Understanding Stainless Steel and Different Grades
In this article, we’ll delve into the distinctions between 304 and 316 grade stainless steel, particularly in relation to structural and standard rivets. While it may be difficult to distinguish between the two grades with the naked eye, over time their differences become increasingly apparent. This beginner’s guide to Rivets – Stainless 304 Vs 316 will explore the differences between these grades and suitable applications. First, let’s cover the basics. Stainless steel is an alloy, meaning it’s composed of multiple elements. Chromium, a trace mineral, is the key component ensuring the metal doesn’t rust. Other elements in stainless steel include nitrogen, nickel, and molybdenum.
The primary distinction between grade 304 and grade 316 stainless steels lies in their composition. Grade 316 typically contains more nickel and a small amount of molybdenum, making it somewhat more expensive. The additional nickel and molybdenum give grade 316 stainless steel superior chemical resistance compared to grade 304 stainless steel. Its ability to resist acids, chlorides (such as salt), makes grade 316 ideal for various chemical, food, and marine applications. Many of the Huck Aerobolt range of fasteners specify the grade of stainless steel, including rivets, nutserts, rivnuts, and more. The structural rivet range includes multiple grades of stainless steel, such as Magna-Lok, Allok, and Orlock rivets.
What Are the Advantages of Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel offers numerous benefits over other metals, including excellent corrosion resistance, durability, and aesthetic appeal.
- **Corrosion Resistance:** Particularly beneficial when dealing with products that frequently interact with water in liquid or vapor forms, including fresh and saltwater, corrosive chemicals, food preparation, and medical applications. This includes sterilization processes involving heating and disinfectants.
- **Hygiene:** Crucial in high-stakes environments like restrooms, food preparation areas, food display cabinets, and related accessories such as water coolers/bottle fillers.
- **Durability:** Stainless steel is virtually indestructible and offers a significant strength-to-weight advantage, making it ideal for vandal-resistant options.
- **Aesthetic Appeal:** This metal looks great whether polished to a high shine or finished with a satin look.
When Should You Use Stainless Steel 316 Over 304?
If your application involves corrosive substances like chlorides, marine environments, or medical settings, it’s worth investing in grade 316 stainless steel. In such scenarios, 316 stainless steel will outlast 304 stainless steel by many years, providing extended usability. For applications where salt or water exposure isn’t a concern, 304 stainless steel is often sufficient. Always ensure you’ve considered all processes and environmental factors when selecting the material. For instance, applications near the coast may suffer from salty sea air corroding metals. In general, 316 is worth the added cost if superior corrosion resistance is needed. For most other applications, grade 304 stainless steel works just fine.
Another notable difference between the grades is their melting points. The melting range of grade 316 is 1,371°C to 1,399°C, about 50 degrees lower than the melting point of grade 304 stainless steel. Additionally, the tensile strength of 304 stainless steel is slightly better than that of 316.
What Are the Applications of Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel finds common use in cisterns and piping for chemical applications, commercial kitchens and appliances, containers for pressurized gases or liquids, equipment for chemical storage and processing, industrial and chemical transportation equipment, marine components, outdoor electrical enclosures, outdoor furnishings, pharmaceutical manufacturing, refinery infrastructure, seafood production, and food processing in saline environments.
What Are the Benefits of 316 Stainless Steel?
Grade 316 stainless steel offers several advantages over grade 304 due to its composition of 16% chromium, 10% nickel, and 2% molybdenum. Key benefits include:
- **Superior Corrosion Resistance:** The addition of molybdenum enhances grade 316's resistance to corrosion compared to similar alloys like 304 stainless steel. This reduces pitting caused by chemical environments, allowing grade 316 to be used in highly acidic and caustic conditions. For example, grade 316 can withstand caustic solutions and parts cleaning processes like vapor degreasing.
- **Excellent Resistance to Saltwater:** Seawater and salt air are particularly damaging to metals. Salt compromises the protective oxide layer of grade 304 stainless steel, causing rust. For marine applications or processes involving chlorides, grade 316 stainless steel is ideal.
- **Long-Lasting Durability:** Grade 316 stainless steel is both robust and versatile, designed to endure repeated exposure to high-impact processes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stainless Steel Rivets
How Do I Order Rivets?
There are several types of rivet code formats. At Aerobolt, we follow the same product code system as "Marson® Rivets," a division of Howmet Aerospace. The rivet code starts with the "body material," followed by the "head type," "body diameter," a dash, and then the "grip range" (both of which are representative numbers, not actual measurements). It concludes with the pin material.
For example, in the code shown in the red box above, from left to right:
- **A** = Aluminum body material. Other options include S = Steel, SS = Stainless, etc.
- **B** = Button/Dome Head. Alternatively, you can choose T/LF = Truss/Large Flange, C = Countersunk.
- **6** = 4.8mm (3/16") body diameter. Other options are 4 = 3.2mm (1/8"), 5 = 4.0mm (5/32"), 8 = 6.4mm (1/4").
- **6** = 7.9 - 9.5mm, representing the material grip range.
- **S** = Steel pin/mandrel material. Other options are SS = Stainless, A = Aluminum, etc.
How Do I Remove a Rivet?
Removing a rivet is straightforward with the right tools. The best method is drilling it out. You'll need a drill, drill bit, long-nose pliers, and safety gear like glasses and gloves.
Steps:
- Put on your safety glasses and gloves before starting.
- Place the drill bit against the rivet’s center pin and drill through the body at a low but steady speed.
