Defence components place particular demands on materials, welding technology, traceability and quality assurance. In certain applications, properties of the material itself are part of the function.
That is true of non-magnetisable components in naval work, for instance: here it is not enough to use the right stainless steel. Machining, forming, welding and post-weld work all have to be under sufficient control that the required properties survive through to the finished part.
DIN 2303 Q2 · special stainless grades · controlled material handling · qualified welding processes · traceability
stainlesstec holds the manufacturer qualification DIN 2303 Q2 for the particular requirements of welding defence products. To hold it, a company has to be able to plan, carry out, supervise and document a defence welding process to a qualified standard.
Class Q2 covers particular requirements. Among them are applications using non-magnetisable austenitic steels such as material 1.3964.
Non-magnetisable is more than a material property
In certain naval applications in particular, the magnetic signature of a part is technically relevant. Special austenitic stainless grades are used for this. Forming, heat input, welding process, filler metals and contamination can all affect the properties of the finished part as well. stainlesstec therefore looks at the whole route:
Defined parent material → unambiguous material allocation → controlled machining → qualified welding → post-weld work → testing
What counts is not the properties the material had when it was bought – but those the finished part has.
A controlled material chain
On demanding defence projects, quality therefore begins at goods inwards. Material, batch and material certificates have to stay unambiguously allocated as the project requires. For certain applications, specified material producers, delivery conditions or approved filler metals may matter as well.
Material segregation calls for particular attention too: with sensitive non-magnetisable components, production, tooling and material flow have to be organised so that no unwanted foreign material gets in.
Here two of stainlesstec’s specialist capabilities come together: qualified defence manufacturing and controlled stainless steel processing.
Before the first arc is struck, the essential technical questions have to be settled:
Which material is being used?
What joint is required?
Which process and which filler metal are approved?
Which welding procedure specification applies?
What qualification does the welder need?
What testing and evidence does the order call for?
Only then does the actual sequence of work take shape. Our specialist welders therefore do not simply work to the drawing but within a defined, qualified process.
Experience is indispensable here: material behaviour, heat input, welding sequence, clamping and distortion cannot be mastered by machine programs alone.
From order to documented part
01
Review the requirements
Drawing, revision status, material, component class and the relevant DIN, BV, TL or customer requirements are brought together.
02
Fix material and process
Parent material, certificates, filler metals, welding process and traceability are defined as the specification requires.
03
Build under control
Cutting, forming, welding and post-weld work take place within one coordinated chain.
04
Test and document
The agreed tests and records are allocated unambiguously to the order and the part.
The result is not simply a welded structure but a defence component whose manufacture can be traced.
Typical manufacturing tasks
stainlesstec makes, among other things:
non-magnetisable naval components
Welded assemblies
frames and support structures
enclosures and housings
brackets and mounts
bespoke special structures
In development work, retrofits, spares and special vehicles in particular, large runs are rarely needed. The combination of flexible small-batch production and a qualified process is therefore an important part of what we offer.
DIN 2303 alone does not define a part
The manufacturer qualification creates the basis for welding work of this kind. Which requirements actually apply, though, is decided by the project itself. Besides the drawing and the material, the governing documents may include:
technical delivery conditions
BV regulations
material data sheets
customer-specific specifications
testing and acceptance requirements
A defence project at stainlesstec therefore always begins with a technical review of the documents available.
We can assess a project fastest when we have the following:
drawing and revision status
material and delivery condition
quantity
the relevant standards or customer regulations
welding and testing requirements
the scope of documentation wanted
For non-magnetisable parts, the magnetic properties required and how they are to be evidenced should be defined as well.
Not everything settled yet? Then we will work out together which details are still missing for a sound release to production.
Do you have a defence requirement, or need parts with assured non-magnetic properties?
Send us the drawing and the specification. We will assess which manufacturing, testing and documentation steps are required, and whether the project falls within the scope of our qualification.
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.
