What is EN58 used for?

I have a billet of EN58 and apart from knowing that it is a magnetic stainless steel, I am totally ignorant. Googling throws up lots of hits on its properties, but not what it is used for!

It probably needs to be weighed in!

Andrew.

Domestic, dairy and decorative purposes. Can be formed and welded, most widely used grade relatively low cost,  this was from a Google search not my personal experience.

Tony

Edited By Tony Pratt 1 on 01/10/2023 12:23:56

Edited By Tony Pratt 1 on 01/10/2023 12:27:36

En58 is an !8/8 stainless steel. Being austenitic, it's not normally regarded as magnetic. Can be tough to machine, it work-hardens.

EN58???

Whats the suffix?

modern classifications are 304 316 and 321

303/304 General use,

316 Hygenic use,

321 heat applications

All 3 also come with an 'L' suffix which denotes low carbon.

Regards Ian.

Try machining it before you weigh it in. EN58 can be quite variable ranging from unmachinium to whats all the fuss about. Drilling will probably show up any problems. Sharp drill, slow revs (less than 1/2 mild steel) and keep feeding.

Martin

When I worked in the foundry industry some while ago, we used magnetic stainless steel for items like conveyor drums in the sand reclaim area, to catch cast iron fragments before the sand went to the mullers (drum mixers).

If it's EN58 it is austenitic (as others have said) so it shouldn't be magnetic. I have a lump of 304 from which I've sawn bits to make superheater return bends, but it's not easy

Edited By duncan webster on 01/10/2023 13:43:50

One end of the billet is stamped EN58 Magnetic. The stamping is circular in pattern and looks to be professionally done. So no suffix such as EN58B.

I will give it a go and see if it machines acceptably, if not, then the scrap bin!

Thanks everyone,

Andrew.

Is this any help ?

**LINK**

http://www.engineerstudent.co.uk/steel_selection_2.html

.

Possibly the link that Tony Pratt found [?]

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 01/10/2023 15:15:42

I have seen it specified as material on a drawing for a revolver cylinder in .38 Special/.357 Magnum calibre. I think it was EN58M or AM, and there my have been alternative specs also listed. This was probably 40+ years ago.

I can remember feeling rather surprised at the time.

Edited By Mick B1 on 01/10/2023 17:53:06

According to my very old little book provided by United Steel Companies, EN58M is Austenitic Cr-Ni, so should be non magnetic. The M doesn't mean magnetic

Is the "M" for machinable grade?

Are we not getting ourselves confused?

Andrew did not post “M” but records a stamping “magnetic”

What I am unclear on is whether the metal has been tested as magnetic.

I am suffering from the after effects of a Covid injection from yesterday. In a bit of a state right now and don' t fancy a trip to the workshop. Very dizzy and would probably fall.

Should be much improved tomorrow and I will check if it is magnetic or not. Didn't occur to me to check it before as the professional looking stamping said magnetic and I believed it. I should not be so trusting!

Andrew.

I am suffering from the after effects of a Covid injection from yesterday. In a bit of a state right now and don' t fancy a trip to the workshop. Very dizzy and would probably fall.

Should be much improved tomorrow and I will check if it is magnetic or not. Didn't occur to me to check it before as the professional looking stamping said magnetic and I believed it. I should not be so trusting!

Andrew.

You are not the only one! I had a dreadful night last night. It started with being cold, and ended with incredible thirst and drenching the sheets. Better now!

I have used 2 grades years ago EN58 A & B. You can check if they are Austenitic by trying to add a Magnet. to the work piece

En58A and En58B are wrought steels used for mechanical and allied engineering purposes ¹. They have similar chemical compositions, but the difference lies in their mechanical propertiesEn58B has a higher tensile strength than En58A, but lower ductility ²³.

Here are some of the mechanical properties of both steels:

Open in browser

Both steels are commonly used in the manufacture of shafts, gears, and axles ¹. Due to their high tensile strength and good ductility, they are also used in the production of fasteners, springs, and hand tools ¹. You can find more information about their chemical composition, mechanical properties, and cross-references in the datasheet available at ²³.

My only experience is with the 3xx grades so I can't provide any direct comment. However you will find in some descriptions that 304 is graded as weakly magnetic and becomes more so as it is worked.

I have found this to be correct in practice and you can test it with a strong, e.g. neodymium, magnet. It is possible that it may not be observed with a weak magnet.

Pero

I checked the EN58 billet this morning and found it was definitely magnetic. So that seems to throw a big spanner in the works!. I still think that the stamped label is of a professional nature. It is done on a circular pattern and spacing of letters and numbers is very precise. Can't see an amateur going to that length..

I will have a go at machining it later today.

Andrew.