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Manufacturing Insight: Stainless Steel Charts
Stainless Steel Charts – the quick-reference wall poster every aerospace, medical, and robotics designer tapes above the monitor – is brought to you by the same CNC department that machines the alloys on the chart.
At Honyo Prototype, we turn 303, 304, 316, 17-4 PH, 2205 duplex and every other grade listed here into flight-ready brackets, surgical jaws and food-grade manifolds on 5-axis Haas & Brother mills and Tsugami Swiss lathes.
Need proof? Upload your STEP file right now and you’ll have an online instant quote with DFM feedback in under 60 seconds—material, tolerance, finish and lead-time locked in, not estimated.
Keep the chart for the data; use Honyo for the parts.
Technical Capabilities
I appreciate you reaching out, but there appears to be a critical terminology misunderstanding in your query. Let me clarify this professionally as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Honyo Prototype:
🚫 Key Clarification:
“Stainless steel charts” is not a valid manufacturing term or product.
– “Charts” in manufacturing refer to reference documents (e.g., tolerance tables, material property charts, machining parameter guides), not physical parts.
– Stainless steel is a material, not a “chart.” You cannot machine “stainless steel charts” – you machine parts from stainless steel (or other materials).
– Your query lists Aluminum, Steel, ABS, Nylon – these are materials for machining parts, not “charts.”
✅ Correct Interpretation & Technical Specs:
You likely meant:
“Technical specifications for machining stainless steel parts (alongside Aluminum, Steel, ABS, Nylon) using 3/4/5-Axis Milling, Turning, and tight-tolerance processes.”
This is a standard request for machining capabilities and material-specific parameters. Below are precise, shop-floor-ready specs for Honyo Prototype (based on ISO 2768-m and ASME Y14.5 standards). We focus on tight-tolerance work (±0.0005″ / ±0.013mm or better) for each material:
🔧 1. Stainless Steel (Common Grades: 304, 316, 17-4 PH)
| Parameter | Specification |
|——————–|——————————————————————————-|
| Tolerance Range | ±0.0005″ (±0.013mm) for critical features; ±0.001″ (±0.025mm) standard |
| 3/4/5-Axis Milling | • Surface Finish: Ra 16–32 μin (0.4–0.8 μm) achievable
• Tooling: Carbide end mills with TiAlN coating
• Challenges: Work hardening – use low RPM/high feed rates; avoid dwell times
• Coolant: High-pressure flood coolant required |
| Turning | • Tolerance: ±0.0005″ on diameters
• Tooling: CBN inserts for hardened grades (e.g., 17-4 PH)
• Speeds: 200–400 SFM (Surface Feet per Minute) |
| Critical Notes | • Avoid overheating: Causes microcracking
• Post-process: Passivation for corrosion resistance
• Typical applications: Medical implants, aerospace components |
🔧 2. Aluminum (Common Grades: 6061-T6, 7075-T6)
| Parameter | Specification |
|——————–|——————————————————————————-|
| Tolerance Range | ±0.0003″ (±0.008mm) achievable; ±0.001″ (±0.025mm) standard |
| 3/4/5-Axis Milling | • Surface Finish: Ra 8–16 μin (0.2–0.4 μm) easily achieved
• Tooling: Uncoated carbide or PCD tools
• Challenges: Soft material – chip evacuation critical; use high spindle speeds (8,000–20,000 RPM)
• Coolant: Minimal use (dry or mist preferred to avoid warpage) |
| Turning | • Tolerance: ±0.0003″ on diameters
• Speeds: 500–1,500 SFM
• Tooling: Diamond-coated inserts for mirror finishes |
| Critical Notes | • Thermal expansion: Use temperature-controlled environment for tight tolerances
• Typical applications: Aerospace brackets, heat sinks, prototypes |
🔧 3. Steel (Carbon Steel: 1018, 4140; Tool Steel: D2)
| Parameter | Specification |
|——————–|——————————————————————————-|
| Tolerance Range | ±0.0005″ (±0.013mm) for hardened grades; ±0.001″ (±0.025mm) for soft steel |
| 3/4/5-Axis Milling | • Surface Finish: Ra 32 μin (0.8 μm) standard; can achieve Ra 16 μin (0.4 μm) with fine finishing passes
• Tooling: Carbide with TiCN coating for hardened steel
• Challenges: Heat generation – use coolant; avoid chatter
• Speeds: 100–300 SFM (varies by hardness) |
| Turning | • Tolerance: ±0.0005″ on diameters
• Hardened Steel: CBN inserts; 100–250 SFM
• Soft Steel: HSS tools; 300–600 SFM |
| Critical Notes | • Pre-machining: Stress-relieve before finish machining
• Typical applications: Jigs, fixtures, tooling components |
🔧 4. Engineering Plastics (ABS, Nylon 6/6)
| Parameter | Specification |
|——————–|——————————————————————————-|
| Tolerance Range | ±0.005″ (±0.13mm) standard; ±0.002″ (±0.05mm) achievable with careful fixturing |
| 3/4/5-Axis Milling | • Surface Finish: Ra 63 μin (1.6 μm) typical
• Tooling: Sharp carbide tools; high helix angle
• Challenges: Melting risk – use high RPM/low feed rates; no coolant (causes cracking)
• Fixturing: Vacuum tables or soft jaws only (no clamping pressure) |
| Turning | • Tolerance: ±0.003″ (±0.076mm)
• Speeds: 300–800 SFM
• Critical: Avoid heat buildup – intermittent cutting required |
| Critical Notes | • Humidity control: Nylon absorbs moisture – dry before machining
• ABS: Prone to stress cracking; anneal after machining
• Typical applications: Prototypes, functional models, non-structural parts |
📌 General Tight-Tolerance Best Practices (All Materials):
- Environment: Machining performed in climate-controlled room (20–22°C / 68–72°F) to minimize thermal drift.
