Carbon steel plate, one of the most widely used metal materials in modern industry, is composed of iron as its base and carbon as its primary alloying element. Its adjustable strength, excellent workability, and high cost-effectiveness have made it ubiquitous in numerous fields, including construction, machinery, automotive, and energy. From everyday steel structures to core components of heavy machinery, carbon steel plate has always played a crucial role as the "cornerstone of industry." This article will begin with its definition and classification, systematically analyzing its performance characteristics, production processes, and application scenarios, and also provide an outlook on industry development trends, providing a comprehensive reference for practitioners and enthusiasts.

1. Definition and Core Classification of Carbon Steel Plate
Carbon steel plate is essentially an iron-carbon alloy sheet with a carbon content between 0.0218% and 2.11% (exceeding this range is cast iron or pure iron). The carbon content directly determines its mechanical properties, while processing techniques and applications further refine product types. The main classification methods currently used in the industry are as follows:
1. Classification by Carbon Content (Core Classification)
Carbon content is a key indicator affecting the strength, hardness, and ductility of carbon steel plates. This classification is directly related to the material's application scenarios:

Low-carbon steel plates: Carbon content ≤ 0.25%. Core properties include good ductility, excellent weldability, and high toughness, but relatively low strength. Typical applications include automotive bodies, steel structures, pipelines, and various containers. These applications require high formability and welding stability, making low-carbon steel a perfect fit.
Medium-carbon steel plates: Carbon content ranges from 0.25% to 0.60%. Strength and hardness are moderate, and ductility is superior to that of high-carbon steel. Heat treatment (such as quenching and tempering) can further enhance mechanical properties. They are commonly used in mechanical components such as gears, shafts, connecting rods, and bearing seats, requiring a balance between strength and workability. High-carbon steel plate: Carbon content > 0.60%, exhibits high hardness and strong wear resistance, but has poor plasticity and weldability, and is prone to brittle cracking under stress or in low-temperature environments. It is primarily used in applications requiring extremely high hardness and wear resistance, such as cutting tools, molds, springs, and wear-resistant linings.
2. Classification by Rolling Process
The rolling process determines the surface quality, dimensional accuracy, and internal structure of carbon steel plate. It is primarily categorized into hot-rolled and cold-rolled types, with significant differences between the two types:

Hot-rolled carbon steel plate: Produced from billets subjected to high-temperature rolling exceeding 1000°C, resulting in the formation of iron oxide scale (commonly known as "black scale") on the surface. Dimensional tolerances are relatively wide (thickness deviations typically range from ±0.3mm to ±1mm). However, it offers low production costs and excellent toughness, making it suitable for structural parts requiring less-critical precision, such as factory columns, bridge beams, and construction machinery chassis. Cold-rolled carbon steel plate: Made from hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled at room temperature (below the recrystallization temperature of steel) produces a smooth, scale-free surface with extremely high dimensional accuracy (thickness deviation can be controlled within ±0.02mm to ±0.1mm). Its hardness is slightly higher than that of hot-rolled plate. It can also be further processed into galvanized and color-coated steel. It is primarily used in products requiring stringent surface quality and dimensional accuracy, such as automotive panels, home appliance housings, and precision instrument casings.
3. Classification by Application
Based on the specific needs of downstream applications, carbon steel plate can be further divided into various specialized types for greater targeted application:

Structural carbon steel plate: Primarily low-carbon steel, it complies with the national standard GB/T 700 (such as the common Q235 steel). Its core features are excellent weldability and impact resistance. It is primarily used in structural components such as building steel structures, communication towers, and containers that are subject to long-term loads and frequent welding. Tool carbon steel plate: Primarily made of high-carbon steel, such as T8 and T10 steel, it undergoes a quenching and tempering treatment before leaving the factory to increase hardness. Suitable for hand tools (such as wrenches and hammers), stamping dies, shearing dies, and other tools that come into direct contact with the workpiece.

Special-purpose carbon steel plate: This plate is formulated to meet specific environmental requirements by adjusting its composition (by adding small amounts of alloying elements such as Mn and Si) or optimizing its processing. For example, weathering carbon steel plate offers resistance to atmospheric corrosion and is used in products exposed to the elements, such as outdoor billboards and containers. Boiler carbon steel plate (compliant with GB/T 713, such as Q345R) can withstand high temperatures and high pressures and is a core material for thermal power plant boilers and chemical reactors.

