Do stainless steel handrails cost more than mild steel?
Posted on 4th October 2023There’s a perception that stainless steel handrails are more expensive than mild steel or powder coated handrails due to aesthetic appeal and hard-wearing properties.
So, are stainless steel handrails truly more expensive than mild steel?
read moreWhat determines cost?
The cost of any product is made up of two components;
- Raw material
- Process of turning raw materials into the final product
As specialists in balustrades and handrails, Delta manufactures hundreds of metres of stainless steel balustrades each week.
Throughout the past three decades Delta’s team have worked tirelessly to ensure the process of manufacturing balustrades is as efficient as possible; and in many cases stainless steel tubular products can now be produced at the same cost of mild steel powder coated products.
So, what’s the difference in processing?
The process of cutting and drilling the material is much the same for stainless steel and mild steel, however the finishing processes have different impacts on the environment.
When mild steel is sent out for powder coating extra handling, carriage and packaging is involved before bringing the products back to the factory for final assembly and quality inspection.
Whereas stainless steel tubes are inserted into a triple head polishing machine in the factory which is semi-automatic and cuts out any additional process mentioned above for mild steel.
Concluding Remarks
Consequently, in many cases Delta are able to produce stainless steel tubular solutions for the same price as mild steel, powder coated products however procuring stainless steel is often quicker.
This comparison is based on the procurement of tubular products. Any solid or flats are different as much more raw material is required.
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