Benefits of Using 321 Stainless Steel Tubing
Top-quality products made of stainless steel have long been in demand by industries such as construction, automotive, marine, food and beverage, and electronics, to name a few. Most people prefer to buy these products from stainless steel tube manufacturing companies. However, many top quality stainless steel tube manufacturers also make custom trolley handles and other accessories.
These manufacturers can also create different sizes according to individual needs. Hence buying from just one manufacturer rather than multiple ones can cut down your overall costs. Most stainless steel tube manufacturers use a two-step process to produce high quality welded tubes.
First step – It is to insert the welding coil into a billet, which can be of different thicknesses to achieve the desired results
Second step – It is to weld the billet to a certain specification using the appropriate power supply. The combination of these two steps produces a thin, light but a strong welded tube.
We will be referring to the latter, the welded section of the 321 welded tube, for our purposes. The thickness of the welded section of the 321 stainless steel tube depends on a few factors, the most important being the quality of the used coil. A higher grade coil will create a thinner tube. This thinner tube is lighter and hence cheaper to produce.
Annealed tubes are produced by passing an electric current through a coil of steel, annealing the material to produce the hollow space inside
Cold annealed tubes are produced by passing an electric current through a coil of steel while it is still hot, which causes the material to be compressed. Once the material is cooled, the coils spring back to their original shapes, creating a hollow tube. These tubes are commonly used to create wide, flat shelves or even sections of shelves.
Properties: 321 Stainless Steel
A Titanium-stabilized 321 is a kind of austenitic stainless steel commonly found in steel sheets, tubing, pipes, plates, and bars. The properties of this stainless steel is an excellent choice for prolonged high-temperature exposure, such as those found in chemical processing. Because temperature sensitizations and intergranular corrosion are concerns for chemical processing equipment, 321 stainless steel plate offers higher stress and creep-rupture properties.
Type 321 stainless steel has good corrosion resistance after exposure to temperatures in the chromium carbide precipitation range (800-1500°F). Not only this, 321 stainless steel plate can resist oxidation up to 1500°F, a great attribute for chemical processing equipment. Alloy 321 cannot be hardened by heat treatment. It can be hardened by cold working and can be easily welded and processed. The top quality 321 stainless steel tube is ductile and forms easily.
Types of 321 stainless steel tubes
There are two different types of 321 stainless steel tubes: Type One and Type Two. These tubes are available in two different gauges: DIN (Dough) and Non-D Dough. Both variants come in a variety of thicknesses and are suitable for most plumbing applications.
Where are 321 stainless steel tubes used?
- Commercial kitchen surfaces, appliances, and equipment
- Pharmaceutical equipment
- Chemical equipment
- Medical equipment
- Stainless steel floats
- Structural steel and components in marine environments
Comparison
When compared to the other tubing options, the 321 stainless steel offers the best overall quality. Compared to its counterparts, it is slightly more expensive and has a shorter lifetime (five years or more). Nevertheless, it can achieve the same strength as the latter and is far less expensive than DIN. DIN is also considerably thicker (over ten inches). Furthermore, both sizes are available in various thicknesses and have similar operating temperatures and pressures.
Also, Read: What Are Flexible Hose And Their Applications
Conclusion
In summary, there are many benefits to using 321 stainless steel tubes in any plumbing application. Furthermore, these tubes are easily available through online retailers with high-quality warranties.