II. Core Performance Characteristics of Carbon Steel Plate: Advantages and Limitations
The widespread use of carbon steel plate stems from its balanced performance profile, but it also has inherent shortcomings, requiring careful selection based on specific scenarios. 1. Core Advantages
High Performance Adjustability: By adjusting the carbon content and heat treatment processes (annealing, quenching, normalizing, etc.), performance can be adjusted from "easily bendable low-carbon steel" to "knife-hard high-carbon steel," adapting to varying load requirements. For example, low-carbon steel (such as Q255) used in automotive chassis requires impact resistance, and annealing can enhance its toughness. Medium-carbon steel (such as 45 steel) used in machine tool spindles requires high-strength support. Through quenching and tempering (quenching followed by high-temperature tempering), the hardness can be increased to HB220-250, achieving a balance of strength and toughness.
Excellent Processability: Low-carbon steel sheet can be easily welded, stamped, and bent. Automakers often stamp complex shapes such as doors and hoods from cold-rolled low-carbon steel sheet. Medium-carbon steel sheet can be machined into precision parts. Even high-carbon steel sheet, which has poor ductility, can be reduced in brittleness through preheating, meeting simple forming requirements. Outstanding Economical Performance: Carbon steel plate's raw materials (iron ore and coke) are abundant, and its production process (blast furnace ironmaking - converter steelmaking - rolling) is mature. It also eliminates the need for the addition of large amounts of expensive alloying elements. Its cost is only 1/3 to 1/2 that of stainless steel and 1/4 to 1/3 that of aluminum alloy, making it ideal for large-scale industrial applications and the preferred material for cost-sensitive applications.

Stable Mechanical Properties: At room temperature, carbon steel plate exhibits minimal fluctuations in strength and toughness, providing high long-term reliability. For example, Q355 carbon steel plate used in construction can withstand decades of load without deformation, ensuring the long-term safe operation of large structures.

2. Major Limitations
Poor Corrosion Resistance: Carbon steel plate is susceptible to electrochemical corrosion (rust) in humid, acidic, and alkaline environments. Without anti-corrosion treatment, this will gradually destroy the material structure and shorten its service life. For example, untreated bridge steel plate will show noticeable rust after 5 to 10 years in outdoor environments. Therefore, treatments such as painting, galvanizing, and plastic spraying are necessary to extend its lifespan. Insufficient Low-Temperature Toughness: The higher the carbon content, the more pronounced the brittleness of carbon steel plates at low temperatures (below -20°C), making them more susceptible to "cold brittle fracture," posing a threat to structural safety. Therefore, structural components in cold regions (such as northern bridges and polar vessels) require the use of low-carbon steel with excellent low-temperature toughness (such as Q235ND, with an impact energy of ≥34J at -40°C) to avoid the risk of fracture in low-temperature environments.

High Weight Density: The density of carbon steel plates is approximately 7.85g/cm³, significantly higher than that of aluminum alloys (2.7g/cm³) and composite materials (1.5-2.0g/cm³). In applications with high lightweighting demands (such as new energy vehicles and aerospace), the use of carbon steel plates alone increases product weight, requiring their combination with other lightweight materials to balance performance and weight.

III. Carbon Steel Plate Production Process: From Iron Ore to Finished Plate
Carbon steel plate production is a highly continuous and automated process, with core steps including ironmaking, steelmaking, rolling, heat treatment, and finishing. Each step directly impacts the quality of the final product. 1. Ironmaking: Preparing Pig Iron (Raw Material Pretreatment)
Raw materials: Primarily iron ore (primarily composed of Fe₂O₃, providing the iron element), coke (which serves as both a fuel and a reducing agent), and limestone (a slag-forming agent, used to remove impurities from the iron ore).
Process: These three raw materials are added to a blast furnace in specific proportions. At a high temperature of approximately 1500°C, the coke reacts with oxygen to produce carbon monoxide, which reduces the iron in the iron ore, ultimately producing pig iron (with a carbon content of 2.11% to 4.3%, along with impurities such as sulfur and phosphorus). During this process, the limestone reacts with impurities (such as silica) to form slag. Slag has a lower density than the molten iron and floats on the surface, eventually being discharged from the blast furnace.
Product: Pig iron (also known as "crude iron"), which has a high carbon and impurity content and cannot be used directly in carbon steel plate production. Further steelmaking processes are required to adjust its composition. 2. Steelmaking: Adjusting Composition and Reducing Carbon Content
Mainstream equipment: BOF (accounting for over 70% of global steelmaking capacity) and electric furnace (using scrap steel as the primary feedstock, which is more environmentally friendly).
BOF steelmaking process: Pig iron and scrap steel are added to the BOF in appropriate proportions. High-pressure pure oxygen (≥99.5% purity) is introduced. This oxygen reacts with impurities such as carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus in the pig iron to oxidize the carbon content, reducing it to the target range of 0.0218%–2.11%. This also removes most harmful impurities such as sulfur (≤0.05%) and phosphorus (≤0.045%). Alloying materials such as ferromanganese and ferrosilicon are then added to adjust the steel's composition, ultimately producing molten steel with acceptable composition.
Electric furnace steelmaking process: Using scrap steel as the primary feedstock, the scrap steel is melted using high temperatures (reaching over 2000°C) generated by an electric arc. Oxygen blowing and the addition of slag-forming agents are then used to remove carbon and sulfur, ultimately producing molten steel. This process eliminates the need for blast furnace ironmaking, resulting in lower carbon emissions and suitable for regions with high environmental protection requirements (such as Europe). It can also produce high-purity carbon steel plates.
3. Rolling: Converting Molten Steel into Plates (Core Forming)
Rolling is the key step in converting molten steel into steel plates. Depending on the rolling temperature, it is divided into two major processes: hot rolling and cold rolling.

