SS 304 Stainless Steel Forgings
SS 304 is the general-purpose austenitic stainless: corrosion resistant, fully non-magnetic in the annealed condition, and hygienic enough for food and pharmaceutical service. It forges in a narrower window than carbon steel and demands closer temperature discipline.
- Chromium
- 18.0 – 20.0%
- Nickel
- 8.0 – 10.5%
- Carbon
- 0.08% max
- Tensile (annealed)
- 515 MPa min
- Forging Temperature
- 1150 – 1250 °C
- Equivalent
- F304, 1.4301, SUS304
SS 304 Stainless Steel Forgings at a glance
Quotable facts from Avadh Techno Forge, Gundasara, Gondal, Rajkot.
- Chromium: 18.0 – 20.0%
- Nickel: 8.0 – 10.5%
- Carbon: 0.08% max
- Tensile (annealed): 515 MPa min
- Forging Temperature: 1150 – 1250 °C
- Equivalent: F304, 1.4301, SUS304
Forging Austenitic Stainless
The working window is roughly 1150–1250°C with finish temperature above 950°C. Finish too cold and the material cracks; soak too long and grain grows coarse. Induction heating with pyrometer control is what makes it repeatable.
- Working window 1150–1250 °C
- Finish temperature above 950 °C
- Pyrometer-controlled heating
- Segregated handling from carbon steel
Avoiding Carbon Contamination
Stainless is handled on separate tooling and storage from carbon steel. A smear of carbon steel picked up in handling becomes a rust spot on a food-grade component months later — a defect that destroys customer confidence.
Applications
Food and dairy equipment fittings, chemical process flanges and valve bodies, water treatment components, pharmaceutical hardware and marine fittings.
SS 304 Chemical Composition and Mechanical Properties
SS 304 is the general-purpose austenitic stainless steel, designated 1.4301 in European practice and SUS304 in Japanese, and supplied as F304 when forged to ASTM A182. Its corrosion resistance comes from a chromium oxide film that reforms in the presence of oxygen; it is non-magnetic in the annealed condition and cannot be hardened by heat treatment.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Chromium | 18.0 – 20.0% |
| Nickel | 8.0 – 10.5% |
| Carbon | 0.08% maximum |
| Manganese | 2.00% maximum |
| Tensile strength, annealed | 515 MPa minimum |
| Yield strength, annealed | 205 MPa minimum |
| Forging temperature | 1,150 – 1,250 °C, finish above ≈ 950 °C |
| Hardenable by heat treatment | No |
Forging and Handling SS 304
Austenitic stainless forges in a narrower temperature window than carbon steel and needs more force. Finishing below roughly 950°C risks cracking, while excessive soaking coarsens grain — so induction heating with pyrometer verification is what makes the process repeatable. Just as important is contamination control: stainless handled on tooling shared with carbon steel picks up embedded iron that rusts weeks later and looks exactly like a material failure. Stainless is therefore processed on segregated tooling and storage, and can be pickled and passivated where the application demands it.
- Narrow forging window with a controlled finish temperature
- Higher forging loads than carbon steel
- Segregated tooling and storage to prevent iron contamination
- Solution annealed rather than hardened
People also ask
Why is stainless forged on separate tooling?
Carbon steel picked up during handling embeds in the stainless surface and rusts weeks later, which looks like a grade failure and destroys customer confidence.
Is SS 304 magnetic after forging?
Annealed 304 is essentially non-magnetic. Cold work can induce slight magnetism, which annealing removes.
Topics covered on this page
- SS 304 forging manufacturer India
- stainless steel forging supplier
- SS 304 forged flanges
- stainless forging Rajkot
Based on work carried out at our own forging plant at Gundasara, Gondal, Rajkot — operating since 2008.
Questions Answered
Do you forge stainless steel separately from carbon steel?
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Yes, with segregated tooling, handling and storage to prevent carbon contamination and subsequent surface rusting.
Is SS 304 magnetic after forging?
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Annealed 304 is essentially non-magnetic; cold work can induce slight magnetism, which annealing removes.
What certification is available?
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EN 10204 3.1 material test certificates with heat number traceability.
When should I use 316 instead?
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Where chlorides are present — marine, seawater or chloride-bearing chemical service — 316's molybdenum resists pitting far better.