303 Stainless Bars

303 austenitic stainless steel offers superior machinability. The machinability of the alloy is the best of all austenitic stainless steel grades. The high machinability rating of 303 stainless steel is achieved due to the introduction of sulphur in the alloying process, although this improvement comes at a cost. Although toughness characteristics remain excellent, corrosion resistance, formability, and toughness are slightly reduced.

Commercial Applications

Type 303 finds use in applications where heavy machining is a requirement, and examples include aerospace fittings, valve bodies, fasteners and shafts. The weldability of the alloy is generally poor. The alloy has lower corrosion resistance when compared to 1.4301. 303 is non-magnetic and is not hardenable by heat treatment.

Stock Availability

Smiths Advanced stocks 303 stainless steel rods in the solution annealed condition and various sizes to suit your engineering applications. We also process your stainless steel bars in-house to exact lengths.