Why stainless hand tool?

The important point is to avoid getting the screws/nut rusted

“The stainless never get rusted” is the first image to many people, but they don’t know what they buy is just carbon-steel plated hand tool.

The general hand tool is plated with a layer of film in the surface. After long using, the plating layer will wear off and the internal carbon steel exposed. It will cause the carbon-steel tool burs remain in the screw or nut. These remaining carbon steel cause stainless steel screws or nuts rusted. This is called “Extraneous Rust”.

In super humid environment, such as ship maintenance, the weather will accelerate the corrosion. If the working environment is always humid, then the stainless-steel hand tool may better choice.

In some highly secure work environment, prevention from rusted screws nut is big deal, such as aviation parts, energy industries (nuclear power plants), or million-dollar machine. These types of industries usually require "non-corrosive" or "non-contamination"; in this case, a stainless-steel hand tool is the better choice, especially when you consider the high amount of maintenance fee caused by rusted screw.

High temperature sterilization

Stainless steel hand tools can be applied in sterile rooms or clean rooms.

Stainless-steel hand tools can go through high temperature 120 degrees disinfection repeatedly. In theory, the plating hand tools can also be high temperature sterilization, and used in the sterile room or clean room. But the disinfection process will lead to part of the plating layer peeling, which will lead to further external corrosion. In other words, the screw nut of the clean room may be "stained". And due there is no plating layer on stainless steel hand tool, so the disinfection process will not cause any peeling.

Tien-I design and manufacture hand tools for several well-known professional USA and Europe tool brands. If you have any stainless-tool customization need, please contact with Tien-I Team.

---------------------------------------------

Little knowledge : why stainless steel get rusted?

Steel is usually made of iron and carbon; and stainless steel is iron, carbon, then plus 12-30% chromium (chromium) and add small amount of nickel and manganese. Chromium is the reason why stainless steel is stainless.

The rusted is caused from chemical reaction of iron oxide (Fe2O3) when steel meet oxygen. Iron oxide itself does not form a thin film but constantly falling off, so the iron will continue to expose in the oxygen. But the chromium from the stainless steel will form a thin film of chromium oxide when meet oxygen. The film does not fall off and will avoid the oxygen reaction. Even if the stainless-steel surface scratches, the following non-thin film of stainless steel will further form a film and continuously repair to avoid oxidation reaction; as long as there is sufficient chromium, the film will continue to prevent from rust.

The anti-rust function gets weaker if the chromium content is less than 12%. In "external corrosion", as long as the stainless-steel surface have iron burs, the chrome content will reduce under 12% and lead to rust. The best way to avoid is rinse the rust of stainless steel with water and wipe clean, to ensure no more iron burs attached.

Also, the chlorine can also cause the film of stainless steel break and rust.

For more information, please refer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel