stainless steel? Stainless steel can be fabricated using techniques such as lathes, milling machines, welding torches, laser machining centers, stamping presses, centerless grinding, swaging, forming machines, electrical discharge machining, and more.
Stainless Steel
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What exactly is the
difference between stainless and ORDINARY steel? All steel is carbon based, but stainless steel contains chromium at 10% or more by weight. Steel is susceptible to rust, an active iron oxide film that forms when steel is exposed to air and moisture. This iron oxide film is active and accelerates corrosion by forming more iron oxide. Stainless steel does not rust, or is non-corrosive, because of passivity. Passivity is when chromium forms a passive film of chromium oxide to repair the surface layer and prevent further corrosion. What are the characteristics of stainless steel? Stainless steels non-corrosive characteristic gives it a long lifespan. With the addition of nickel, the material survives even longer and in several types of environments. By adding molybdenum and nitrogen, stainless gains improved pitting and crevice corrosion resistance. Stainless steel has a high strengthto-weight ratio even at high temperatures. Adding alloys to stainless steel helps it resist heat and scaling. Stainless steel is easy to clean because the surface is non-porous. It is well suited for medical and food-grade applications because it prevents the absorption of bacteria and germs. Stainless steel does not stain and can be polished to create an aesthetic appearance. How do you classify different types of stainlesssteel? Stainless steels are classified according to their metallurgical structure: austenitic, ferritic, marSponsored by Eagle Stainless
tenistic, precipitation hardening,
and duplex. Austenitic stainless steels contain chromium and nickel. They are hardened only though cold working and are non-magnetic although some may become magnetic by cold working. Austenitic stainless steels are identified as T300 series stainless steels (typical alloys T304, T316). Alloys containing chromium, nickel, and manganese are identified as T200 series (T201, T202). Ferritic stainless steels are straight chromium. They are magnetic, have good ductility, and resist corrosion and oxidation. Ferritic stainless steels cannot be hardened by heat treatment and are identified as T400 series (T409, T430). Martenistic stainless steels are also straight chromium but can be hardened by heat treatment. They are magnetic and resist corrosion in mild environments. They have fairly good ductility and some can be heat treated to tensile strengths in excess of 200,000 psi. Martenistic stainless steels are identified as T400 series (T410, T416). Precipitation-hardening stainless steels are chromium-nickel types identified as alloys T17-4 or T17-7 PH. They can be hardened by solution treating and aging. Duplex stainless steels have an annealed structure which is typically equal parts of austenite and ferrite. The duplex grades are highly resistant to corrosion and pitting. They have about twice the yield strength of conventional grades. T2205 is the standard alloy for duplex grade.
What typical applications
are suitable for each seriesof stainless? Applications for stainless steel can vary but some common examples include cookware, cutlery, sinks, aerospace components, medical device instruments, oil and gas lines, beverage applications, or laboratory instruments. Stainless steel is a good choice for applications where corrosion and heat resistance are important in material selection. More specifically, austenitic stainless steels are used for food equipment, chemical equipment, and architectural applications. Ferritic stainless steels are used for appliance trim and cooking utensils. Martenistic stainless steels are used for fasteners and pump shafts. Precipitation hardening stainless steels are used for valves, gears, and petrochemical equipment. And duplex stainless steels are used across applications similar to austenitic and ferritic stainless steels. Examples include marine environments and pollution control equipment What forms does stainless steel come in besides sheet? Stainless steel is also available in bar, wire, tubing, pipe, and plate form. How do you harden stainless steel? Some types of stainless steel can be hardened through heat treatment while other types need to be cold worked. Examples of cold working include swaging or drawing.
Why is fabricated stainless
steel treated with oxidizing chemicals? Iron particles or other substances can become embedded in the stainless surface during fabrication or polishing operations. These particles must be removed or else they will cause discoloration, rusting, or even pitting. Oxidizing chemicals are used to form a passive layer along the surface of stainless steel to enhance resistance to corrosion. This process is the final preparation for stainless steel parts. It consists of immersing the parts in a nitric acid solution, rinsing with clear running water, and drying. If the part is too large to submerge in a chemical bath, how can you tell ifall areas of the part have been treated? If immersion of the stainless steel piece is impractical due to size, the acid solution may be applied with a suitable swab and removed by rinsing with water. There are several tests which can be performed on the oversized part to determine passivity such as a high humidity test, salt spray test, copper sulfate test or free iron test. Why choose stainless steelover aluminum? Both stainless steel and aluminum have benefits and weaknesses. Stainless steel is often chosen for applications that require corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and high strength to weight ratio. Aluminum is chosen over stainless steel when the application requires less weight. The same part made from aluminum versus stainless steel is one-third the weight. This is why aluminum is well suited for applications such as airplanes.
ISO 9001 AS 9100 ISO 13485
EAGLE STAINLESS Tube & Fabrication, Inc.
CNC / Swiss machining
Specializing in CNC machining for more than two decades, Eagle Stainless has been delivering some of the most intricately machined part imaginable. Working in diameters ranging from .030 to 2, were ready to meet the requirements of your most demanding application!
Laser welding/cutting - Eagles
computer controlled laser welding equipment (laser center shown above) enables us to produce extremely close-tolerance cutting, notching, etching and welding operations. Cut-to-length tubing - Eagle can cut and de-burr any diameter tubing in quantities from 1 piece to 100,000 pieces or more from lengths on .040 and longer with a tolerance of .005 as standard on diameters of less than 1. Closer tolerances are met quite often. Talk to us!
Flaring and reductions
Flaring and end reduction of tubing is an every day precision process at Eagle. Special tools and procedures have been developed to insure repeatability for proper mating of flared and end-reduced tubes.
Bending / Coiling- The ability to bend
tubes without excessive distortion, wrinkling or fracturing is an art born of experience. Eagle craftsmen working with state-of-theart machinery supply uniformly smooth bends, meeting the tightest customer specifications.
State-of-the-art tube bending
Custom shaped tubing in sizes from
.040 to 1.00 to lengths to 17 ft. Round Oval Square Triangular Rectangular Hexagonal and more! With a complete in-house tool and die facility, experienced toolmakers will develop a custom extrusion die to yield tubing that will meet or exceed your expectations.
www.eagletube.com 10 Discovery Way Franklin, MA 02038 Phone: 800-528-8650 Fax: 800-520-1954