FAQ

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We typically quote full lengths depending on the length of material requested. We may offer drops that are closer to the requested length(s). However, we can offer cutting services on request.

Shear-cutting is a mechanical process that cuts the material by tearing. This process may cause material to twist, bow or warp. Our shear cutting tolerance is +/-0.125”.

We do not currently offer any miter or angle cutting services.

Yes, we offer both precision and production cutting for a nominal fee, as well as no-charge rough cuts for shipping purposes only. Precision cutting offers a tighter cut tolerance than production cutting. Actual tolerances and pricing for precision or production cutting vary by cut length and material; this information is available on request. Limitations to cut-to-size material are as follows:

• No cut pieces shorter than 6” in length
• No precision cuts on material less than 10mm diameter or thickness, or on tubes with less than 1.5mm wall thickness
• No precision cuts on threaded rod
• No multiple precision cuts on induction-hardened material
• No multiple precision cutting on sheet/plate material

We can only shear cut straight along either the length or width of the plate/sheet to get the closest size to your request. We do not currently offer precision or laser cutting services on plate/sheet material.

Basic oxygen is the primary steel-making process in which pure oxygen is blown into a bath of molten blast-furnace iron and scrap.

Fully killed describes the final stage where additional deoxidizing elements like silicon or aluminum are added to the molten steel, effectively removing almost all oxygen to prevent gas bubbles during solidification, resulting in a very clean, homogenous steel product.

Per the EN 10025-2 standard, “S” indicates structural steel, while the “235JR” and “355J2” indicate the following:

• 235JR: 235 indicates the minimum yield strength typically noted as N/mm2 (235 N/mm2 Min Yield) and the JR indicates the Longitudinal Charpy V-notch impacts 27 joules + 20 degrees C.
• 355J2: 355 indicates the minimum yield strength typically noted as N/mm2 (355 N/mm2 Min Yield) and the J2 indicates the Longitudinal Charpy V-notch impacts 27 joules - 20 degrees C.

See a breakdown below:

• 1018: mild steel, easy to machine, used for general parts
• 1045: higher carbon, stronger, heat-treatable, used for shafting and wear parts
• S235: standard structural grade for general fabrication
• S355: higher-strength structural grade for load-bearing applications

Structural tubes manufactured per standard EN 10219-1, grade S355J2H, have similar mechanical characteristics as ASTM A500 Grade C. S355J2H has a minimum yield of 355MPa, and Tensile between 510-680MPa.

The finish on our TGP round bar is 32 RMS or better.

A chart with pressure rating for carbon hydraulic tubing is located in our Reference Guide, on page 53.

Hydraulic tubing per EN 10305-4, which we offer in grade E235+N.

Yes, this copper is suitable to use for potable water applications; copper coil tube allows the tube to be used as a water line where bending and flaring are needed.

The chrome plating itself typically reads at Rockwell C66-69, or approximately 0.1/HV850–1000 on the Vickers scale.

OD tolerances are below; please let us know if you have specific tolerance requirements at the time of quoting:

• Up to 35mm: +0.0”,-.0005”
• 35mm to 63mm: +0.0”,-.00075”
• Over 63mm: +0.0”,-.001”

From our Reference Guide:

• Greater than 16-20mm diameter: 1.0mm+/-0.5mm
• Greater than 20-40mm diameter: 1.5mm+/-0.5mm
• Greater than 40-80mm diameter: 2.0mm+/-0.5mm
• Greater than 80-140mm diameter: 2.5mm+/-0.5mm

No, we do not offer Acme threaded rod.

No, our round tubes are cold-drawn and seamless, but are not DOM.

No. It is turned & ground but not polished. Diameter tolerance is dependent on size and available upon request.

Standard finishes include:

• 2B – Smoother than 2D finish, achieved by a final light rolling using highly-polished rolls that will give a smooth reflective, grey-sheen appearance. This is a cold rolled, heat treated, pickled and skin passed process, typically applied to material 3mm thick and under. 2B finish is commonly used for general fabrication.
• 1D – Hot rolled and annealed (pickled) with mill scale removed. This surface, found on thicker plates, will be slightly coarse with very low reflectivity. 1D finish is commonly used in non-decorative applications where visual appearance is less relevant.

European structural steel is offered in 6 meter (236”) lengths. However, we can cut to length in most cases, and we may be able to offer longer lengths on request.

We order and sell tube by the outer dimension (OD) and wall thickness, or for square and rectangular tube, by the outer height, width, and wall thickness of the tube, from largest dimension to smallest.

This stands for quenched & tempered.

Tolerances are much tighter on flat and square keystock material, whereas standard flat and square bar is produced to general mill tolerances, allowing slight dimensional variation. Specific tolerances for either are dependent on size and available upon request.

Round tube is specified by outside diameter (OD) and wall thickness, used for precision or structural applications. Our round tubes are offered per EN 10305-1 (precision tubes); we offer low-carbon E235+C for seamless mechanical tubes and E355 for honed cylinder tubes. Round pipe is specified by nominal bore size for flow and pressure systems. Parker Steel does not offer any pipe.

Hot rolled bar has a mill scale surface and looser tolerances. Parker Steel does not carry hot rolled bar. Cold drawn bar has tighter tolerances, improved straightness, and a smoother surface. Cold drawn is preferred for precision machining applications.

We offer shim stock material in rolls measuring 150mm wide. However, we do not typically offer sheet material thin enough to be considered true “shim stock.”

We do, but we only offer it as chrome-plated round bar.

