304 or 304L stainless steel, the most commonly used grade of cast stainless steel in the stainless steel investment casting process.
304 stainless steel
Type 304 is the most widely used austenitic stainless steel casting. The composition of 304 stainless steel is 18% chromium and 8% nickel, also known as "18/8" stainless steel. Type 304 stainless steel is mainly used for casting because of its high corrosion resistance and strength.
304L stainless steel
Type 304L stainless steel is an ultra-low carbon version of 304 stainless steel. The mechanical properties of this grade are slightly lower than standard 304 grades. 304L stainless steel castings are softer but more corrosion resistant than 304 stainless steel castings.
Features of 304/304L Stainless Steel
Corrosion Resistance: Types 304 and 304L stainless steels have excellent corrosion resistance to corrosive environments such as the chemical, textile and petroleum industries.
Oxidation Resistance: Model 304 can be continuously exposed to a maximum temperature of approximately 899°C without significant scaling.
Heat Resistance: Continuous use of 304 between 425-860⁰C is not recommended. Although it is resistant to carbide precipitation and can be heated at high temperatures.
Easy to solder with excellent solderability.
Excellent strength and toughness at elevated temperatures
304(L) Stainless Steel Casting
The investment casting process has been around for thousands of years and can be used to make 304 or 304L stainless steel castings in different shapes. The process involves multiple steps:
Make molds from 3d files.
Fill the mold with wax to create the wax pattern, check and modify the pattern if there are any flaws.
Solder the wax pattern to form the assembly.
The wax is dipped into the ceramic slurry to form the shell.
Heat the ceramic casing to remove the wax.
Pour the molten shell.
Shelling, shot blasting or other surface treatments.
Jiachuancsating Stainless Steel Foundry is experienced in investment casting 304 stainless steel and 304L stainless steel for a variety of applications including valve parts, pump parts, medical device parts, food machinery parts and more. As the largest stainless steel casting manufacturer in China, our company can customize 304(L) stainless steel castings in different sizes and shapes. In addition, we can also provide additional machining and surface treatment services according to customers' ideas. Feel free to contact us with any questions about 304 or 304L stainless steel castings!