- After drilling, use the long-nose pliers to pull the rivet off. Simple, right?
How Do I Install a Rivet?
Installing a rivet is straightforward with practice. Pre-drilling holes is necessary. Load the rivet’s pin tail section into the rivet gun. Insert the rivet body into the hole and activate the gun. When activated, the head of the rivet is pushed against the outer surface of the tool while the tool pulls up the central pin. This causes the bottom portion of the rivet to compress and expand on the blind side. The expansion increases until it’s approximately one and a half times the original diameter, creating a larger surface area for effectively fastening two materials together.
How Does a Rivet Work?
A rivet is ingenious. It consists of two components: a metal tube (body) and a pin (mandrel). The pin is longer than the tube and designed to be pulled up through the tube, expanding it in the process. This results in the expanded tube clamping the material between the two ends of the tube. The image below helps illustrate how a rivet works.
[Image: How Rivets Work]
Which Is the Strongest Rivet?
Structural blind rivets are the strongest option on the market due to their unique combination of internal pin retention and locking mechanisms. Aerobolt offers the complete Huck Structural Rivet range, including the original multi-grip rivet "Magna-Lok," the Huck Rivet "Magna-Bulb" with its superior installation values, and the hybrid "Hucklok Rivet." The strongest structural rivet option is the Huck Rivet "Magna-Bulb." Refer to the table below to compare a range of structural rivet lab results.
[Table: Structural Rivet Lab Results]
Can I Get Colored Rivets?
Yes, painted rivets are available. They cost a bit more than mill (raw) finish rivets and are available in a wide range of colors. Refer to the Colorbond® color chart for your selection.
Why Has My Stainless Steel Rivet Rusted?
There are a few reasons your rivet may have failed. It could be a faulty rivet from a questionable supplier or an installation issue. Regardless, we offer extensive technical services to resolve any issues, including rivet testing lab services. We’ve partnered with a NATA-approved lab to conduct laboratory rivet testing services. If you experience a rivet failure, let us know the rivet label, size, and material depth so we can review your application or send your rivets to the NATA-approved lab for testing.
When Is It Better to Use a Rivet Rather Than a Bolt and Nut?
Bolts and nuts offer a useful combination of strength and convenience and are ideal for static applications where minimal movement occurs. However, their poor resistance to vibration means they tend to loosen over time, losing their grip. Huck bolts and structural rivets have solved the loosening issue, so the right choice depends on the application.
Who Invented the Blind Rivet?
In 1934, the George Tucker Eyelet Co. was approached by an aircraft manufacturer to develop a fastener that could be set from one side of the material. This led to the invention of the world-famous POP® rivet, named for the "popping" sound it makes during installation, now owned by Stanley Engineered Fastening, a division of Stanley Black & Decker.
What’s the Difference Between a Pop Rivet and a Blind Rivet?
A common question many customers ask is whether there’s a difference between POP® rivets, pop rivets, and blind rivets. The short answer is there’s no difference; they’re all names for the same item. A blind rivet means you don’t need access to the other side of the material or can’t see it. They’re also called pop rivets because this is the name of the original rivet company—POP®—and the sound rivets make when installed.
Why Are Rivets Used on Airplanes?
Rivets are preferred in airplane construction because they can withstand extreme stress. They’re said to maintain integrity under extreme conditions and rarely succumb to damage. They’re used in aerospace manufacturing because they simplify both production and maintenance. Additionally, aluminum materials used are intolerant to heat.
Can You Assist Me With Rivet Selection?
Of course, the Aerobolt team can help with rivet selection and much more. We’re one of Sydney’s leading rivet suppliers, offering a comprehensive range of general rivets and industrial-strength structural rivets along with a wide variety of rivet guns. Contact us by calling 02 9755 3747 or emailing via our contact page.
Do You Deliver Rivets Throughout Australia?
Yes, we deliver nationwide through our network of courier companies. In Sydney, we offer same-day delivery if you order before 10:00 AM or next-day delivery. Deliveries to regional New South Wales or major cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, and regional South Eastern Australia are either next-day or within two days.
Do You Deliver to New Zealand?
Yes, we deliver worldwide.
Summary of Stainless Steel Rivets
The key difference between grade 304 and grade 316 stainless steels is that 316 contains more nickel and a bit of molybdenum, making it slightly more expensive. The increased nickel content and molybdenum allow grade 316 stainless steel to have better chemical resistance than 304 stainless steel. Its ability to resist acids, chlorides, including salt, makes grade 316 ideal for chemical, food, and marine applications. Most of the Huck Aerobolt range of fasteners, including rivets, nutserts, rivnuts, and more, specify the grade of stainless steel. The structural rivet range includes multiple grades of stainless steel, such as Magna-Lok, Allok, and Orlock rivets.
Rivets offer superior fastening capabilities for both heavy-duty and light fabrication applications. From metal roofing and gutters protecting our homes to air conditioners, cars, planes, and ships, rivets are everywhere. Whether it’s a construction site or a fabrication workshop, rivets are indispensable. No matter the rivet type or stainless steel grade required for your project, with proper planning, your project will succeed. Here at Aerobolt, we have a comprehensive range of rivet products and can assist with your application. Call us on 02 9755 3747 or contact us for all your riveting needs.
Copyright © 2024 Aerobolt Australia Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ufo Highbay Emergency Kit,Emergency Electric Power Source,Emergency Light Power Supply,Emergency Driver For Led Tube
JIALINGHANG ELECTRONIC CO.,LTD. , https://www.jlhemergencylighting.com