Glossary
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Abrasive Wheel
An abrasive wheel is a round, rotating tool used to cut, grind, sand, or polish materials, especially metals. Instead of teeth like a saw blade, it removes material using abrasive grains such as aluminum oxide, zirconia alumina, silicon carbide, or diamond that are bonded together into a solid wheel. As the wheel spins at high speed on a grinder or cut off saw, the abrasive surface removes small amounts of material to shape, smooth, or separate the workpiece.
Alloy
An alloy is a solid solution or homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, which itself has metallic properties. It usually has different properties from those of its component elements. Alloying one metal with others often enhances its properties. For instance, steel products are stronger than iron, their primary element.Aluminum
Next to steel, Aluminum products are the most commonly used and commercially available metals. Its light weight and high strength-to-weight ratio make it a good choice for everything from aircraft to flashlights to jigs to just about anything else you can make out of metal. Aluminum is produced in several heat temper grades including 6061-0, 6061-T4 and 6061-T6.Aluminum (2024)
2024 is an aluminum alloy, with copper and magnesium as the alloying elements. It is used in applications requiring high strength to weight ratio, as well as good fatigue resistance. It is not weldable, and has average machinability.Aluminum (3003)
3003 Aluminum is available in sheet (i.e. diamond tread plate).Aluminum (5052)
5052 Aluminum is available in sheet. 5052 is the alloy most suited to forming operations, with good workability and higher strength than that of the 1100 or 3003 alloys that are commercially available. 5052 is not heat-treatable, but is stronger than most of the 5xxx series of alloys. It has very good corrosion resistance, and can be easily welded. 5052 is not a good choice for extensive machining operations, as it has only a fair machinability rating.Aluminum (6061)
6061 Aluminum is Available in Angle, Channel, I-Beam, Pipe, Plate, Rectangle, Round, Sheet, Square, Tube. 6061 Aluminum is, by most any measure, the most commonly used aluminum alloy. It is specified in most any application due to its strength, heat treatability, comparatively easy machining, and weldability. If that were not enough, it is also capable of being anodized, adding a layer of protection for finished parts. The main alloy ingredients of 6061 aluminum are magnesium and silicon.Aluminum (6063)
(see also architectural aluminum)Available in Angle, Channel, Rectangle Tube, Square Tube. 6063 is often called architectural aluminum for two reasons - first, it has a surface finish that is far smoother than the other commercially available alloys, and second, its strength is significantly less (roughly half the strength of 6061), making it suited for applications where strength is not the foremost consideration. 6063 is rated as "Good" for forming and cold working operations, "Excellent" for anodizing, and "Fair" for machining.
Architectural Aluminum
(see also 6063 aluminum)Available in Angle, Channel, Rectangle Tube, Square Tube. 6063 is often called architectural aluminum for two reasons - first, it has a surface finish that is far smoother than the other commercially available alloys, and second, its strength is significantly less (roughly half the strength of 6061), making it suited for applications where strength is not the foremost consideration. 6063 is rated as "Good" for forming and cold working operations, "Excellent" for anodizing, and "Fair" for machining.
ATP-5
(see also Cast Aluminum Tooling Plate, K100, MIC-6, Jig-plate)Cast tooling plate is highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of manufacturing applications. It offers very consistent mechanical and dimensional characteristics and is often the product of choice when flatness and dimensional control are critical. It has outstanding machinability and excellent high speed cutting rates. It also offers superior anodizing and hardening response, excellent weldability and a high strength to weight ratio.
