It is also known as plain carbon or non-alloy machine manufacturing steel. Manufacturing steel is non-alloy steels containing approximately 0.20-0.60% carbon. They are also referred to as carbon steel because of the high amount of carbon they contain. While the hardenability of the manufacturing steel increases parallel to the amount of carbon it contains, its toughness is inversely proportional to the amount of carbon. Low alloy steels are preferred in applications with higher hardenability expectations.

Manufacturing steels are frequently used in machine parts that do not require high strength. Using parts such as shafts, pins, gears, gear parts, bolts, axles; in the construction of vehicles, engines, machinery and apparatus; Production steel is used in hooks and die sets. In particular, the machinery manufacturing sector prefers manufacturing steels.

They have moderate mechanical properties depending on the amount of carbon. For high strength or thick parts, manufacturing steel is replaced by low alloy or alloy steels. Machining steel's machining and welding capabilities are lower compared to low carbon steels. It is also a steel group suitable for surface hardening. While cementation is applied to low carbon manufacturing steels (<0.25%), the surface of higher carbon manufacturing steels can be hardened by flame or induction.

Examples of manufacturing steels are SAE 1030, 1040, 1050, 1060 grades as well as equivalent grades such as C30, C40, C50 and C60. Manufacturing steel grades are often in demand with the addition of sulfur, since the processes of most parts where manufacturing steel is used include machining. It is possible to identify the manufacturing steels used as sulfur addition with names such as C30R, C40R, C50R, C60R. Sulfur addition is mostly standardized in the range of 0.020 - 0.035%.