ГОСТ 5582, 7350, 19903: stainless sheet
Stainless sheet is governed by three different documents, and they must not be confused. ГОСТ 5582 is responsible for thin cold-rolled sheet, ГОСТ 7350 for thick hot-rolled sheet, and ГОСТ 19903 sets the product range: which thicknesses, widths and lengths are produced at all.
The entry "12Х18Н10Т ГОСТ 5582-75" means cold-rolled sheet of a specific accuracy, not simply metal of the required grade.
Below — what each document is responsible for, how rolling accuracy and limit deviations are connected, and how to read the certificate so as to accept a batch without a dispute.
Which ГОСТ is responsible for what
Standards for sheet fall into three levels. The product range says what exists. The technical requirements say what requirements the rolled steel must satisfy. The grade standard sets the composition of the steel.
| Document | What it governs | What it relates to |
|---|---|---|
| ГОСТ 5632 | steel grade, chemical composition, properties | all types of rolled steel |
| ГОСТ 19903 | sheet product range: thickness, width, length | hot-rolled sheet |
| ГОСТ 5582 | technical requirements for cold-rolled thin sheet | thickness up to 3.9 mm |
| ГОСТ 7350 | technical requirements for thick sheet | thickness from 4 mm |
| Standard on methods | how tests are carried out | testing and acceptance |
ГОСТ 19903 is about dimensions. What matters here is that sheet is produced in certain combinations of thickness, width and length, and not every arbitrary size exists as a standard one. The common formats on the market are 1250×2500 and 1500×3000 mm.
ГОСТ 5582 describes cold-rolled sheet: it is thinner, flatter, with a cleaner surface. This is the standard most often found in orders for 0.8–3 mm sheet for food and decorative use.
ГОСТ 7350 is about thick sheet, which is hot-rolled and may then be pickled. It goes into vessels, flanges, load-bearing elements, where a thickness from 4 mm is needed.
A separate story is perforated and embossed sheet. This is not a different product range but a different type of product: the holes or the relief are governed by their own standards, while the base sheet remains ordinary cold-rolled or hot-rolled. In the order state both the pattern and the standard for the base sheet.
Cold-rolled and hot-rolled sheet: which standard applies where.
| Attribute | Cold-rolled | Hot-rolled |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness range | thin sheet | from 4 mm |
| Technical requirements standard | ГОСТ 5582 | ГОСТ 7350 |
| Product range | general standard for sheet | ГОСТ 19903 |
| Rolling accuracy | higher | lower |
| Surface | even: 2B, BA, mirror, №4 | rougher, scale possible |
| Further processing | bending, stamping, welding of thin metal | machining, welding of thick metal |
| Typical application | decor, food equipment, precise cutting | vessels, flanges, load-bearing elements |
It is useful to separate the product range and the technical requirements when ordering too. The entry "2 mm sheet to the product-range standard" sets only the size, while "2 mm sheet to the technical requirements standard" adds accuracy, surface and acceptance. If the result must be predictable, both documents are stated in the specification.
Rolling accuracy
Accuracy is the tolerance for thickness, width and length plus requirements for flatness and edge. The higher the accuracy, the flatter the sheet and the smaller the spread in thickness within one batch.
A higher and a normal accuracy are distinguished. Higher accuracy is needed where the thickness goes into further processing: laser cutting, bending, stamping, welding of thin metal. For decorative panels and backing plates normal accuracy is sufficient.
What actually influences the choice of accuracy:
- Flatness. A neat bend cannot be obtained from thin sheet with a "wave".
- Thickness variation. If a 2 mm sheet wanders in thickness, the welding settings will have to be selected anew on every workpiece.
- Condition of the edge. A cut edge and an uncut edge are different conditions for cutting and for waste.
- Rolling direction. In bending it matters, and in the specification it is worth stipulating it for critical parts.
An additional parameter is surface quality. For cold-rolled sheet this is 2B, BA, mirror, №4 ground. The surface is assigned for the task: 2B is the universal one, BA is cleaner and lighter, mirror and ground are for decor. More on choosing the surface — in the analysis of grades and in the sheet catalogue.
