Stainless Steel Angles

General information on stainless steel angles

Five families of stainless steel exist with over 250 different material grades. The mechanical, physical, thermal and anti-corrosive qualities of any given stainless product, including stainless angles are derived from its relative family, grade and chemical composition.

Stainless angles – like other stainless products – contain approximately 10% chromium. When the chromium content inherent to the material reacts with the surrounding atmosphere, a thin protective film is formed on the angles surface. This anti-corrosive layer provides stainless angles with their unique weather-resistant characteristics.

Due to their versatile nature stainless angles are universally applicable. Stainless angles are frequently utilized in the automotive industry as guide rails in window frames or other machinery. In construction stainless angles often serve as sub or support structures in partition walls or light construction. They also find use in the fixation of wood, glass and other construction materials.

How are stainless steel angles manufactured?

The manufacturing process of stainless steel angles commences with the processing of primary materials such as iron ore and scrap metals. Here a mixture of iron ore, scrap alloys, coal, coke, gas, and oil is molten at approximately 1500°celcius using a blast furnace.

Once liquefied the particular chemical composition of the melt is analysed and manipulated if required. Balances in chemical compositions vary as different primary materials are molten. Hence a thorough quality control - to supply material with requested characteristics - is of the outmost importance.

A number of manufacturing processes exist for the creation of stainless steel angles. The three most common involve pushing material through a shaping matrix, hot rolling and cold drawing.

In the so called extrusion moulding process, slabs are heated to approximately 500°celsius in order for the material to be passed through a shaping matrix. With the aid of matrices, different types of angles can be produced as long products which are subsequently cut to length. Alternatively, a stainless steel angle can be hot rolled into shape or cold drawn using drawing boards. Where cold drawing is said to produce a more durable angle. For any additional alteration in shape, the material must be reheated.

Which industries utilise stainless steel angles in their manufacture?

The following industries utilize stainless steel angles most frequently:

• Automotive
• Machinery
• Medical sectors
• Construction

What are the benefits of stainless steel angles?

Stainless angles are very popular due to the beneficial characteristics associated with stainless steel. Stainless steel angles are corrosion resistant and hence have a particularly long lifecycle. Their weather and heat resistance makes stainless angles suited to both indoor and outdoor application.

The smooth surface finish characteristic to stainless steel minimises any accumulation of dirt on the material surface. Hence stainless products are known to be especially hygienic and are therefore often made use of in medical or kitchen setups.

The particularly low maintenance required increases the cost efficiency of stainless materials. When no longer needed stainless angles can easily be recycled, making them a very sustainable, environmentally friendly choice.

Angles are available in a variety of different shapes which are easily welded.