Large-Scale Stainless Steel Manufacturing
Fabricating and machining large stainless steel components requires immense power, specialized tooling, and strict environmental controls. At Openex, we possess the massive 250-ton lifting capacities and advanced 5-axis CNC machining centers required to handle monumental stainless steel projects for the energy, chemical processing, marine, and food & beverage industries.
Stainless steel is notoriously tough, requiring significantly more force to cut, roll, and bend than standard carbon steel. Furthermore, its tendency to work-harden during machining requires expert programmers and rigid machine setups. Our engineers have decades of experience overcoming these metallurgical challenges to deliver precision heavy weldments and machined parts.
Strict Cross-Contamination Control
One of the biggest risks in mixed-metal facilities is free-iron contamination (carbon steel dust embedding into stainless, causing rust). Openex utilizes dedicated stainless steel processing zones. We use segregated lifting equipment, dedicated grinding tools, and isolated welding bays to ensure your stainless components retain their pristine, corrosion-resistant passive layer.
Stainless Steel Grades We Process
We maintain a vast supply chain network to source massive, thick-plate stainless steel with full Material Test Reports (MTRs) for complete traceability.
304 / 304L (Austenitic)
Most CommonExcellent forming and welding characteristics. The "L" grade (low carbon) is utilized for heavy weldments to avoid carbide precipitation. Ideal for standard pressure vessels and industrial framing.
316 / 316L (Austenitic)
Marine/ChemicalContains molybdenum for drastically increased resistance to chlorides and industrial solvents. Heavily used in our offshore, paper pulp, and chemical reactor fabrication projects.
410 / 430 (Martensitic)
High StrengthHeat-treatable stainless steels offering high strength and wear resistance. Often machined in our facility for heavy pump components, large valves, and turbine parts.
Our Stainless Fabrication Capabilities
- ✂️ Heavy Plate Cutting & Bevelling High-wattage fiber laser cutting and high-definition plasma cutting capable of piercing exceptionally thick stainless plates without heat-affected zone (HAZ) cracking.
- 🔄 Massive Plate Rolling Because stainless requires higher tonnage to yield than carbon steel, our massive multi-roll plate bending machines are essential for forming large heat exchanger shells and vacuum chambers.
- ⚡ ASME & AWS Certified Welding Precision TIG (GTAW), MIG (GMAW), and Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) with proper back-purging techniques to ensure full-penetration, x-ray quality welds.
- ✨ Finishing & Passivation We provide mechanical polishing, glass bead blasting, and chemical passivation (nitric or citric acid) to restore the chromium oxide layer after heavy machining and welding.