Find answers to common questions about our products, ordering process, and services.
It's the standard grade for most food service and construction work. Good corrosion resistance, easy to weld, reasonably priced. If you don't know what you need, 304 is usually the safe bet. Not great for anything salty though.
316 is the same as 304 but with molybdenum added. That makes it handle saltwater, acids, and harsh chemicals much better. Marine applications, food processing with salts, chemical plants. It costs more, so only use it where 304 won't hold up.
Yes. 430 is a ferritic grade — magnetic, cheaper than austenitic steels, decent corrosion resistance for less demanding environments. Good for automotive trim, some kitchen equipment. Not weldable in the same way as 304 or 316.
Duplex grades like 2205 and 2507 are the heavy hitters. Twice the strength of 304, much better corrosion resistance, especially against pitting. Oil and gas, chemical processing, offshore work. They cost more per kg but you often use less material because they're stronger.
Absolutely. Tell us what you're building, what environment it'll be in, and any mechanical requirements. We'll recommend the right grade. Saves you money in the long run — nobody wants to replace a part that corroded in six months.
2B is our default — matte, decent for most industrial uses. No.4 is the brushed look people want for appliances and architectural trim. Mirror finish when you need that polished glass effect. BA gives you a bright, shiny surface right from the mill without extra polishing. We can do hairline too.
Yes, a lot more than people think. Smoother finishes resist corrosion better because there's less surface area for moisture and contaminants to cling to. Mirror finish on a 316 plate will outlast a No.4 finish in the same environment. Cheap finish on good steel isn't always cheap.
Depends on the product. For standard sheets and coils, we can do as low as 500 kg. For pipes and fittings, usually around 1 ton. Special grades or custom sizes might push that higher. Tell us what you need and we'll give you a number — no pressure.
For orders, it's T/T or L/C. We don't do credit cards directly. For smaller samples or quotes, we can arrange payment through our partners. Typical terms are 30% deposit, 70% before shipment. If we've worked together for a while, we sometimes open account terms.
Yes, that's exactly what we do. Send us your requirements — grade, dimensions, quantity, surface finish — and we'll get back to you usually within 24 hours. No strings attached. If the price doesn't work for you, you know and we part ways cleanly.
After we've built some history together, we move to more flexible terms. Many long-term partners work on 50/50 or net-30. It depends on volume, reliability, and how long we've been working. We want you to grow with us, so we make it easy.
Depends on where you are and what we're sending. Within China, a few days. To major ports in Southeast Asia, about two weeks. Europe and North America typically 25-35 days by sea. Air freight is faster but costs more — we always show both options so you can decide.
We prepare all the export documentation — invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, material test reports. Customs clearance on your end is your responsibility, but we work with forwarders who can help arrange DDP if you need it. Just tell us what you need.
FOB, CIF, CFR, EXW — we do all of them. FOB Shanghai or FOB Ningbo is our most common. CIF if you want us to handle shipping and insurance. EXW if you have your own freight forwarder. We'll match your preference.
Once it's loaded, yes. We give you the bill of lading number and tracking details. Most major shipping lines have online tracking. We also send you photos during loading so you can see everything went in correctly.
Every shipment comes with an MTR — chemical composition, mechanical properties, dimensions, all verified. For 304 and 316, it shows the exact nickel and chromium content. You can trace every piece back to the mill if you need to.
Our products comply with ASTM, EN, and JIS standards. We're ISO 9001 certified. Third-party inspection from SGS, BV, or TÜV is available if your project requires it. We don't hide behind paperwork — if there's an issue, we fix it.
We use a spark spectrometer to check chemical composition on every batch before it leaves the factory. The MTR documents that. If you want, we can also provide XRF analysis or send samples to your own lab for verification. Transparency matters.
We replace it. No arguments. That's our policy. We inspect everything before it ships, but if something slips through, we fix it fast and at our cost. Long-term business depends on trust, and trust depends on standing behind what you sell.
Yes. We have laser cutting, plasma cutting, and shearing for different thicknesses. Tolerances are typically ±0.5 mm for laser cuts. We can do complex shapes, not just straight cuts. Send us a drawing and we'll tell you if it works.
We handle a lot of it in-house. CNC bending, punching, welding, polishing — the usual stuff. If it's too specialized, we have partner shops that handle it. One point of contact, multiple capabilities.
Sure. We can print your company logo, add custom labels, use your preferred crating. It doesn't change the price much, and it makes your receiving team's life easier. Tell us what you need.
Most likely. We work with mills that produce custom gauges. Lead time might be a bit longer, and the price may be slightly higher, but we've handled odd sizes before. Send us your specs and we'll check with our suppliers.
That's what we're here for. Tell us what the part does, what environment it's in, how much load it carries, and we'll recommend a grade. Sometimes the obvious choice isn't the right one — and sometimes a cheaper grade works perfectly fine. We'll tell you.
Yes. We can send samples of standard grades quickly. Custom stuff might take a bit longer. Samples usually cost a small fee, but it gets deducted from your first order. It's better to test than to guess.
304 is your workhorse — food service, construction, general use. 316 is the same steel with molybdenum, which makes it handle salt and chlorides way better. If anything goes near the ocean, in a pool, or touches food with salt, use 316. Otherwise 304 is fine and cheaper.
Hot-rolled comes off the mill with a scale surface — rougher, cheaper, good for structural stuff. Cold-rolled is smoother, more precise dimensions, better surface quality. Usually what you want for any visible application. The grade can be the same, but the process changes how it looks and behaves.
Yes. We stock and cut from coils for many common thicknesses and widths. If you have a coil line in your shop, buying by the coil is cheaper than plates. We can slit to width on request. Just tell us your machine specs and we'll match it.
We do. A lot of our customers start with a small order to test things out. We don't have a too-small-to-bother threshold because everyone starts somewhere. Just give us a heads up so we can plan efficiently.
Email our technical support address, or ask your sales rep to connect you. You can also call our technical hotline for urgent questions. We respond in both English and Spanish, and our engineers understand the real problems you face on the shop floor.
