Material Specification

Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE

GENERAL WROUGHT STEEL STANDARD

(SCHEMATIC INCLUDED)
1.0 SCOPE:

This specification outlines general requirements for wrought

steel delivered directly to Meritor or through its suppliers
as forgings or components. All steel shall be produced by
pre-qualified mills listed in Materials Specification B-1-A.

All special bar quality (SBQ) mills must be able to produce

high quality steel in order to achieve the design intents.
The mills must have good steel making practices which shall
include but not limited to electromagnetic stirring, vacuum
degassing and practices and processes that minimize the
absorption of undesirable gases or contamination from
impurities. No open stream is permitted in any of the
teeming processes.

Wherever Material Specification B-1 is in conflict with an

individual Meritor material specification, the individual
requirements take precedence over B-1.

The “applications” section contained within individual

material specifications serves only as a guideline.
Individual material specifications may be used for other
applications if required by the part drawing.

2.0 TESTING REQUIREMENTS:

2.1 Steel producers and/or suppliers shall demonstrate by

appropriate testing or certification (when authorized)
that all materials, referenced against this standard,
conform to requirements of the individual material
specifications.

2.2 When required, mechanical property tests shall be

conducted on the material in the condition delivered to
Meritor or its suppliers.

2.3 The nominal chemical limits or ranges for steels listed

in Meritor material specifications are given in SAE
J403-2009 (12), J404-2009 (01), J405-1998 (06), J1081-
2000 (11), J1249-2008 (12), J1268-2010 (05). Limits
are subject to standard variations in check analysis
stated in SAE J409-1995 (02) or other appropriate world
steel standards.

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Page 1 of 13
 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
2.4 Certain residual elements may be present in steel which
are not specified or required. Unless directly called
out, the maximum acceptable limits for residual
elements are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Maximum Limits for Residual Elements

Element Bar Stock Plate
Aluminum See section 2E See section 2E
0.30% (plain carbon)
Copper (Cu) 0.40%
0.35% (alloyed)
Nickel (Ni) 0.25% 0.40%
Chromium (Cr) 0.20% 0.30%
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.06% 0.12%
Tin (Sn) 0.02%
Arsenic (As) 0.01%
Antimony (Sb) 0.01%
(Sn+As+Sb) 0.03%
Lead (Pb) 0.01% 0.01%
Vanadium (V) <0.01% <0.01%
Remark: For steels having copper greater than 0.20%,
Ni/Cu ratio >0.4 is required.

2.5 All steels shall be grain refined to have an ASTM E112-

10 rated prior austenite grain size number of 5 or
finer unless otherwise specified. The etchant used for
revealing the prior austenite grain boundaries shall be
selected so the microstructure of the final rolled
product is viewable with the use of light microscopy.
If the prior austenite grain size as measured in a hot
rolled bar is coarser than ASTM 5, and the final
application is a hot forged and/or through heat treated
product, it is permissible to rate using a method
described in ASTM E112-10 A.3, recognizing an inherent
reheating and quenching step may be necessary.

Resulphurized or rephosphorized steels (such as SAE

1100 and 1200 series steels, or grades equivalent to
them) shall be considered inherently coarse grained
unless specified otherwise. Inherently coarse grain
steel shall have a prior austenite grain size number of
ASTM 3 or finer unless otherwise approved by Meritor -
Materials Engineering. Aluminum grain refined steel
shall contain the aluminum content specified in Table
2. Plate products for structural applications may
exceed the upper limit of the aluminum content with the
approval of Materials Engineering. Steels utilizing
grain refiners other than aluminum require approval of
the Meritor Materials Engineering prior to the steels
initial application.

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
Table 2. Aluminum Content Limits
Aluminum Weight Percent
Total 0.015-0.050
Total “Aim” 0.020-0.040
Acid Soluble* 0.015 min.

* Applicable only when acid soluble aluminum is reported.

