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Sheet metal in Stainless steel 304
Stainless steel 304 is a proven choice for sheet metal: good corrosion resistance in fresh water, food, and most indoor and outdoor atmospheres. On a representative bracket at 100 pieces it estimates at about $3.80 per part, with a lead time of 5–12 days. Typical tolerance is ±0.004–0.005 in (±0.10–0.13 mm) laser or punch.
- Per part
- $3.80
- Tooling
- None
- Lead time
- 5–12 days
Price it in 304 SS
Bracket · Sheet metal
Order total $500
- Tooling
- None
- no hard tooling
- Piece price
- $3.80
- before setup + tooling
- Lead time
- 5–12 days
- to first production
Size
Drag a row to adjust · click to type
Width60.060.0 mm
Leg A (vertical)50.050.0 mm
Thickness2.002.00 mm
Quantity
Price per part falls as volume rises
Exact quantity100100 pcs
Material
R2 mm bend risks cracking 304 SS
Open in builderBudgetary estimate for a representative part. Firm quotes come from principals after drawing review.
304 SS vs other sheet metal materials
The same bracket at 100 pieces, priced in every material the process runs. 6061-T6 is the lowest all-in cost.
| Material | Per part | All-in | Weight | Tensile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | $3.68 | $4.88 | 37 g | 310 MPa |
| Aluminum 5052-H32 | $3.68 | $4.88 | 37 g | 228 MPa |
| Steel 1008 cold-rolled (CRS) | $3.72 | $4.92 | 108 g | 330 MPa |
| Steel A36 (structural) | $3.72 | $4.92 | 108 g | 450 MPa |
| Stainless steel 304 | $3.80 | $5.00 | 110 g | 505 MPa |
| Stainless steel 316 | $3.80 | $5.00 | 110 g | 580 MPa |
| Stainless steel 430 | $3.80 | $5.00 | 107 g | 483 MPa |
| Copper C110 (ETP) | $4.91 | $6.11 | 123 g | 290 MPa |
304 SS at a glance
- Tensile strength
- 505 MPa76th pct
- Yield strength
- 215 MPa20th pct
- Density
- 8 g/cm³89th pct
- Max service temp
- 925 °C97th pct
- Elongation
- 70 %78th pct
- Relative cost
- $$$$$
Bars are relative to the strongest, densest or hottest material in the SSG library. Percentile vs all 48 materials.
Strengths
- Good corrosion resistance in fresh water, food, and most indoor and outdoor atmospheres
- Excellent weldability; use 304L for welded sections
- Deep draws and stretch-forms well when annealed
- Non-magnetic when annealed
- Available as sheet, plate, bar, tube, wire and pipe
Watch for
- Pits and crevice-corrodes in chlorides such as salt spray, pool water and de-icing salt; use 316
- Machines slowly and work-hardens: 45% machinability
- Cannot be hardened by heat treatment, only by cold work
- Galls against itself in threads and sliding fits; use anti-seize or dissimilar grades
Finishes for this combination
Sheet metal design rules
About 1× material thickness, or the shop's standard tooling radius
Use a standard inside bend radius
Use the same inside radius on every bend
Keep one radius per part
At least 4× material thickness
Minimum flange length
At least 2.5× thickness plus the bend radius
Hole-to-bend distance
At least 1× material thickness
Minimum hole diameter
Relief width at least 1× thickness; length at least bend radius plus thickness
Add bend relief
Questions
How much does sheet metal in 304 SS cost?
For a representative part (l-bracket 50 mm × 70 mm legs, 60 mm wide, 2 mm thick, r2 mm bend, 4 × ø5.5 mm holes), SSG's estimator gives about $3.80 per part at 100 pieces. All-in with tooling and setup that is $5.00 per part. It is budgetary; principals quote firm prices from your drawing.
Is 304 SS a good material for sheet metal?
It is when you need good corrosion resistance in fresh water, food, and most indoor and outdoor atmospheres and excellent weldability; use 304l for welded sections. Watch for pits and crevice-corrodes in chlorides such as salt spray, pool water and de-icing salt; use 316. Of 8 materials run in sheet metal, it ranks 5 on all-in cost for the same part.
What finishes work on 304 SS sheet metal parts?
Common options are bead blasted, vibratory deburr (tumbling), powder coat, black oxide, passivation, laser marking. The builder adds each finish's lot charge, per-part cost and days to the estimate.
What tolerance can sheet metal hold in 304 SS?
Typical capability is ±0.004–0.005 in (±0.10–0.13 mm) laser or punch. Tighter tolerances are possible on called-out features at added cost; specify them on the drawing rather than as a blanket note.
Quote sheet metal in 304 SS.
Upload your CAD or start from a template. The DFM check applies the rules above to your geometry.