Cold Drawn Stainless Steel Flat Bars AISI R 304L 316 316L 321 304 2B Surface

Stainless Steel Flat Bars—Before the Finishing Process

Stainless steel flat bar comes available in a variety of finishes, grades, alloys, and types before being treated for its end-use. Before being converted from its raw material to a finished piece, they are usually sold as edge-treated flat bars or true flat bars.

• Edge-treated flat bars are more cost-effective due to their production method. Also known as sheared or edged flat bars, edge-treated flat bars are cut from stainless steel plates and then processed to flatten the body and smooth the edges. Edge-treated stainless-steel flat bars are best for applications where tolerance and sharpness are not as critical in the end-use application.
• True stainless-steel flat bars offer more uniformity from bar to bar. These bars are generally fabricated via hot rolling, annealing, and pickling (HRAP), though true flat bars may also be formed via cold drawing. With identical finishes on each side and tolerances of true flat bar is ideal for applications where polish, uniformity, or sharpness are required.

Stainless steel flat bar is most frequently sold with HRAP in 304 or 316 grades. The two materials offer a similar appearance, but 316 stainless steel delivers superior corrosion resistance.