METAL MUST KNOW

SAE Steel Grades
Metal Sheet Gauges
Metal Pipe Schedules
See also: Materials, Designs,
Dimensions, Product List. 
Picture
Meccano skyscraper. Outer shell is stainless steel.

SAE STEEL GRADES top

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) designated steel grades by three or four digit numbers. The first digit represents the primary alloying elements (see image below), the second digit represents the secondary alloying elements, and the last digits indicates the amount of carbon as a percentage of its weight.
SAE Steel Designation
Designation
Type
Description
1
Carbon Steels
Strengthened Steel
2
Nickel Steels
Rust Resistant
3
Nickel-chromium Steels
Rust Proof
4
Molybdenium Steels
Decorative Steel
5
Chromium Steels
Heat Resistant
6
Chromium Vanadium Steels
7
Tungsten Steels
8
Nickel-chromium-vanadium Steels
9
Silicon-manganese Steels
SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
Among these SAE steel grades, designations 1 to 3 are the ones used in majority of the households in the Philippines. Three grades are commonly used: 102, 202 and 304. The company only sells these grades of steel in different designs.

METAL SHEET GAUGES top

Gauges represent a set of measured standardized thickness for metal sheets. This gauges are based on the material's weight, therefore metals of different compounds will have different thickness measurements even though if both have equal gauge.

Steel's primary element is iron. Even though there are a lot of compounds for this alloy. Different alloys that have the same gauges have negligible difference in thickness. Discrepancies in thickness can be found when comparing metals/alloys of different primary elements. See the image on the right for the gauge and measurements of steel and galvanized iron. The company sells metal sheet gauges 8 to 31.
SAE Stainless Steel Gauge
Steel Thickness
Galvanized Steel
Gauge
Inch
mm
inch
mm
3
0.2391
6.073
4
0.2242
5.695
5
0.2092
5.314
6
0.1943
4.935
7
0.1793
4.554
8
0.1644
4.176
9
0.1495
3.797
0.1532
3.891
10
0.1345
3.416
0.1382
3.51
11
0.1196
3.038
0.1233
3.132
12
0.1046
2.657
0.1084
2.753
13
0.0897
2.278
0.0934
2.372
14
0.0747
1.897
0.0785
1.994
15
0.0673
1.709
0.071
1.803
16
0.0598
1.519
0.0635
1.613
17
0.0538
1.367
0.0575
1.461
18
0.0478
1.214
0.0516
1.311
19
0.0418
1.062
0.0456
1.158
20
0.0359
0.912
0.0396
1.006
21
0.0329
0.836
0.0366
0.93
22
0.0299
0.759
0.0336
0.853
23
0.0269
0.683
0.0306
0.777
24
0.0239
0.607
0.0276
0.701
25
0.0209
0.531
0.0247
0.627
26
0.0179
0.455
0.0217
0.551
27
0.0164
0.417
0.0202
0.513
28
0.0149
0.378
0.0187
0.472
29
0.0135
0.353
0.0172
0.437
30
0.012
0.305
0.0157
0.399
31
0.0105
0.267
0.0142
0.361
32
0.0097
0.246
0.0134
0.34
SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

METAL PIPE SCHEDULES top

Schedules represent a set of measured standardized specifications for metal pipes by the American National Standards Institute. These set is based on the pipe's ability to withstand pressure from the material flowing inside. Years before, only 40 and 80 were recognized. However, since better materials are developed through time, schedules up to 5 are now recognized. The company sells pipes having a pipe size of 1/4" to 12".
NOMINAL PIPE SIZE
ID1
ID2
OD
SCH10
SCH20
SCH 30
SCH 40
SCH 80
⅛
6
10.26
0.889
1.245
1.448
1.727
2.413
¼
8
13.72
1.245
1.651
1.854
2.235
3.023
⅜
10
17.15
1.245
1.651
1.854
2.311
3.200
½
15
21.34
1.651
2.108
2.413
2.769
3.734
¾
20
26.67
1.651
2.108
2.413
2.870
3.912
1
25
33.40
1.651
2.769
2.896
3.378
4.547
1¼
32
42.16
1.651
2.769
2.972
3.556
4.851
1½
40
48.26
1.651
2.769
3.175
3.683
5.080
2
50
60.33
1.651
2.769
3.175
3.912
5.537
2½
65
73.03
2.108
3.048
4.775
5.156
7.010
3
80
88.90
2.108
3.048
4.775
5.486
7.620
3½
90
101.60
2.108
3.048
4.775
5.740
8.077
4
100
114.30
2.108
3.048
4.775
6.020
8.560
4½
115
127.00
--
--
--
6.274
9.017
5
125
141.30
2.769
3.404
--
6.553
9.525
6
150
168.28
2.769
3.404
--
7.112
10.973
7
--
193.68
--
--
--
7.645
12.700
8
200
219.08
2.769
3.759
7.036
8.179
12.700
9
--
244.48
--
--
--
8.687
12.700
ID1=inner diameter(in) ID2=inner diameter(mm) OD=outer diameter(mm) SCH=nominal pipe size from 10 to 160 converted to milimeter in the chart
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