Why is the processing cost for ordinary stainless steel higher than that for carbon steel?
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Question: For the fabrication of ordinary static equipment (such as thin-walled towers or heat exchangers), why is the processing cost for common stainless steel materials (such as 304/316) higher than that for carbon steel materials (such as 345R)? The processing procedures and tools used are basically the same, but the processing cost is much higher?
Please compare from aspects such as material cutting, coiling, welding, and non-destructive testing – the differences are significant...
Why is there such a big difference in the repair costs between luxury cars and ordinary cars, when after all it’s the same parts that need to be repaired?
Could you provide a detailed, specific analysis? Thank you
Machining carbon steel is relatively easier, while stainless steel presents more challenges. The tools and cutting instruments used, as well as the time required and size control, are all different; therefore, the cost of machining stainless steel parts is higher than that of machining carbon steel parts.
The tooling and equipment in stainless steel production workshops meet certain requirements; welding materials are expensive, resulting in high costs.
Generally, there’s a price increase of around 30%!
This post was last edited by edian08_NYZV on 2017-9-16 at 13:09; it is related to material utilization rate, processing difficulty, and working time – of course, the processing procedures and tools used may not be the same
The difficulty level of machining varies; machining stainless steel is time-consuming, and its cutting properties are inferior to those of carbon steel
The machinability of various austenitic stainless steels, as indicated by their cutting properties, is inferior to that of carbon steels and low-alloy steels~~~~ It is traditionally said that: \"White steel? It’s sticky.\"~~~~”
Cutting and processing stainless steel is quite difficult; gas cutting cannot be used, and plasma or laser methods are required instead. Secondly, high quality standards are required in the production process; strict requirements exist regarding surface protection, iron ion contamination, and scratches on the outer surface. Furthermore, stainless steel has a high degree of thermal deformation, making it difficult to control during welding. Finally, stainless steel cannot be used for magnetic particle testing; it has poor mechanical properties during assembly, and the acid cleaning costs and quality requirements for such equipment are also higher than those for painted surfaces.