How To Choose The Best Food Grade Stainless Steel ?

Stainless steel is a ideal for any equipment or products that are to be used in the processing of food or beverages, but the food industry has very strict requirements, not any type of stainless steel is considered food grade. This leaves the question: How to choose the best food grade stainless steel ?” Let’s learn more with Ronsco together.

In the food industry, the food processors always uses stainless steel for production and manufacturing, for uses ranging from flour silos to conveyor systems, the main reasons are as follows: stainless steel is available in a variety of versatile finishes, including impermeable surface which can prevent contamination. Stainless steel also can blends easily with other finishes, and not susceptible to acid erosion. In addition to this, stainless steel is durable and does not dent, break or nick easily, and easy cleaning and maintenance.

Even though stainless surfaces can look similar, what they can handle on a regular basis can differ substantially. There are approximately 150 grades of stainless steel available. There are two steel alloy series considered ideal for food grade parts, which nearly all food grade steel is manufactured from: 300-series and 400-series. For 300-series, primarily using 316 grade. For 400-series, commonly using 430 grade. Ultimately, the answer of“which is best” will depend primarily on the metal’s application and type of performance needed.

316 stainless steel grades: 316 grade is an ideal food grade stainless steel for nearly any application. 316 stainless steel has 2.00-3.00% molybdenum-bearing content, making it a fair bit more resilient to corrosive abuse than most other stainlesssteel grade, it offers a high resistance to alkali, acid and chloride, such as salt, and won’t cause corrosion.  In addition, 316 grade have strong forming, welding characteristics, and extremely high continuous use temperature, more than food processing typically requires.

430 stainless steel grades: 430 grade is an excellent, lower-cost alternative to the 300-series grades. 430 stainless steel is a ferritic alloy, it has magnetic and incredible corrosion cracking resistance capabilities. Besides, 430 grade also offers a strong resistance to organic and nitric acids, as well as sulfur and oxidation, making it ideal for applications that require contact with milder acids.

As stainless steel supplier, Ronsco carries a diverse inventory of 300 series stainless steel and 400 series stainless steel , including plate, coil, strips. for those experiencing difficulties in locating a specific stainless steel product, we can do the legwork to find it. We also offer an array of stainless steel rolling, bending, slitting, decoiling, cutting, drilling, punching, beveling, welding and other stainless steel processing service. To order or to find out more, contact the experts at Ronsco today by email service@ronsteel.com.