How to measure stainless steel gauge?
Gauge is a widely accepted measurement of the thickness of a metallic sheet. A stainless steel gauge chart shows gauge numbers from 1 to 38, corresponding to how thick a sheet is in millimetres or inches.
Buyers can measure the gauge with Vernier callipers, measuring tape, a micrometer, or a gauge wheel. A stainless steel plate gauge chart will show the related measure in the desired units (inches and mm). It is critical to note that a higher gauge denotes a thinner sheet; the relationship is backwards.
If you have the weight of the sheet, you can calculate the gauge decimal by assessing the thickness.
Stainless steel gauge thickness in mm
| Gauge/ Ga | Thickness in mm |
|---|---|
| 0000000 | 12.700 |
| 000000 | 11.902 |
| 00000 | 11.113 |
| 0000 | 10.320 |
| 000 | 9.525 |
| 00 | 8.733 |
| 0 | 7.938 |
| 1 | 7.145 |
| 2 | 6.746 |
| 3 | 6.350 |
| 4 | 5.954 |
| 5 | 5.555 |
| 6 | 5.159 |
| 7 | 4.763 |
| 8 | 4.366 |
| 9 | 3.967 |
| 10 | 3.571 |
| 11 | 3.175 |
| 12 | 2.779 |
| 13 | 2.380 |
| 14 | 1.984 |
| 15 | 1.786 |
| 16 | 1.588 |
| 17 | 1.427 |
| 18 | 1.270 |
| 19 | 1.110 |
| 20 | 0.953 |
| 21 | 0.874 |
| 22 | 0.792 |
| 23 | 0.714 |
| 24 | 0.635 |
| 25 | 0.556 |
| 26 | 0.475 |
| 27 | 0.437 |
| 28 | 0.396 |
| 29 | 0.358 |
| 30 | 0.318 |
| 31 | 0.277 |
| 32 | 0.259 |
| 33 | 0.239 |
| 34 | 0.218 |
| 35 | 0.198 |
| 36 | 0.178 |
| 37 | 0.168 |
| 38 | 0.157 |
| Gauge/ Ga | Thickness in inch |
|---|---|
| 0000000 | 0.5000 |
| 000000 | 0.4686 |
| 00000 | 0.4375 |
| 0000 | 0.4063 |
| 000 | 0.3750 |
| 00 | 0.3438 |
| 0 | 0.3125 |
| 1 | 0.2813 |
| 2 | 0.2656 |
| 3 | 0.2500 |
| 4 | 0.2344 |
| 5 | 0.2187 |
| 6 | 0.2031 |
| 7 | 0.1875 |
| 8 | 0.1719 |
| 9 | 0.1562 |
| 10 | 0.1406 |
| 11 | 0.1250 |
| 12 | 0.1094 |
| 13 | 0.0937 |
| 14 | 0.0781 |
| 15 | 0.0703 |
| 16 | 0.0625 |
| 17 | 0.0562 |
| 18 | 0.0500 |
| 19 | 0.0437 |
| 20 | 0.0375 |
| 21 | 0.0344 |
| 22 | 0.0312 |
| 23 | 0.0281 |
| 24 | 0.0250 |
| 25 | 0.0219 |
| 26 | 0.0187 |
| 27 | 0.0172 |
| 28 | 0.0156 |
| 29 | 0.0141 |
| 30 | 0.0125 |
| 31 | 0.0109 |
| 32 | 0.0102 |
| 33 | 0.0094 |
| 34 | 0.0086 |
| 35 | 0.0078 |
| 36 | 0.0070 |
| 37 | 0.0066 |
| 38 | 0.0062 |
Stainless steel gauge weight chart
| Weight Per Area | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gauge/ Ga | lb/ft² | kg/m² |
| 0000000 | 20.808 | 101.594 |
| 000000 | 19.501 | 95.213 |
| 00000 | 18.207 | 88.894 |
| 0000 | 16.909 | 82.555 |
| 000 | 15.606 | 76.195 |
| 00 | 14.308 | 69.856 |
| 0 | 13.005 | 63.496 |
| 1 | 11.707 | 57.157 |
| 2 | 11.053 | 53.966 |
| 3 | 10.404 | 50.797 |
| 4 | 9.755 | 47.627 |
