Though O’Neal Steel has been selling precision ground bar for several months, we want to do a refresher on some of the technical basics of this great product. Did you know there are some key differences between precision ground bar and our traditional cold finish, alloy, and stainless steel round bar?
In fact, there are three key features of precision ground bar that make it such a special product:
- Improved straightness
- Improved roundness
- Consistent diameter tolerance
You can see that as we make our way way from a hot roll bar, to cold finish, to a precision ground bar, the critical features of straightness, roundness, and consistent diameter tolerance each improve along the way.
At O’Neal Steel, we also offer three different finishes.
- Turned, Ground, and Polished (TG&P): This type of finish is commonly used in applications where the material cannot exceed a specific diameter to function properly or where a step above a typical cold finished is required. We offer 1045, 4140, T316L. The standard tolerance is spread entirely to the negative side, meaning the diameter will not exceed the nominal size, but it could equal it.
- Ground and Polished (G&P): This type of finish is very similar to turned, ground, and polished, but the process to get there is slightly different. This finish is commonly found on smaller diameter stainless steel bars- 1″ diameter and under. We offer T303 and 17-4.
- Bearing Shaft Quality (BSQ): This finish is intended for use with bearing fit applications. It is produced to tighter roundness tolerances and vastly improved straightness when compared to standard cold finished bars. We offer 1045, 4140, and T303.
Curious about tolerances? We have you covered! Download this helpful tolerance chart to remember this information in a convenient way.
Download - PGB Tolerance Chart