Stainless Steel Properties
Stainless
steel is a type of alloy steel that resists rust and other forms of
corrosion and has an attractive appearance. Stainless steel contains chromium which provides the unique stainless and corrosion
resisting properties. Stainless steel has a
unique self-healing property. Due to the alloying elements used, a
thin, transparent layer is formed on the surface. In case the surface
is scratched or damaged otherwise, this thin layer, which is only a few
atoms thick, immediately rebuilds with the assistance of oxygen from
air or water. This is the reason why stainless steel does not require
any coating or other corrosion protection to remain bright and shiny
even after decades of use.
Stainless Steel Properties
Stainless steel products have many significant advantages over other metals:
- Resists corrosion
- Retains strength even at high temperatures
- Hygienic due to the smooth and minimally porous surface (useful for hospitals and food processing plants)
- Bright aesthetic appearance
- Easily machined, welded, formed and fabricated
- Usually non-magnetic - useful for aerospace applications
- Excellent fatigue and impact resistance - useful in automotive body building
- High resistance to shock at low and high temperatures
- Yields durable long-life products
Stainless Steel Machining
eMachineShop allows you to design custom stainless parts using: Bending ... Blanking ... Counter boring ... Counter sinking ... Drawing ... Drilling ... Fine blanking ... Surface Grinding ... Honing ... Laser Cutting ... Milling ... Photochemical Milling ... Plasma Cutting ... Reaming ... Band sawing ... Shearing ... Threading & Tapping ... Turret Punching ... Turning (lathe) ... Waterjet Cutting ... Welding and Wire EDM.
Applications of Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is often used in:
- Kitchens
- Restaurants
- Dairies
- Hospitals
- Aircraft
- Automotive
- Labs
- Chemical industry
- Pressure tanks
- Fasteners
- Architecture
- Construction