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Carbon Steel
(see also Steel, Hot Rolled Steel, Cold Rolled Steel) Hot rolled and Cold rolled Bar include: Round, Square, Hex, Flat, StripCast Aluminum Tooling Plate
(see also ATP-5, K100, MIC-6, Jig-plate)Cast tooling plate is highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of manufacturing applications. It offers very consistent mechanical and dimensional characteristics and is often the product of choice when flatness and dimensional control are critical. It has outstanding machinability and excellent high speed cutting rates. It also offers superior anodizing and hardening response, excellent weldability and a high strength to weight ratio.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is an iron based alloy with a relatively high carbon content, typically around 2 to 4 percent, which makes it ideal for being melted and poured into molds. This casting process allows complex shapes to be produced efficiently, and cast iron is known for good compressive strength, vibration damping, and wear resistance. Common types include gray cast iron, ductile iron, and white cast iron, each with different properties based on how the carbon is present in the metal.
Chromoly Steel (4130)
41xx steel is a family of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels, as specified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Alloying elements include chromium and molybdenum, and as a result these materials are often referred to as chromoly steel. They have an excellent strength to weight ratio, are easily welded and are considerably stronger and more durable than standard 1020 steel. While these grades of steel do contain chromium, it is not in great enough quantities to provide the corrosion resistance found in stainless steel. Common uses of 4130 tubing include automotive and bicycle frames, roll cages and aircraft parts.
Cold Rolled Steel
(see also Steel, Carbon Steel, Hot Rolled Steel)Steel that is rolled to its final dimensions well below scaling temperatures so it is harder and stronger and has tighter tolerances than hot rolled steel.
Corrosion
Corrosion is the gradual breakdown of a material, usually a metal, caused by chemical or electrochemical reactions with its environment. In simple terms, the metal is trying to return to a more stable form, often by reacting with oxygen, water, salts, or acids. A common example is steel forming rust when iron reacts with oxygen and moisture, but corrosion can also affect aluminum, copper, brass, and other metals in different ways.Corten Steel
Corten steel is a type of weathering steel designed to form a stable, protective rust layer on its surface when exposed to the outdoors. “COR TEN” originally referred to steel with improved corrosion resistance and tensile strength, and the name is often used generically today for weathering steels such as ASTM A588 and similar grades. Instead of rust continuing to flake off like it can on ordinary carbon steel, the surface oxidizes and then develops a tight patina that helps slow further corrosion.Cutting Kerf
Cutting kerf is the width of material that is removed during a cutting operation. It is essentially the thickness of the cut line, created by the tool or process doing the cutting, such as a saw blade, laser, plasma torch, or waterjet stream. The kerf includes the portion of the material that turns into chips, dust, or molten material and is no longer part of the finished piece.[ top ] D
DOM Steel
DOM stands for Drawn-over-mandrel and it is a cold drawn electric resistance welded tube with all the flash removed. Each tube is tested for soundness of weld. DOM is often chosen over seamless tubing because of its excellent concentric OD (outer diameter) and ID (inner diameter) measurements.Ductility
A mechanical property used to describe the extent to which materials can be deformed plastically without fracture.[ top ] E
Electro-Galvanized
A zinc plating process where the molecules on the positively charged zinc anode attach to the negatively charged steel sheet - electroplated. This process helps protect against corrosion and offers an excellent finish for paint, enamel and lacquered applications. This is similar to hot-dipped galvanized but electroplating offers a superior appearance and a better finish for close fitting parts.[ top ] F
Fatigue
Metal fatigue is a type of failure that happens when a metal part is subjected to repeated loading and unloading over time. Even if each load is below the metal’s normal strength, small cracks can start at points of stress concentration such as sharp corners, holes, weld toes, scratches, or surface defects. With continued cycles, the crack can slowly grow until the part breaks, often with little warning.Ferrous Metal
A ferrous metal is a metal that contains iron as its main ingredient. The most common ferrous metals are steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, cast iron, and wrought iron. Many ferrous metals are magnetic and are valued for strength, durability, and cost effectiveness, which is why they are widely used in construction, fabrication, machinery, and automotive parts.Fiber Laser Cutting
Fiber laser cutting is a metal cutting process that uses a high powered laser generated through a fiber optic cable to melt and vaporize material along a programmed path. The laser is focused into a very small spot, which creates a narrow kerf and allows precise cutting of sheet and plate. An assist gas such as nitrogen, oxygen, or compressed air is usually directed at the cut to help remove molten material and influence edge quality.[ top ] G
Galvalume
Galvalume is a corrosion resistant steel product that has been coated by a hot dip process with an aluminum zinc alloy. The coating is typically about 55 percent aluminum, about 43 percent zinc, and a small amount of silicon, which helps the coating bond to the steel. This combination gives Galvalume strong long term corrosion protection and good heat reflectivity compared with standard galvanized steel, which uses a zinc only coating.
