Suitable for manufacturing highly corrosion-resistant sheet metal parts, food equipment structural parts, chemical equipment housings, marine environmental parts, instrument panels, protective covers, brackets, equipment housings, and medium- to high-demand stainless steel sheet metal structural parts.
Stainless steel SUS316 is a sheet metal part material based on 316 austenitic stainless steel plates, produced through laser cutting, CNC punching, bending, welding, grinding, wire drawing, polishing, sandblasting, passivation, and other processes. SUS316 contains molybdenum and generally has better corrosion resistance than SUS304. It is especially suitable for equipment enclosures, structural parts, food equipment, chemical equipment auxiliary parts, marine environment parts, and high-end sheet metal components in humid environments, salt spray, weak acidity and alkalis, chlorine environments, and those with higher corrosion resistance requirements.
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, salt spray resistance surpassing 304, good oxidation resistance, good metal texture, toughness, good weldability, suitable for brushing and polishing, suitable for humid and mildly corrosive environments, suitable for long-term use, and more suitable for high-corrosion risk scenarios than 304.
Food equipment housings, chemical equipment sheet metal parts, marine equipment parts, medical equipment housings, instrument surface panels, corrosion-resistant equipment housings, protective covers, brackets, mounting plates, connecting plates, pump and valve equipment covers, laboratory equipment parts, ordinary outdoor equipment parts, salt spray environment structural parts, high-end stainless steel exterior parts.
Extremely low-cost sheet metal parts, ultra-lightweight components, high-strength heavy-duty structural parts, high-hardness wear-resistant parts, high-elasticity snap-fit parts, high thermal conductivity parts, high electrical conductivity parts, parts in long-term contact with strong acids and alkalis, medical implants, structural parts that are extremely weight-sensitive, and parts requiring 310S class high-temperature resistance.
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 manufacturing highly corrosion-resistant sheet metal parts, food equipment structural parts, chemical equipment housings, marine environmental parts, instrument panels, protective covers, brackets, equipment housings, and medium- to high-demand stainless steel sheet metal structural parts. |
|---|---|
| Precision performance | SUS316 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. SUS316 has good toughness and obvious work hardening. When bending, drilling, and tapping, attention must be paid to the tool, burrs, and dimensional stability. |
| 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 | SUS316 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 at 0.8mm-1.2mm; equipment housings, protective covers, brackets, and mounting plates are recommended at 1.0mm-2.0mm; positions bearing assembly forces, screw tightening, riveting, or medium loads are recommended at 1.5mm-3.0mm; food, chemical, or outdoor equipment structural parts can be thickened according to strength, cleanliness, and welding requirements. |
| 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 brushed parts, mirror parts, and electrolytic polished parts, avoid overtightening to prevent surface scratches or assembly marks. |
| Detailed performance | SUS316 sheet metal is suitable for making holes, grooves, folded edges, flanges, pressed ribs, countersunk holes, louver holes, reinforcing ribs, welded structures, decorative panels, and standard 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 SUS316 is typically silver-gray stainless steel with a metallic feel. 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 finishes for appearance parts include brushing, mirror finishing, sandblasting, fingerprint resistance, passivation, and electrolytic polishing. Compared to SUS304, SUS316 looks similar but offers better corrosion resistance and stability. |
Based on material characteristics and suitable product ranges, customer needs are broken down into easier application directions to determine.
Food equipment housings, chemical equipment sheet metal parts, marine equipment parts, medical equipment housings, instrument surface panels, corrosion-resistant equipment housings, protective covers, brackets, mounting plates, connecting plates, pump and valve equipment covers, laboratory equipment parts, ordinary outdoor equipment parts, salt spray environment structural parts, high-end stainless steel exterior parts.
Suitable for manufacturing highly corrosion-resistant sheet metal parts, food equipment structural parts, chemical equipment housings, marine environmental parts, instrument panels, protective covers, brackets, equipment housings, and medium- to high-demand stainless steel sheet metal structural parts.
SUS316 is a stainless steel sheet metal material with good corrosion resistance. Compared to SUS304, it is more suitable for humid environments, salt spray, coastal areas, mild corrosion, and chlorine-containing environments. It has a good metallic texture and good overall mechanical properties, and can be processed with drawing, polishing, sandblasting, passivation, and electrolytic polishing. SUS316 is more expensive and slightly more difficult to manufacture than SUS304 and SUS201, but it is more reliable in scenarios with high corrosion resistance requirements.
Based on wall thickness, hole position, assembly clearance, dimensional tolerances, and material usage risks, determine in advance whether the part structure is suitable for 316 Stainless Steel.
Post-processing of 316 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 exceeds 316 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 less environmental corrosiveness are needed, SUS304 can be chosen; If it is just ordinary interior and exterior parts, SUS201 or SPCC powder spray parts can be chosen; If higher post-welding corrosion stability is required, SUS316L can be chosen; If stronger high-temperature oxidation resistance is required, SUS 310S can be chosen; If lightweight is needed, AL5052 aluminum alloy sheet metal can be chosen; If extreme corrosion resistance is required, titanium alloys, Hastelloy alloys, or higher-grade corrosion-resistant materials can be evaluated.
If the customer's products are in environments with humidity, salt spray, coastal areas, chemical, food equipment, or frequent cleaning and disinfection, the sheet metal fabrication SUS316 is a suitable choice. For ordinary indoor device enclosures or decorative panels, SUS304 is usually sufficient and costs lower. If the product requires extensive welding and still requires high corrosion resistance after welding, it is recommended to prioritize evaluation SUS316L.
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.