2.6 Hardenability testing for "H" band steels shall be

conducted in accordance with SAE J406-2009 (03).
Unless otherwise specified in the individual
specification the hardenability aim shall be the center
50% of the hardenability band specified in SAE J1268.
To qualify H BANDS, limited data points namely - J4,
J8, J12 will be used. Hardenability of NON "H" grades
shall be calculated by the "Caterpillar" procedures
(SAE J406-2009 (03) Appendix A) using DI. Steel
producers may calculate DI using ladle analysis. DI
aim shall be the center 50% of the DI band unless
otherwise specified. All applicable residual elements
shall be included in hardenability calculations.

Certain material specifications and/or applications

require a "mandatory" chemistry or hardenability rather
than an "aim". An "aim" should meet the requirement
90% of the time.

2.7 All steel heats shall be subject to microscopic

examination for cleanliness. Steel sources supplying
bar/billet products shall demonstrate a capability to
achieve internal cleanliness quality levels within the
maximum inclusion rating values shown in Table 3 (NOTE:
For sheet and plate, the level of microcleanliness must
not adversely affect manufacturing or part
performance). ASTM E45-11a, paragraph 4, 9, 11, method
A, plate I-r will be used.

Table 3. Permitted Ratings of Microscopic Inclusions for Steel

Type A Type B Type C Type D
(sulfides) (aluminates) (silicates) (oxides)
Thin 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.0
Heavy 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0*
* Maximum allowable diameter of heavy oxide inclusions is 0.0015 inch

Resulphurized steels or steels having specified minimum

sulfur content, and leaded steels will not be subject
to type "A" MnS inclusion limits.

2.8 Bars that have not undergone any mechanical surface

removal shall Proprietary
exhibit a maximum allowable total
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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
decarburization depth of 0.008 in. (0.2 mm) for bar
diameters 0.500 in. (12.70 mm) and smaller or 1.6% of
the diameter on sizes over 0.500 in. The existing
decarburization shall at least meet SAE J419-198312,
Type 1 requirements. Bars that have undergone surface
removal shall meet SAE J419-1983 (12), Type 3
requirements.

2.9 Bars shall be free from pipe, excessive chemical

segregation, laps, cracks, or surface defects of
sufficient severity to affect product performance.
Seam depth of bars produced to special bar quality
(SBQ) shall not exceed 0.001 in. (0.025 mm) per 0.060
in. (1.52 mm) of section.

2.10 Surface finish (roughness height rating) of peeled bar

supplied to Meritor may extend to but not exceed 125
microinches - Arithmetical Average (AA). Peeled and
burnished finished bar cannot exceed 40 microinches.

2.11 Steel color codes are defined in material specification

B-39.

2.12 Commodity Product (For Ingot): The semi-finished plate

or bar shall show no evidence of cracks, center
looseness, pinholes, blowholes or original dendritic
structure. It may exhibit a perceptible amount of
centerline segregation.

2.13 Sheet or plate products shall be free from excessive

chemical segregation, laps, cracks, or surface defects
of sufficient severity to affect product performance.
Structural products that exhibit injurious defects
during subsequent fabrication are deemed not to comply
with the applicable product specification.

2.14 Carbon Equivalent (C.E.) requirements for welded

components contained within individual material
specifications will be determined utilizing the formula
below, unless a different method of determination is
listed within the individual material specification.

Mn Cr  Mo  V Ni  Cu
C.E.  C   
6 5 15

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
3.0 CONCAST STEEL:

3.1 Concast porosity and a general lack of cohesiveness is

characteristic of "as cast" steel whether produced by
the ingot or continuous cast process. Much of this
looseness is healed during subsequent rolling, however,
due to the lower reduction ratios inherent with the use
of continuous cast steels, some looseness may be
retained in the commodity product. Hence there is a
need for "as cast" quality requirements and minimum
reduction ratios.

3.2 STRAND AND BLOOM: The "as cast" product must exhibit, after
proper etching (ASTM E 381-01(2006)) or sulfur printing,
three zones of solidification; chill, columnar and equiaxed
(from surface to center). Mill checks will be made on the
"as cast" or semi finished billet product and must conform
to criteria below.

3.2.1 A few halfway cracks of a length not

exceeding 8% of the minimum thickness of cast
section are permitted.

3.2.2 Small, low frequency subsurface pinholes

are allowable.

