Guide to specifying stainless steel long products

BS EN 10088-2 is now widely recognised as the standard for specifying stainless steel flat products: BS EN 10088-3, its counterpart for stainless steel long products, has been less widely adopted

BS EN 10088-2 is now widely recognised as the standard for specifying stainless steel flat products.

BS EN 10088-3, its counterpart for stainless steel long products, has been less widely adopted.

It has been suggested this is due to the greater influence of American standards in significant market sectors, such as oil and gas.

But the widespread adoption of the new standard for sheet and plate even in these sectors, suggests that one reason may simply be the lack of a clear and user-friendly guide for the equivalent rod, wire and bar products.

In its latest special report, 'A Specifier's Guide to the New EN Standards for Stainless Steel Long Products', the British Stainless Steel Association [BSSA] seeks to address this need by providing a clear and simple guide to specifying stainless steel long products, with special reference to stainless round bar.

In order to assist designers and specifiers adopt the new standard, the report includes a number of useful tips and tables to help the specifier.

One table identifies the EN names and numbers of the most commonly used stainless steel long products grades with their recent BS 970, AISI and UNS equivalents.

Other tables summarise the related material, dimensional and designations standards for stainless steel long products, and list the standard metric sizes and tolerance ranges for stainless round bar, showing the nearest former 'Imperial' size.

The report highlights a number of benefits of adopting the new EN Standards.

These include practical benefits, such as providing clearer product definitions and a simplified ordering system; as well as commercial benefits, including facilitating trade within the European Community and enabling quicker, more reliable and cost effective service from suppliers.

Copies of the report can be obtained from Alison Murphy at the BSSA.

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