inputting search parameters by doing items 22 and
23 of this example.
28. Enter 50% value in the Maximum range discrepancy field.
29. Repeat items 9 - 11 of this example again.
30. As a result, only steels S 20 C, S 20 CK, SDK 20C and SDK 20 will remain in
Example 2.8.
Search for equivalents of steel 304 S 40 (UK) in CIS countries
("Getting within the range" mode)1
2. Click button to the right of the Country: string and find Great Britain in the
3. Find 304 S 40 steel in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator and
1
Tab.
search.
window, thus including C in the search.
7. Change the lower value of the range of C content in the steel by entering 0.01 -
0.07% in relevant fields in the right side of the window.
9. Similarly, include Cr and Ni in the search without changing the values of their
content in the steel.
designations, the total number of equivalents in the list-box header is 36).
18. As a result, steels 07Ch18N10, 07Ch18N10-Sh and M will remain in the list of
equivalents.
Example 2.9.
Search for equivalents of steel C 40 E (France) in CIS countries
("Covering range" mode)1
2. Click button to the right of the Country: string and find France in the
1
3. Find C 40 E steel in the list-box of steel grades by means of the locator and click
the Equivalents button. The Search Type page of the procedure of inputting
search parameters appears on the screen.
4. Select the mode of search by chemical composition the Covering range and
pass over to the relevant page by means of the Search Parameters Tab.
search.
8. Similarly, include Mn in the search.
9. Click the Si button and go to the procedure of including silicon in the search.
10. Include Si in the search changing the range of its content in the steel; enter 0.2 -
0.3% in the appropriate fields in the right part of the window.
12. Similarly, include S in the search changing the range of its content to 0.025 -
0.035%.
26).
19. Click the Cr button and include chrome in the search, marking it as admixture.
20. Similarly, include Ni in the search, also marking it as admixture.
21. Carry out the search by repeating items 13 - 15 of this example.
22. The list of equivalents will be reduced to 12 steels (taking into account other
23. Return to the procedure of inputting search parameters again by doing items 17
Pb in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
25. Select the Search by Element Check Box field, thus including Pb in the search.
26. In the similar way, include Co, B and Bi.
28. Only 8 steels will remain in the list of equivalents (taking into account other
9).
29. Click the Search Parameters button again and go back to the Search Type
page of the procedure of inputting search parameters.
33. As a result, only steels 40 (by several standards) and K490V(40) will remain in
5.3. Search by Chemical Composition

Example 3.1.
Search for steel 09G2 in CIS countries, "Getting within the
range" search mode
1. Select the Search item of the main menu and the Search by Chemical
Composition item of the pull-down menu.
2. In the window of the procedure of inputting search parameters, select the
Getting within the range search mode, and go the appropriate page by means
of the Search Parameters Tab.
Fe in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
4. Select the Search by Element Check Box field, and include Fe in the search.
5. Mark Fe as Rest by means of the relevant Check Box field.
7. Click the Element button again, select C and include C in the search by means
of the relevant Check Box field.
8. Enter values of C content in the steel: 0.0 - 0.12%.
9. The same way, include in the search Si entering its content in the steel: 0.15 -
0.40% and Mn (content 1.0 - 2.0%).
10. Go back to the Search Type page by means of the relevant Tab.
44).
Nb in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
17. Select the Search by Element Check Box field, thus including Nb in the search.
18. Repeat the same for Ti and Ca thus include the elements in the search.
19. In the similar way, include in the search Cr, Ni and Cu marking them as
admixtures by means of the relevant Check Box field.
21. Steel 09G2 will remain in the list of the located steels.
Example 3.2.
Search for steel 10Ch2M in CIS countries, "Covering range"
search mode
Covering range search mode, and go the appropriate page by means of the
Search Parameters Tab.
3. Click the Element button located at the bottom of the window and by the Select
button select Fe in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
9. The same way, include in the search Cr entering its content in the steel: 2.3 -
2.3% and Mo (content 0.7 - 0.7%).
13. There will be 8 steels in the list of equivalents (taking into account other
13).
Ni in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
17. In turn, select the Search by Element and the Admixture Check Box fields,
thus including Ni in the search as admixture.
18. The same way, include V in the search, but do not mark it as admixture.
19. Repeat the search by doing items 10, 11 and 12 of this example again.
20. Steel 10Ch2M will remain in the list of located steels.
Example 3.3.
Search for steel St3sp in CIS countries, "Overlapping ranges"
search mode
Overlapping ranges search mode, and go the appropriate page by means of
the Search Parameters Tab.
3. Click the Element button located at the bottom of the window and by the Select
button select Fe in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
9. The same way, include in the search Si entering its content in the steel: 0.15 -
0.30% and Mn (content 0.40 - 0.65%).
designations, the total number of grades specified in the list-box header is 614).
Ni in the appearing list-box of chemical elements.
17. In turn, select the Search by Element and the Admixture Check Box fields,
thus including Ni in the search as admixture.
18. The same way, include Cr in the search, also marking it as admixture.
19. Include also V and Al in the search, but do not mark them as admixtures.
20. Repeat the search by doing items 10, 11 and 12 of this example again.
21. 223 steels will remain in the list of found grades (taking into account other
26. The list of found grades will be reduced to 33 steels (taking into account other
designations, the total number of grades specified in the list-box header is 34).
27. Return to the procedure of inputting search parameters by doing items 22 and
23 of this example.
30. As a result, only steel St3sp (by several standards) and its modifications St3sp-
sv and VSt3sp5 will remain in the list of found grades.
COPYRIGHT 1992 - 2008 Quantor-Soft Metal
All rights reserved
Authors: Victor N. Gudkov, Igor M. Gubin
Phones: (+7 495) 234 49 05, (+7 495) 232 39 96