Limit deviations
Limit deviations are the boundaries within which the dimension must fall. They are set by the standard as a range and depend on thickness, width and accuracy class. Two sheets of the same grade and the same nominal thickness may have different tolerances if ordered to different accuracy.
How to work with this in practice:
- Clarify what exactly is critical. For a welded structure thickness variation matters more, for cutting flatness, for decor the surface.
- Do not compare tolerances from memory. Look up the numerical deviations in the current text of the standard: they differ between editions and accuracy classes.
- Measure at several points. A single measurement in the centre of the sheet proves nothing — neither for the supplier nor for you.
- Fix the tolerance in the order. If the order states only the size, a dispute about deviations will not be decided in your favour.
Separately about thickness. In trade, "conventional" thicknesses are often circulated: instead of 2 mm, 1.8 mm is sold. This is not always a violation — it happens that the rolled steel was produced to a different accuracy class or to ТУ. This is checked by measurement and the certificate, not by conversation. If thickness is critical, write the nominal and the required accuracy explicitly.
How to read the certificate
The quality certificate is the main document for a batch. It must be read point by point, not by whether a stamp is present.
| Certificate item | What you check |
|---|---|
| Steel grade | matches the order: 12Х18Н10Т, AISI 304 or another |
| Standard | the document that was in the specification |
| Batch, heat number | allows the certificate to be linked to a specific pack |
| Size and thickness | nominal and accuracy class |
| Chemical composition | mass fractions of the elements within the grade limits |
| Mechanical properties | tensile strength, elongation |
| Surface | 2B, BA, mirror, №4 or another |
| Batch mass | for reconciliation at shipment |
The order of checking on acceptance. First you compare the marking of the pack with the certificate. Then you measure thickness and dimensions at several points. Then you inspect the surface and the edge. And only after that do you sign the acceptance. If the discrepancy is critical, file a claim before signing — after signing it is substantially harder to prove anything.
Batch, heat and mass. The batch number links the document to a specific pack, the heat number to a specific steel production run. One batch may contain several heats, so the marking is checked on every pack, not only the top one. The mass in the certificate is needed for reconciliation with the consignment note: for the trade and logistics the net mass is used, while the gross mass includes the packaging.
If there is no certificate. Do not sign the acceptance. Without the document the batch cannot be linked either to a standard or to a grade, and therefore there will be nothing to base a claim on. Request the certificate for the batch before unloading, or make the acceptance with a note about the missing documents.
Frequent mistakes when ordering sheet. The first is to state only the size, without the standard and accuracy. The second is to confuse the format: 1250×2500 and 1500×3000 are different items. The third is to order "stainless steel" without a grade, whereas the specification must contain 12Х18Н10Т or AISI 304. The fourth is not to stipulate the surface, although 2B and mirror behave differently. The fifth is to accept a batch on the fact that paper exists, without reading it.
A frequent mistake is to check only the grade. A batch may be honest in composition but produced to a different accuracy class or with a different surface. The second mistake is to accept sheet without stating the accuracy in the order and then demand "as in the standard": the standard precisely allows a range, and the supplier may be formally right.
ГОСТ or ТУ
ТУ are the manufacturer's technical requirements. They do not cancel ГОСТ and do not mean a second grade: ТУ cover what is not in the standard.
When ТУ are appropriate:
- a non-standard format or thickness that is not in the product range;
- a transition or economy grade that is not in the declared standard;
- a special surface finish for a specific task;
- combined requirements, for example the accuracy of cold-rolled sheet at a thickness from the hot-rolled range.
ТУ must be compared with ГОСТ point by point: grade and chemical composition, geometry and tolerances, surface, tests, acceptance. In this case the specification states the grade, the type of sheet, the size, the document (ГОСТ or ТУ), the accuracy, the surface, the delivery condition and the net mass.
If ТУ cover all the critical points, the delivery is workable. If ТУ lack the necessary norm or test, this is stipulated separately — otherwise there will be nothing with which to confirm the quality.
