Having stainless steel worked takes a whole chain: cutting, forming, welding, straightening, surface. At stainlesstec that chain sits in one pair of hands.
In Hildesheim, stainlesstec makes parts and assemblies in stainless steel – as single items, in small batches or as a recurring call-off. The basis is data-driven manufacturing: your CAD data run through every station without breaks, from the first cut to documented inspection. That makes stainless steel work repeatable – on the second and third call-off as well.
Behind the collective term stand alloys that behave very differently in the workshop. What counts most for processing is:
corrosion resistance, depending on alloy and medium
strength and toughness
forming behaviour and springback when bending
weldability and heat input
tendency to distort in thermal processes
surface quality and grindability
hygiene and cleaning properties
resistance to temperature and acids
A 1.4301 bends differently from a 1.4404 – and a duplex steel places quite its own demands on heat control and microstructure when welded. Knowing those differences means planning for springback, distortion and rework from the start rather than correcting afterwards.
Good stainless steel work therefore begins with the right material designation.
The complete chain for stainless steel.
From sheet to assembly, a stainless steel part passes through up to seven stations here – without leaving the building. No transport between workshops, nothing lost at the handovers, one contact and unbroken responsibility for quality.
That pays off above all on parts that combine several processes: a laser-cut, bent and welded enclosure with a defined ground finish is one order here – not four.
Laser cutting stainless steel – up to 20 mm.
Cutting runs on a TruLaser system with a 1,500 × 3,000 mm working area. We cut stainless steel up to 20 mm thick, with stock sheet available up to 2,000 × 4,000 mm. CoolLine cooling keeps contours within tolerance even in heavy plate – and delicate visible surfaces are worked with the protective film left on.
On the TruMatic 7000 we punch stainless steel up to 8 mm – including thread forming from M3 to M8 and fine hole patterns from 0.8 mm. Bending runs on CNC machines up to 3,000 mm long and 15 mm thick, with laser angle measurement for repeatable angles across the whole batch. Curves, shells and sections are produced on roll and folding machines.
Welding stainless steel – certified to ISO 3834-3.
Welding is the most critical step in stainless steel work: heat control and weld quality here decide corrosion resistance, strength and appearance. Depending on the part, our specialist welders use:
TIG welding (process 141) for visible seams and thin sheet
MIG/MAG welding (process 131) for heavy-duty joints
3D laser welding (process 52) for precision seams with little distortion
longitudinal seam welding up to 2,500 mm for vessels and shells
The special case of duplex: high strength, demanding to work.
Duplex steels such as 1.4462 combine an austenitic-ferritic microstructure with high strength and very good resistance to pitting and stress corrosion cracking. It is that microstructure which makes them demanding to work: in welding, heat input has to be held within narrow limits so that the phase balance survives – too much heat or too little degrades toughness and corrosion resistance.
We work duplex regularly – for centrifuge drums with 4 mm hole patterns in 5 mm plate, for instance, punched stroke by stroke and then precision straightened.
Duplex forgives no approximations. Controlled heat input here is not a refinement but a prerequisite.
Straightening: flat is not simply flat.
After punching, laser cutting or welding, there is stress in stainless steel. On our levelling machine we straighten sheet and blanks up to 1,500 mm wide and 12 mm thick – truly flat and repeatably so. On the duplex centrifuge drum, straightening is a fixed part of the process: it is what turns perforated plate into a part that will run true.
For us straightening is not rework but a planned operation.
Stainless steel surfaces: defined, not decorative.
The surface decides corrosion behaviour, cleanability and appearance. We supply stainless steel, among other finishes:
ground to grit 400
wet ground to grit 320
with industrial grinding up to 1,500 mm wide
pickled and passivated
glass-bead blasted
worked with protective film for scratch-free visible surfaces
The order matters: the requirement first – hygiene, appearance, corrosion protection – then the process.
Settle the requirement → fix the process → verify the surface
We keep stainless and carbon steel strictly apart – separate tools, separate processing, clean procedures. That prevents rust marks before they can start. It matters wherever corrosion resistance is not just a material property but a promise to your customers.
The best corrosion protection starts in the process – not at final inspection.
High-strength special austenitic grade, non-magnetic
Defence and marine
1.4301
V2A / AISI 304
The standard austenitic grade: forms well, welds well
Enclosures, cladding, plant engineering
1.4307
AISI 304L
Low carbon, less prone to sensitisation when welded
Welded structures
1.4404
V4A / AISI 316L
Molybdenum-alloyed, greater resistance to chlorides and acids
Pharmaceuticals, food, chemical processes
1.4462
Duplex 2205
Austenitic-ferritic, high strength, very good pitting resistance
Centrifuges, heavily loaded parts
1.4539
904L
Highly alloyed austenitic grade with molybdenum and copper, very resistant to acids and pitting
Chemical and process technology, flue gas and seawater applications
1.4571
AISI 316Ti
Titanium-stabilised, resistant at higher temperatures too
Apparatus and vessel construction
Which grade is available in which size at short notice we establish per project. Come to us with the material number and the quantity – we will look into supply and sensible alternatives.
Stainless steel work for demanding industries.
What we know about stainless steel comes from projects – not from a catalogue:
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals
Hygienically designed parts with defined surfaces, made in segregated production.
Food processing technology
Cleanable components such as sieves and dusters – corrosion-resistant and robust in continuous use.
Machinery and plant engineering
Enclosures, cladding and welded assemblies in small batches – on time and repeatable.
Defence and marine
Welding to DIN 2303 Q2 within our certified scope – including non-magnetic materials such as 1.3964.
High technology and special applications
Precision parts for plant and equipment building – to drawing, with documented quality.
From your CAD data to the inspected part.
Your data drive production the whole way through: nesting plans, bending programs and inspection characteristics come out of the 3D model or the drawing without manual intermediate steps. The first part of a batch therefore stays identical to the last.
Having a stainless part made: these details speed up your quotation.
The more specific your enquiry, the quicker and the sounder our quotation. Ideally:
drawing or CAD data (STEP, DXF, PDF)
material with material number, e.g. 1.4301 or 1.4404
thickness and dimensions
quantity and planned call-offs
surface requirement, e.g. grit 400, pickled or filmed
tolerances and functional dimensions
welding and test requirements, e.g. ISO 3834 or DIN 2303
the delivery date wanted
documentation requirements such as works certificates or measurement reports
Still missing some details? No matter – send us what you have. We will ask the right questions.
Let’s talk about your project.
Send us your drawing or CAD data by email – together with material, batch size and your requirements. We will come back to you with a sound assessment.
