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A286 Round Bar is a precipitation hardening stainless steel grade built for applications where standard stainless grades lose mechanical strength. Aerospace fastener engineers specify it when service temperatures climb, and stress corrosion resistance becomes critical. It holds its properties where grades like 304 and 316 simply cannot deliver.
We carry A286 as part of our stainless steel round bar inventory at Precision Ground Bars. Our team has been supplying precision ground bar stock to aerospace component manufacturers, fastener producers, and CNC shops across the Chicago area since 1970. If A286 is on your sourcing list, we can help you get it ready to run.
Why Aerospace Shops in Chicago Specify A286 Round Bar for Fasteners
Standard stainless grades work well for general corrosion resistance, but aerospace fastener applications demand more. Fasteners near turbine structures, exhaust paths, or hot section assemblies need a material that holds tensile and yield strength under sustained load at temperature. A286 is built for that condition, which is why aerospace procurement teams keep it on their approved materials lists.
The high-strength stainless alloys must deliver: tensile strength, yield strength, ultimate tensile ductility, corrosion resistance comparable to 304, and excellent stress corrosion cracking resistance. A286 satisfies all of those requirements. That combination puts it in a category that very few stainless grades can match for high-temperature fastener programs.
How A286 Compares to 17-4 PH and 15-5 PH
We stock 17-4 PH, 15-5 PH, and A286 in our stainless inventory. All three are precipitation hardening grades that develop full strength through heat treatment. All three appear in aerospace fastener and structural applications regularly. Choosing between them depends on the thermal and stress conditions your fastener will face in actual service.
For airframe structural fasteners in moderate thermal environments, 17-4 PH and 15-5 PH are solid candidates. For fasteners placed near heat sources where those grades may not be the right fit, A286 is worth evaluating. We recommend speaking with our team about your specific application so Precision Ground Bars can help you match the right grade to your requirements.
A286 Bar Stock and the Age-Hardening Advantage for CNC Shops
A286 is machined in its solution-treated condition, before the precipitation hardening cycle is applied. That means your CNC turning or Swiss screw machine cuts the material when it is more workable, reducing tool wear on long production runs. After machining, the parts go through aging to reach full strength. That sequence is a practical advantage for high-volume fastener programs.
Shops running Swiss machines and automatic screw machines across the Chicago area benefit from this because tool life on tough stainless grades is always a production cost factor. Starting with A286 in the correct pre-aged condition, and receiving it as precision ground bar that feeds consistently, keeps that cost under control. We supply bar stock ready for your machine, not bar that needs rework before it runs.
Precision Grinding Services We Apply to A286 Bar Stock
Our centerless grinding service brings A286 bar to tight diameter tolerance and precision roundness. A bar that arrives inconsistent in diameter causes your machine to produce inconsistent parts. Precision-ground bar eliminates that variable before the bar ever reaches your feeder. Precision Ground Bars has applied this same standard to bar stock for screw machine shops and aerospace suppliers since 1970.
Beyond grinding, we offer bar stock cutting to your specified lengths, bar chamfering for clean automatic feeder indexing, bar straightening to remove residual stress, and custom packaging to protect surface condition during shipping. If your A286 fastener program needs all of those services combined into one order, we handle that as a complete package.
Industries We Serve with A286 and High-Strength Stainless Bar
Aerospace fastener manufacturers are our most common A286 buyers, but they are not our only ones. We supply hardware and fastener manufacturers, fabricated metal manufacturers, fluid power pump and motor manufacturers, and hydraulic cylinder manufacturers across the Midwest. A286 fits any application where the same combination of corrosion resistance and elevated temperature strength is required.
Our full stainless inventory gives procurement teams options across 15 grades, from 303 and 316 through 13-8 PH, 15-5 PH, 17-4 PH, Nitronic 60, Duplex, and A286. If your program requires more than one grade, we can supply multiple grades from the same source and process them all to your specifications.
Get A286 Round Bar Ready for Your Fastener Program
Tell us your diameter, length, quantity, and any finish or straightness requirements. Our team will come back with specifics, not general estimates. We supply A286 as precision ground bar stock, cut to length, chamfered, straightened, and packaged to your spec.
Call us at (800) 818-0822 or visit precisiongroundbars.com to submit a quote. We are available Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A286 round bar used for in aerospace applications?
A286 is specified for high-temperature fasteners, springs, and structural components that need to hold strength and resist stress corrosion cracking under demanding service conditions.
How is A286 different from 17-4 PH for fastener use?
Both are precipitation hardening grades. The best choice depends on your application environment. Contact our team to match the right grade to your requirements.
Can you supply A286 precision ground and cut to length?
Yes. Precision Ground Bars offers centerless grinding, bar stock cutting, bar chamfering, bar straightening, and custom packaging. All services can be combined into one order.
What other high-strength stainless grades do you carry?
We stock 13-8 PH, 15-5 PH, 17-4 PH, Nitronic 60, Duplex, A286, and nine additional stainless grades, including 303, 304, 316, 410, and 416.
