Alloy: A metal composed of a combination of two or more metals or a combination of a metal and a non-metal. Alloys are created to produce advantages that the pure metals cannot offer on their own.

Austenitic Stainless Steel: Non-magnetic stainless steels that contain nickel and chromium sufficient to develop and retain the austenitic phase at room temperature. Austenitic stainless steels are the most widely used category of stainless steel.

Chromium (Cr) : An alloying element that is used in stainless steel to deter corrosion.

Ductility: A measurement of the malleability of stainless steel in terms of the amount of deformation it will withstand before failure.

Ferritic: Magnetic stainless steels that have a low carbon content and contain chromium as the main alloying element, usually between 13% and 17%. It is the second most widely used stainless steel. Ferretic stainless steels are generally used in automotive trim and exhaust systems, hot water tanks, and interior architectural trim.

Gauge: The thickness of a certain stainless steel.

Martensitic: A small category of magnetic stainless steels typically containing 12% chromium, a moderate level of carbon, and a very low level of nickel.

Nickel (Ni): An alloying element used in stainless steels to enhance ductility and corrosion resistance.

Oxidation: Rust or corrosion due to exposure to oxygen.

Pitting: Localized corrosion (in the form of pits) of a metal surface that is confined to a small area.

Protective Coating: A temporary adhesive protective film attached to the surface that protects the surface during forming and handling operations that is stripped before final use.

Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is a ferrous alloy that resists staining, rusting, and corrosion. Stainless steel has a chromium content that exceeds 10% and may contain varying amounts of other elements such as nickel, molybdenum, nickel, etc depending on the grade.

Type 304: the most common grade; the classic 18/8 stainless steel. An austenitic chromium-nickel alloy used primarily in residential steels, for cookware, utensils, sinks, etc.

Dimensional Conventions:

Length: Measument from Left to Right

Width: Measument from Front to Back

Height: Measument from Top to Bottom