Why Area Tool Is the Partner to Trust for Stainless Steel Machining
At Area Tool & Manufacturing, we’ve seen an increase in stainless steel projects over the past few years. Some of this growth comes from our experience in industries that rely heavily on stainless parts, like the oil and gas sector. But the biggest reason is simple: when it comes to stainless steel machining, our customers know we’re the shop to trust.
There’s a reason you need to have a trusted precision machine shop for your stainless needs. It’s a difficult material to work with, but we committed to mastering it years ago. And now that investment pays off for our customers on every project they bring us.
The Basics of Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is an iron alloy that contains chromium, which forms an oxide layer to prevent rust and corrosion. Depending on the grade, stainless steel may also include nickel, molybdenum, or other elements.
Stainless steel is an important choice for many industries because of its many excellent properties. For instance, it’s very common in our medical machining projects. It’s durable, corrosion-resistant, easy to clean, and maintains strength at high temperatures.
At Area Tool, we commonly work with stainless steel grades such as 303, 304, 316, 420, 440, and 17-4 pre-hardened. Each has its own relative strengths, and we’re always ready to collaborate with customers to identify the proper choice for their project.
How We Perfected Our Process
The benefits of stainless steel are clear, but for manufacturers, it can be a challenging material to machine. 300 series stainless steel, for instance, is simultaneously soft and abrasive, and the hard spots can quickly wear down cutting tools.
Some shops prefer to avoid stainless, but we adapted to support our customers’ needs. We determined the best equipment and processes to become efficient with the material.
We discovered many critical techniques. For instance, we use vacuum solution annealing for nearly all 300-series stainless parts, sending them to our partners at Peters’ Heat Treating. This heat treating process improves machinability and consistency while keeping costs stable for the customer.
The Benefits of Stainless Steel Machining at Area Tool
When you partner with a shop that has such experience in stainless, you’ll experience a variety of advantages:
Efficiency: Years of experience allow us to machine stainless efficiently, leveraging techniques like solution annealing.
Quality: Our processes enable tighter tolerances and better surface finishes.
Speed: Annealing practices, as well as an understanding of speeds and feeds, help us to minimize production time.
Cost stability: By reducing production time and labor costs, solution annealing typically leaves your project’s pricing unchanged.
Work With the Experts
At Area Tool & Manufacturing, we work with stainless steel every day, and that translates into the best possible outcomes for our customers. If you need proof that we’re the shop to trust with stainless, look at how CD Archery products are made: we machine stainless steel components like limb bolts ourselves because we trust the quality of our own work.
Request a quote today to partner with Area Tool for CNC machining services on your next stainless steel part!
