- A melting and casting process
Numerous raw materials go into the manufacture of stainless steel items, but the raw materials are mixed and melted in a huge electric furnace. This process involves intense heat applied continuously for a period of eight to twelve hours to extract the wax. As a result of melting the steel, the molten steel is cast into desired semi-finished forms once the melting process is complete. There are many common shapes, sizes, and forms for steel, including slabs, blooms (rectangle stainless steel shapes), billets (round or square), rods, and tube rounds.
- Forming
In the second stage, the semi-finished steel shapes undergo a series of forming operations that will shape them into the final shapes. There is a process of hot rolling in the manufacture of Rectangular Steel Pipes, for instance (heating and passing the steel through immense rolls). There is a process that takes place in which blooms and billets discussed above transform into bars and wires. Plating, stripping, or forming sheets of slabs is more common. Bars of stainless steel are the most versatile stainless steel form (they are available in all grades and sizes). They usually consist of semi-finished steel shapes. Each type of bar is suitable for a different application, including round, square, octagonal, and hexagonal bars.
- Heat Treatment
Different types of stainless steel undergo annealing during this process. The process of annealing involves heating and cooling stainless steel in a controlled environment. This heat treatment relieves pent-up stress inside the stainless steel and softens it, improving its suitability for a wide range of applications. Even the smallest change in temperature, pressure, duration or cooling rate could lead to a defective product during the annealing process, so the people responsible for the procedure have to be very careful about the conditions.
- Descaling
As a result of the annealing process, a certain amount of corrosion occurs on the surface of the stainless steel. It is possible to remove the scale in the pipes using several different approaches collectively known as the descaling process. The process of picking is one of the most common methods of descaling nowadays to remove scale from surfaces.
- Cutting
In the third and final step of the process, semi-finished, heat-treated, and descaled stainless steel forms are cut into specific shapes and sizes. The mechanical cutting process relies on guillotine knives, blanking blades, nibbling blades, and high-speed blades.
- Finishing
It is the process of finishing a stainless steel product that helps it achieve its signature aesthetically pleasing appearance. Additionally, stainless steel products need finishes that make them easier to clean, which is a top requirement for sanitary applications.
Fabrication and passivation of stainless steel
It is common for construction companies and craftsmen to receive steel in different forms, which include bars, plates, and sheets for construction usage. As a result, its installation and use in the manufacture of various products (e.g. stainless steel tanks) generally require further fabrication and processing to achieve the desired result.
In terms of stainless steel fabrication, we usually talk about processes such as cutting and welding. Unfortunately, both treatments remove the protective layer from the steel's surface, reducing corrosion resistance significantly. For getting more knowledge about Rectangular Stainless Steel Pipes, rectangle stainless steel, and Rectangle Stainless Steel Pipes and Tubes.
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