No, we do not.

This material has a mill finish.

This material is bright annealed with a mill finish – not polished.

Since our I-beam material is sourced from overseas, we offer European grades IPE, IPN, IPB, and IPBV, as well as Japanese I-beams IWFJ and IIJ.

You will need to know the height, width, and leg or web thickness. You can also check out our Reference Guide, starting with page 20, for most available I-beam sizing.

We offer angle with sharp corners in cold rolled material. All hot rolled angle has tapered legs and rounded corners.

We offer UPN (tapered flange), UPE (parallel/straight flange with uniform flange thickness), and JIS (Japanese channel).

UPE has parallel legs while UPN has tapered legs.

Our channel callouts are shown as depth x flange width x flange thickness x web thickness. For example, UPN 80mm x 45mm x 8mm x 6mm.

No, we do not offer galvanized tube. However, we do offer zinc-coated hydraulic round tube in select sizes.

Sheet sizes vary and are dependent on the material and supplier. As a general rule, thinner sheets are usually 39” x 78”, while thicker plates are typically 59” x 118”. Dimensions for specific sheet thicknesses are available upon request.

Typical stock lengths are below; please contact us if you need shorter or longer lengths:

• Round bar: 12’ random length, +/-6”
• Square, flat, and hex bar: 3 meter (118”) to 12’ random length, +/-6”
• Tube and structural material: 6 meter (236”)
• I-beam can arrive anywhere between 17’ to 23’ in length

Carbon and stainless steel rectangular tubing is cold-formed, which results in radius or rounded corners. Aluminum rectangular tubing is extruded, which produces sharper, more defined corners.

Carbon and stainless steel rectangular tubing is Electric Resistance Welded (ERW), so an internal weld seam in present, though flash-controlled to meet tolerance requirements. Aluminum rectangular tubing is extruded, so it does not have a weld seam.

Grade selection depends on application tolerance, corrosion exposure, and machining requirements; see further notes below:

• 303: free-machining grade for high-speed CNC turning
• 304/304L: general corrosion resistance
• 316/316L: improved resistance to chlorides and harsh environments
• 416: free-machining grade with sulfur or selenium added for high-speed machining on automatic screw machines. This grade can be hardened to 42-45 Rc by conventional heat treatments
• 420: hardenable grade with lower corrosion resistance than other SS grades in the 400 series. Common applications include cutlery, surgical instruments, scissors, hand tools
• 430: non-hardenable grade with good machinability at a slight loss of ductility. Good corrosion resistance, good heat resistance, good resistance to concentrated nitric acid as well as food acids and juices. It also has good resistance to most atmospheric environments
• 440C: hardenable grade and one of the 400 series grades capable of achieving the highest hardness of all stainless steels. Similar to tool steel in hardness and abrasion resistance. Corrosion resistance is good in the fully-hardened condition
• 17-4PH: precipitation-hardened grade capable of attaining high physical strength and hardness while maintaining a very good corrosion resistance. Good machinability and ductility in the annealed condition

Yes, we are ISO 9001 certified. A copy of our certification can be found on our website under the About Us section, or one of our Sales Associates can email you a current copy.

Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) material is a common request. Alloys such as stainless steel and aluminum material may be DFARS compliant. If you need DFARS-compliant material, please let us know at the time of quoting so we can verify the material certifications for our available supply. A list of DFARS approved countries can be found here.

Certs are available for all orders at no additional charge to you. Please let us know at the time of quoting or ordering if certs are required and we will email them or include them with the shipment.

Yes, we can provide sample certs on request.

Yes, we maintain the most current Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT). Based on information provided by our suppliers, we have determined that while some of our products may contain 3TG minerals (primarily O1 tool steel, which contains tungsten), they are sourced from conflict-free smelters listed in the CMRT. Any additional questions can be directed to our Compliance Department.

As part of our commitment to environmental responsibility, continuous improvement, and responsible sourcing, we are actively working to reduce our carbon footprint across all areas of our operations. We have integrated carbon footprint monitoring and reduction initiatives into our Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure measurable progress toward sustainability goals. The steel industry plays a critical role in these efforts, and we value partnerships with suppliers who share our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

Material costs depend on grade, thickness, volume, dimensions, etc. The costs for domestic material will vary compared to imported material.

Yes, we do offer price breaks based on material weight.

Due to market conditions and volatility, we cannot accept blanket purchase orders, as material costs often change from supply constraints and tariffs.

We offer a variety of payment options, including ACH, check by mail, and credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. You can also establish credit terms with us; please contact our Accounting Department for more information on setting up payment terms.

If material is in stock, we can ship same day or the following business day. Daily cutoff times vary by shipment method (LTL and ground); please contact Sales for current shipping cutoff times.

Yes, we can drop ship orders directly to your customer. Let us know at the time of ordering if your order needs to ship blind.

Our warehouse’s hours are 8am – 6:30pm Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Hours are subject to change for holidays or staffing issues.

We do not offer export services, although we can package your order in a suitable manner for export at your request. Additional packaging fees apply. Our sales terms are EXW, Loaded, Toledo Ohio 43605, Incoterms 2020®. Title transfers with delivery to first carrier.

We can ship material via UPS or FedEx parcel up to 96” long without incurring additional excessive length handling charges. Cutting long material at 94” or less will avoid these excessive length fees; material longer than that will be offered to ship via LTL unless you approve the additional fees.

While we do not guarantee freight transit times, we can always provide tracking information and carrier-provided estimated delivery dates on request.