Direct answer: Balford supplies deep drawn stainless steel parts - sensor housings, cups, shells, sleeves and covers - in 304, 304 DDQ, 316L, 430 and 310S. Stainless is specified when a drawn part has to resist corrosion without a plating step, and the grade choice usually decides whether the part can be drawn in one operation or needs an intermediate anneal.
Why stainless changes the drawing schedule
Stainless work-hardens faster than drawing steel. A grade that draws cleanly in one pass as DC04 may need two draws, or a draw plus an anneal, once the same geometry is made in 304. That is decided at the tooling stage, not adjusted on the press: the number of draws, the anneal position and the die radii are all set before the tool is cut.
- 304 / 304 DDQ - the workhorse for sensor housings and general drawn shells; DDQ is chosen when the draw is severe
- 316L - added molybdenum for chloride-bearing or more aggressive environments
- 430 - ferritic and magnetic, used where a magnetic circuit matters and corrosion demand is moderate
- 310S - high-temperature service such as exhaust-side sensor components
The trade-offs between grades are set out in 304 vs 316L sensor housings and stainless steel grades for deep drawing.
Part families
- Oxygen, NOx, ABS and EGT sensor housings
- Drawn cups, shells and cans
- Valve sleeves and thin-walled bodies
- Motor housings and end caps
- Corrosion-resistant drawn enclosures
Seamless construction is often the reason buyers move from welded assemblies to a drawn part - the seam disappears and there is nothing to seal. That trade-off is covered in drawn enclosures.
Finishes and outsourcing
Parts can be supplied passivated or electropolished. Batch heat treatment, passivation, electropolishing and plating are carried out by qualified partners under our specification and inspection - they are not run in-house, and we state that rather than imply otherwise. The finish selection logic is in passivation, electropolishing and plating.
Process limits
Press capacity 25 t to 350 t, deep drawing up to 250 mm diameter, tooling designed and built in-house. The quality system is certified to ISO 9001:2015, with process controls aligned to the IATF 16949 requirements our automotive customers specify. Where the drawing calls for a tight tolerance on a critical machined feature, it is confirmed against the drawing rather than quoted as a plant-wide figure.
How to get a quotation
Send the drawing or 3D model with grade, thickness, annual volume, tolerance class and any finish requirement. The RFQ checklist lists what shortens the quotation loop, or use the contact form.