Galvanized
Commonly known as hot-dipped galvanized, this is a process that is used to apply a coat of zinc to steel. This process is similar to Electro-galvanized which is when the zinc is applied to the steel through electroplating. Hot dipping will give much better corrosion resistance because the zinc coating will be much thicker than with the electro-galvanized process and consequently often a better product for outdoor applications.
Galvanized Iron
Galvanized iron is iron or, more commonly today, low carbon steel that has been coated with a layer of zinc to help protect it from rust and corrosion. The most common method is hot dip galvanizing, where the metal is cleaned and then dipped into molten zinc. The zinc coating acts as a barrier against moisture and also provides sacrificial protection, meaning the zinc will corrode first to help protect the underlying metal if the surface is scratched.Galvannealed
(see also Jet-Coat, Paintlok)Is the result from the combined process of galvanizing and annealing the steel. The galvanization is made through the hot-dipping (Hot-dip galvanizing) process and gives a very fine grayish matte finish. Galvanneal does not flake off its galvanized coating when formed, stamped, and bent. The very fine matte finish acts like a primer, easily adheres to paint, and is very rust proof; only white to dark grey marks appear if it comes in contact with water. Galvanneal sheets offers good paintability, weldability, corrosion resistance, and formability. It is extensively used in the automotive, signage, electric equipment, and other industries requiring a metal with good paintability and long reliable service life.
Gauge
A metal gauge is a numbering system used to describe the thickness of sheet metal, plate, and sometimes wire. In most sheet metal gauge systems, a higher gauge number means a thinner material, and a lower gauge number means a thicker material. Gauge is commonly used for materials like carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and galvanized sheet to help quickly specify thickness for fabrication and forming.Gusset Plate
A gusset plate is a flat piece of metal, usually steel plate, used to strengthen and connect structural members at a joint. It is commonly found where beams, columns, braces, or truss members meet, and it helps transfer loads through the connection while reducing the risk of the joint bending, twisting, or pulling apart.[ top ] H
Hardenability
The hardenability of a metal alloy is its capability to be hardened by heat treatment. It should not be confused with hardness, which is a measure of the material's resistance to indentation or scratching. It is an important property for welding, since it is inversely proportional to weldability, that is, the ease of welding a material.Hot Rolled Steel
(see also Steel, Carbon Steel, Cold Rolled Steel)Steel that is rolled to its final dimensions while hot enough to scale (over 1700 degrees);
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Jet-Coat
(see also Galvannealed, Paintlok)Is the result from the combined process of galvanizing and annealing the steel. The galvanization is made through the hot-dipping (Hot-dip galvanizing) process and gives a very fine grayish matte finish. Galvanneal does not flake off its galvanized coating when formed, stamped, and bent. The very fine matte finish acts like a primer, easily adheres to paint, and is very rust proof; only white to dark grey marks appear if it comes in contact with water. Galvanneal sheets offers good paintability, weldability, corrosion resistance, and formability. It is extensively used in the automotive, signage, electric equipment, and other industries requiring a metal with good paintability and long reliable service life.
Jig-plate
(see also Cast Aluminum Tooling Plate, ATP-5, K100, MIC-6)Cast tooling plate is highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of manufacturing applications. It offers very consistent mechanical and dimensional characteristics and is often the product of choice when flatness and dimensional control are critical. It has outstanding machinability and excellent high speed cutting rates. It also offers superior anodizing and hardening response, excellent weldability and a high strength to weight ratio.
