3 STEPS TO SELECTING THE BEST TYPE OF METAL

Selecting the best type of metal for your specific project can be overwhelming. There are so many types of metals to choose from, each with their own unique characteristics. Not to mention, the type of metal you choose can affect the appearance, durability, and cost. If you’re in a similar situation and don’t know where to start, turn to these three simple steps. 

STEP ONE: SPECIFY YOUR NEEDS 

Whatever project you’re working on, you need to know the type of metal you need before getting started. You wouldn’t start a tile project without knowing what kind of tile you needed, right? Before you begin your project, reflect on the following factors: 

• Environment — Will the metal need to sustain extreme temperatures, corrosive substances, or other environmental elements? 
• Strength — Does the metal need to be strong or flexible? 
• Budget — How much are you hoping to spend on metal? 
• Quantity — How much metal will you need to complete the project? 
• Machinability — Do you need a metal that will work with your desired fabrication methods? 

STEP TWO: USE RELIABLE RESOURCES

On our website, you can find various helpful charts to determine which metal product you need to purchase. We even outline the physical and chemical properties of the metals we keep in stock. For example, we have a chart detailing the chemical composition differences between 301, 302, and 304 stainless steel. You can also quickly reference the tensile strength of different tempers of beryllium copper.

STEP THREE: WORK WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE SERVICE CENTERS 

A lot of the time, the charts and tables on our website give our customers enough information to fill out our quick quote request form and get their metal order going. Other times, customers have questions or needs that our charts just don't cover.

For those instances, we recommend speaking about your specific project needs with a Mead Metals employee. Their wealth of information, depth of understanding around metal products, and our metal service center's capabilities set the industry standard. They will work with you to get to where you need to be, and if they can't, they'll most likely be able to point you in the right direction toward who can help.

RELY ON MEAD METALS FOR ALL OF YOUR METAL NEEDS

A long-standing and well-established metal service center, such as Mead Metals, can be an invaluable source of information, resources, and material. We are available to guide you through the entire metal selection process with industry expertise and leading customer service. If you are ready to place your metal product order, submit a quick quote request today!