The Tinbasher » Stainless Steel Fabrication

Galvanic Corrosion of Stainless Steel with Other Metallic Materials

Paul Woodhouse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:00:20 +0000

Wikipedia’s overview as to what galvanic corrosion is comes in the form of the following:

Dissimilar metals and alloys have different electrode potentials and when two or more come into contact in an electrolyte a galvanic couple is set up. A galvanic couple can also be set up on a single metal or alloy due to the metal surface not being homogeneous or if the electrolyte varies in composition, forming a concentration cell.

The electrolyte provides a means for ion migration whereby metallic ions can move from the anode to the cathode. This leads to the anodic metal corroding more quickly than it otherwise would; the corrosion of the cathodic metal is retarded even to the point of stopping. The presence of electrolyte and a conducting path between the metals may cause corrosion where otherwise neither metal alone would have corroded.

In some cases, this reaction is intentionally encouraged. For example, low-cost household batteries typically contain carbon-zinc cells. As part of a closed circuit (the electron pathway), the zinc within the cell will corrode preferentially (the ion pathway). Another example is the cathodic protection of buried or submerged structures. In this example, sacrificial anodes work as part of a galvanic couple, promoting corrosion of the anode, rather than the protected subject metal.

But it’s well worth the admission price just to read about lasagna cells – when lasagna in stainless steel baking trays comes into contact with aluminium foil and eats holes in it as illustrated above.

Something you rarely see Gordon Ramsey having a kitchen nightmare about.

The Euro Inox pdf STAINLESS STEEL IN CONTACT WITH OTHER METALLIC MATERIALS tells you the where, why and how of galvanic corrosion including prevention. It’s also available in a number of languages, which are all available for you to download:

The Italian version may come in dreadfully handy for those of you worried about foil-eating pasta.

Railcars in Stainless Steel

Paul Woodhouse — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:15:15 +0000

When I was little I used to get dragged along to all manner of railway exhibitions, train meet and greets as well as spots.

Yeah, I’ve been on the footplate of The Flying Scotsman, The Mallard and Stephenson’s Rocket as well as having a train set circumnavigating the loft.

It’s the sort of nerdtastic nonsense geeks used to do before CB and computers. Or so I’ve heard. While a wet October Saturday at Skipton station with your Dad buying you half a shandy and a cheese and onion butty on the turn at the age of eight might seem like a fond memory, I still shudder when presented by naked cheese wrapped in bread.

But, if there’s one thing I’d really love to do it’s trot off round the Rockies, or see Yellowstone in one of those stainless steel Zephyr trains. To boldly go where no other tram has gone before.

As if it wouldn’t be a rather decent way of seeing some of the finer, more secluded parts of the world (well, America. California, to be precise!).

But, if you’ve really got a thing for stainless steel railcars, there just so happens to be a pdf from Euro Inox on that very topic:

Railcars in Stainless Steel – A Sustainable Solution for Sustainable Public Transport

Contents:

- What makes stainless steel a sustainable material?
- Decades of experience in railcars
- Why stainless steel?
- Which stainless steel?
- Stainless steel in operation
- Case study 1: Let’s Tango
- Case study 2: Next generation Underground in Hamburg
- Case study 3: Stainless steel-containing trams serves Alicante Coastline
- Case study 4: Japan Rail satisfied with stainless steel for over 50 years

You can download it for nothing from here.

Duplex Stainless Steels Fabrication – Practical Guidelines

Paul Woodhouse — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:53:14 +0000

The latest Stainless Steel pdf from Euro Inox is available. You know you want it. Here’s the full explanation:

The second edition of the brochure PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR THE FABRICATION OF DUPLEX STAINLESS STEELS has now become available. The 64-page manual is published by the International Molybdenum Association (IMOA), in co-operation with Euro Inox and the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).

Contents:

- History of duplex stainless steels

- Chemical composition and role of alloying elements
— Chemical composition of duplex stainless steels
— The role of the alloying elements in duplex stainless steels

- Metallurgy of duplex stainless steels

- Corrosion resistance
— Resistance to acids
— Resistance to caustics
— Pitting and crevice corrosion resistance
— Stress corrosion cracking resistance

- End-user specifications and quality control
— Standard testing requirements
— Special testing requirements

- Mechanical properties

- Physical properties

- Cutting
— Sawing
— Shearing
— Slitting
— Punching
— Plasma and laser cutting

- Forming
— Hot forming
— Solution annealing
— Warm forming
— Cold forming
— Press forming
— Spin forming

- Machining duplex stainless steels
— General guidelines for machining duplex stainless steels
— Welding procedure qualifications
— Welding methods

- Other joining techniques
— Joint preparation
— Adhesives
— Soldering
— Brazing

- Post-fabrication clean-up
— Crayon marks, paint, dirt, oil
— Embedded iron
— Weld spatter, weld discouloration, flux, slag, arc strikes

- Duplex stainless steel applications

- Suggested additional reading

- References

- Appendix 1: Duplex stainless steel designations and product names

- Appendix 2: Summary of specifications

To download a PDF copy free of charge, please go to: http://www.euro-inox.org/pdf/map/Guidelines_Fabrication_Duplex_EN.pdf.

