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Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00 📞 01623 687 660 ✉ sales@parksidesteel.uk.com
Industry Grade Guide

Engineering Steel for MRO
& Maintenance Engineering.

Maintenance, repair and overhaul operations require fast access to the right grade — often at short notice, often in non-standard lengths, often for a single component. The economics of MRO are different from production: a machine down costs money every hour it is not running. The steel bar to fix it needs to be available today, cut to the right length today, and on a vehicle heading your way today. Parkside Steel operates a no-minimum-order policy — one piece of any grade, cut to any length.

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Sector Overview

Why MRO Needs a Different Kind of Supplier

Production buyers can plan. MRO engineers cannot. A shaft fails at 6am on a Monday. The machine it runs is central to a production process. The replacement shaft is a non-standard length in a grade that was not stocked by the previous site engineer. The plant manager wants it back on by tomorrow morning.

This is the scenario Parkside Steel is built for. 25 grades in stock. 13 saws running. No minimum order. Call us at 08:00, give us the grade, diameter and length. We cut it while you are making arrangements to collect or receive delivery. Same-day collection is available at our Sherwood Park site. Our own fleet covers much of the Midlands and North on scheduled routes 4–5 times per week.

Key Grades

At a Glance.

EN3BLight shafts, weldable repairs, general mild steelEN8Most common MRO shaft grade — plant and general machineryEN9Wear-resistant components, blades, medium wear platesEN19Higher-stressed replacement shafts, gearbox componentsEN24Pre-treated — urgent replacement of high-tensile components

Full grade list below ↓

Replacement Shafts at Non-Standard Lengths

The most common MRO requirement — a replacement shaft at a non-standard length, required today. EN8 (080M40) bright drawn round bar covers the majority of replacement shaft requirements for general plant and machinery, available in bright from 6mm and black from 16mm up to 250mm diameter.

If the original shaft is in an alloy grade — marked with a colour code on the bar end, or identifiable by spark test or composition analysis — we stock EN19 (42CrMo4), EN24 (817M40), EN40B and others. Identifying the original material grade matters: replacing an EN19 shaft with EN8 because it is cheaper is false economy if the shaft then fails under the same loading that broke the original. Our sales team can advise on grade identification if the original material specification is not known.

Recommended Grades
EN8 (080M40) Most common general plant and machinery shaft grade. EN19 (42CrMo4) Higher stressed shafts — gearboxes, conveyors, heavy plant. EN24 (817M40) Pre-treated — machine direct to drawing for urgent replacement.

Bearing Sleeves, Bushes & Journal Replacements

Grey cast iron bar (EN-GJL-250) is the standard material for replacement bearing bushes, sleeves and journal liners in industrial machinery — its self-lubricating properties from graphite flakes, good compressive strength and vibration damping characteristics make it the natural choice. Turn the OD to the housing bore size, bore the ID to the shaft diameter, and part off to length — a straightforward job on any centre lathe.

Available from 25mm to 300mm diameter, cut to the length your application requires. For higher-load applications where cast iron's tensile strength (minimum 250 N/mm²) is insufficient, consider EN8 or EN19 machined to a sleeve form — though this loses the self-lubricating advantage that cast iron provides.

Recommended Grades
Cast Iron (EN-GJL-250) Bearing sleeves, bushes, journal liners. Self-lubricating. EN8 (080M40) Higher-load sleeve applications where cast iron tensile is insufficient.

Wear Plates, Slide Strips & Tooling Repairs

Machinery slideways, wear strips and guide surfaces are a common maintenance replacement requirement. EN8 flat bar in a range of widths and thicknesses covers the majority of sliding wear surface applications.

Flat bar is stocked in a wide range of width × thickness combinations. If the exact size is not in stock, we can saw flat bar to width and thickness from wider sections — call to discuss your specific requirement.

Recommended Grades
EN8 flat bar Slideway wear strips, wear plates, guide surfaces — general duty. EN9 (070M55) Medium wear plates and guide surfaces — induction hardenable.
All Grades for MRO & Maintenance Engineering

Recommended Grades — Full List.

Click any grade for full data sheet, chemical composition, mechanical properties and heat treatment guidance.

EN3B 070M20 Light shafts, weldable repairs, general mild steel EN8 080M40 Most common MRO shaft grade — plant and general machinery EN9 070M55 Wear-resistant components, blades, medium wear plates EN19 42CrMo4 Higher-stressed replacement shafts, gearbox components EN24 817M40 Pre-treated — urgent replacement of high-tensile components EN40B 31CrMo12 Nitrided rod replacement — hydraulic cylinders Cast Iron EN-GJL-250 Bearing sleeves, bushes, journal replacements

Not sure which grade is right? Call our sales team on 01623 687 660 — we can advise based on your component, loading and heat treatment requirements.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked.

No. We cut and supply from one piece. There is no minimum order quantity, no minimum value and no small order surcharge. A single piece of 25mm EN8 at 300mm long gets the same service as a pallet of EN19.
Yes. Same-day collection is available at our Sherwood Park site, Monday to Friday 08:00–17:00. Call ahead to confirm your grade and size — we will have it cut and ready when you arrive. Please allow 1–2 hours for cutting.
The bar end colour code is the most reliable indicator for bright bar: green = EN1A, white = EN8/EN9, red = EN19, blue = EN16/EN24. A spark test can give a rough indication of carbon content. If the original drawing is available, the material specification will be noted. Our sales team can advise on grade identification if you are uncertain.
Explore Further

Related Industries.

General Engineering ► Agriculture ► Hydraulics & Pneumatics ►
Parkside Steel operatives picking bar from racking — no minimum order MRO service
Operative preparing small orders at despatch station — same-day collection available

Talk to Us About Your MRO & Maintenance Engineering Requirements.

No minimum order — same-day collection — 25 grades in stock. Our sales team understands engineering steel — not just the catalogue. Call with a grade, a component description, or a question.

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01623 687 660Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00 — speak to sales direct
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