Stainless Steel

B&R Enclosures uses 316 stainless steel designed to maximise the longevity of the enclosure. For our stainless steel industrial enclosures, the careful selection of materials and finish has given us some of the longest lasting products available in the market, despite the arduous nature of the application.

316 stainless steel has virtually the same mechanical and physical characteristics as the lower 304 grade but it has much better corrosion resistance, particularly to pitting corrosion in chloride environments. This type of corrosion is common in the Australian environment, both by the coast and inland where ground water salinity can be high. B&R Enclosures further enhance this corrosion resistance by using an N4 surface finish and working within the guidelines of ASSDA when manufacturing our stainless enclosures.

Grade 316 is often used in construction and resists ordinary rusting in virtually all architectural applications. It is often chosen for more aggressive environments such as sea-front buildings and fittings on wharves and piers. It is also resistant to most food processing environments, can be readily cleaned, resists organic chemicals, dye stuffs and a wide variety of inorganic chemicals.

Like other stainless steel grades, 316 is virtually non-magnetic (ie very low magnetic permeability). While 304 can become significantly attracted to a magnet after being cold worked, grade 316 is almost always virtually totally non-responsive. This may be a reason for selecting grade 316 in some applications.

Other typical applications for 316 include boat fittings and structural members; architectural components particularly in marine, polluted or industrial environments; food and beverage processing equipment; hot water systems; and plant for chemical, petrochemical, mineral processing, photographic and other industries.

Grade 316 is often also described as ‘marine grade’ stainless steel.