In this guide 6 sections
Stainless jobs need stricter records than mild steel. Track heat numbers, dedicated tools, contamination control, weld procedure, passivation and final finish. Flag stainless on the job card at the first step, so a cutter, grinder or welder does not treat it like mild steel and leave iron in the surface.
The risk is different, so the record is different
Mild steel forgives a lot. A scratch, a spark or a stray grinding wheel rarely matters once the part is painted or galvanised. Stainless does not forgive. Iron particles embedded in the surface rust and spoil the finish the customer paid for.
So the stainless record is built around keeping the material clean and proving it. Every step that touches the metal needs a note.
A job card that looks identical for both materials hides this. Make the difference visible at the top.
Heat numbers matter more on stainless
Both materials come with a heat number and a mill certificate. Stainless customers ask for them far more often, especially in food, pharma and chemical work.
Log the grade, such as 304 or 316, the heat number and the certificate reference against the sheet or tube. When parts are cut, carry that heat number to the cut parts and then to the assembly.
Mixing grades is the classic error. A 304 offcut used on a 316 job passes the eye test and fails the audit.
- Grade and heat number
- Mill certificate reference
- Sheet or tube lot received
- Heat number on each cut part
Dedicated tooling and contamination control
Stainless needs its own tools. Dedicated grinding discs, wire brushes, clamps and a separate cutting table keep carbon steel dust off the surface. Mark them, colour code them and log who used them.
Storage counts too. Stainless sheet should not rest on carbon steel racks, and lifting chains should be sleeved. Add the storage bay and the handling equipment used.
A simple tick box on the job card, such as dedicated tools issued, gives the quality manager a trail if a customer complains about rust spots.
- Dedicated discs and brushes issued
- Separate cutting or bending station
- Sleeved lifting gear used
- Storage bay free of carbon steel
Weld, pickle and passivation records
Welding stainless leaves heat tint and oxide. Note the welding process, the filler wire, the shielding and back purge gas, and the welder who signed the work. Many customers expect a weld map showing which welder did which joint.
After welding comes pickling and passivation. Write down the date, the chemical used, the bath or paste, the dwell time and the rinse. Passivation is cheap to do and expensive to dispute, so the record is the proof.
Mild steel jobs usually end at weld clean-up, primer or paint. Coating system and thickness checks take their place.
Make the job card flag the material
Print the material on every traveller in plain large text. Add a coloured band or stamp for stainless and a line listing the extra steps. Operators then see the rule before they pick up a tool.
Block certain routes. A stainless job should not be released to a station without dedicated tooling. Software can enforce that, but a paper card can still carry the warning.
Take your last stainless job and check which of the above you could prove today. Fix the gaps first.
Stainless job flag card
A one-page card clipped to every stainless job. The header shows grade, heat number and certificate reference. Below sit tick boxes for dedicated tools, clean storage, weld procedure, back purge, pickling, passivation and final inspection. Each box has a column for date and initials, and a note space for any surface damage found.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Do mild steel jobs need heat numbers too?
Often yes, especially for structural work. The difference is that stainless customers in food, pharma and chemical plants ask for the trail more often and check it more closely.
Why can’t I use the same grinder on both?
A grinder used on carbon steel carries iron dust into the stainless surface. Those particles rust later and cause the spotting customers reject. Keep separate, marked tools.
What is passivation and should it be recorded?
Passivation is a chemical treatment that restores the protective layer on stainless after fabrication. Record the chemical, dwell time and date, because customers may ask for proof.
How can a job card stop stainless being handled like mild steel?
Show the material in large text, add a visible band, list the extra steps and require a tick on dedicated tools before release. Software can also block the route.