300 Series Precision Stainless Steel Strip
Austenitic stainless strip including 304 and 316 families, 0.05 to 1.0 mm, slit 5 to 1250 mm.
What This Grade Range Is For
300 series is the austenitic family most engineers reach for first, and for good reason. It draws deeply, welds predictably and resists corrosion in wet and mildly aggressive service. We supply it from 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm across tempers from annealed to full hard, in 2B, BA and 2H surfaces, slit from 5 mm to 1250 mm. Most of the precision strip we ship falls in this family.
Specifications
| Quality Designation | 300 series |
| Temper | Annealed to full hard |
| Surface | 2B, BA, 2H |
| Thickness | 0.05 - 1.0 mm |
| Width | 5 - 1250 mm |
Ranges as supplied. Exact grade within the range is confirmed against your application.
Key Benefits
- Deep drawing behaviour that tolerates severe forming in the annealed condition
- Corrosion resistance suited to wet, food contact and outdoor service
- BA finish available for parts whose surface is the product
- Full hard tempers available where the part has to act as a spring
Problems It Solves
- Parts crack in the draw because the incoming strip was harder than ordered
- Visible components show rolling marks because 2B was supplied where BA was needed
- Narrow stainless parts carry the cost of a full width mill coil
- Gauge drifts across the coil and the die bottoms unevenly
Who It Is For
- Appliance manufacturers making wet service and food contact components
- Precision stampers running progressive dies in thin stainless
- Spring and clip makers who specify a temper rather than a grade alone
- Tube mills forming welded stainless tube from strip
Application Scenarios
- Drawn appliance drums, liners and food contact parts
- Outdoor fixings, trim and fasteners
- Gaskets, diaphragms and thin formed membranes
- Clips and springs specified at a hard temper
Technical Features
- Austenitic and non magnetic in the annealed condition
- Work hardens during forming, which is what makes the temper choice load bearing
- Available in 2B, BA and 2H, so appearance is specified alongside the grade
How This Material Reaches You
Materials
- 300 series austenitic stainless steel
Quality Control
- Thickness profile checked across the full strip width
- Surface graded against the ordered finish under controlled lighting
- Slit edge checked for burr before the coil is wrapped
Customization Options
- Temper set against the part geometry rather than against stock
- Slit width from 5 mm to your mult
- BA finish specified per face where required
How It Compares With The Alternatives
| Compared With | What Changes |
|---|---|
| 200 Series Stainless Strip | 200 series costs less and is less exposed to the nickel price, but its chloride resistance is lower. It belongs indoors. |
| 400 Series Stainless Strip | 400 series is magnetic, cheaper and adequate in dry heat. It does not match 300 series for deep drawing or for wet corrosion resistance. |
| DX51D to DX56D Galvanized Strip | Galvanized steel protects sacrificially and costs far less, but the protection ends at a cut edge or a deep scratch. Stainless is corrosion resistant through the section. |
Getting The Specification Right First Time
- Specify the temper against the tightest radius and the deepest draw on the part
- Ask for BA where the finished surface is visible and uncoated
- For food contact or wet service, confirm the grade within the series before ordering
- Give us the strip width your die actually needs so the slit plan removes the edge scrap
What to Include in Your Enquiry
- The part and how it is formed, including the tightest bend radius
- The service environment and expected design life
- The strip width your die or roll former actually needs
- Coil inner diameter and maximum coil weight your decoiler accepts
300 Series Precision Stainless Steel Strip Questions
Do you supply 304 and 316?
What is the thinnest 300 series strip you can slit?
Which finish is right for a visible part?
Can I order a full hard temper for spring parts?
Related Guides
Material GuideAnnealed to Full Hard Stainless Steel Strip Tempers Explained
Two coils of the same stainless grade can behave completely differently in a press. The variable is temper, and it is the field most often left blank on an enquiry.
Read The Guide
Material GuideStainless Steel Strip Surface Finishes 2B BA and 2H Explained
Finish is specified in the same breath as grade and temper, and getting it wrong is expensive because it is only visible once the part is formed.
Read The Guide
Buying GuideThin Gauge Coil Tolerance and Flatness a Buyers Checklist
Below about 0.3 mm, shape stops being cosmetic and starts deciding whether a line runs. Here is what to look at before the coil is on the decoiler.
Read The GuideGet a Quote on Precision Stainless
Send the specification or just the part drawing. We will confirm what is achievable in gauge, width and temper before anything is priced.