| 5 | 9.101 | 44.437 |
| 6 | 8.452 | 41.267 |
| 7 | 7.803 | 38.098 |
| 8 | 7.154 | 34.928 |
| 9 | 6.500 | 31.738 |
| 10 | 5.851 | 28.568 |
| 11 | 5.202 | 25.398 |
| 12 | 4.553 | 22.229 |
| 13 | 3.899 | 19.039 |
| 14 | 3.250 | 15.869 |
| 15 | 2.926 | 14.284 |
| 16 | 2.601 | 12.699 |
| 17 | 2.339 | 11.419 |
| 18 | 2.081 | 10.159 |
| 19 | 1.819 | 8.879 |
| 20 | 1.561 | 7.620 |
| 21 | 1.432 | 6.990 |
| 22 | 1.298 | 6.339 |
| 23 | 1.169 | 5.710 |
| 24 | 1.040 | 5.080 |
| 25 | 0.911 | 4.450 |
| 26 | 0.778 | 3.800 |
| 27 | 0.716 | 3.495 |
| 28 | 0.649 | 3.170 |
| 29 | 0.587 | 2.865 |
| 30 | 0.520 | 2.540 |
| 31 | 0.454 | 2.215 |
| 32 | 0.424 | 2.073 |
| 33 | 0.391 | 1.910 |
| 34 | 0.358 | 1.747 |
| 35 | 0.325 | 1.585 |
| 36 | 0.291 | 1.422 |
| 37 | 0.275 | 1.341 |
| 38 | 0.258 | 1.260 |
| Gauge/ Ga | Thickness in inch | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0.1875 | ± .007 |
| 8 | 0.1719 | ± .007 |
| 10 | 0.1406 | ± .006 |
| 11 | 0.1250 | ± .005 |
| 12 | 0.1094 | ± .005 |
| 13 | 0.0937 | ± .004 |
| 14 | 0.0781 | ± .004 |
| 16 | 0.0625 | ± .003 |
| 18 | 0.0500 | ± .003 |
| 19 | 0.0437 | ± .003 |
| 20 | 0.0375 | ± .002 |
| 22 | 0.0312 | ± .002 |
| 24 | 0.0250 | ± .0015 |
| 26 | 0.0187 | ± .0015 |
| 28 | 0.0156 | ± .0015 |
ASTM A480 stainless steel gauge chart in mm
As per A480/ A480M, Cold Rolled sheet, width upto 50″
| Gauge | Nominal | minimum | maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Ga | 0.41 | 0.37 | 0.45 |
| 26 Ga | 0.45 | 0.41 | 0.49 |
| 24 Ga | 0.61 | 0.56 | 0.66 |
| 22 Ga | 0.74 | 0.69 | 0.79 |
| 20 Ga | 0.90 | 0.84 | 0.96 |
| 18 Ga | 1.22 | 1.15 | 1.30 |
| 16 Ga | 1.50 | 1.42 | 1.58 |
| 14 Ga | 1.90 | 1.80 | 2.00 |
| 13 Ga | 2.28 | 2.18 | 2.38 |
| 12 Ga | 2.67 | 2.54 | 2.80 |
| 11 Ga | 3.09 | 2.91 | 3.26 |
| 10 Ga | 3.45 | 3.27 | 3.62 |
| 8 Ga | 4.21 | 4.03 | 4.38 |
| 7 Ga | 4.69 | 4.51 | 4.86 |
ASTM A480 stainless steel gauge chart in inch
As per A480/ A480M, Cold Rolled sheet, width upto 50″
| Gauge | Nominal | minimum | maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Ga | 0.0160 | 0.0145 | 0.0175 |
| 26 Ga | 0.0180 | 0.0165 | 0.0195 |
| 24 Ga | 0.0240 | 0.0220 | 0.0260 |
| 22 Ga | 0.0291 | 0.0271 | 0.0311 |
| 20 Ga | 0.0355 | 0.0330 | 0.0380 |
| 18 Ga | 0.0482 | 0.0452 | 0.0512 |
| 16 Ga | 0.0591 | 0.0561 | 0.0621 |
| 14 Ga | 0.0749 | 0.0709 | 0.0789 |
| 13 Ga | 0.0899 | 0.0860 | 0.0939 |
| 12 Ga | 0.1051 | 0.1001 | 0.1101 |
| 11 Ga | 0.1217 | 0.1147 | 0.1287 |
| 10 Ga | 0.1357 | 0.1287 | 0.1427 |
| 8 Ga | 0.1657 | 0.1587 | 0.1727 |
| 7 Ga | 0.1847 | 0.1777 | 0.1917 |
What is heavy gauge stainless steel?
