ASTM A276 Cold Drawn Stainless Steel Bar / Round Bar / Flat Bar /
Hexagon Bar / Square Bar
Flat Stainless Steel Bars
Flat stainless steel bars are those that have been produced on a
rolling mill. In instances when the material needs to be polished
in order to create a more consistent finish across all four sides
(think architectural and aerospace applications), true flat bars
often win out.
Other typical end uses for true flat stainless steel bars include
food machinery, conveyor equipment, packaging equipment, bottling
equipment, separators, and chemical processing, among others.
Why use true flat stainless steel bar:
• Tighter tolerances – thickness & width
• Better squareness on edge
• Can be produced as hot roll annealed and pickled or cold drawn
Be aware:
• Longer mill lead-times
• Cost of production can be higher than cut flats
• A limited number of US-based mills produce true flat bars
Edge-Conditioned Flat Stainless Steel Bars
Edge-conditioned flat stainless steel bars don’t start out as bars.
They have been slit from coil or sheared or saw cut from plate,
before the edge is conditioned. This means the edges may have a
slightly different finish from the flat sides. In addition,
edge-conditioned flat stainless steel bars may not be truly as flat
as a true flat stainless steel bar.
Among the common uses for edge-conditioned stainless steel bars are
stiffeners for tank manufacturing, ornamental applications, grab
bars, bar rings, and structural members, among others.
Typical grades for edge-conditioned stainless steel flat bars are
304/304L stainless steel flat bar and 316/316L stainless steel flat
bar.
Why use edge-conditioned stainless steel flat bar:
• The cost of product is typically less than true flat
• There is a larger market for cut flats
• Can be an outstanding value where tolerances will permit
• Widely available and can typically have short lead times
• Can be purchased already polished on two or four sides
Be aware:
• Tolerances are typically not as tight, as it is difficult to use
precision equipment
• Edges are not as square – difficult to machine or finish easily
• Thickness limitations exist due to slitting, shearing and
gauge-edge constraints
Standard Informations
The ASTM A276 specification covers hot -finished or cold-finished
stainless steel bars, except bars for reforging. More specifically,
the ASTM 276 specification encompasses the following products in
the more commonly used types of stainless steel:
- Stainless Steel Bars, including round bars, square bars, and hex
bars, rolled flat bars, sheared & edged bars, half round bars.
- Stainless Steel hot rolled or extruded structural shapes, including
angles, tees, channels, beams, and unequal angles.
The bars shall be furnished in one of the following conditions:
- Condition A in which the bars are annealed
- Condition H in which the bars are hardened and tempered at a
relative temperature
- Condition T in which the bars are hardened and tempered at a
relatively high temperature
- Condition S in which the bars are strain hardened or relatively
light cold worked
- Condition B in which the bars are relatively severe cold worked.
The material shall be subjected to a mechanical test to determine
its tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and Brinell
hardness
