I.It was not recognised before 1821 by Pierre Berhier in France that iron-chromium alloys have corrosion resistance. He realised the material's resistance to some acids thus he suggested it to be used in cutlery. However it was not until some more decades that stainless steel could be produced under industrial conditions as it was no possible to combine low carbon and high chromium. The result was too brittle for everyday use. Finally at the end of the 1890s Hans Goldschmidt in Germany developed the method of producing carbon-free chromium.
Nowadays the use of stainless steels are still lower compared to those of carbon-steel but shows a continuous increase. The usage of the world's stainless steel has been increasing yearly by 6%-al since the middle of 20th century.
II.
It is true that the stainless steel has higher starting cost than carbon steel, but due to the following properties it is often the best values choice as raw material:
- corrosion-resistance- fire- and heat resistance
- easily cleanable
- maintainability
- aesthetic, modern look
- shock resistance
- and last but not least easy processability
- and last but not least easy processability
Easy processability means that the material can be easily cut and welded without damaging the workpiece material. Several sheet metal fabrication processes can be carried out for creating the sheet metal part such as laser cutting, bending, welding, punching.
Out of the above characteristics mainly its corrosion resistance which makes the stainless steel a popular choice for manufacturing companies.
In the last few years we have seen too the rise in popularity of stainless steel. It is more and more a demand of our partners that the ordered parts are to made of this material.
In our detailed material guide we list the most used material qualities by us, including stainless steel types.
III.Generally, the following, primarily aesthetic requirements are to be considered in connection with stainless steel parts during sheet metal fabrication:
a, There should be no splatters on the surface after laser cutting.
b, Bending marks are not visible.
c, Welding seams are flawless and continuous.
d, The seams and the surroundings of the seams are clean and free of discoloration.
e, Welding should not leave visible traces on visible surfaces.
f, Ground surfaces should be consistent, traces of fabrication should be removed.
g, The traces of burnt film also should not be visible.
h, In case of threads and sinkings there should not be scratches (during milling it can easiliy happen)
To avoid these problems great experience and attention is necessary from the sheet metal fabricator, because any of the listed faults can occur resulting in non-conforming products especially in segments where aesthetics is extremely important (food and medical industry).
IV.
Based on the sheet metal fabrication professional experience of the past years in order to eliminate the above problems here are some solutions which we use:
Based on the sheet metal fabrication professional experience of the past years in order to eliminate the above problems here are some solutions which we use:
a, Before milling, in case of sinking and holes we put a protection foil to the hole and its surroundings.
b, The mechanical cleaning of the welding seams can be carried out with grounding and curing.
c, The best solution to clear away the welding marks, bending marks, mid-production scratches and the splatters generated during laser cutting is grounding.
In case of shaped and curves surfaces and welded metal covers a Kuhlmayer 2 belt grinding machines carry out these tasks our sheet metal fabrication plant. However, the flawless application of the grinding technology requires a considerable amount of experience, but results in the perfect part.
