GRADES TO CONSIDER
300-series stainless steel will provide an excellent balance of cost, weight, fabrication ability, and corrosion resistance in most cases.
However, 400-series steel is popular in food service applications, medical environments, or when looking for a ferritic stainless option.
If you’re looking for more information regarding the various stainless alloys and their traits, be sure to consult our guide to stainless steel grades and families.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Finishes are another consideration that can impact overall costs and better align your stainless steel with your intended use.
So if they’re in a high-traffic or touch-heavy environment, you might spend an unreasonable amount of time maintaining that finish.
You’ll also need to take extra precautions when storing the steel or fabricating and assembling to avoid damage. In many cases, a protective liner is recommended to avoid mishaps.
On the other hand, if you plan to do extensive fabrication or welding, you might find it best to apply a finish yourself.
In these cases, opting for a product with a 1, 2B, or 2BA finish could reduce costs and allow greater flexibility.
For more information, including typical uses and any considerations to keep in mind, be sure to consult our guide to stainless steel finishes.
FABRICATION METHODS
This final consideration touches on points related to virtually everything considered so far.
If you’re planning to cut, weld, rivet, or modify the steel in any way, be sure to consider any stresses applied to the steel and potential treatments which might be required to return the steel to an ideal state.
Riveting or fastening will require you to consider any hardware used to minimize galvanic corrosion risks.
Tapping or threading stainless steel bars and other parts will likely require attention to machined areas to ensure complete restoration of the passive layer and avoid corrosion risks.