If you prefer to receive a printed brochure, please send an e-mail to info@euro-inox.org, not forgetting to:
- use the keyword DUPLEX BROCHURE
- give your full mailing address.

Hopefully, that should be enough for you not to ask me in the comments if I can send you a copy.

STAINLESS STEEL: WHEN HEALTH COMES FIRST

Paul Woodhouse — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:43:44 +0000

Like a rather dubious film sequel that you had little, if no idea that had an original trots this imaginatively titled pdf from our favourite stainless steel folks, Euro Inox:

Dear subscriber,

Decades of experience have shown that stainless steel is an exceptionally neutral and corrosion resistant material. For this reason, it is normal choice, e.g. in the food industry, in pharmaceutical production or for medical devices. Over the last few years, there has been extensive research into the behaviour of materials in applications that pertain to human health. The new brochure STAINLESS STEEL: WHEN HEALTH COMES FIRST summarises the currently available accepted results about stainless steel. The publication is available from the Euro Inox website:

http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_171_EN.html.

If you would prefer to receive a printed copy, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to info@euro-inox.org mentioning the key word HEALTH PUBLICATION and your mailing address.

Laser Cutter Plays Super Mario Bros. Theme

Paul Woodhouse — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:21:15 +0000

Considering quite a few sheet metal shops are experiencing a bit of downtime at the moment, we could all do one of two things:

1. Work our nuts off trying to find extra work in order to keep the wolves from the door.

or,

2. See what tunes we can get out of our workshops’ underutilised machinery.

I have absolutely no idea how legitimate this is, but it’s supposedly a laser cutter playing the Super Mario Bros. theme:

So, set to it people. Start cranking up your notchers and guillotines and tune them in to whatever melodious or malodorous cacophony you can muster.

Then again, posting videos of you whacking a generator with a spanner pretending it’s the start of the Test Match Special Cricket Theme simply won’t wash.

FREE Research Report on Stainless Steel Design & Fabrication of Buses & Rolling Stock CD-ROM

Paul Woodhouse — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:23:00 +0000

The closest we ever get to the fabrication and design of buses is beating the living panels out of the local Tyrer fleet after they’ve pranged a bus shelter. Although we (and by we I mean Matt) did happen to design a fuel arm loading bracket to prevent the overspill of diesel while fueling locomotives for Virgin Trains.

Simple Fuel Arm Loading Bracket

Anyway, if you particularly like the sound of free in relation to stainless steel bus and rolling stock fabrication and research therein, you can send off for the following CD-ROM by Euro Inox:

Under the acronym INSAPTRANS, a research report about the use of stainless steel in the design and fabrication of buses and rolling stock is also available now on CD-ROM.

Contents:

1. Introduction: stainless steels in transport vehicles
1.1 Rail applications history
1.2 Current rail applications
1.3 Bus and coach applications
1.4 Future potential

2. Materials
2.1 Grades
2.2 Delivery
2.3 Mechanical behaviour and design values
2.3.1 Tensile properties of the project materials
2.3.2 Design values and physical properties of stainless
2.4 Corrosion properties
2.4.1 Atmospheric corrosion
2.4.2 De-icing and dust-control chemicals
2.4.3 Corrosion resistance evaluation
2.4.4 Corrosion test results
2.4.5 Corrosion test summary
2.5 Stainless steel high-temperature mechanical properties: fire resistance
2.6 Selection of materials
2.6.1 Structural applications
2.6.2 Forming applications
2.6.3 Summary

3. Lightweight structures and design
3.1. Stainless hollow-section structures
3.1.1. Manufacture of hollow sections
3.1.2. Structural design aspects for hollow-section joints
3.2. Sandwich panel structures
3.2.1 Design principles of sandwich panels
3.2.2 Panel cross-section
3.2.3 Elastic response
3.2.4 Strength and deflection criteria
3.2.5 Structural optimisation
3.2.6 Design tools
3.2.7 Special issues in all-steel sandwich panel design