Hot Rolling Process:
Continuous Casting: Molten steel is poured into a continuous casting machine, where it cools and solidifies into a "billet" (typically 150-300mm thick and 6-12m long), ensuring uniform steel formation.
Heating: The billet is fed into a heating furnace and heated at 1100-1250°C to soften it for subsequent rolling.
Rough Rolling: The softened billet enters a reversing mill, where it is rolled down to a thickness of 20-50mm through multiple passes. The intermediate billet undergoes preliminary shaping of the steel slab.

Finishing rolling: The intermediate billet enters a finishing mill consisting of multiple tandem rolling mills, where it is gradually rolled to the target thickness (1.2-200mm) while simultaneously controlling the width and surface quality of the steel plate.

Cooling and coiling: After finishing rolling, the hot-rolled plate undergoes a laminar cooling system (water spraying) to control its internal structure. The coiler then winds it into a hot-rolled coil for easy storage and transportation. Cold Rolling Process:
Pickling: The hot-rolled steel coil is placed in a pickling tank, where hydrochloric or sulfuric acid is used to remove surface oxide scale (if not removed, it will scratch the steel plate during rolling).
Cold Rolling: The pickled steel coil is then passed through a multi-stand continuous rolling mill, where it is rolled at room temperature. This process reduces the thickness to 0.15-3mm, while improving surface smoothness and dimensional accuracy.
Annealing: During the cold rolling process, the steel plate undergoes "work hardening" (increased hardness and decreased plasticity). This requires heating in an annealing furnace (700-800°C) to restore plasticity and refine the grain size, ensuring it meets subsequent processing requirements.
Smoothing: The annealed steel plate may exhibit surface defects such as ripples. Light rolling on a smoothing mill eliminates these defects and further controls the plate's shape, ultimately resulting in a qualified cold-rolled steel plate. 4. Finishing: Ensuring Product Quality

Cutting: Based on customer requirements, steel coils are cut into fixed-length steel plates (such as the common 1500mm x 6000mm) or into custom-sized, shaped pieces using CNC cutting equipment.

Inspection: Product quality is ensured through a variety of testing methods, including ultrasonic testing (to detect internal defects such as cracks and inclusions), mechanical property testing (tensile, impact, and hardness testing to verify strength and toughness), and surface quality inspection (manual or machine vision to detect surface cracks, pitting, and other issues).

Anti-corrosion Treatment: Depending on the application requirements, steel plates are treated with anti-corrosion treatments such as galvanizing (hot-dip galvanizing or electroplating) and painting (epoxy paint or polyurethane paint) to enhance corrosion resistance and extend product life. IV. Carbon Steel Plate Applications: Penetrating Industry and Consumer Life
Carbon steel plate is used in nearly every industrial sector, from heavy structures to precision parts, from infrastructure to everyday items. Its applications are ubiquitous:
1. Construction and Steel Structures (approximately 30%)
The core requirements for carbon steel plate in this sector are high strength, good weldability, and low cost. Low-carbon steel and medium-low-carbon steel are primarily used:

