Many of us are quite familiar with the benefits that are provided by modern aircraft design. These marvels are highly reliable, extremely safe and the make use of materials that would have only been dreamed of but a few, short years ago. Indeed, much of this information can be quite technical and detailed in nature, but it still is a good idea to have a quick look at some of the most common engineered products that allow modern aerospace designs to be so robust and efficient. One such item that has seen wide use in this industry is known as a 321 stainless steel tube. So, let us have a quick look at what this tube is used for and some of its main benefits.
A Unique Purpose
While the name “stainless steel” is certainly familiar, it is actually a bit of a misnomer when referring to this product. Actually, a stainless steel 321 tube is constructed of a mixture of titanium and steel. This allows it to be extremely resistant to many of the harsh conditions that are often times found in the aerospace industry. It stands up well against heat, corrosion, deformation and has an excellent static load capacity. This makes this type of tubing ideal for such uses as:
- Exhaust manifolds
- Collector rings
- Exhaust stacks
- Wing stabilizers that require a high degree of flexibility.
- Cabin heaters
- Pressure vessels
- Expansion Joints
A Jack of All Trades
Due to the rather ubiquitous nature of 321 stainless steel tubes throughout modern aircraft, it should come as no surprise that it is manufactured in varying degrees of thickness, lengths and alloys.
Other Uses
Still, it should be noted that the benefits of this tubing are also used in a variety of other industries. A handful of examples can include boiler casings, firewalls (for a structure), pressure vessels and fasteners that are located in harsh environments.
For these applications, the specifications and the alloy types will naturally be a bit different than those that are designed to be utilized aboard a modern aircraft. Nonetheless, this unique type of tubing enjoys a growing popularity in many industries. Thankfully, there are a number of online suppliers that will offer this item and the variety of dimensions and builds are just as varied as the uses for this tubing itself. Also, prices online are often times much more amenable than those encountered through a local supplier.
