Suitable for making general-purpose stainless steel sheet metal parts, equipment housings, food equipment structural parts, instrument panels, decorative panels, protective covers, brackets, computer cases, cabinets, and medium-grade corrosion-resistant metal structural parts.
Stainless steel SUS304 is a sheet metal part material based on 304 austenitic stainless steel plates, produced through laser cutting, CNC punching, bending, welding, grinding, wire drawing, polishing, sandblasting, and other processes. SUS304 has good corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, toughness, weldability, and metallic appearance. It is a very commonly used material in stainless steel sheet metal, suitable for equipment housings, food equipment parts, instrument panels, computer cases, cabinets, brackets, protective covers, decorative panels, and moderately corrosion-resistant structural components.
By focusing on application scenarios, boundaries of advantages, and non-recommended scenarios, it helps sales, customer service, and quoting staff quickly determine whether the material meets current part requirements.
It has good corrosion resistance, a good metal texture, toughness, and weldability, with a wide range of applications. It is suitable for brushing and polishing, sheet metal bending, suitable for indoor and general outdoor environments, more corrosion-resistant than SUS201, and costs less than SUS316.
Equipment housings, instrument surface panels, chassis cabinets, food equipment enclosures, kitchen equipment parts, medical equipment housings, industrial protective covers, decorative panels, brackets, mounting plates, connection plates, sheet metal frames, control cabinet panels, ordinary outdoor equipment parts, corrosion-resistant structural parts, brushed stainless steel exterior parts.
Parts exposed to seawater for extended periods, parts exposed for long periods in high salt spray, components in environments with strong acids and alkalis, parts in chloride ion corrosion environments, medical implants, ultra-high-strength load-bearing parts, high-hardness wear-resistant parts, highly elastic snap-fit parts, high thermal conductivity parts, highly conductive parts, and lightweight structural components that are extremely sensitive to weight.
The following parameters come from product information and material knowledge fields, used for design review, quotation communication, and preliminary judgment before material selection.
| Material positioning | Suitable for making general-purpose stainless steel sheet metal parts, equipment housings, food equipment structural parts, instrument panels, decorative panels, protective covers, brackets, computer cases, cabinets, and medium-grade corrosion-resistant metal structural parts. |
|---|---|
| Precision performance | SUS304 is suitable for laser cutting, CNC punching, bending, welding, riveting, and general sheet metal fabrication. The cutting profile and hole position accuracy are relatively good. The overall bent dimensions are affected by plate thickness, bending radius, material hardness, bend springback, number of bendings, and equipment precision. Stainless steel has higher hardness and resilience than ordinary cold-rolled steel plates, so bending angle and cumulative dimensional errors require careful control. |
| Dimensional tolerances | Dimensional tolerances for standard laser cutting can be referenced as ± 0.10mm to ±0.30mm; the overall dimensional tolerance after bending can be referenced as ±0.30mm to ±1.00mm; welded structural parts can be evaluated at ±0.50mm-±2.00mm. Small-sized simple bent parts are usually easier to control, while large, multi-bend, welded, and polished parts may have greater deviations. This value is a general reference range and does not guarantee absolute tolerances for all structures. In practice, it should be confirmed by considering plate thickness, structure, number of bendings, welding method, and surface treatment. |
| Minimum Wall Thickness | SUS304 is usually selected based on board thickness, with common thicknesses including 0.5mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm and above. Ordinary decorative panels can use 0.5mm-0.8mm; for ordinary shell parts, the board thickness is recommended not less than 0.8mm-1.0mm; for areas requiring welding, riveting, tapping, bearing assembly forces, or structural support, it is recommended to increase thickness appropriately. |
| Recommended wall thickness | Standard decorative panels and lightweight enclosures are recommended 0.8mm-1.2mm; equipment housings, protective covers, brackets, and mounting plates are recommended 1.0mm-2.0mm; positions bearing assembly forces, screw tightening, riveting, or medium loads are recommended 1.5mm-3.0mm, and rigidity is improved through folding, flanging, pressing, reinforcing ribs, or local thickening. |
| Minimum aperture | For laser cutting or CNC punching, the recommended hole diameter should be no less than one of the plate thickness, and for stable design, the hole diameter should be no less than 1.0mm-1.5mm. Small holes, dense holes, and holes near bending lines are prone to deformation, burrs, or unstable machining. Screw holes, positioning holes, riveting holes, and assembly holes should be reasonably allowable according to board thickness, fastener specifications, surface treatment methods, and processing methods. |