Factories and Stadiums: Columns and beams in steel structures are often made of Q235B and Q355B hot-rolled plates, which have excellent weldability and can support the weight of factory equipment. The trusses in stadium domes must withstand low temperatures, so Q355ND low-temperature toughness steel is often used to prevent fractures caused by low temperatures in winter.
Bridges and Tunnels: The main beams of highway and railway bridges must withstand repeated vehicle loads, so Q345q and Q370q bridge-specific steel plates are used for their excellent fatigue resistance. The cutterhead linings of tunnel boring machines must resist rock and soil abrasion, so Q460 is used. High-strength steel plates improve wear resistance and service life.
High-rise buildings: The frame columns and supports of steel structures must be earthquake-resistant. Q355GJ high-strength steel is selected. Its high yield strength and excellent ductility allow it to absorb energy during earthquakes, ensuring building safety. 2. Machinery Manufacturing (approximately 25%)
The performance requirements for carbon steel plates in the machinery manufacturing sector vary depending on the function of the parts, requiring targeted selection:

General Machinery: Machine tool beds and spindles require both strength and stability. 45 medium-carbon steel plates are selected. After tempering, they achieve a balance of hardness and toughness, allowing them to withstand the vibrations of machining operations. Gearbox gears require wear resistance. 40Cr alloyed carbon steel plates (carbon steel with a small amount of Cr added) are selected to improve surface hardness and wear resistance.
Heavy Machinery: Excavator buckets and bulldozer track shoes require resistance to severe impact and wear. Q690 high-strength, wear-resistant carbon steel plates are selected. With a tensile strength exceeding 690 MPa, they can withstand the compression and friction of rock and soil. Crane booms require increased load-bearing capacity while maintaining a lightweight design. Q690 or Q960 ultra-high-strength steel plates are selected, reducing weight compared to traditional steel plates. 20%-30%;
Agricultural machinery: Tractor chassis need to be impact-resistant, so Q275 low-carbon steel plate is used, as it has good weldability and is resistant to breakage. Plowshares need to be wear-resistant, so high-carbon steel plate is quenched to ensure resistance to wear during tillage.
3. Automotive Industry (approximately 20%)
The automotive industry's demand for carbon steel plate focuses on lightweighting (reducing fuel consumption), high strength (improving safety), and high surface finish. Cold-rolled low-carbon steel and high-strength low-carbon steel are the primary choices:

Body components: Doors, hoods, and trunk lids require excellent formability. Cold-rolled low-carbon steel plates (such as DC01 and DC03) are used, allowing for complex curved surfaces to be formed through stamping. The body frame is the core of crash safety and is constructed from 22MnB5 hot-formed high-strength steel. High-temperature stamping followed by quenching yields a strength of up to 1500 MPa, effectively protecting the passenger compartment in a collision.

Chassis components: Frame longitudinal and cross members must withstand vehicle weight and road impact. Q345 hot-rolled high-strength steel plates are selected, offering excellent fatigue resistance to prevent cracking after long-term use. Wheel hubs require welded attachment. Q255 low-carbon steel plates are selected for their excellent weldability and lightweight properties.

Commercial vehicles: Truck bed panels require slip resistance and wear resistance. Q345 hot-rolled patterned steel plate. The pattern on its surface increases friction between the cargo and the base plate, preventing it from sliding during transport.
4. Energy and Chemical Industry (approximately 15%)
This sector places high emphasis on carbon steel plate.

Core requirements are high-pressure and high-temperature resistance, and some applications also require a certain degree of corrosion resistance. For this reason, specialized carbon steel plates are primarily used:

Petrochemical: Oil pipelines and storage tanks require sealing and weldability. Q235B and Q345R container-specific steel plates are selected, and their sealing must be verified by a hydrostatic test before shipment. Towers in refining and chemical equipment operate in high-temperature environments below 350°C. Q345R or Q420R steel plates, which offer excellent high-temperature strength, are selected.

Power Industry: Boiler drums in thermal power plants must withstand high-temperature, high-pressure steam (temperatures exceeding 300°C and pressures exceeding 10 MPa). Q345R and Q460R boiler steel plates, rigorously verified for their high-temperature and high-pressure resistance, are selected. Wind farm towers must withstand low temperatures and strong winds outdoors. Q345ND low-temperature steel plates are selected to prevent brittle fracture caused by low temperatures in winter.

