Stainless steel remains very popular among metalworkers. A stainless steel fabricator takes stainless steel plate, sheets or bars/rods and alters the material to meet the specifications required by the customer. The work is demanding, no matter how sophisticated the technology. Understanding the steel family grades will help the fabricator perform his/her task successfully.
Basic Grades of Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is versatile. It is available in five grade families. These are:
1. Austenitic: Has both chromium and nickel. Is the most common commercial stainless steel available (70%)
2. Ferritic: Plain chromium steel (between 12 and 18%)without any other alloying elements
3. Duplex: Possess a moderate nickel content (4.5 to 8%) and a high chromium content (18 -28%) as well as (usually) molybdenum (2.5-4%)
4. Martensitic: The hardest and most abrasive plain chromium steel with high carbon content
5. Precipitation hardening: This type of stainless steel family may fall into the categories of austenitic, semi-austenitic or martensitic
Each possesses varying degrees of the following qualities that make this metal ideal for a stainless steel fabricator to work with. Advantageous properties of stainless steel are:
* Corrosion resistance – moderate (ferritic) to excellent (austenitic; duplex)
* Fair to excellent (duplex) stress corrosion resistant
* Magnetic (ferritic) except when annealed (austenitic)
* Poor (ferritic) to good (duplex) to excellent (austenitic) weldability
* Used in the annealed condition
* Ductile (austenitic; duplex)
* Hygienic (austenitic)
* Good performance at high and low temperatures (austenitic)
Stainless Steel Fabricator
To be a good fabricator in stainless steel requires more than learning. It demands experience, skill and eventual mastery of different techniques. If the final product is to satisfy the customer, the fabricator must be able to weld, braze, solder, stamp, punch or roll the stainless steel plate or bar according to specifications. A stainless steel fabricator must always consider the properties of the material and its intended application but also always needs to be fully aware of the demands of the client including cost-effectiveness of the process.
