What is stainless steel square tube?
Made from alloyed iron, nickel, chromium, and other minerals, in various ratios, stainless steel square tubing is an extremely versatile product, known for its exceptional strength, durability, and corrosion resistance, which will outlast most other metals.
Sometimes called a stainless steel box section, the shape of a square tube provides additional structural stability and makes it easy to join, weld, form, and cut. Because of its outstanding strength-to-weight ratio, aesthetics, hygiene, and design flexibility, stainless steel tube is widely used in several industries, for structural, architectural, and decorative purposes.
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What are the most common grades of stainless steel tube?
Stainless steel tube is manufactured primarily in grades 304 and grade 316.
Grade 304 stainless steel is a general-purpose alloy with very good corrosion resistance, and weldability, and can be machined easily.
Grade 316 stainless steel is much tougher and can withstand harsher conditions, such as marine applications. It can be welded easily but machining is tougher.
What is stainless steel square tubing used for?
Stainless steel tubes should not be thought of only as components, they are an integral part of versatile solutions in diverse applications in almost all industries.
Decorative applications of stainless steel square tube
- Interior décor, design, and furniture.
- Exterior architectural designs and elegant functional elements such as balustrades, hand railings, fencing, and staircases.
- Shopfitting, bathrooms, and kitchens.
- Ornamentation and functional fittings on boats and aircraft.
Stainless steel square tube in the construction industry
- Structural framework, bracing systems, support columns, load-bearing beams, railings, walkways, and ladders.
- Frames for working surfaces, and storage areas.
- Pipelines and conduits for transporting liquids and chemicals.
Stainless steel square tube in sterile and ultra-hygienic areas
- Structural frames for storage tanks, food processing, and water treatment parts.
- Medical installations and devices.
- Processing and transporting liquids and gas in the food and beverage industry.
- Processing, filtration, and transportation of pharmaceutical products.
Stainless steel square tube in automotive and industrial applications
- In commercial and industrial settings, including factories, warehouses, and offices.
- Precision engineering.
- Processing and transporting liquids and gas in the oil and petroleum industry.
- Automotive parts such as exhaust systems, pump housings, heat exchangers, etc.
- Framework for countertops, shelves, and other architectural components or accents.
Mechanical and chemical properties of stainless steel square tube
- Superior toughness, strength-to-weight ratio and durability.
- Remarkable corrosion resistance, ensuring long-lasting and reliable performance in harsh conditions.
- Exceptionally high heat and cold resistance.
- Superior formability, and ductility, allowing it to sustain significant deformation before rupturing.
- Good weldability.
- Non-magnetic, with low maintenance requirements.
Which finishes are available in stainless steel square tubing?
- Dull, matte look. Achieved by abrasive blasting.
- Satin finish. A smooth and subtle grain of satin finish, achieved by machine or hand polishing.
- Brushed finish. Subtle but deeper grain finish, achieved by belt polishing.
- Polished look, from mirror finish to moderate shine. Achieved by belt polishing, rotary grinding, and electropolishing.
- Mill finish. When the aesthetic appearance is less important than functionality the metal surface is not processed after milling or drawing process to save costs.
- Black oxide finish. Achieved by converting the surface into a magnetite coating, using heated chemicals.
- Powder coating.
How is stainless steel square tubing made?
A seamless stainless steel tube is extruded either in a hot-rolled or cold-drawn process, where the billets of the tube with a hole in the middle are drawn through moulds under high pressure.
To make welded stainless steel tubing, lengths of stainless steel are cut into strips of the desired width wall thickness, depending on the size of the finished tubing and fed into a series of rollers that form then into a round tube and the edges are welded together using Electric Resistance Welding. The round tubing is then in turn passed through a series of rollers that gradually form it into a square shape.
Benefits of stainless steel square tubing
- Excellent oxidation, corrosion and temperature resistance, making it suitable for use in outdoor, coastal, marine, and harsh environments.
- An ultra-thin protective layer of chromium oxide is formed when the chromium reacts with oxygen in the air, isolating the metal from environmental attack.
- A high strength-to-weight ratio and resilience, make it suitable for heavy-duty applications.
- Versatile. Available in a selection of finishes, sizes, widths, and lengths, making it suitable for a large variety of applications.
- Easy to weld and shape, making them ideal for fabrication.
- Low maintenance. They can last for years without needing repairs or replacements.
- The square shape of the tube also makes it stronger than other shapes, as it distributes weight evenly and resists bending.
- Aesthetically appealing with a range of finishes.
- Superior heat and fire resistance.
- Excellent hygiene qualities
Limitations of stainless steel square tubing
- Although stainless steel is naturally corrosion-resistant, it is not totally immune to weathering. It is important to select the appropriate grade for different applications.
- If your project will include lots of bending and shaping, round tubing is probably better.
- Stainless steel square tubing of the same width is generally more expensive than stainless steel round tubing.
- The same size round tube contains less metal than the square tube and is therefore lighter.
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