Stainless steel is a versatile material that shows up in many different applications and environments. Stainless alloys couple the basic strength and resilience of steel with a resistance to corrosion and oxidation that often proves to be attractive. Because they tend to withstand weather and other destructive influences well, stainless steel alloys can even be deployed in places where other metals would quickly succumb to damage. While stainless steel will therefore often be an appropriate choice, its particular character does mean that handling and working it can require some special skills, equipment, and approaches. By providing effective Stainless Cutting Seattle WA firms like Specialty Metals, though, make it easy for their clients to employ this useful material.
Browse website resources that cover the subject and it will be seen that there are several common ways to cut stainless steel. When the material to be cut is relatively thin along two dimensions, as with stainless rods and bars, a simple circular saw fitted with an appropriate blade will often do the trick. The advantage of this approach is that it requires little setup and is capable of an impressive degree of volume, as each cut can be made quickly.
On the other hand, greater accuracy will sometimes be desired, as will the ability to handle stainless steel in other formats. The next most common approach to Stainless Cutting Seattle WA shops employ accommodates both of these needs, to some degree. By using a cut-off saw that swings on a set hinge to make each cut, a technician can be assured of more accurate and repeatable work. The same tool will also typically be more capable of handling thicker stainless stock, thanks to the restriction of the blade’s motion.
While these two direct, mechanical approaches to cutting stainless steel cover a lot of ground between them, more advanced and specialized techniques will sometimes be needed. Plasma cutting tools, for example, can be used to cut thick stainless sheets that would pose real problems to physical saws. With the energy bound up in a spout of plasma slicing through steel without friction, greater precision will sometimes result, as well. What matters most in every case is selecting an approach to cutting that meshes well with the material and goals at hand. Contact Specialty Metals for more information.
