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Mead Steel Comparison Guide

The document provides a guide comparing various types of steel carried by Mead Metals, including carbon steels and stainless steels. It discusses the different steel varieties, their typical uses, carbon content, hardness, and corrosion resistance. Mead Metals is committed to quality and ensures their tools are calibrated, operators have extensive experience with the materials, and vendors understand their standards.

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M Usman Riaz
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127 views14 pages

Mead Steel Comparison Guide

The document provides a guide comparing various types of steel carried by Mead Metals, including carbon steels and stainless steels. It discusses the different steel varieties, their typical uses, carbon content, hardness, and corrosion resistance. Mead Metals is committed to quality and ensures their tools are calibrated, operators have extensive experience with the materials, and vendors understand their standards.

Uploaded by

M Usman Riaz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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STEEL COMPARISON GUIDE

Here at Mead Metals, we carry a wide array of high-quality ferrous metals. In this
guide, you’ll find numerous comparisons of the steel varieties we carry, along with
some helpful information about which metals work best for various uses.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 OVERVIEW OF STEEL TYPES 7 STEEL COMPARISIONS


Carbon Steels Carbon Content
Stainless Steels Hardness
Corrosion Resistance

4 MEAD’S COMMITMENT TO QUALITY 10 APPENDIX: STEEL STOCK ITEMS


STEEL TYPES
In this guide, we’ll be comparing the following types of steel:

CARBON STEELS

Carbon Steels only contain trace amounts of elements besides carbon and iron. This group is the most common,
accounting for 90% of steel production. Carbon Steel is divided into three subgroups depending on the amount of
carbon in the metal: Low Carbon Steels/Mild Steels (up to 0.3% carbon), Medium Carbon Steels (0.3–0.6% carbon),
and High Carbon Steels (more than 0.6% carbon).

COLD ROLLED 1008/1010 STEEL Common uses:

Cold rolled 1008/1010 steel is well-known for


being non-shrinking and non-creeping at ambient
temperatures. It is formable for moderate draw
applications and known for being extremely
ductile. Cold rolled is ideal for high-precision projects. Hand Tools Furniture Domestic Appliances
109 COLD ROLLED STRIP STEEL Common uses:

A109 cold rolled strip steel is lightweight steel


known for maintaining surface uniformity. It
works well for products that will be chrome or
nickel-plated.

Automotive Domestic Miscellanous


Appliances Manufacturing

TEMPERED SPRING STEEL Common uses:

Tempered spring steel is high carbon steel known for


its resiliency. The material is resistant to deformation
and boasts a very high yield strength.

Hand Tools Industrial


Manufacturing

ANNEALED SPRING STEEL Common uses:

Annealed spring steel is known to be both resilient


and pliable with high yield strength. It has a unique
ability to be formed, shaped, and post-heat treated.
It’s versatility and applicability to a wide array of
uses earned annealed spring steel the designation Hand Tools Commercial Aerospace
of a “general use” steel. Manufacturing
STAINLESS STEELS

Stainless Steels contain 10–20% chromium as their alloying element and are valued for their high corrosion resistance.
These steels are commonly used in medical equipment, piping, cutting tools, and food processing equipment.

301 STAINLESS STEEL Common uses:

301 stainless steel is austenitic, and it hardens


through the cold working process more quickly than
other grades. It offers excellent corrosion and heat
resistance. Applications requiring drawing, stamping,
and forming work well with 301 stainless steel.
Medical Tools Architecture Stamped
Components

302/304 STAINLESS STEEL Common uses:

302/304 stainless steel is austenitic, and it delivers


even greater corrosion and heat resistance than
301 stainless steel. Applications relying on laser
and etching processes work well with 302/304
stainless steel.