3.2.3 Diagonal cracks are not permitted.

3.2.4 A few cracks (hinge cracks), not exceeding

6mm in length in the as cast product and not
interrupting the surface, may exist along the
inboard edge of the chill zone.

3.2.5 Some center looseness is permitted. However,

no linear ruptures are allowed.

3.2.6 Centerline segregation is permitted to a

minor extent(Defects shown in Figure 1).

3.2.7 Steel mill must submit bloom or billet

sections off each stand at the front, middle
and end of a heat for steel grade approval.

3.3 Surfaces of strands and blooms shall be free of defects

such as cracks, tears and pinholes, which will generate
surface defects on the rolled bars in non-conformance
with surface quality specified in Item 2.9. This state
may be achieved by appropriate conditioning.

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
3.4 Rhomboidity of strand or bloom shall be limited to 5%
(diagonally).

Longer diagonal – Shorter diagonal x 100 ≤ 5%

Shorter diagonal

3.5 Billet, Bloom and Slab: Casters must demonstrate by

adequate quality control procedures and practices
capability of supplying quality product.

3.6 REDUCTION RATIO:

Continuous cast steel properties vary according to the

amount of "working" it receives, and is determined by
the size ratio of the original strand to the rolled
bar.

The minimum purchased commodity reduction ratio for

forged parts1 is 5:1. Exceptions to this rule are
listed in Table 4. Machining2 applications will be
limited to a purchased commodity minimum reduction
ratio of 10:1.

3.6.1 A forged part, is a product that has

experienced substantial working throughout
its entire section.

3.6.2 Machined products will include any part

machined directly from bar stock or upset
forgings where the "as rolled" bar remains a
portion of the part.

4.0 REPORTS:

4.1 Producers shall report test results in accordance with

manufacturing practice or as specified by the
applicable Meritor plant quality function.

4.2 All reports shall show the Meritor purchase order

number, a description of the commodity, the material
specifications to which it was made, the steel mill,
heat numbers and test results. Such documents shall be
supplied to the using plant prior to or at the time of
steel delivery.

4.3 Warehouses shall be in a position to report as set

forth in A and B above when requested. All warehouse
purchased steel must meet Material Specification B-1
and B-1-A stipulations.

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
TABLE 4. Approved reduction ratios for forged parts produced from
continuously cast steel.**
STRUCTURAL PARTS MINIMUM REDUCTION
RATIO
Axle Centers 3.0:1
Axle Shafts 11.0:1
Drive Line Shafts 10.0:1
Steering Knuckles 3.0:1
Steering Knuckle Cap & Pin - off highway 2.4:1
Steering Arms and Cross Tube Arms 9.0:1
Anchor Pins 10.0:1
Differential Case Flange Half 1.0:1
Differential Case Plain Half 2.5:1
Drive Axle Spindles – (Linehaul) 2.5:1
Drive Axle Spindles (Forged at the
Meritor Morristown Plant) 2.5:1
Integral Spindle Trailer Axles 14.0:1
Weld Yokes 3.0:1
End Yokes 3.0:1
Wing Bearing Caps 3.0:1
Shifter Forks 5.0:1
Forged Ferrous Trailer Hubs 1.5:1
Trailer Brake Spider 7.0:1
Brake Cams 10.0:1
Steering Knuckle-Cap & Pin (Drive Axle) 2.7:1
Hydraulic Disc Brake Pistons 5.0:1

GEARS
Differential Pinions-Precision Forged 4.0:1
(Mack Prec. Forged Diff Pinion & Gear) 11.9:1
Side Gears-Precision Forged 4.2:1
(Mack Prec. Forged Side Gear) 10.0:1
Drive Pinions 4.2:1
Drive Gears 4.3:1
Cut tooth gear (Bar stock) 10.0:1
(AxleTech Products) 7.0:1
Forged Planetary Ring Gear Hub 3.6:1

SUSPENSION PARTS
Stabilizer Bars 15.0:1
Hollow Stabilizer Bars 15.0:1
Helical Springs 15.0:1
Torsion Bars 15.0:1
** Approvals listed in this table apply only to parts manufactured
for Meritor. Approval for application to non-Meritor parts must be
received from the customer through the supplying Meritor plant.