A heavy gauge sheet usually refers to products thicker than 25 gauge. It encompasses sheets whose thickness exceeds 0.020” or 0.56 mm. As we mentioned earlier, a heavier gauge will mean a lower number. In contrast, a light gauge stainless steel sheet is much thinner and has a high gauge number.
Note that the gauge system only covers thicknesses up to 0.5 inches. Gauges don’t get used for stainless steel plate gauge thickness. Components thicker than 0.5” use inches or millimetres to denote the thicknesses.
Heavy gauge stamping is popular in household and industrial applications. A 304 stainless steel gauge will let you specify the dimensions for these corrosion-resistant and robust components. However, they will require higher tonnage capacities for cutting.
Is lower gauge stainless steel better?
A lower gauge number indicates a thicker stainless steel sheet. It will also be strong, more resilient, and better suited to heavy-duty industrial applications. For instance, gauge 16 to 18 stainless steel often works in kitchen sinks. A thin gauge stainless steel sheet functions in the automotive sector for car bodies and is also used for roofing. Gauge 10 gets preferred for construction.
However, the chosen gauge will depend on the application, environmental conditions, and budget. Selecting a low-gauge sheet from a 316 stainless steel gauge chart for standard household needs might be overkill and expensive.
How can you do stainless steel sheet gauge to mm conversion?
A stainless steel sheet gauge chart will show you the corresponding thickness of the sheet in millimetres. For example, Gauge 24 stainless steel implies 0.635 mm thickness. It equals 0.0250 inches (multiplying the mm value by 0.0393701).
Following the appropriate chart for the type of steel – stainless, galvanised, etc. – is vital to find accurate measurements.
What is stainless steel sheet gauge thickness tolerance? How can you calculate it?
Manufacturers follow the stated tolerance norms when producing stainless steel sheets for fabrication, construction, food processing, and transportation. It indicates the range in which a dimension is acceptable for a particular design. Tighter tolerances signify closer adherence to quality standards and superior production practices.
The SS 304 sheet thickness chart will state the desired tolerance levels for compliance. Note that the figures may change based on the grade and material, like galvanised or sheet steel.
Let’s take an example. A Gauge-12 stainless steel sheet, which is 0.109 inches or 2.78 mm thick, must follow a tolerance of ± 0.009 inches or 0.23 mm.
The basic formula for calculating tolerance of a metallic sheet is (where t denotes the thickness):
(Measuredt – Expectedt)/Expectedt
The tolerances you will follow or specify can change by the application requirements and your budget.
Formula for stainless steel gauge to decimal conversion
The gauge number on a stainless steel thickness chart relates to the sheet’s thickness and strength. However, the actual number – like the “17” of Gauge 17 – does not relate to the measure. In this case, the figure is 0.0562 inches. So, there is no straight formula to convert the gauge into decimals.
While acquiring suitable materials for your project, you must refer to a stainless steel sheet metal gauge chart. It will show you the gauge and the thickness measurement in decimals next to each other.
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