Stainless Steel - Shapeways
Stainless Steel
CNC Stainless Steel, also known as Machined Stainless, Milled Stainless Steel, AISI 304, AISI 316L, EN 1.4301, EN 1.4404, RVS, SS304, SS316L
Material Info
About
CNC Stainless Steel is a precision-machined metal available in two austenitic grades, produced using multi-axis CNC milling from certified stainless stock. Both grades offer excellent corrosion resistance, good strength, and full weldability — the right choice for functional prototypes, end-use parts, and components where hygiene, corrosion resistance, or structural integrity are non-negotiable. Available with a range of surface finishes including powder coating. For grade selection advice or finish questions, reach out to sales@shapeways.com. For a full grade comparison, download the Grade Overview Sheet.
| Grade | Alloy | Tensile Strength | Yield Strength | Corrosion Resistance | Chloride Resistance | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | X5CrNi18-10 | 500–700 MPa | 205 MPa min | Excellent | Limited | General purpose, food, architecture |
| 316L | X2CrNiMo17-12-2 | 500–700 MPa | 200 MPa min | Superior — Mo addition | Good — Mo addition | Marine, medical, chemical |
Color & Finishes
304, 316L
Silver
304, 316L
Custom
As-Machined
Our standard finish, direct from the cutting tool with a clean machined surface at Ra 3.2 μm.
Powder Coating
A durable polymer coating cured in an oven, available in any RAL colour — specify your required colour in the order notes.
Fine Machined Finish
A finer surface finish of Ra 1.6 μm is readily available on request — add your required Ra value and the surfaces it applies to in the order notes.
Technology
- CNC
Material Properties
Tensile Strength (Rm) — EN 10088-3
304: 500–700 MPa · 316L: 500–700 MPa
Yield Strength (Rp0.2) — EN 10088-3
304: 205 MPa min · 316L: 200 MPa min
Hardness (Brinell, ISO 6506)
≤ 215 HB (both grades)
Density
304: 7.90 g/cm³ · 316L: 7.98 g/cm³
Elastic Modulus
~193 GPa (both grades)
Description
Material Highlights
Precision-machined austenitic stainless steel in two grades — 304 for general-purpose applications and 316L for marine, medical, and chemical environments where superior chloride resistance is required
Corrosion Resistance
304: Excellent in atmospheric and mild chemical environments — not suitable for chloride or marine exposure · 316L: Superior — molybdenum addition provides pitting and crevice corrosion resistance in chloride and marine environments
Weldability
304: Excellent (all common processes) · 316L: Excellent — L grade (low carbon) prevents sensitisation in weld zones, no post-weld heat treatment required
Applications
304: Food processing, pharmaceutical machinery, architectural components, industrial fixtures, consumer products · 316L: Marine & offshore, medical implants, surgical instruments, pharmaceutical processing, chemical plant, coastal architecture
Design Guidelines
Bounding Box
Maximum Bounding Box 3-axe: 480 x 280 x 80mm
5-axe: 480 x 180x 80mm
Minimum Bounding Box X + Y + Z > 12 mm
The bounding box is a 3D imaginary outline of a box that encloses the smallest area occupied by your model. Your model must be within the minimum and maximum bounding box sizes. If the size of the model is close to the maximum bounding box, then the printing orientation will be restricted.
Walls
Supported Walls
Minimum wall thickness: 0.8 mm. Recommended: 1.5 mm or greater.
Unsupported Walls
Minimum wall thickness: 1.5 mm. Recommended: 2.5 mm or greater.
A supported wall is connected at least on two sides of the wall, while an unsupported wall is connected only on one side of the wall. Walls that do not meet the minimum requirements may not survive printing and cleaning processes. Additionally, models may still be rejected based on the wall geometry of the model. Please consider the size of your model and reinforce the walls or add support structures as needed as minimum guidelines will not always be adequate for large models.
Wires
Supported Wires
Minimum feature width: 0.8 mm. Recommended: 1.5 mm or greater.
Unsupported Wires
Minimum feature width: 1.5 mm. Recommended: 2.0 mm or greater.
A wire is a circular, rectangular or even triangular feature that is thinner in its unconnected directions than its length. A supported wire is connected at least on two sides of the model, while an unsupported wire is connected on one side of the model. Wires that do not meet the minimum requirements may not survive printing and cleaning processes. Additionally, models may still be rejected based on the wire geometry of the model. Please consider the size of your model and reinforce the wires or add support structures as needed as minimum guidelines will not always be adequate for large models.
Clearance
Minimum
Minimum clearance between separate features: 0.2 mm. For assemblies or press-fit features, specify the required fit class (e.g. H7/h6) in your technical drawing.
Clearance is the space between two individual parts in a model. If the space among the individual parts do not meet the minimum clearance, then parts can fuse together or can be difficult to clean. This is important for movable pieces like hinges, gears, etc.
Interlocking & Enclosed Parts
Interlocking No
Enclosed No
Parts in File
1
Accuracy
Where no tolerance is specified, parts are manufactured to DIN ISO 2768-mK (fine class general tolerances) as standard — see our CNC Tolerance Reference Sheet for full details. For tighter or specific tolerances, attach a technical drawing with the required tolerances clearly called out.