VERSABAR® (FUCO®) · TUPY Brazil

Continuous cast iron bars

VERSABAR® bars are grey and ductile cast iron produced by continuous casting rather than sand casting. The result is a bar with the same microstructure end to end, which machines predictably and holds its dimensions — a proven replacement for steel, aluminium, bronze and sand-cast parts.

The same bars are known in Brazil as FUCO®, TUPY's original name for its continuous cast iron profiles — FUCO and VERSABAR are the same product line.

Continuous casting line at TUPY Brazil, a cast iron bar leaving the die
Continuous casting at TUPY in Brazil: molten iron is solidified in a water-cooled graphite die, drawn off continuously and cut to length.

What continuous cast iron is

Molten iron is solidified in a water-cooled graphite die, drawn off continuously and cut to length. Because the cooling rate is controlled and identical along the whole bar, the graphite is fine and evenly distributed instead of varying with section thickness the way it does in a sand mould.

What the process gives you

  • Consistent mechanical properties along the bar
  • Refined, evenly distributed graphite
  • High dimensional stability
  • Predictable machining behaviour, batch to batch

What it eliminates

  • Porosity
  • Shrinkage cavities
  • Slag inclusions
  • The surprises that come with them halfway through a machining run

Grades

Grey iron for damping, machinability and thermal conductivity; ductile iron where strength and toughness matter.

Grey iron
GradeCharacter
FC 200Excellent machinability and vibration damping
FC 250Balanced strength and pressure resistance
FC 300High strength, wear resistance and sealability
GMIGlass mould iron — refined graphite for glass moulds and high-temperature stability
Ductile (nodular) iron
GradeCharacter
GJS 400-7 / FE 400-15 / FE 450-12High ductility and toughness
FE 500 to FE 700High mechanical strength and wear resistance
ADIAustempered ductile iron — high fatigue and impact resistance
Continuous cast iron bars stacked in the works yard at TUPY Brazil
Finished bars in the works yard, stacked by size and ready for despatch.

Shapes and sizes

Supplied in near-net shapes, so there is less metal to remove and less time on the machine.

ShapesRound, square, rectangular
Near-netCustom profiles to order
Standard length1880 mm
Other lengthsOn request
Section Gray iron (FC / GJL) Nodular iron (FE / GJS)
Round 25 to 635 mm diameter 25 to 635 mm diameter
Square 30 to 170 mm across flats 30 to 470 mm across flats
Rectangular 25 × 40 mm to 530 × 570 mm 25 × 40 mm to 530 × 570 mm

Gross dimensions, machining allowance included. Not every size is made in every class, and sections outside this range are cast to order. The catalogue lists each size against the classes it is produced in, together with the machined dimension, the allowance and the weight per metre.

Why it machines well

The graphite in cast iron acts as a natural lubricant and a chip breaker. Combined with a uniform microstructure, that changes the economics of a machined part rather than just its material cost.

  • Higher cutting speeds
  • Reduced tool wear
  • Excellent surface finish
  • Lower machining cost per part
  • High vibration and noise damping compared with steel
  • Good thermal conductivity in the grey grades

Where it is used

Hydraulic manifolds, pistons, plungers and valve bodies. Gears, shafts, bushings and guide rails. Pump and compressor components, automotive and actuator parts, tooling, dies and industrial moulds — and glass industry moulds in the GMI grade.

Parts converted to VERSABAR®

Real components, with the material they were made from before and the VERSABAR® grade that replaced it.

Sand mixer shaft

From
Steel 1045
To
FE 55006
Size
Ø 210 mm × 1550 mm

Pulley

From
Steel 12L14
To
FE 45012

Bearing, marine industry

From
Steel 1018 / 1045
To
FE 45012
Size
Ø 300 mm

Hydraulic piston plunger

From
Aluminium 6061-T6
To
FE 45012

Cylinder rod guide

From
Sand-cast ductile iron
To
FE 45012

Hydraulic cylinder piston

From
Sand-cast ductile iron
To
FE 45012

Hydraulic manifold block

From
Steel 1018
To
FE 40015

Hydraulic manifold block

From
Aluminium 6061-T6
To
FE 40015

Shaft bearing

From
Steel 12L14
To
FE 45012

Plunger, glass mould blower

From
Sand-cast grey iron
To
GMI

Pin, power transformer mechanism

From
Sand-cast grey iron
To
FC 300

Helical rotor

From
Sand-cast ductile iron
To
FE 45012

Trilobular rotor

From
Sand-cast ductile iron
To
FE 40015

Strut bearing

From
Graphited bronze
To
FE 55006

Robot gripper

From
Steel 4140
To
FE 70002

Band saw guide bracket

From
Sand-cast grey iron
To
GJS 400-7

Crown and shaft assembly

From
Steel 4140
To
FE 45012

Axial piston pump

To
FE 40015

Also supplied for pump housings, glassware moulds, WRI moulds and linear guide tables on milling machines.

Trilobular shaft machined from a VERSABAR nodular cast iron bar
Trilobular shaftWas nodular iron cast in sand · FE 40015
Strut bearing ring machined from a VERSABAR nodular cast iron bar
Strut bearingWas graphited bronze · FE 55006
Axial piston pump cylinder blocks machined from VERSABAR nodular cast iron bars
Axial piston pump cylinder blocksMachined from bar · FE 40015

Quality and standards

VERSABAR® is produced under TUPY's quality management system and complies with the major international material standards — ASTM, DIN EN, ISO and ABNT. Each grade is made to a controlled chemistry and microstructure so performance repeats from order to order.

Download the cast bar catalogue

Need a grade, a size or a length quoting?

Tell us the part, the grade and the quantity — or send the drawing and the material it is made from now, and we will suggest the VERSABAR® grade that replaces it.

Request a quote