Annealed to Full Hard Stainless Steel Strip Tempers Explained

Temper Is Not Part of the Grade

A grade tells you the chemistry. The temper tells you how much cold work has been left in the strip, and that is what determines yield strength, hardness and springback. Specifying a grade without a temper leaves the most important forming variable undefined.

Annealed

Softest and most ductile. This is the condition for deep drawing and severe forming, and it is where austenitic grades show their real advantage. It is also the least stiff, so a flat part made from annealed strip will feel flimsy.

Quarter Half and Three Quarter Hard

Intermediate steps produced by cold rolling after annealing. Each step raises strength and springback and reduces how tightly the material will bend. Most clips, brackets and lightly formed parts sit somewhere on this part of the ladder.

Full Hard

Maximum cold work, maximum strength, minimum ductility. Full hard strip is specified where the part has to act as a spring and hold its shape under repeated load. It is normally supplied with a 2H surface.

Austenitic Grades Harden While You Form Them

The 200 and 300 series work harden significantly during forming, so the part coming out of the die is harder than the strip going in. This is useful, but it means a multi stage draw may need intermediate annealing, and it makes starting from a consistent temper more important, not less.