You’ve probably heard a lot about stainless steel this and that. But what’s the big deal about stainless steel — and when do you need to choose stainless steel fasteners for your project?
First let’s examine what goes into stainless steel that makes it, well, stainless. Ordinary carbon steel met the world’s steel needs for centuries, finding its way into everything from building projects to swords, but it was by no means a perfect metal. Before you could say “Taste my steel!” the exposure of the steel’s surface to oxygen would lead to oxidation, which would show itself in the form of iron oxide — in short, it would rust. The more corrosive your environment, the faster oxidation would take place. If you lived by the seaside, forget about it.
Stainless steel solves that problem by containing at least 11 percent chromium. When this metal is mixed into the steel, it oxidizes too — but it oxidizes into a super-strong, corrosion-resistant film of chromium oxide. This outer layer of chromium oxide acts as a kind of protective sealant that prevents rust from penetrating the steel.
Stainless steel fasteners are an industry standard for other reasons as well. These screws maintain their strength under extreme temperatures (hot or cold), they’re easy to clean, and their anti-corrosive qualities give them a longer lifespan than fasteners made of other metals. Stainless steel is largely resistant to magnetic forces as well. And of course they look great — after all, they’re stainless!
Yes, you can go with other materials for your screws, bolts or other fasteners — we have all kinds of options in stock to meet specific needs, and you’re welcome to ask us about them. But if you’re building a structure that’s meant to last, especially around chemicals or salt water, stainless steel is the clean winner!
Controlling torque is essential for companies to ensure their product’s quality, safety and reliability isn’t compromised. The failure of a three-cent fastener that isn’t properly tightened can lead to catastrophic or latent failures. Fasteners that are insufficiently torqued can vibrate loose and excessive torque can strip threaded fasteners. Using a quality torque wrench, torque screwdriver, electric screwdriver, pneumatic screwdriver or other torque tool has become increasingly important for many companies to ensure that proper torque is being applied and maintains gauge requirements associated with the ISO 9001 Quality Standard.
Mr. Metric is the leading metric fastener specialist in North America. Founded in 1980, Mr. Metric buys fasteners from the world’s reputable producers and has a broad mix of customers that include resellers, OEM’s, and consumers. Well regarded as experts in metric, Mr. Metric is known for hard to find metric items at competitive prices