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
5.0 QUALITY RESPONSIBILITY

Material procured by Meritor.

5.1 The responsibility for providing material of the

specified quality shall rest with the supplier.

5.2 The fulfillment of this or any corollary specification

for such materials in no sense constitutes approval of
or obligation to use any material which is subsequently
found to be deficient.

6.0 REFERENCE SPECIFICATIONS:

Any Meritor specification that references Material

Specification B-1 is to follow the appropriate specification
and revision levels listed in Table 5. For reference
industry specifications that are not listed in Table 5, the
appropriate revision level shall be the active version
according to the revision date on the specific Meritor
Material Specification.

Example: Meritor Specification has a revision date of June

5, 2000 and references another industry standard. The
industry standard was issued in 1997 and has a revision in
2007. The required industry standard to use is the revision
dated in 1997.

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE

Table 5. Reference Specifications

Industry Standard Number
Title of Standard
Affiliation and Revision Date
General Wrought Steel Standard (Pre-Qualified
Meritor B-1-A
Steel Sources)
Meritor B-39 Steel Color Code
ASTM ASTM E45-11a Standard Test Methods for Determining the
Inclusion Content of Steel
ASTM ASTM E112-10
Standard Test Methods for Determining Average
Grain Size
Standard Test Method of Macroetch
ASTM ASTM E381-01(2006) Testing Steel Bars, Billets, Blooms, and
Forgings
SAE SAE J403 2009 (12) Chemical Composition of SAE Carbon Steels
SAE SAE J404 2009 (01) Chemical Composition of SAE Alloy Steels
SAE SAE J405 1998 (06) (R) Chemical Composition of SAE Wrought
Stainless Steels
Methods of Determining Hardenability Of
SAE SAE J406 2009 (03)
Steels
Product Analysis – Permissible Variations
SAE SAE J409 1995 (02) from Specified Chemical Analysis of a Heat or
Cast of Steel
SAE SAE J419 1983 (12) Methods of Measuring Decarburization
SAE SAE J1081 2000 (11) Potential Standard Steels
SAE SAE J1249 2008 (12) Former SAE Standard and Former SAE Ex-Steels
SAE SAE J1268 2010 (05) Hardenability Bands for Carbon and Alloy H
Steels

