August, 1998 - A lot of conscientious listening led Carpenter to development of Project 7000® stainless Type 416, the newest alloy in the Project 7000 series introduced to the global metalworking industry in late 1995. Also critical to the process was exhaustive testing both here at Carpenter and in the field to make sure we had created the alloy desired.

Project 7000 stainless Type 416 is a hardenable, straight-chrome alloy that meets all the specifications for stainless Type 416... but , in the annealed condition, machines similarly to Carpenter stainless No. 5F. Stainless No. 5F is a variation of Type 416 stainless that is essentially non-hardenable.

Now, when an application requires the best machinability possible, and the print specifies Type 416 only, no print change is necessary. Project 7000 stainless Type 416 can be certified as Type 416.

The new martensitic stainless offers fabricators the potential for improving productivity from 25% to 50% over that possible with generic stainless Type 416. It also offers a productivity advantage over our own Project 70® stainless Type 416, which has set an industry machinability standard for years.

Expected gains may be measured in any one or more of several ways, depending on what is most important to the fabricator. The values considered most often include faster speeds, higher feeds, longer tool life, less downtime, better finishes, or the ability to machine difficult parts that were previously unmanageable.

As with all grades in the Project 7000 stainless series, the new stainless Type 416 alloy was developed over a period of time by our Research Laboratory, then evaluated by machinability testing on the lab's own screw machine and CNC lathe.

After results were confirmed by the lab, we conducted beta site trials in customer plants and shops to verify expectations under actual manufacturing conditions. Initial field test results have been impressive. One customer reported a 50% increase in productivity. Another, experiencing similarly good results, expected in time to do even better.

Nominal analysis of the new stainless alloy is: carbon 0.15% max., manganese 1.25% max., phosphorous 0.06% max., sulfur 0.15% min., silicon 1.00% max., chromium 12.00/14.00%, balance iron.

The family of Project 7000 stainless steels introduced by Carpenter in 1995 included Types 303, 304 and 316, all of which are patented. Then came Project 7000 stainless Type 203. The new Type 416 stainless is considered the most logical new addition to the group at this time.

Stock of Project 7000 stainless Type 416 may be obtained for trial purposes. Call your local Carpenter representative or nearest Carpenter steel service center.