Fax: (+7 495) 232 3996
Address: P.O. Box 39, 119049 Moscow, Russia
E-mail: winsteel@metaldata.info
WWW: http://www.metaldata.info

Winsteel Manual

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WinSteel

International Translator of Steel Grades

Software Limited Warranty

5. Illustration of Work with the Software ________________ 5-1

The authors reserve the right

We have a pleasure to present our other software WinAlloy –

WinAlloy software helps you to find the

With your purchase you receive:

Customers and potential local distributors, please, contact us:

If you need detailed information on manufacturers of steel products in

• Comprehensive User's Guide with illustrations of operation with the software

Customers and potential local distributors, please, contact us:

If you require information on manufacturers of non-ferrous products in

• Comprehensive User's Guide with illustrations of operation with the software

Customers and potential local distributors, please, contact us:

2.1. Requirements for Hardware and

2.2. Installation Process

Fig. 2.1 Autorun program. Main page

Fig. 2.2 Autorun program. WinSteel

1. Click the Start button.

Fig. 2.3 Installation program

Fig. 2.4 Selection of a directory for installation

2.3. Validation of Installation

2.4. Re-Installation of the Software

3.1. The Run and the Exit of the Software

Fig. 3.1 Main window of the software

3.2. The Main Menu

3.3. How to Find a Steel in the Database

Fig. 3.2. List of steel grades

3.4. How to Get Reference Information on the

called by pressing the right mouse button or by clicking button located on

Fig. 3.3 Reference information on the steel grade

3.5. Finding Information on Equivalents

Fig. 3.4 Generalised list of equivalents of the steel grade

designations of the found equivalent, the list of equivalents may be extended in

The Database Structure

heat-resistant alloys we can meet records of the type: Fe ≤ 12.0% or Al ≥ 0.025%.

4.1.2. Getting Reference Information on

Getting Information on Steels

Fig. 4.1. List of steel grades

Fig. 4.2 Reference information on a steel grade

• by clicking button located on the right of the list-box.

Reference information on a steel can be viewed in a special procedure (see

• click button located on the right side of the window;

Fig. 4.3 List of standards

Getting Information on Standards

4.2. Search for Equivalents by Steel Grade

Search mode Content Figure

Getting within The content of a chemical element in Sample

Covering range The content of a chemical element in Sample

Overlapping The ranges of a chemical element in Sample

431 20Ch17N2 14Ch17N2

Alloy Alloy Alloy

Steel C 10 Steel 10 Steel 270V(10) Steel 10A Steel 08

This special treatment consists in the following:

By way of example, let us try to locate an equivalent of German steel C 10 in CIS

Steel Sanicro 28 T Steel EK77

"Extended" search mode

Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel

4.4.1 Overlapping ranges

4.4.2 Getting within the range

4.4.3 Covering range

Steel Steel Steel Steel

Steel C 40 E Steel 40 Steel K490V(40)