NAICS 331513 Quarterly Industry Report
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 331513Sector: 33Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This industry profile for Steel Foundries (except Investment) (NAICS 331513) draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau[5], Bureau of Labor Statistics[9], and SBA size standards database[6]. Published by Fair Market Value and updated quarterly, it provides valuation professionals, metals casting analysts, and industrial manufacturing investors with current market data. All quantitative claims are sourced to publicly verifiable databases.
Industry Definition & Overview
Steel Foundries (except Investment) (NAICS 331513) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing steel castings through conventional molding methods excluding investment casting per the U.S. Census Bureau[4]. Activities include sand mold steel casting, shell mold steel casting, centrifugal steel casting, steel casting heat treatment, and machining of finished steel castings to customer specifications.
Steel foundries pour carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, and manganese steel into sand molds to produce castings for railroad, mining, construction, military, energy, and heavy industrial equipment applications. Railroad castings including truck frames, couplers, and bolsters represent a historically significant market segment, with Association of American Railroads quality certification required for safety-critical components. Mining equipment castings include crusher jaws, grinding mill liners, and dragline bucket parts where manganese and high-chrome steel grades provide abrasion and impact resistance. Per Census Bureau[5] data, over 440 establishments employ roughly 12,000 workers generating more than $3.3 billion in annual revenue with payroll exceeding $670 million. Electric arc and induction furnace melting predominates, with computer-aided solidification modeling improving casting yield and reducing scrap rates across production operations.
Per the SBA Table of Size Standards[6], the size standard is 700 employees. The EPA[7] regulates hazardous air pollutant emissions under NESHAP standards for iron and steel foundries covering melting, pouring, cooling, and sand handling operations. OSHA[8] enforces respirable crystalline silica limits, heat stress protocols, and molten metal handling safety in steel foundry production environments.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sand mold steel casting production
- Shell mold steel casting operations
- Centrifugal steel casting manufacturing
- Carbon and alloy steel casting
- Stainless steel casting production
- Manganese and high-chrome steel casting
- Steel casting heat treatment processing
- Pattern making and core manufacturing
- Casting cleaning, grinding, and finishing
- Steel casting machining to final dimensions
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 331 |
| Industry Group | Foundries | 3315 |
| NAICS Industry | Ferrous Metal Foundries | 33151 |
| National Industry | Steel Foundries (except Investment) | 331513 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 331511 | Iron Foundries | Iron Foundries produces gray iron and ductile iron castings through sand molding that parallels steel foundry operations in process equipment and workforce skills, with iron and steel foundries sometimes sharing facilities and customer bases |
| 331512 | Steel Investment Foundries | Steel Investment Foundries manufactures precision steel castings through lost-wax methods that complement conventional sand casting for applications requiring tighter tolerances and more complex geometries than sand molds produce |
| 331110 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing produces steel scrap and alloy additions that steel foundries purchase as charge materials for electric arc and induction furnace melting operations |
| 336510 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing purchases steel castings for freight car truck frames, couplers, draft gear housings, and bolsters that require AAR certification for railroad safety-critical component service |
| 333131 | Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing | Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing consumes heavy steel castings for crusher jaws, grinding mill liners, and dragline components where manganese and high-chrome alloy grades provide wear resistance |
| 333120 | Construction Machinery Manufacturing | Construction Machinery Manufacturing purchases steel castings for excavator bucket teeth, loader arm components, and structural members where steel provides higher strength than iron castings for heavy-duty construction equipment |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 13.0% | 16 |
| 2 | Michigan | 12.2% | 15 |
| 3 | Ohio | 10.6% | 13 |
| 4 | Texas | 10.6% | 13 |
| 5 | California | 8.9% | 11 |
| 6 | Illinois | 8.1% | 10 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 8.1% | 10 |
| 8 | Washington | 5.7% | 7 |
| 9 | Minnesota | 4.1% | 5 |
| 10 | Iowa | 4.1% | 5 |
% Of Establishments
0%
13%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for steel foundries?
NAICS 331513 covers steel foundries producing castings through conventional sand and shell molding methods, excluding investment casting operations classified under NAICS 331512 per the U.S. Census Bureau[4].
What is the SBA size standard?
Per the SBA size standard[6], the threshold is 700 employees for federal small business contracting eligibility and SBA lending products for steel foundry operations excluding investment casting.
How large is the steel foundry industry?
Per Census Bureau[5] data, over 440 establishments employ roughly 12,000 workers generating more than $3.3 billion in annual revenue with payroll exceeding $670 million across carbon, alloy, and stainless steel casting production.
What are the primary end markets?
Railroad rolling stock, mining equipment, construction machinery, military vehicles, energy equipment, and heavy industrial machinery per Bureau of Labor Statistics[9] shipment data represent primary markets for conventional steel castings.
What steel grades are cast?
Carbon steel, low-alloy steel, stainless steel, manganese steel, and high-chrome wear-resistant alloys per Census Bureau[5] product classification, with grade selection determined by application requirements for strength, corrosion resistance, or wear properties.
What melting methods do steel foundries use?
Electric arc furnaces and induction furnaces dominate steel foundry melting per Census Bureau[5] process data, with computer-aided solidification modeling improving casting yield, reducing defects, and improve gating system design.
What environmental regulations apply?
The EPA[7] enforces NESHAP standards under 40 CFR Part 63 Subpart ZZZZZ for iron and steel foundries, regulating particulate, metallic, and organic hazardous air pollutant emissions from melting, pouring, and sand handling operations.
What safety standards apply?
OSHA[8] enforces a respirable crystalline silica permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter, heat stress prevention protocols, and molten metal handling safety requirements specific to steel foundry production environments.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [5]Census Bureau data.census.gov
- [6]SBA Table of Size Standards sba.gov
- [7]EPA epa.gov
- [8]OSHA osha.gov
- [9]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [10]SBA lending programs sba.gov
- [11]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [12]504 loans sba.gov
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