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K100
(see also Cast Aluminum Tooling Plate, ATP-5, MIC-6, Jig-plate)Cast tooling plate is highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of manufacturing applications. It offers very consistent mechanical and dimensional characteristics and is often the product of choice when flatness and dimensional control are critical. It has outstanding machinability and excellent high speed cutting rates. It also offers superior anodizing and hardening response, excellent weldability and a high strength to weight ratio.
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Machinability
The ease with which a metal can be machined to an acceptable surface finish. Materials with good machinability require little power to cut, can be cut quickly, easily obtain a good finish, and do not wear the tooling much; such materials are said to be free machining.MIC-6
(see also Cast Aluminum Tooling Plate, ATP-5, K100, Jig-plate)Cast tooling plate is highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of manufacturing applications. It offers very consistent mechanical and dimensional characteristics and is often the product of choice when flatness and dimensional control are critical. It has outstanding machinability and excellent high speed cutting rates. It also offers superior anodizing and hardening response, excellent weldability and a high strength to weight ratio.
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Ornamental Iron
Ornamental iron is a general term for decorative metalwork used to add style, security, or architectural detail to a home or building. It is commonly used for fences, gates, railings, stair balusters, window guards, and balcony panels. Ornamental iron can be made from solid bar, tube, pickets, scrolls, and cast or stamped components, then welded or assembled into a finished design. Because it is often installed outdoors, it usually needs corrosion protection such as primer and paint, powder coating, or galvanizing. Regular cleaning and touch up of chips or scratches helps extend the life of the finish and prevent rust on the underlying metal.[ top ] P
P & O Steel
(see also Pickled & Oiled Steel)P & O stands for pickled and oiled and occurs when hot rolled steel is pickled in acid to remove the mill scale and then oiled to keep it from rusting.
Paintability
The ease with which a metal can be painted with an acceptable surface finish.Paintlok
(see also Jet-Coat, Galvannealed)Is the result from the combined process of galvanizing and annealing the steel. The galvanization is made through the hot-dipping (Hot-dip galvanizing) process and gives a very fine grayish matte finish. Galvanneal does not flake off its galvanized coating when formed, stamped, and bent. The very fine matte finish acts like a primer, easily adheres to paint, and is very rust proof; only white to dark grey marks appear if it comes in contact with water. Galvanneal sheets offers good paintability, weldability, corrosion resistance, and formability. It is extensively used in the automotive, signage, electric equipment, and other industries requiring a metal with good paintability and long reliable service life.
Patina
Patina is a thin surface layer that forms on a metal over time as it reacts with air, moisture, and other elements in the environment. It often changes the metal’s color and appearance, such as the darkening seen on bronze and brass or the green or blue film that can develop on copper. Patina is different from paint or plating because it forms naturally through oxidation and related chemical reactions.Pickled and Oiled Steel
(see also P & O Steel)P & O stands for pickled and oiled and occurs when hot rolled steel is pickled in acid to remove the mill scale and then oiled to keep it from rusting.
Powdered Metal
Powdered metal is metal that has been processed into a fine powder and then formed into solid parts using powder metallurgy. In most cases, the powder is pressed in a precision die to create a part shape, then heated in a controlled furnace so the particles bond together in a process called sintering. Depending on the material and the application, parts may also be heat treated, sized for tighter tolerances, or infiltrated or impregnated with another material to improve strength, density, or lubrication.[ top ] Q
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Schedule 40
In the United States, "Schedule" refers to the thickness of the pipe wall and, therefore, how much pressure it will hold.Sintering
Sintering is a manufacturing process that bonds powdered material into a solid part by heating it to a temperature below its melting point. The heat allows atoms to diffuse across particle surfaces so the particles fuse together, increasing strength and density while reducing porosity. Sintering is most commonly associated with powder metallurgy, but it is also used for ceramics and some advanced materials.Spangle
Spangle is used to describe the surface appearance of galvanized steel sheet. It is often described as a snowflake pattern or the star pattern that is visible to the naked eye.Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10% chromium content by mass.- Stainless steel does not stain, corrode, or rust as easily as ordinary steel (it stains less), but it is not stain-proof.