Disputed situations on acceptance
| Situation | What to do before signing |
|---|---|
| Thickness below nominal | measure at several points, compare with the accuracy class from the order, record it in a report |
| Wave and lack of flatness | assess the gap on a flat plate, photograph it, note it in the report |
| Burr and scratch on the edge | record it if the edge goes into bending or under welding |
| Laminations, rolled-in scale, traces of rough grinding | do not accept without a note in the documents |
| Marking is illegible | do not sign the acceptance until the link to the certificate is restored |
| Certificate without a reference to the standard | request a supplement: otherwise it is unclear what the batch corresponds to |
| A different format has arrived | compare with the order: 1250×2500 and 1500×3000 are different items |
The rule is simple: everything that is not noted before signing is hard to prove after signing. Photographs, measurements and a report are the minimum set.
How the standard is connected with the application
| Task | What to look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bending | elongation, flatness | metal with low ductility cracks |
| Welding | a grade with low carbon or titanium | carbon precipitates along the grain boundaries |
| Food environments | surface 2B or BA, completeness of pickling | roughness retains contaminants |
| High temperatures | a heat-resistant grade | ordinary austenite oxidises |
| Decor | mirror or №4 ground | appearance and repairability |
| Stamping | accuracy and delivery condition | spread in thickness breaks the setting |
Sheet for bending is taken cold-rolled, with an even edge and accuracy not below normal. For welded vessels the grade and delivery condition matter more, while for a decorative panel it is the surface, and there the accuracy requirements can be relaxed.
The standard does not replace the design decision: it records that the metal arrived in the condition laid down in the documentation.
Frequently asked questions
What does ГОСТ 5582-75 govern?
Technical requirements for cold-rolled thin sheet made of stainless steel: rolling accuracy, surface requirements, mechanical properties and acceptance rules. The product range — which thicknesses, widths and lengths exist — is set by another document.
What does ГОСТ 7350-77 describe?
Requirements for thick sheet, which is produced by hot rolling. It is used where a thickness from 4 mm is needed: vessels, flanges, load-bearing structures. Its tolerances and surface requirements differ from those for thin cold-rolled sheet.
How does cold-rolled sheet differ from hot-rolled?
Cold-rolled is thinner, flatter and with a cleaner surface, so it goes into decor, food equipment and precise cutting. Hot-rolled is thicker and cheaper to produce; it is taken for structures and further machining.
What does 12Х18Н10Т-Н1 mean?
A designation of the delivery condition: the letter indicates the type of heat treatment or finish that the metal has undergone. Look up the exact meaning in the standard and in the batch certificate — for one grade there may be different delivery variants with different properties.
How to check sheet thickness on acceptance?
By measuring at several points across the sheet and along the edge, taking into account the accuracy class from the order. A single measurement is not indicative. If the deviation goes beyond the stated accuracy, record it before signing the acceptance and request the certificate.
Is there a ГОСТ for perforated sheet?
Perforated and embossed sheet are governed by separate standards for these types of product, while the base sheet is produced to the ordinary standards for cold-rolled or hot-rolled rolled steel. The order states both the pattern and the characteristics of the base.
Which sheet format is standard?
The common formats on the market are 1250×2500 and 1500×3000 mm. But the standard also allows other combinations of thickness, width and length. If your cutting requires a non-standard size, check its availability before placing an order.
Can cold-rolled sheet be replaced by hot-rolled?
Only if the thickness, grade and tolerances match and the surface and flatness are not critical. Hot-rolled sheet is rougher and less flat, so for decor, bending and precise cutting it is usually unsuitable. The reverse replacement is admissible more often: cold-rolled is more accurate.
Place an order for sheet
On the GCX exchange, sheet of AISI 201, 304, 316L and 430 is traded — thickness 0.8–10 mm, formats 1250×2500 and 1500×3000, surfaces 2B, BA, mirror and №4 ground. The order fixes the grade, size, surface and shipment week.