Nuclear Power: Nuclear power plant containment support structures require low radiation sensitivity and high purity. Q345R and Q370R are selected. Steel plates, by controlling alloying element and impurity content, reduce the impact of radiation on material properties and ensure nuclear power safety.
5. Consumer Goods and Other Sectors (approximately 10%)
In the consumer goods sector, the application of carbon steel plates is closely related to daily life:

Home Appliances: Refrigerator housings and washing machine drums require a smooth surface and rust resistance. Cold-rolled low-carbon steel plates are selected. Phosphating and plastic spraying are applied to the surface for both aesthetics and rust resistance.

Containers: Liquefied gas tanks and fire buckets require sealing and strength. Q235B cold-rolled steel plates are selected. After welding, they must pass airtightness tests to ensure no leaks.

Hardware: Security doors and guardrails require impact resistance and rust resistance. Hot-rolled low-carbon steel plates are selected. After welding and forming, they are sprayed with anti-rust paint to ensure both safety and durability. V. Carbon Steel Plate Selection and Maintenance: Avoid Risks and Extend Lifespan
1. Key Points for Selection
Clear Application: Determine the type of carbon steel plate based on the application scenario. For example, weather-resistant carbon steel plate is recommended for outdoor structures, carbon steel plate is recommended for precision machinery parts, and low-carbon steel plate is recommended for welded structural parts. This will avoid performance mismatches caused by incorrect plate selection.
Verification Standards: Prioritize those that comply with national standards (such as GB/T 700 for ordinary carbon structural steel, GB/T 713 for boiler and pressure vessel steel plates, and GB/T 1591 for low-alloy high-strength structural steel) or international standards (such as EN 10025 for European standards, ASTM A36 for welded structural parts, and ASTM A36 for welded structural parts). For products that meet U.S. standards, suppliers are required to provide material certificates to verify that the chemical composition (such as carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus content) and mechanical properties (such as yield strength, tensile strength, and impact energy) meet the standards. This will help avoid purchasing substandard, low-quality steel plates.

Quality Inspection: Visually inspect the steel plate surface. Cold-rolled steel should be smooth and free of scale, cracks, or pitting. Hot-rolled steel is permitted to have slight scale, but must be free of obvious cracks and inclusions. For critical applications (such as boilers and pressure vessels), third-party testing agencies can be commissioned to conduct ultrasonic testing or mechanical property re-inspections.

Specifications: Determine steel plate thickness based on load calculations. For example, building beams should use 12-20mm thick steel plates based on the load to avoid structural deformation due to insufficient thickness. Also, pay attention to dimensional tolerances. For precision machining, cold-rolled plate (with tighter dimensional tolerances) is preferred. For bulky structural parts, hot-rolled plate (with lower cost) can be used. 2. Daily Maintenance Tips
Anti-corrosion Treatment: Untreated carbon steel plates should be promptly coated with an anti-rust primer and topcoat after installation. For outdoor use, repainting is recommended every 3-5 years. Repainting intervals should be shortened in high-salt spray environments, such as at the seaside. In humid or acidic or alkaline environments, galvanized carbon steel plates are preferred, or cathodic protection can be applied to ordinary carbon steel plates (for example, sacrificial anodes can be used to mitigate corrosion in buried pipelines).
Cleaning and Maintenance: Regularly remove dust, oil, and salt from the steel plate surface (especially in coastal environments) to prevent accumulation of impurities that accelerate corrosion. Use clean water or a neutral detergent for cleaning, avoiding strong acid or alkaline solutions to prevent damage to the surface anti-corrosion coating.
Storage: Carbon steel plates should be stored in a dry, ventilated room or under a rain shelter, with the bottom elevated with wooden blocks. Height ≥ 10cm) to prevent direct contact of steel plates with the ground and moisture. Steel plates of different specifications and types should be stacked separately to prevent deformation caused by squeezing. They should also be labeled for easy access.

Damage Repair: If localized rust is found on a steel plate, first sand it with sandpaper or a wire brush to remove the rust. After revealing the natural metal color, apply anti-rust paint and a topcoat. If the steel plate exhibits minor deformation (such as wavy lines on the surface of cold-rolled steel), mechanical correction (such as a flattener) can be used to restore the plate's shape. Avoid forceful impacts that may cause cracking. If internal cracks or severe corrosion are found, the steel plate should be replaced promptly to prevent structural damage. VI. Carbon Steel Plate Industry Development Trends: Green, High-End, and Intelligent