- It is also called corrosion-resistant steel or CRES when the alloy type and grade are not detailed, particularly in the aviation industry. There are different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel to suit the environment to which the material will be subjected in its lifetime. Common uses of stainless steel are cutlery and watch straps.
Stainless Steel (304)
Grade 304 is the standard "18/8" stainless; it is the most versatile and most widely used stainless steel, available in a wider range of products, forms and finishes than any other. It has excellent forming and welding characteristics. The balanced austenitic structure of Grade 304 enables it to be severely deep drawn without intermediate annealing, which has made this grade dominant in the manufacture of drawn stainless parts such as sinks, hollow-ware and saucepans. Grade 304 is readily brake or roll formed into a variety of components for applications in the industrial, architectural, and transportation fields. Grade 304 also has outstanding welding characteristics.Stainless Steel (304L)
Grade 304L is the low carbon version of 304 and it does not require post-weld annealing and so it is extensively used in heavy gauge components (typically over 6mm.)Stainless Steel (316)
Grade 316 is the standard molybdenum-bearing grade, second in importance to 304 amongst the austenitic stainless steels. The molybdenum gives 316 better overall corrosion resistant properties than Grade 304, particularly higher resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride environments. It has excellent forming and welding characteristics.Steel
(see also Carbon Steel, Hot Rolled Steel, Cold Rolled Steel)Steel is an alloy of iron, carbon, and small proportions of other elements. Iron contains many impurities and steelmaking involves the removal of these impurities (known as slag,) and the addition of other desirable alloying elements. Steel comes in many alloys including 1018, 12L14, A-36, 304, A2 and 4130 to name a few.
Steel (1018)
A low-carbon steel with higher manganese content than other low carbon steels making it a better steel for carburized parts, since it produces a harder and more uniform case. It also has higher mechanical properties and better machining characteristics.Steel (12L14)
C 12L14 is essentially resulfurized and rephosphorized screw machine stock to which lead has been added. Typical applications include fabricating parts where considerable machining is required such as bushings, inserts, couplings and hydraulic hose fittings. These grades are suitable for parts involving bending, crimping or riveting based on the ductility.Steel (A-36)
A36, carbon steel, is a standard steel alloy which is a common structural steel used in the United States. A36 is readily welded by nearly all welding process and is also commonly bolted and riveted in structural applications.Structural Steel
Structural steel is steel construction material, a profile, formed with a specific shape or cross section and certain standards of chemical composition and strength. Structural steel shape, size, composition, strength, storage, etc., is regulated in most industrialized countries. Common structural shapes in the U.S. include I-beam, Angle, Channel, Tee, Bar, Rod and Plate.[ top ] T
Tempering
Tempering is a heat treatment technique for metals, alloys and glass. In steels, tempering is done to "toughen" the metal by transforming brittle martensite into bainite or a combination of ferrite and cementite. Precipitation hardening alloys, like many grades of aluminum and superalloys, are tempered to precipitate intermetallic particles which strengthen the metal. Tempering is accomplished by a controlled reheating of the work piece to a temperature below its lower critical temperature.Tool Steel
Tool steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to abrasion, their ability to hold a cutting edge, and/or their resistance to deformation at elevated temperatures (red-hardness). Tool steel are generally used in a heat-treated state. Tool steels are made to a number of grades for different applications. Choice of grade depends on, among other things, whether a keen cutting edge is necessary, as in stamping dies, or whether the tool has to withstand impact loading and service conditions encountered with such hand tools as axes. In general, the edge temperature under expected use is an important determinant of both composition and required heat treatment. The higher carbon grades are typically used for such applications as stamping dies, metal cutting tools, etc. Tool steels are also used for special applications like injection molding because the resistance to abrasion is an important criterion for a mold that will be used to produce hundreds of thousands of parts.Tool Steel (A2)
