Trade-verified steel grade properties, substitution verdicts, and mill-cert guidance for AI agents.
An MCP server providing steel domain knowledge to AI agents — grade properties, substitution verdicts, and mill-cert guidance, delivered as MCP tools your agent can call.
Also available as a REST API at https://api.steelbrain.dev.
Steel Brain is a Model Context Protocol server. It exposes three MCP tools, over remote streamable HTTP (no install) or local stdio:
| MCP Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
grade_lookup | Properties, chemistry, forms, applications, weldability for a steel grade. Aliases resolved (4140 = 42CrMo4 = SCM440; S355 = ST52). |
substitution_check | Given from_grade, to_grade, application, returns a verdict (valid / conditional / invalid) with reasoning on whether one grade can substitute another. |
cert_guide | Which mill certificate applies for a grade + use case (EN 10204 3.1/3.2, class certs ABS/DNV/LR/BV/NK) and what to check. |
Point any MCP client that supports streamable HTTP at:
https://api.steelbrain.dev/mcp
{
"mcpServers": {
"steel-brain": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.steelbrain.dev/mcp" }
}
}
Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http steel-brain https://api.steelbrain.dev/mcp
No API key needed. There is a shared daily cap to keep the server healthy.
pip install -r requirements.txt
python -m steel_brain.mcp_server
Starts the MCP server on stdio transport, ready for any MCP client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or any MCP-compatible agent).
{
"mcpServers": {
"steel-brain": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["-m", "steel_brain.mcp_server"]
}
}
}
Built with the official MCP SDK (mcp package), registering three tools via the standard MCP tool interface.
LLMs guess at steel. They will tell you 4140 annealed can stand in for 4140 pre-hardened, and scrap the job. Steel Brain answers from a human-verified knowledge base built by a working steel trader, and returns an honest "not in knowledge base" rather than a confident guess.
The valuable part is the substitution and cert logic:
23 grades across carbon, alloy, stainless. Round bar, hollow bar, plate, pipe. 39 substitution rules, 4 cert guides.
Same knowledge over REST at https://api.steelbrain.dev :
curl "https://api.steelbrain.dev/v1/grade/4140QT" -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY"
curl "https://api.steelbrain.dev/v1/substitution?from_grade=316L&to_grade=304L&application=machined" -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY"
Free tier at launch. Contact: dryow.jt@gmail.com
python -m pytest tests/ # 15 tests (10 acceptance + 5 domain-safety guards)
Code: MIT (see LICENSE). Knowledge base (kb/): proprietary (see NOTICE).
Source-derived launch command. Check the maintainer’s required arguments and credentials before running:
docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/dryow1/steel-brain:1.0.0Merge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-github-dryow1-steel-brain": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"ghcr.io/dryow1/steel-brain:1.0.0"
]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.
Claude Desktop setup referenceghcr.io/dryow1/steel-brain:1.0.0dockerSteel Brain works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect..vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect..mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.