304/304L Stainless Steel Sheet: A 20-Tonne 2B Order with Documented Inspection

An order for 304/304L Stainless Steel Sheet can look straightforward until the full specification arrives. For this project, the customer needed 20 tonnes of 2B sheets, paper interleaved, cut to 3 × 1524 × 3048 mm, with an accepted thickness range of 2.970–3.220 mm. Grade documentation, sheet geometry, edge condition and surface protection all mattered alongside the nominal dimensions.

Sheye Metal brought these requirements into the sourcing and production plan, then recorded the inspection results in its system. The resulting report gives the customer a structured record of the finished-sheet checks. Our 304/304L Stainless Steel Sheet product page explains the corresponding supply and processing options.

The order requirements

The thickness window is equivalent to −0.030/+0.220 mm relative to 3.000 mm. Sheye targeted suitable source material above nominal thickness while retaining the customer’s exact lower and upper acceptance limits. Recording both limits avoids ambiguity when a buyer asks for material on the upper side of the nominal gauge.

Start with suitable dual-grade mother coil

In Sheye’s sourcing experience, readily available coils carrying explicit 304/304L dual-grade documentation can be limited, particularly when the order also needs a specific thickness window. Much of the stock encountered during routine sourcing is below nominal gauge. A coil that is convenient to purchase still needs to match the agreed finished-sheet requirement.

As a first-level TISCO agent, Sheye can coordinate dual-grade mother-coil requirements with the mill and review suitable material before processing. For this order, the supplied TISCO material record identifies grade 304/304L, heat A1602611 and material FA607B0610W00. The mill certificate states ASTM A240/A240M-25a, with reported carbon 0.020%, chromium 18.1% and nickel 8.1%.

The source-material certificate and the finished-sheet inspection report serve different purposes. The former records the mill’s material information; the latter records Sheye’s checks on the processed sheets. The source-coil record shows 25.258 tonnes, while the customer’s finished-sheet order is 20 tonnes. These are separate quantities.

The coil label records a 1567 mm mill-edge width. The 1524 mm nominal order width is the required trimmed width. Sheye trimmed the edges to the ordered width and cut the material to 3048 mm length, linking the mother-coil information to the finished-sheet specification.

Source-document note: The reproduced mill certificate states that the material is for use within China and is not permitted for export. It is shown here as the source-material record for this case. Material and documentation for a new order must be reviewed for its destination.

Protect the 2B surface during sheet processing

The production photographs show sheets on the cutting line, a finished stack and interleaving paper. Keeping the specified surface condition through processing is part of supplying 304/304L Stainless Steel Sheet 2B Finish. Sheet handling and the contact between stacked sheets therefore belong in the production plan together with levelling and cutting.

For this order, paper interleaving was explicitly specified. Buyers should also define visible-side requirements and any additional protection needed for later cutting, forming or storage. The relevant route is described on our cut-to-length processing page.

Check the finished sheet, not only its nominal size

Sheye’s inspection photographs cover thickness, width, length, both diagonals, flatness, edge condition and the sheet surface. The system-generated report records thickness readings of 3.018 mm and 3.047 mm, both within the specified 2.970–3.220 mm window. They are recorded inspection readings, not a statement that every location on every sheet has one of those two values.

Measuring both diagonals supports the review of sheet squareness. Flatness checks address how the sheet sits for subsequent fabrication, while edge checks address the condition produced during cutting. The report marks all seven listed inspection items Passed against its recorded checks. The photographs provide context for those activities; the report supplies the documented results.

The handheld PMI photograph provides an additional alloy-identification check. XRF measures elements such as chromium and nickel, but it does not directly measure carbon. The instrument’s displayed 304 identification therefore does not, by itself, establish the low-carbon or dual-grade designation. That status must remain supported by the applicable material documentation. See Evident’s explanation of handheld XRF limitations and our 304L grade guide for the distinction.

Sheye’s system turns inspection records into a report

Sheye can generate an inspection report from its own system. This gives the order a consistent, readable record of the specified product and the inspection results. Buyers can review the supplied report alongside the mill certificate and production photographs instead of relying only on a general quality statement.

The public example below retains the inspection information and hides the PI number, order number and sales person’s name. The report is Sheye’s internal inspection record; the mill certificate remains the source for the mill’s material certification. Keeping their roles clear makes the documentation more useful during a customer’s material review.

This summary reproduces the inspection categories and pass status from the supplied Sheye report. Read the report together with the agreed order requirements.

FROM INSPECTION TO DOCUMENTATION

One report brings the order checks together

The two-page example records the product specification, inspection photographs, measured values and seven inspection outcomes. Open the public PDF to review the complete record.

Open Sheye inspection report · PDF · 1.15 MB

Sheye internal inspection report. PI number, order numbers and sales name are permanently removed from this public copy.

Mill certificate: source-material reference

Use restriction in the original certificate: domestic sales in China only; export is not allowed. This example documents the source material for this case and does not establish export eligibility for that lot.

Open redacted TISCO source certificate · PDF · 491 KB

Specify the complete requirement when requesting a quotation

When choosing a 304/304L Stainless Steel Sheet Supplier, give the dual-grade requirement, material standard and edition, finished dimensions, thickness limits, quantity and destination. Add your diagonal or squareness criteria, flatness method and limit, allowable edge burr, surface acceptance requirements and paper or film protection.

Sheye’s role as a 304/304L Stainless Steel Sheet Manufacturer covers processing mother coil into finished sheets; the steelmaking mill is identified on the material certificate. As a 304/304L Stainless Steel Sheet Stockist, Sheye checks available material against the requested grade, gauge and finish, and coordinates suitable supply when routine stock does not meet the specification.

Sheye reviews these details together, including mother-coil sourcing, sheet processing, inspection and report requirements. Explore 304/304L dual-grade sheet supply or compare our 304L Stainless Steel Sheet page. Send your specification to sales@sheyemetal.com to discuss a suitable supply plan.