With industrial upgrades and heightened environmental protection requirements, the carbon steel plate industry is shedding its traditional label of "high energy consumption and low added value" and accelerating its transformation toward "cost reduction, quality improvement, and low carbon emissions." The core trends are as follows:
1. Green Production: Reducing Carbon Emissions and Promoting Sustainable Development
Process Optimization: Promoting "short-process steelmaking" (electric furnace + scrap steel) can reduce carbon emissions by 60%-80% compared to the traditional "long-process steelmaking" (blast furnace + converter). Currently, over 50% of steel is produced in electric furnaces in Europe. China plans to increase this to 25% by 2030, gradually reducing its reliance on blast furnace ironmaking.
Clean energy substitution: Exploring the use of natural gas and hydrogen to replace coke as reducing agents in ironmaking. For example, Baowu Group has piloted "hydrogen shaft furnace" ironmaking technology. By reducing iron ore with hydrogen, carbon emissions can be reduced by over 90%, and it is expected to become the mainstream technology for low-carbon ironmaking in the future.
Recycling: Improving scrap steel recovery and utilization rates. Currently, China's scrap steel utilization rate is approximately 30%, lower than the 60%-70% in developed countries. By improving the scrap steel recycling system and enhancing scrap steel pre-treatment technologies, the goal is to increase the scrap steel utilization rate to 50% by 2035, thereby reducing iron ore and energy consumption. 2. High-end Products: Breaking Performance Limits and Seizing High-Value-Added Markets
High-Strength: Developing ultra-high-strength carbon steel plates (tensile strength ≥960MPa), focusing on applications in new energy vehicles and construction machinery, achieving the goal of "thin instead of thick." For example, new energy vehicles using 1500MPa hot-formed steel for their body frames can reduce weight by 30% compared to traditional 450MPa steel while also improving crash safety.
Functional Integration: Empowering carbon steel plates with more functionalities through coating technology or alloying optimization. For example, developing aluminum-zinc alloy-coated carbon steel plates offers corrosion resistance 2-3 times that of ordinary galvanized steel, suitable for use in high-salt spray environments at seaside locations. Alternatively, micro-alloyed carbon steel plates, with trace amounts of alloying elements such as Nb, V, and Ti, can be created to enhance strength without compromising ductility, meeting the demands of high-end mechanical parts.
Customized Production: Developing specialized carbon steel plates to meet the specific needs of niche markets. For example, we develop ultra-low-temperature tough carbon steel plates with a temperature of -60°C for polar vessels, low-radiation-sensitivity carbon steel plates for nuclear power equipment, and high-pressure corrosion-resistant carbon steel plates for deep-sea oil and gas platforms. These efforts enhance product added value through tailor-made solutions. 3. Intelligent Upgrades: Improving Production Efficiency and Ensuring Product Quality
Automated Rolling: Developing "dark factories" (unmanned workshops) uses AI algorithms to adjust rolling parameters (such as temperature, pressure, and rolling speed) in real time. For example, a cold rolling production line at Baosteel has achieved full process automation, achieving dimensional accuracy of ±0.01mm, increasing production efficiency by 20%, and reducing scrap rates to below 0.5%.
Digital Twin: Developing a digital model of the entire carbon steel plate production process, mapping process parameters and equipment status for steelmaking, rolling, heat treatment, and other steps into a virtual system in real time. Through simulation, potential defects (such as internal cracks and dimensional deviations) in the production process can be predicted, allowing process parameters to be adjusted in advance to reduce scrap rates.
Intelligent Inspection: Using machine vision to replace manual surface quality inspection. Using high-definition cameras and AI recognition algorithms, surface defect detection can be completed on a square meter of steel plate within one second, achieving inspection efficiency 5-10 times that of manual inspection. Furthermore, ultrasonic flaw detection robots are being promoted to automate the detection of internal defects in steel plates, ensuring consistent product quality throughout each batch. Conclusion
As a fundamental material in the industrial system, carbon steel plate's diverse performance and economic efficiency ensure its irreplaceable position for a long time to come. From traditional building steel structures to high-end steel for new energy vehicles, and from energy-intensive traditional production to low-carbon smart factories, the carbon steel plate industry is constantly breaking through its limitations through technological innovation, adapting to a wider range of advanced applications.

For practitioners, understanding the classification logic, performance characteristics, and application boundaries of carbon steel plate is the foundation for accurate selection and cost reduction, and is also key to grasping industry trends. For the industry, green, high-end, and intelligent development are not only policy requirements but also the inevitable path to breaking through resource constraints and enhancing international competitiveness. In the future, carbon steel plate will no longer be just a "cornerstone of industry" but will become a "high-end material" that drives industrial upgrading and provides core support for the sustainable development of the global manufacturing industry.