4. Manufacturing issues in lightweight structures
4.1 Bending of high strength stainless steel sheets
4.1.1 Verification of minimum sheet bending radius
4.1.2 Determination of sheet springback behaviour
4.1.3 Guidelines for bending ultra high-strength stainless steel
4.2 Tube bending
4.2.1 Types of mechanical tube-bending processes
4.2.2 Springback model
4.2.3 Rectangular tube-bending results
4.2.4 Design guidance for three-roll tube bending
4.3 Welding and joining
4.3.1 Arc-based welding processes
4.3.2 Laser-based welding processes
4.3.3 Resistance welding
4.3.4 Adhesive bonding

5. Properties of lightweight structures
5.1. Welded joint properties
5.1.1 Static strength
5.1.2 Fatigue and corrosion fatigue strength
5.2 Sandwich panel mechanical properties
5.2.1 Four-point bend testing of full-size panels
5.2.2 Three-point bend testing of panel sections
5.2.3 Summary and conclusions
5.3 Lightweight structure crash properties
5.3.1 Axial impact tests
5.3.2 Side impact tests
5.3.3 Tubular frame crash tests
5.3.4 Panel compression and crash testing

6. Life cycle issues
6.1. Effect of vehicle weight on life cycle cost
6.2. Environmental effects of bus-frame materials
6.3. Life cycle cost evaluation of bus-frame materials
6.4. Summary

In addition to the research report, the CD-ROM contains numerous papers with additional background information given at six regional seminars. These presentations are in English and some of them in French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish.

INSAPTRANS is a joint initiative of stainless steel producers, research institutions and Euro Inox. It was made possible through support from the Research Fund for Coals and Steel of the European Union.

If you do not have the report yet and would like to receive a free copy of the CD-ROM, please return an e-mail to info@euro-inox.org referring to the INSAPTRANS CD-ROM. Please do not forget to indicate your address detail.

Oh and don’t be asking where you can get a copy of the CD or whether we can send you one. Just note the email in bold above and drop those guys a line with the information also in bold.

I thank you.

Seminars about Stainless Steel in Buses and Metro Rail Coaches

Paul Woodhouse — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:50:24 +0000

Do they mean an entire bus made from stainless steel?

So a European tour to learn the ins and outs of the uses of stainless steel in public transport. Maybe it’ll be a step up from sending the new lad to panel beating night school 101 at Nelson and Colne College. I’m sure Jasper will tell you it certainly beats the hell out of beating the hell out of the side of some bus that’s been driven into some rubbish bin on Burnley Road.

Stainless steels have innovative solutions to offer for public transport. Their mechanical properties help designers to reduce weight, enhance impact resistance and improve fire safety. Stainless steels combine intrinsic corrosion resistance with excellent reparability. And they can be surprisingly cost-effective.

Innovative solutions in bus building and in the design and manufacture of metro or other rail vehicles have been investigated in recent research projects. Their results will be presented to a larger circle of industry experts in a series of seminars, which will take place in autumn 2008 in various places in Europe:

25 September 2008, Berlin, Germany
in cooperation with Informationsstelle Edelstahl Rostfrei
Contact: caroline.bresink@arcelormittal.com

30 September 2008, Lille, France
in cooperation with Institut de Développement de l’Inox (I.D. Inox)
Contact: contact@idinox.com

2 October 2008, Rome, Italy
in cooperation with Centro Inox
Contact: g.gelati@c-s-m.it, phone +39 06 5055 20, or l.rizzo@c-s-m.it, phone +39 06 5055 292

7 October 2008, Warsaw, Poland
in cooperation with Polska Unia Dystrybutorów Stali (PUDS)
Contact: pawel.kiepel@outokumpu.com, mob. +48 600068 331 and adam.zymelka@outokumpu.com, mob. +48 602 347997

10 October 2008, Labein (Bilbao), Spain
in cooperation with CEDINOX
Contact: rsanchez@acxgroup.com

16 October 2008, Gustavelund, Tuusala (near Helsinki), Finland
Contact: hilkka.eronen@outokumpu.com

INSAPTRANS is a valorisation project, which is supported by the European Union from the Research Fund for Coal and steel (RFCS). It involves the following companies and organisations: Acerinox (Spain), ArcelorMittal Stainless Belgium (Belgium), Centro Sviluppo Materiali (Italy), Euro Inox (Belgium), OCAS (Belgium), Outokumpu (Finland) and VTT in cooperation with Helsinki University of Technology (Finland).

Persons who would like to be on the mailing list for the full programme are invited to select a convenient seminar and contact the respective INSAPTRANS partner.