Food Processing Nuts & Bolts Cutlery


Equipment
STEEL COMPARISON CHART

STEEL TYPES ANNEALED TEMPERED COLD ROLLED

A109 Cold Rolled Strip Steel X X X

Annealed Spring Steel X X

Tempered Spring Steel X X

301 Stainless Steel X X

302/304 Stainless Steel X X X

Cold Rolled 1008/1010 Steel X X X


CARBON CONTENT

Carbon Steels only contain trace amounts of elements besides CARBON CONTENT (HIGHEST TO LOWEST)
carbon and iron. This group is the most common, accounting
for 90% of steel production. Carbon Steel is divided into three
• Tempered Spring Steel (.9-1.4)
subgroups depending on the amount of carbon in the metal:
• Annealed Spring Steel (.48-1.03)

• LOW CARBON STEELS/MILD STEELS (up to 0.3% carbon) • A109 Cold Rolled Strip Steel (.25)

• MEDIUM CARBON STEELS (0.3–0.6% carbon) • 301 Stainless Steel (.15)

• HIGH CARBON STEELS (more than 0.6% carbon) • 302 Stainless Steel (.15)
• Cold Rolled 1008/1010 Steel (.015-.1)
• 304 Stainless Steel (.08)
HARDNESS

A metal’s hardness depends on a number of unique variables. HARDNESS (LEAST TO MOST)


Everything from a material’s chemical composition to its
cellular structure makes an impact. Still, knowing how various
• Cold Rolled 1008/1010
steels compare in terms of hardness is helpful in determining
• A109 Cold Rolled Strip Steel
which material is best suited to your application. Below,
• Annealed Spring Steel
we’ve ranked the steels carried by Mead Metals in order of
• 302/304 Stainless Steel
hardness, from least hard (1) to most hard (6). Additionally,
• 301 Stainless Steel
each steel is available in various tempers, from hard to dead-soft.
• Tempered Spring Steel
CORROSION RESISTANCE

Depending on the function material is meant to perform and the CORROSION RESISTANCE (MOST TO LEAST)
environmental elements it will be exposed to, corrosion resistance
can be an extremely important value. Below, we’ve ranked the
• 302/304 Stainless Steel
steels carried by Mead Metals based on their resistance to
• 301 Stainless Steel
corrosion. They are ranked from the highest degree of corrosion
• Tempered Spring Steel
resistance (1) to the lowest degree of corrosion resistance (6).
• Annealed Spring Steel
• A109 Cold Rolled Strip Steel
• Cold Rolled 1008/1010
MEAD METALS
AND OUR
COMMITMENT TO
QUALITY STEELS
Many variables go into the quality of metal material.
Anything from mill marks, scratches, and laminations
to waves, twists, and burrs can affect the appearance
and machinability of metals. When it comes to ensuring
the quality of our steel – and all of our metal materials
– we go beyond the basics. Here’s our process:
WE CLEAN AND CALIBRATE OUR TOOLS
Before every single shift, we clean and calibrate our tools.
After all, if the tools aren’t functioning as they should, the
final product quality will suffer. We keep our shop clean
and our machines well-maintained.

WE KNOW OUR STEEL


Many of our operators have been with us
for well over a decade, and they’ve developed
a deep and nuanced understanding of
the materials we process and carry. They
understand the particulars of each material,
including how it will respond to different
tools and machines. By simply looking at
a piece of material, they can tell which
issues it’s most likely to have.
OUR VENDORS KNOW US
We have strong, longlasting relationships with
the mills and vendors we rely on for material
sourcing. They’ve come to know our standards,
and as a result, we receive high-quality metals
the first time around.

QUICK QUOTE

OUR CUSTOMERS RELY ON US


Our customers know they can come to us when they need
high-quality steel. We have the processes, the people, and
the vendor relationships to ensure the steel we provide is
going to meet the needs of your project. Any time they’re
in need of high-quality steel or other specialty metals, they
know they can rely on Mead Metals.
IN-STOCK STEEL ITEMS A109 COLD ROLLED STRIP STEEL

At Mead Metals, we commonly stock the following ANNEALED SPRING STEEL


steel types. Click to view the available gauges
and tempers for each type. TEMPERED SPRING STEEL

301 STAINLESS STEEL

302/304 STAINLESS STEEL

COLD ROLLED 1008/1010 STEEL

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