Atlas Specialty Metals
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Stainless Steel Sections

Stainless steel bar comprises numerous products referred to by the shape, the section dimension, grade, condition and surface finish.

Shapes and section measurement
Round Bar: measured across the diameter.
Square bar: measured across the flats (AF).
Hexagonal bar: measured across the flats (AF).
Flat bar: measured width x thickness.
Equal angle: measured length x width of external faces x material thickness.
Channels: measured flange x web x thickness.
Hollow bar: measured outside diameter (OD) x inside diameter (ID).
 
Grades: 303, 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 321, 253MA, 416, 431, 2205, 630.
 
Condition
H&T Hardened and tempered.
ANN Annealed.
PH Precipitation hardened.
 
Surface finish
CD Cold drawn P Polished
BD Bright drawn SRE Slit rolled edge
CG Centreless ground HF Hot finished
CF Cold finished HRAP Hot rolled annealed and pickled
P&T Peeled and turned RT Rough turned/peeled
ST Smooth turned PR Peeled and reeled
 
Dimesional tolerances for bar
Forms and conditions: stainless steel sections

Round

Square

Hexagonal

Precision ground

Cold drawn

Cold finished/smooth turned

h8 or h9

h9

h10

h11

h11

 
ISO Dimensional Tolerances for bar 

Tolerance number

Nominal
bar size (mm)

01

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Up to 3

0.3

0.5

0.8

1.2

2

3

4

6

10

14

25

40

60

100

140

250

400

600

over 3 to 6

0.4

0.6

1

1.5

2.5

4

5

8

12

18

30

48

75

120

180

300

480

750

over 6 to 10

0.4

0.6

1

1.5

2.5

4

6

9

15

22

36

58

90

150

220

360

580

900

over 10 to 18

0.5

0.8

1.2

2

3

5

8

11

18

27

43

70

110

180

2270

430

700

1100

over 18 to 30

0.6

1

1.5

2.5

4

6

9

13

21

33

52

84

130

210

330

520

840

1300

over 50 to 80

0.6

1

1.5

2.5

4

7

11

16

25

39

62

100

160

250

390

620

1000

1600

over 80 to 120

0.8

1.2

2

3

5

8

13

19

30

46

74

120

190

300

460

740

1200

1900

over 120 to 180

1

1.5

2.5

4

6

10

15

22

35

54

87

140

220

350

540

870

1400

2200

over 250 to 315

1.2

2

3.5

5

8

12

18

25

40

63

100

160

250

400

630

1000

1600

2500

over 180 to 250

2

3

4.5

7

10

14

20

29

46

72

115

185

290

460

720

1150

1850

2900

over 250 to 315

2.5

4

6

8

12

16

23

32

52

81

130

210

320

520

810

1300

2100

3200

over 315 to 400

3

5

7

9

13

18

25

36

57

89

140

230

360

570

890

1400

2300

3600

over 400 to 500

4

6

8

10

15

20

27

40

63

97

155

250

400

630

970

1550

2500

4000

 
 
Tolerance values given in microns = x0.001mm
h = all minus  k = all plus
Examples:
25.40mm diameter bar to h9 = +nil, -0.052mm
160mm hot rolled bar to k14 = +1.000mm, -nil
 
Ugima - Improved Maching Bar
Atlas Specialty Metals distributes Ugima and Valima brands of "Improved Machability" stainless steel bar. Ugima and Valima are trade names for improved machinability stainless steel developed by Ugitech. Improved machining bar results from a controlled melting process, giving high chip-breaking properties and providing a self-lubricating quality through the processing of machining.
 
Stock ranges
  • Ugima 303, 304/304L and 316/316L round bar, 4.76 to 101.6mm.
  • Ugima 316/316L round bar, 101.6 to 304.8mm.
  • Ugima 303 and 316/316L hex bar, 13.34 to 57.15mm.
  • Valima 316L – hollow bar.

The benefits
  • Improved machinability.
  • Increased cutting speeds.
  • Lower unit cost of production.
  • Increased tool life.
  • Lower production power requirements.
  • Consistent machinability.
  • Improved product surface finish.
  • Chemical composition within ASTM standards.
  • Properties the same as commercial grades of stainless steel
       – corrosion resistance
       – mechanical properties
       – weldability
       – formability.
  • Improved drilling and tapping characteristics.
     
Ugima will reduce wear on tools and extend tool life
Highly abrasive inclusions which damage tools are excluded in the Ugima manufacturing steel melt process. There is a decrease in flank wear and crater wear of carbide tooling which results in:
  • less dismounting and reassembling of tools;
  • less adjustment time; and
  • a noticeable improvement in the life of cutting tools.
 
Ugima will enable higher cutting speeds
Ugima belongs to a new generation of steels and to benefit fully from its unique characteristics a minor modification is required to cutting conditions. In particular,it is necessary to increase cutting speeds.
The tables below are typical comparisons of cutting parameters which have been achieved in Ugitech’s laboratories and tested in industrial conditions.
 
Cutting process Stainless steel grade
Feedstock
condition

Cutting speed

Depth of cut (mm)
Feed
(mm/rev)
Carbide
insert (ISO)
Brazed
carbide
Plain
carbide
Coated
Carbide
CNC turning
(rough machining)
 Ugima 303 annealed 172 192 250

3

0.40

 P10 - P20
cold drawn 150 169 220

3

0.40

 P20
*AISI 303 annealed 130 145 185

3

0.40

 -
cold drawn 110 125 160

3

0.40

 -
CNC turning
(finish turning)
 Ugima 303 annealed 220 280 350

1

0.20

 P10 - P20
cold drawn 200 240 300

1

0.20

 P20
AISI 303 annealed 150 170 215

1

0.20

 -
cold drawn 120 145 185

1

0.20

 -
CNC turning
(rough turning)
 Ugima 304L annealed 125 138 180

3

0.40

 P10 - P20
cold drawn 113 126 161

3

0.40

 P20
*AISI 304L annealed 103 115 149

3

0.40

 -
cold drawn 94 100 128

3

0.40

 -
Ugima 316L annealed 96 114 149

3

0.40

 P10 - P20
cold drawn 84 96 128

3

0.40

 P20
*AISI 316L annealed 76 90 123

3

0.40

 -
cold drawn 65 75 102

3

0.40

 -
 * Machining Data Handbook, 3rd Edition Vol.1 (1980) Metcut Research Ass. Inc.