And please don’t ask me any questions as what I’ve quoted above is all I received in the email – you’ll have to get in touch with the person running the seminar you happen to be interested in.

Stainless Steel Bernoulli Balls and Tesla Dreams

Paul Woodhouse — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:31:41 +0000

A curious instinct tells me I should make Steph get out more. Whether I give her a key or up her housekeeping are a couple of options I’m pondering.

The problem with her doing bits and bobs for me is that she’s very easily distracted. I should know seeming I’m forever having my tract dissed. Once in a while she’ll concoct a scheme or get diverted by an online interest that is, well, remotely interesting.

Of late, she’s been getting into all things Tesla – the first time she mentioned a Tesla Coil I replied that they wouldn’t come cheap at the Family Planning Clinic. Then again, cracking woofers like that and I should be slightly worried about her tapping me up to be the hamster in this particular Tesla cage:

If you like electrical and scientific wonderments – and if you don’t then you’re a bit odd – the Tesla site I found that on has loads of other amazing Tesla-related stuff you can replicate (or not) in your back garden.

I may show you some of the more exciting stuff at a later date, but something I did come across was these Bernoulli Balls:

And this stainless steel Bernoulli Ball:

Now the weird thing is, round about the same time I was being Tesla’d 24/7 by Steph and checking various Tesla sites out, we received an inquiry at Butler Sheetmetal about a stainless steel ball sculpture that bored little oiks kept knocking off its perch:

Stainless Steel Ball Sculpture

And they wanted to know if the boys could do something to ensure the thing remained upright for long enough for people to enjoy it. It’s not too much to ask, is it?

Obviously, with Bernoulli Balls in mind, I suggested an oversized leaf blower and some elongated industrial straws for balance. Personally I thought it was a bit of inspired genius.

They just told me to stick to the blogging. Fair enough fellas.

Hopefully I’ll have something to show you once it’s done to show you how they did it.

I really don’t anticipate any Benny Hill-esque chase routines as they try to fix it and it goes hurtling off down some field.

Not that any of them would catch it, mind.

Steel Buildings Extreme-ish Makeover

Paul Woodhouse — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:33:27 +0000

It looks like one of my favourite steel buildings in the history of building stuff out of steel has had a bit of a makeover. The Atomium in Brussels has had a bit of a spit and a polish.

Atomium post-renovation

But it ain’t the only one. According to a recent Euro Inox email, the following have been done-up as well.

Content:
- In renovating the Brussels Atomium, the spheres were made from electropolished stainless steel grade EN 1.4404/AISI316L to ensure long-term low maintenance.
- A pedestrian bridge at Cala Galdana, Menorca, was fully designed in Duplex stainless steel to withstand the high corrosive stress in a coastal location.
- Vauxhall Cross Bus Interchange was clad in pattern-rolled stainless steel to ensure high mechanical resistance.
- Wales Millennium Centre involved electrolytically coloured stainless steel to highlight the dramatic architecture of the building.
- The Milan Trade Fair is a convincing example of the sober elegance of polished stainless steel.

Format:
- PDF Files, colour

Click below to view or download:

Renovation of the Atomium in Brussels (8 pages, 760 KB)
- Dutch: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_NL.html
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_EN.html
- French: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_FR.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_DE.html

Bridge in Cala Galdana on Menorca (4 pages, 560 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_131_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_131_DE.html
- Spanish: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_131_SP.html

Milan Trade Fair (4 pages, 460 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_130_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_130_DE.html
- Italian: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_130_IT.html

Vauxhall Cross Bus Station in London (6 pages, 665 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_129_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_129_DE.html

Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff (4 pages, 530 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_128_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_128_DE.html

Vauxhall Cross Bus Interchange, eh? Expect breaking news of us powder coating a new dog dipper bin on Hallam road anytime soon.

What is Stainless Steel?

Paul Woodhouse — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:23:50 +0000

Bloody expensive, that’s what.

But besides me stating the obvious, this pdf is well worth downloading if you’re asking or have been asked about what stainless steel is.

And if you are fully conversant in all its ferritic properties and whatnot, it’s worth it to take a look at the pictures of gummi bears on different types of stainless steel sheets.

The official communication:

To give a concise overview of the most common stainless steel options, a compact 6-page folder has been produced, entitled:

What Is Stainless Steel?

Target audiences:
- Designers
- Fabricators
- Stockholder

Content:
– What is stainless steel?
—- Main families
—- Main properties
—- Commonly available finishes and process routes
- How are austenitic grades interrelated?
- What are the ferritic options?
- And how about Duplex?

Download or get a printed copy here and enjoy.