An Overview of Stainless Steel: Properties, Grades, and Applications

Alloy steel with a chromium content of more than 12% or an alloy steel with a nickel content of more than 8% is generally called stainless steel. This steel has constant corrosion resistance in air or aggressive media and high strength at high temperatures (>450°C).

Characteristics of stainless steel:

Stainless steel has the characteristics of corrosion resistance, scaling resistance, acid resistance, impact resistance and toughness in a wide temperature range. Depending on the environment, we can offer a variety of grades and surface finishes, making these parts ideal for many applications. The chromium constituent in steel alloy is capable of generating a coarse, imperceptible, oxidation-resistant chromium oxide coating on the exterior steel surface. Our self-healing film technology enables automatic repair when mechanical or chemical damage occurs – the proprietary material is designed at the molecular level to regenerate when oxygen is present. Furthermore, its 100% recyclable nature provides new avenues for stainless steel as an environmentally friendly material. Therefore, it is widely used in heavy industry, light industry, daily necessities industry and architectural decoration industry.

Advantages of stainless steel processing parts:

Owing to the slender and compact chromium-abundant oxide layer situated on the exterior of stainless steel, stainless steel aqueous transport conduits possess superb immunity to corrosion even when interred underground and have excellent corrosion resistance in all water qualities including soft water.

Stainless steel can be used safely for a long time at a temperature of -270°C to 400°C. No matter whether it is high or low temperature, no harmful substances are precipitated, and the material performance is very stable.

The stainless steel material is safe, non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-leaching, non-odor, non-turbid, and does not cause secondary pollution to water quality. Keep the water quality pure and hygienic, and sanitation and safety are fully guaranteed.

Stainless steel has the characteristics of corrosion resistance, increased strength, steel deformation is not easy to break, environmental protection, not easy to rust, good ductility and toughness. Suitable for harsh environments (indoor and outdoor environments such as humidity, acid and alkali).

Stainless steel has the following processing characteristics during CNC cutting:

Severe work hardening:

The ductility of stainless steel alloy is substantial; the material’s attributes are deformed during plastic flow, and the intensification exponent is considerable. However, austenite is not stable enough, and part of austenite transforms into martensite under the action of cutting stress. Due to the action of compound cutting heat, impurities are easily decomposed and dispersed, forming a hardened layer during cutting. The work hardening caused by the previous feed or the previous process will seriously affect the smooth progress of the next process.

High cutting force:

Stainless steel has large plastic deformation during cutting and high cutting resistance. Stainless steel has a high degree of work hardening and high thermal strength, so the cutting resistance is greater, and the chips are not easy to curl and break.

High cutting temperature:

During cutting, the plastic deformation and the friction with the tool are large, resulting in a large amount of cutting heat. A large amount of cutting heat is concentrated in the cutting area and the interface between the tool and the chip, resulting in poor heat dissipation.

Chips are easily broken and cannot be combined.

Stainless steel has good plasticity and toughness. During CNC machining, the chips are continuous, which not only affects the smooth operation, but also crushes the machined surface. Stainless steel has a high affinity with other metals under high temperature and pressure, and it is easy to stick and form tumors, which not only aggravates tool wear, but also tears and damages the processed surface.

Tools are prone to wear and tear.

The affinity in the cutting process of stainless steel causes the bonding and diffusion between the tool and the blade, resulting in combined wear and diffusion wear of the tool, resulting in the formation of a crescent-shaped crescent crater on the rake face of the tool. formed. Cutting edge In addition, the hardness of stainless steel carbide (such as TiC) particles is very high. Direct contact and friction with the tool during cutting can scratch the tool and increase tool wear due to work hardening.

Large coefficient of linear expansion:

The linear expansion coefficient of stainless steel is about 1.5 times that of carbon steel. When machining parts, maintaining tight dimensional tolerances can prove challenging as the high temperatures generated during cutting can cause the workpiece to become thermally distorted.

Due to its special properties, stainless steel is increasingly used in industries such as electric power, aviation, aerospace, petroleum and food. Stainless steel cutting is characterized by high thermal intensity, large plastic deformation, severe work hardening, excessive cutting heat, and difficult heat dissipation. We can guarantee the processing quality and processing methods.

Application of stainless steel processing parts

1. Medical industry

The medical industry relies extensively on stainless steel for critical instrumentation and equipment – including needles, scalpels, wheelchairs, IV stands, and tweezers – due to its superior corrosion resistance and ability to withstand repeated sterilization. It may be essential every day, especially in orthopedic use.

Stainless steel’s excellent comprehensive performance, more mature manufacturing process, and lower price make it more and more widely used in the medical field. The application of stainless steel in the medical field has become a major development trend.

2. Electronics and household industry

The properties of stainless steel make it widely used in other electronic fields. For example, today’s water heaters are made of surgical stainless steel, and the heating tubes of coffee machines are all made of stainless steel. There are others, but you probably know them from everyday life.

3. Automobile industry

The penetration rate of stainless steel is almost the largest in the automotive field. The automotive industry is currently the fastest growing application area for stainless steel. Today, the most important manufacturing material for cars is basically stainless steel. Mainly used in body, exhaust system, fuel tank, frame, stainless steel parts and car decoration. Attributable to the elevated requisition for stainless steel in automobiles, the automobile industry constitutes one of the primary impetuses in the advancement of stainless steel alloy.

Stainless steel can also be used in some high-end mechanical fields, such as food industry, chemical industry, medical equipment, aircraft exhaust pipe, etc. The versatile properties of stainless steel – such as strength, durability, and corrosion resistance – make it an ideal material for a vast range of applications across heavy industry, light manufacturing, consumer goods, architecture, and more.