General Information for Stainless Steel 321
| Material Group |
M - Stainless Steel |
| Sub-Group |
Austenitic Stainless Steel |
| Tensile Strength |
500-730 [N/mm^2] |
| Machinability Range |
36% |
MACHINABILITY OF 321 STAINLESS STEEL
Stainless steel 321 is an austenitic stainless-steel alloy with 18% chromium and 9.5% nickel.
It is a titanium-chromium-nickel stainless. The addition of titanium improves its corrosion resistance in high temperatures but makes it very difficult to machine with a low machinability rating of 36%
SUMMARY:
For general Turning of Stainless Steel 321 at stable conditions use a grade with a Semi Hard substrate and Thin CVD coating.
In case you are running at a cutting speed that is lower than 390 SFM (120 m/min), it is better to use a grade with a semi hard substrate and PVD coating.
For general Milling use a grade with a Semi Hard substrate and Thin PVD coating.
For detailed carbide grades recommendations, check the table below.
Recommended Cutting speed range for turning at stable conditions is 440 - 590 [SFM] / 135 - 180 [m/min].
Recommended Cutting speed range for milling with stable clamping and short overhang is 280 - 380 [SFM] / 85 - 115 [m/min]
For detailed cutting speed recomendations, check the table below.
Equivalent International Designations for Stainless Steel 321
| Standard |
Name |
| sae |
321 |
| wnr |
1.4541 |
| din |
X10CrNiTi18-9 |
| uns |
UNS S32100 |
| bs |
321S12, 58B |
| ss |
2337 |
| anfor |
Z6CNT18.10 |
| uni |
X6CrNiTi18 11 |
| unf |
F.3553;F.3523 |
| js1 |
SUS321 |
Chemical Composition for Stainless Steel 321
| Element |
Amount |
| Chromium (Cr) |
18% |
| Nickel (Ni) |
9.5% |
| Manganese (Mn) |
2.00% |
| Silicon (Si)) |
1.00% |
| Titanium (Ti) |
0.40% |
| Carbon (C) |
0.08% |
| Phosphorus (P) |
0.04% |
| Sulfur (S) |
0.03% |
Cutting Speeds Recomendations for Stainless steel - Austenitic
| Application |
Vc (m/min) |
Vc (SFM) |
| Turning |
135-180 |
440-590 |
| Milling |
85-115 |
280-380 |
| Parting |
55-70 |
180-230 |
| Grooving |
80-110 |
260-360 |
| Drilling |
40-50 |
130-160 |
Important! The speed estimation is given for an ideal situation:
- Most suitable carbide grade
- Stable tool clamping
- Stable workpiece clamping
- Good quality raw material
- A short overhang of the cutting tool.
- Nominal hardness of the material.
- etc.
Recommended Carbide Grades for Stainless Steel 321
Grade for Milling (Indexable)
Recommended Insert Cutting Edge Geometry for Stainless Steel 321
| Honing Size |
0.03-0.05 mm / 0.001-0.002" |
| Rake Angle |
9°-11° |
| Land Angle |
Positive |
| Land Widt |
0.20-0.30 mm / 0.008-0.012" |