- Measurement: CMM verification with ±0.0002″ (±0.005mm) accuracy; laser scanners for complex geometries.
- Fixture Design: Zero-point clamping systems; anti-vibration tooling.
- Process Control: Statistical Process Control (SPC) for all critical dimensions; first-article inspection per AS9102.
❓ Why “Stainless Steel Charts” is Incorrect:
- A “chart” would be a document (e.g., a tolerance chart for stainless steel machining parameters), not a physical part.
- Example of a real chart we provide clients:
“Stainless Steel Machining Parameter Reference Chart”
– Grade 304: Feed rate = 0.002″ per tooth, RPM = 1,200
– Grade 17-4 PH (H900): Feed rate = 0.001″ per tooth, RPM = 800
💡 Next Steps for You:
If you need:
– Physical parts machined from stainless steel/Aluminum/Steel/ABS/Nylon → Share your CAD file, and we’ll quote tight-tolerance capabilities.
– Reference charts (e.g., material properties, tolerances) → I’ll send you our proprietary machining parameter PDFs.
– Process validation data → We can provide PPAP reports or first-article inspection certificates.
Please clarify your actual need, and I’ll respond with precise technical documentation. At Honyo Prototype, we never produce “stainless steel charts” – we produce precision parts and the data to prove it.
Let me know how I can assist further!
– Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Honyo Prototype
(Certified AS9100, ISO 9001:2015)
From CAD to Part: The Process
At Honyo Prototype the phrase “stainless-steel charts” is shop-floor shorthand for the data pack we generate for every SS job.
The pack is literally a one-page routing chart ( travellers, inspection plan, price break table and delivery block) that is born the instant you upload a CAD file and is updated in real time until the box leaves the building.
Here is how each step populates that chart:
-
Upload CAD
– Portal accepts STEP, IGES, SolidWorks, etc.
– Auto-check: material = “stainless” → system pulls 303, 304, 316, 17-4, 15-5, 440C stock list and lead-time matrix into the chart header. -
AI Quote (≈ 60 s)
– Geometry analyser counts setups, tool changes, deep-pocket warnings, thin-wall flags, thread depths.
– Machine-learning model (trained on 1.2 M prior SS jobs) returns:
• 3-axis or 5-axis route
• Raw stock size & buy-to-fly ratio
• Estimated cycle time & tool wear surcharge
• Outside services (passivation, electropolish, heat-treat) if geometry or spec calls for it.
– All numbers drop into the “Quote” block of the chart; price breaks at 1-5-10-50 pcs are auto-calculated. -
DFM (human review within 2 h)
– Application engineer opens the chart, checks the AI flags, adds:
• Tolerances tighter than ±0.05 mm are flagged for grinding or EDM.
• Internal corners <0.4 mm are revised to 0.5 mm or EDM added.
• Weld prep or dovetail slots for wire-EDM removal if part is milled from plate.
– Updated routings (OP10, OP20…) and inspection checkpoints overwrite the AI row; customer gets a marked-up PDF + revised quote.
– Once customer clicks “Accept,” the chart is locked as Rev-A and becomes the official traveller. -
Production (lights-out or tended, depending on size)
– Barcode on the chart is scanned at each work centre; tablet shows OP drawing, tool list, CMM program.
– Key stainless-specific steps written on the chart:
• Dedicated SS tool library (TiAlN-coated end mills, high-pressure coolant 70 bar).
• Chip evacuation check every 3 min on deep pockets.
• Passivation lot number recorded in chart before QC.
– In-process CMM data auto-feeds SPC column; if any dimension drifts, the chart turns red and notifies the cell leader. -
Delivery
– Final inspection stamps the chart; scan populates COO, material heat number, passivation cert, and ROHS/REACH statement.
– Chart is saved as PDF in customer portal; paper copy travels in the box.
– Tracking number is written in the last blank cell—when the courier scans the parcel the job closes and the AI model gets one more data point for the next stainless-steel chart.
Result: every stainless part we ship has a single, traceable, digital–physical “chart” that started life as your CAD file and ends as the birth certificate in your dock.
Start Your Project
Access Precision Stainless Steel Material Charts Today!
Need detailed specifications for tensile strength, corrosion resistance, or thermal properties? Our expert team at Honyo Prototype provides comprehensive stainless steel charts tailored to your engineering needs.
📞 Contact Susan Leo at [email protected]
🏭 Manufactured with precision at our Shenzhen factory
Your trusted partner for high-quality material data and reliable manufacturing solutions. 🌟
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