What Is Stainless Steel Fabrication?
Stainless steel is a group of steel types made primarily from iron and carbon with a mixture of other elements such as chromium and nickel to create its corrosion-resistant properties. This mixture of metals are combined at extreme temperatures to form one, new material.
Steel rusts when it is exposed to oxygen, however, when it is combined with chromium, it stops the process of rusting. This is one of the main attractions of stainless steel compared to other types of steel.
Stainless steel can be shaped and welded into many different products and uses. Throughout this blog we’ll take you through the benefits of stainless steel and why it is commonly used in the fabrication industry.
What is stainless steel fabrication?
Stainless steel fabrication is the process of cutting, bending and welding stainless steel into a fabricated product with a specific use. Stainless steel is mainly used in structural and architectural projects, but can also be used across a range of other industries including hospitality and medical sectors.
Once the material has been fabricated into a product, it can be given a number of different finishes depending on its intended application, these include:
- Mirror finish – This method involves polishing the metal until a highly reflective look is achieved.
- Brushed – This is the opposite of a mirror finish and involves brushing the metal and reducing its reflective properties.
- Passivated – This involves treating the stainless steel with a chemical that reduces any surface contamination.
- Bead Blasting – This method uses fine glass beads that are blasted at high speeds onto the stainless steel. This removes any imperfections and makes the metal more clean and hygienic.
Benefits of stainless steel
As well as being corrosion resistant, stainless steel also has a number of other benefits:
- Sustainable – This type of steel is fully recyclable, meaning your business can help reduce your environmental impact if you decide to recycle the steel in future.
- Temperature resistant – Stainless steel has heat-resistant qualities which makes it great for certain uses. In environments where the temperature is extremely high, such as water pipes and heaters, stainless steel is the perfect material to use.
- More Hygienic – Stainless steel has the ability to remain more sanitary than other types of metal and is easier to keep clean. This makes it great for environments where things must be kept clean, such as kitchens, food processing and pharmaceutical settings.
Steel fabrication applications
Due to the benefits listed of stainless steel, stainless steel has many uses across different industries. Across architectural projects, construction and retail it is commonplace. As well as this, its hygienic qualities make it used frequently in the food and pharmaceutical sector.
If you have any enquiries about steel fabrication and how we can help with your fabrication requirements, don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling 01977 670 067 or emailing info@candcfabrications.co.uk.