| Assembly clearance | For ordinary sheet metal assembly, it is recommended to reserve 0.20mm-0.50mm on one side; for insertion, flanging, slots, and multi-bend combination structures, it is recommended to appropriately enlarge the clearance according to plate thickness, bending error, and surface treatment requirements. Welded structural components should reserve greater assembly adjustment space based on welding deformation. When assembling exterior brushed parts and mirror-finished parts, avoid excessive tightness to prevent surface scratches or assembly marks. |
| Detailed performance | SUS304 sheet metal is suitable for making holes, grooves, folded edges, flanges, pressed ribs, countersunk holes, louver holes, reinforcement ribs, welded structures, decorative panels, and ordinary sheet metal markings. Fine text, logos, and markings are recommended to be achieved through laser marking, etching, silkscreen printing, etching coloring, or nameplates. The cutting details on the appearance should not be too fine to avoid burrs, deformation, and weakening of details after polishing and brushing. |
| Surface effect | The original surface of SUS304 is usually silver-gray stainless steel with a metallic texture. Fine linear textures can be achieved through brushing, glossy finish by polishing, high reflectivity by mirror polishing, and uniform matte industrial appearance by sandblasting. Common treatments for appearance parts include brushing, mirror finishing, sandblasting, fingerprint resistance, and passivation. Compared to SUS201, SUS304 generally offers better long-term appearance stability; Compared to SUS316, it has slightly weaker corrosion resistance but is more cost-effective. |
Based on material characteristics and suitable product ranges, customer needs are broken down into easier application directions to determine.
Equipment housings, instrument surface panels, chassis cabinets, food equipment enclosures, kitchen equipment parts, medical equipment housings, industrial protective covers, decorative panels, brackets, mounting plates, connection plates, sheet metal frames, control cabinet panels, ordinary outdoor equipment parts, corrosion-resistant structural parts, brushed stainless steel exterior parts.
Suitable for making general-purpose stainless steel sheet metal parts, equipment housings, food equipment structural parts, instrument panels, decorative panels, protective covers, brackets, computer cases, cabinets, and medium-grade corrosion-resistant metal structural parts.
SUS304 is a stainless steel sheet metal material with relatively balanced overall performance, combining good corrosion resistance, formability, weldability, and appearance characteristics. It is more suitable for humid and ordinary outdoor environments than SUS201, and is less expensive than SUS316, suitable for most ordinary stainless steel sheet metal parts. SUS304 is not absolutely rust-free; rust spots, pitting, or surface discoloration may still occur in environments with high salt spray, coastal areas, strong acids and alkalis, chlorine-containing cleaning agents, or prolonged water accumulation.
Based on wall thickness, hole position, assembly clearance, dimensional tolerances, and material usage risks, determine in advance whether the part structure is suitable forSUS 304 Stainless Steel.
Post-processing ofSUS 304 Stainless Steel affects appearance, dimensions, hole position, assembly clearance, and usage validation results, and should be explained in advance during quotation, DFM review, and sample confirmation stages.
Post-processing should focus on appearance display, dimensional fitting, connection assembly, and testing verification. Parts involving assembly positions need to be reserved in advance for machining, coating, and trial assembly allowances.
For common issues such as threads, snaps, strength, temperature resistance, and weather resistance, identify in advance whether the material needs to be replaced or if another processing method should be used.
When customer demand exceedsSUS 304 Stainless Steel material boundaries, it is necessary to combine strength, temperature resistance, toughness, long-term stability, and mass production goals to promptly recommend alternative materials or processing technologies.
If lower cost and drier environments are needed, SUS201 or SPCC powder spray parts can be chosen; If stronger resistance to salt spray, seaside, or chemical environments is required, SUS316 or SUS316L can be chosen; If lighter weight is needed, AL5052 aluminum alloy sheet metal can be chosen; If stronger high-temperature oxidation resistance is required, SUS 310S can be chosen; If only the internal structural parts of ordinary equipment are used, SECC, SGCC, or Q235 powder coating parts can also be chosen.
If customers require a stainless steel appearance, good corrosion resistance, superior weldability, and a universal sheet metal structure, SUS304 is an excellent choice. If the customer's products are exposed to seasides, salt spray, chemical liquids, chloride ions, or highly corrosive environments for a long time, priority should be given to SUS316 or higher corrosion-resistant materials. If the customer is primarily concerned about cost and the environment is relatively dry, they can consider SUS201, SECC, or SPCC powder coating solutions.
After uploading 3D/2D drawings and supplementing materials, quantities, tolerances, surface treatments, and delivery requirements, XPartsLab will provide next steps in 3D printing manufacturability, cost, and delivery pathways.
