Marine Grade 316 Stainless Steel
Specialty metals, including stainless steels, have unique mechanical and physical properties that can assist engineers and fabricators in designing a variety of products across multiple industries. Stainless steel is not made up of just a single alloy, rather it is made up of a group of iron-based alloys which contain a minimum of 10.5% chromium. The chromium content is increased along with other elements to improve various properties such as corrosion and impact resistance. Stainless steel comes in over 50 grades, and is classified and identified by the following:
Benefits of Stainless Steel
There are multiple benefits in using stainless steel. From anti-corrosiveness to formability, ease of fabrication and it being impact resistant, stainless steel is a sought-after material for a variety of applications. Below we have listed out the three main benefits of stainless steel along with several others.
Anti-corrosive
The short definition of corrosio[n] is that it’s the breakdown of a material due to chemical reactions occurring. The most common example of general or uniform corrosio[n] is when unprotected carbon steel is immersed in a mild acid or water.
Stainless steel exhibits excellent anti-corrosive qualities due to additional elements like molybdenum, which are added for more resistance to chlorides. Some alloys will have nitrogen added as well to not only make it anti-corrosive, but to also improve its strength.
Since stainless steel has a high corrosive resistance, it usually requires an aggressive environment to corrode it. The most common cause of stainless steel becoming corrosive is because an inadequate alloy with insufficient resistance for the environment was used.
Fabrication
All stainless steel grades are suitable for bending, flattening, cutting or crimping. The only exceptions are the resulfurized (free-machining) grades like Type 303. Free-machining grades can stand up to mild longitudinal deformation; however, it may show signs of splitting. Although martensitic and all of the ferritic types of stainless steels have a higher hardness, they can also be fabricated successfully.
Structural
When stainless steel is used, maintenance and inspection costs will be significantly reduced. The need to re-apply protective coatings, monitor corrosion related structural deterioration or maintain galvanic protection is lessened when stainless steel is chosen for the application. To note, corrosion allowance does not apply to stainless steel because it does not suffer gross corrosion.
When the above benefits are taken into consideration, stainless steel is often the most cost-effective choice for applications that will be exposed long-term to a corrosive environment. More benefits of stainless steel, particularly 316 stainless steel, include the following:
Specifics of Type 316 Stainless Steel
Type 316 steel contains chromium and nickel alloy additions, but it also has a molybdenum (Mo) alloy addition. With Molybdenum, the corrosion resistance is improved and helps when the stainless steel is exposed to corrosive pollutants or chlorides, both coastal or deicing salts. Corrosion resistance can be increased with higher additions of Molybdenum to the stainless steel, resulting in Marine Grade stainless steel. Type 316 steel generally contains the following:
Type 316 is considered austenitic stainless steel. These grades or alloys contain either chromium, manganese, chromium or nickel. The carbon content is usually held to no less than 0.08%. These alloys can’t be hardened by heat treatment; however, they can obtain high strength through cold working.
Austenitic stainless steels offer good formability, high ductility, and good impact resistance. Types 304 and 316 are the most commonly used austenitic stainless steels which produce some of the following products:
At SLAYSON, we provide the world’s most extensive range of Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) and Modified off the Shelf (MOTS) NEMA6P/IP68 enclosures. We have an entire series of Marine grade 316 stainless steel enclosures that are rated for prolonged submersion in the harshest environments.
Compact Submersible and Standard Series
These series both come in a variety of sizes. Compact: 10″x 10″ to 20″x 20″) and Standard: 24″x 24″ to 36″x 36″. These enclosures can protect from ingress of both solids and liquids of up to depths of 15ft/5m. Each submersible is manufactured with 14 gauge Type 316 steel with continuously welded seams that are ground smooth. They also have a single piece neoprene gasket, mounting brackets, grounding stud and welded studs.
.
The Submersible Watershed Series comes in sizes of 24″x 24″ to 36″x 36″. The Watershed Series will protect against ingress of solids and liquids of up to depths of 15ft/5m. These enclosures are manufactured with 14 gauge Type 316 steel with continuously welded seams that are ground smooth. It has a sloped lid to prevent liquid from pooling on top, as well as a flange to protect from ingress when the door is open. Watershed Series enclosures also have a single piece neoprene gasket, mounting brackets, grounding stud and welded studs.
Deep-Sea Standard enclosures come in sizes of 20″x 20″ to 30″x 30″. This series of enclosures are submersible up to 30ft/10m. Like the other enclosures, they are manufactured with 14 gauge Type 316 Marine grade stainless steel. The Deep-Sea submersible enclosures have been engineered with internal ribbing, making them capable of greater depths under higher pressures.
The NAVSEA Series enclosures come in sizes 8″x 8″ to 16″x 16″ and are available in a variety of finishes. These enclosures are submersible up to depths of 15ft/5m. They are manufactured with 14 gauge Type 316 Marine grade stainless steel. The NAVSEA series comes standard with EMC Dual Gasket Technology (EDGT), which ensures vital electrical equipment is protected from continuous EMF/RFI interference.
The Submersible Cabinets come in sizes of 36″x 24″ to x 72″x 24″ and can withstand depths of 15ft/5m. They are manufactured from 12 gauge Type 316 steel with hinged doors, fasteners and hardware all made from Type 316. Submersible Cabinets have a minimal flange width so as to increase internal capacity and usable space.
Junction boxes come in sizes of 6″x 6″ to 18″x 18″ and are made for both indoor and outdoor applications. They can withstand depths of 15ft/5m and are manufactured from 14 gauge Type 316 steel. Junction Boxes have a 90° flange to maximize internal capacity, and they are one of our most popular NEMA6P /IP68 enclosures.
SLAYSON enclosures are used in a variety of industries such as automation, infrastructure, maritime, oil, gas, renewable energy, tunnels and underground. All enclosures can be easily modified with our assortment of accessories. Our design and engineer teams work closely with clients to ensure delivery of the exact enclosure that is needed. If you cannot find what you need, feel free to contact us and let us help you engineer a custom enclosure for you.
All product manufactured in accordance with ISO 9001:2015, tested & Certified with our Certificate of Conformance
At SLAYSON, we ensure all customers globally receive their products on time and in full
SLAYSON can manufacture project specific solutions to meet your exact application and environmental requirements
SLAYSON is a proudly American owned company, and all our products are made in local facilities across Europe, UK, Nth America and Asia Pacific
At SLAYSON, we look after you just like we would your equipment; with the upmost of care and expertise. Get in touch today to discuss your requirements.