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE

Date Change
09/06/2016 Level Section 1.”pre-qaulified “ was “Approved”
AE PR-04821 Added SBQ requirement paragraph in Section 1.
Added Section 3.2.7 on grade approval sampling
requirements. Editorial changes in referencing
the proper tables.
Editorial changes in Section 6.
03/15/2016 Level Updated section 2.5. Specified prior austenite
AD grain size as grain size to be measured. Added
PR-03567 an alternate rating method if the prior
austenite grain size is coarser than ASTM 5.
10/23/2014 Level Updated header and reformatted specification.
AC Re-numbered sections and tables. Added Reference
Request 30272-173 Specification section.
07/16/2012 Level Changed Section 2F hardenability revised SAE
AB J406 appendix B, to reflect most current
Request 32847-1 specification (now appendix A).
Re-formatted 2G into Table 1
Reformatted Table 2 (was formerly Table 1).
Added reference specifications section 6.
08/05/2011 Level Added section 2n – carbon equivalent equation
AA
Request 32495-4
11/05/2010 Level Z Added “resulphurized and rephosphorized….
Request 30272-145 inherently coarse grain…Group” to section 2-E
for clarification. Changed higher to finer in 2-
E for clarification. Added apostrophe in 2-E
(grammar). Clarified approval in 2-E and
reporting in 4A.
Corrected mis-understanding for machined from
bar stock reduction ratio requirements in
4/05/2008 Level Y section 3F. Moved “Exceptions to this rule are
Request 30272-17 listed in Table 1” from after the machined
section to after the forged section. Added the
word “Forged” to heading in Table 1.
12/05/2007 Level X Added “The “applications” section…part drawing”
Request 30276-1 paragraph to the Scope
5/17/2007 Level W Added exception for plate products in Paragraph
Request 26356-5 2E. Modified Change box for Request 26956-4
Section 2E was “aluminum content must be
5/05/2007 Level V reported as total aluminum, not soluble”.
Request 26956-4 Clarified the aluminum content for aluminum
grain refined steel.
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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
-Reworded section 3F from " and is determined by
12/05/2006 Level U
the ratio of the original strand size to the
Request 25807-4
finished size of the bar or forging.”
6/05/2006 Level T Added maximum vanadium residual of <0.01% for
Request 25807-3 bar stock and plate
4/05/2006 Level S Added section 2M. Changed allowable amount of
Request 25807-2 residual lead to 0.01% for both bar stock and
flat rolled material
2/05/2006 Level R -Added maximum lead residual of 0.001% for bar
Request 25807-1 stock and 0.005% for plate
-Listed all maximum residuals in section 2D in
table format
10/5/2005 Level Q In section 2E, added the following sentence:
Request 25434-3 “The aluminum content for all metallic materials
must be reported as total aluminum, not soluble
aluminum”
9/5/2005 Level P Corrected the date on the header and change box.
Request 25434-2
8/5/2005 Level N Added statement - (NOTE: For sheet and plate,
Request 25434-1 the level of microcleanliness must not adversely
affect manufacturing or part performance) to
paragraph 2G.
7/15/2003 Level M Added provision for Mack Truck steel reduction
Request 23362-1 ratio requirements of 11.9 and 10.0:1
1/15/2002 Level L Added reduction ratio of 7.0:1 for Cut tooth
Request 21627-1 gear (bar stock) for Off-Highway Products in
Table I.
4/15/2001 Level K Tin content in Section D was 0.04% max.
Request 20291-1 Added 0.01% max. for Arsenic, 0.01% max. for
Antimony, with the sum of Sn, As, and Sb not to
exceed 0.03%.
4/15/2000 Level J Table 1 previously stated Drive Axle Spindles –
Request 19837-1 on highway. Added Drive Axle Spindles forged at
the Meritor-Morristown plant.
10/15/98 Editorial change in section 2E: rephrased “fine
Level H grain” to “grain refined”
9/26/97 Major revisions: Para.2E: Clarified provision
Level G for qualification of non-aluminum grain refined
steel. Para. 2G:Excluded sheet & plate steels
from cleanliness requirements. para. 3A2 Deleted
ladle addition requirements, this will be
emphasized in the Steel Approval Procedure.
Para.6 Deleted this is covered in QA policy.
Table 1: Added Forged Planetary Ring Gear Hubs
with 3.6:1 reduction ratio.
6/15/97 Level F Added “Bar stock” in Table 1 (Gears).
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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE
2/1/97 Sect. 3: ASTM plate was 3.,Sect. 3B2: Added
Level E Drive Gear 4.3:1
4/15/96 Added reduction ratio for steering knuckle cap &
Level D pin & Hydraulic Brake piston. Editorial changes
in Section 3. In 2H, replaced E45 paragraph 12
with 11, plate 3 added.. All reduction ratios
increased to one place significant decimal.
6/15/94 Removed narrow band requirement sect. #7.
Level C Removed steel mill sources from Table 1.
Consolidated 2F hardenability and 7 narrow band
requirements into 2F Section 2H added. Added
“optional grain ...” at 2E. Ni/Cu was Cu/Ni at
2D. Added Vanadium requirement in Sect. 2E.
4/15/93 Deleted in section 3.E2 forged part examples,
Level B and axle center from sec. 7 - narrow band table.
12/15/92 Changed Anchor Pin Reduction from 14:1. Added
Level A SAE Grade 8822H Steel.
4/15/92 Changed reduction ratio for drive pinion from
7.6:1.
12/15/91 Deleted approved suppliers list.
12/15/90 Added approved suppliers to the list.

Approved By: S. Doyle

Director - Materials Engineering

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 Material Specification
Specification: B-1
2135 West Maple Road Revision Date: 09/06/2016
Troy, MI 48084-7121
Revision Level: AE

Figure 1. Strand and Bloom Defects

1 Halfway Cracks
2 Pinholes
3 Diagonal Cracks
4 Hinge Cracks - Inboard of chill zone
5 Center Looseness
6 Linear rupture
7 Centerline segregation (Black Hole)

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