Stainless steel square profile products.
Square and rectangular profile is a hollow structural product made by forming stainless strip into a box section and seam welding it. It gives high bending stiffness for its weight, so it is used in load-bearing and visible structures such as railings, frames and chassis. EN 10296-2 and ASTM A554 are the standards usually referred to for mechanical and structural profiles.
For visible applications the surface and the position of the weld seam matter: as-produced (annealed/pickled), brushed (No.4) or mirror (No.8) finishes are used. 304 is the usual choice indoors, 316 outdoors and near the coast; 430 appears in interior solutions. Laser cutting and TIG welding are common for cutting and joining.
Thickness, size and tolerance values vary by product form; exact values are confirmed during the quotation.
A selection guide based on general industry knowledge. Which grades are supplied is confirmed in the quotation.
Railings, furniture, shelving and food equipment frames: indoors and mild outdoor conditions.
Coastal, marine, poolside and chloride-exposed outdoor structures.
Interior furniture and decorative frames. Outdoors and in welded structures it performs below 304.
Service centre lines that process this product.
Both are austenitic grades. 316 contains roughly 2 - 2.5% molybdenum, which raises resistance to chloride and pitting corrosion. For railings and interior frames 304 is generally sufficient; near the coast, pools and salty air 316 is preferred.
A brushed finish looks matt satin and hides fine scratches and fingerprints, so it is common where surfaces are touched often. A mirror finish is highly reflective but shows every mark and needs more careful handling. After welding, the surface may need to be ground and brushed again.
Mechanical and structural box sections are generally defined by EN 10296-2 or ASTM A554. Pipes carrying fluid under pressure fall under process-pipe standards such as EN 10217-7. If a profile is to be used on a fluid line, the specification must be checked.
Contact with carbon steel particles, grinding dust or carbon steel tools can leave rust marks on stainless. Where possible, dedicated stainless tooling is used, fasteners are chosen in stainless, and the surface is cleaned after welding. In damp conditions, contact between dissimilar metals can also cause galvanic corrosion.
