The Complete Guide to Buying Metal Products

AISI

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) represents the voice of the North American steel industry. AISI numbers categorize metals based on alloy type and carbon content using a four-digit system. The first two digits indicate the alloy type, while the last two digits refer to the carbon content.

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ALLOY

An alloy is a metal created by combining two or more metallic elements, presenting different properties compared to its individual components.

ASM

The American Society for Metals (ASM) International is the world's largest association of metals material engineers and scientists. It connects materials professionals and organizations to resources needed for problem-solving, improving outcomes, and advancing society.

ASTM

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International is a non-profit organization that establishes standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Metals with ASTM designations comply with international quality and regulatory standards.

CUT-TO-LENGTH

This process transforms coil into a flat sheet or blank, providing better length and width tolerances than sheared products and enhancing diagonal tolerances as well.

DEBURRING

Cutting metals often results in burrs—unwanted raised edges or protrusions. Deburring is the process of removing these burrs using specialized tools.

DRAWING

Drawing is a metalworking process that applies tensile forces to stretch metal into a thinner, desired shape and thickness.

DRAWING TEMPERATURE

Typically performed at room temperature, drawing is classified as a cold-working process. However, it may also occur at elevated temperatures for large wires, rods, or hollow sections to minimize forces.

ELONGATION

This term refers to the extent to which a material can be bent, stretched, or compressed before failing. Elongation is defined between tensile strength and yield strength, usually expressed as a percentage of the original length.

GAUGE

The thickness of sheet metal in the USA is commonly specified using gauge, a traditional non-linear measurement. A larger gauge number indicates thinner metal.

HEAT LOTS OR HEAT NUMBER

A heat number is an identification stamped onto a material plate to prove that it meets necessary industry quality standards, which require testing by the manufacturer. This number ensures quality control by identifying production runs.

EDGE ROLLING

Edge rolling adds finishing edges to metal, shaping the edge of a strip beyond that of a standard slit edge.

MIL STD

Military Standard (MIL STD) classifications establish uniform engineering and technical requirements for military-specific or significantly modified commercial processes. Materials qualifying under this standard undergo rigorous testing to meet combat use requirements.

NORMALIZING TEMPERATURE

Normalization is a heat treatment process that relieves stress on steel, enhancing ductility and toughness, particularly in steel that may harden during cold working. This process involves heating steel to a temperature slightly above its upper critical point to achieve a uniform end product.

ROCKWELL SCALE

The Rockwell Scale measures the hardness of materials. Rockwell hardness numbers describe the hardness of metals and certain plastics, relying on the depth of the indentation made by pressing a diamond point into the material.

SAE

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International is a global association of engineers and technical experts in the automotive, aerospace, and commercial vehicle sectors. Materials that meet SAE standards are recognized internationally for safety and effectiveness.

SLITTING

Slitting is a precise shearing process that cuts a wide metal coil into narrower coils as the main coil moves through the slitter's circular blades.

TEMPER

Temper refers to the process of reheating hardened, normalized, or mechanically worked steel below the critical range to soften it and enhance impact strength. This practice results in greater toughness by reducing the hardness of an alloy.

TENSILE STRENGTH

The maximum stress a material can withstand before breaking or fracturing. Ultimate tensile strength is calculated by dividing the maximum load applied during the test by the original cross-sectional area.

UNS DESIGNATION/NUMBER

The Unified Numbering System (UNS) for Metals and Alloys correlates internationally used metal and alloy numbering systems. This designation system helps eliminate confusion from using multiple identification numbers for the same material.

YIELD STRENGTH

The yield strength is the amount of stress a material can endure before undergoing permanent deformation.