Grade-A refers to air hardening tool steels and is slightly more durable and 01 tool steel. Both A2 and 01 are used on larger parts or parts that require minimal distortion during hardening. The use of oil quenching and air hardening helps reducing distortion as opposed to higher stress caused by quicker water quenching. More alloying elements are used in these steels, as compared to water-hardening grades. These alloys increase the steels' hardenability, and thus require a less severe quenching process. These steels are also less likely to crack and are often used to make knife blades.Tool Steel (O1)
Grade-O refers to oil hardening tool steels and can be honed to a slightly sharper edge than A2. Both 01 and A2 tool steels are used on larger parts or parts that require minimal distortion during hardening. The use of oil quenching and air hardening helps reducing distortion as opposed to higher stress caused by quicker water quenching. More alloying elements are used in these steels, as compared to water-hardening grades. These alloys increase the steels' hardenability, and thus require a less severe quenching process. These steels are also less likely to crack and are often used to make knife blades.Tread Plate
Tread Plate are deep-textured, three dimensional metals used in architectural, industrial and transportation applications and offer excellent moisture resistance, weldability and machinability.Tread Plate - 5-bar (6061)
This tread plate is defined by its pattern which has five bars crisscrossing rather than regular tread plate which is one bar crisscrossing.Tread Plate - Embossed FTQ (3003)
This is the same product as Fire Truck Quality tread plate in all characteristics with the exception of the button pattern which has a unique modification to the top surface that creates an improved grip.Tread Plate - Fire Truck Quality (3003)
This product was developed and introduced to the market in response to the fire truck industry’s need for a 3003-H22 diamond pattern tread plate with improved brightness and button machining characteristics. FTQ floor plate is provided in flat sheet form only to insure consistency in button shape.Treatability
The ease with which a metal can be treated by a process or treated by some substance in processing, such as a chemical procedure.Tubing
Tubing is used to transport fluid and gas in pneumatic, hydraulic or process applications. Tubing differs from pipe in that tubing's outside diameter or size is controlled and used for product designation[ top ] U
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Waterjet Cutting
Waterjet cutting is a manufacturing process that uses a high pressure stream of water to cut materials. For softer materials like rubber, foam, plastic, and some composites, water alone can do the cutting. For harder materials like steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, copper, stone, and glass, the process usually adds an abrasive such as garnet into the water stream. This is called abrasive waterjet cutting, and it cuts by erosion as the abrasive particles remove material.
Weldability
The weldability of a material refers to its ability to be welded. Many metals and thermoplastics can be welded, but some are easier to weld than others. It greatly influences weld quality and is an important factor in choosing which welding process to use.Wire Mesh
Wire mesh is a grid of interwoven or welded metal wires used for screening, protection, reinforcement, and filtration. It is made by weaving wire like fabric or by welding wires at their intersections to form a consistent pattern of openings. Wire mesh is commonly available in materials such as carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, and it comes in many wire diameters and opening sizes to match the strength, airflow, visibility, and filtering needs of a project.Wrought Iron
Wrought iron is a type of iron with very low carbon content that was traditionally made by repeatedly heating and working the metal to remove impurities. It contains small strands of slag (a glassy byproduct from refining) that give it a fibrous, wood grain like appearance when etched and help make it tough and ductile. Wrought iron is known for being easy to forge and bend, and it generally resists corrosion better than plain carbon steel in many outdoor conditions.[ top ] X
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Yield Strength
Yield strength is the amount of stress a material can handle before it starts to permanently deform. Below the yield strength, a metal will generally spring back to its original shape when the load is removed. Once the stress goes past yield strength, the metal begins to bend, stretch, or compress in a way that does not fully recover, even after the force is gone.<
