Round Bar & Rod
The workhorse section for turned parts, shafts, pins and forging stock. Ordered by diameter.
Ø3 – 500 mm
Overview
Bar Stock for Machining, Gears & Tooling
Bars are the starting material for almost everything that is turned, milled, forged or hardened – shafts, gears, spindles, pins, fasteners, dies, moulds and bearing components. What matters to a machine shop is not only the grade but the supply condition: how straight it is, how close the diameter is held, and whether it is annealed, hardened and tempered, or pre-hardened ready to cut.
We stock black and bright bars in engineering, tool and stainless grades and cut them to your lengths – from a single piece for a repair to regular supply for production.
- Black, bright, peeled & ground
- Annealed, H&T or pre-hardened
- Bandsaw cut to length
- EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificates
Quick Facts
- Shapes
- Round, square, hex, flat, forged blocks, wire
- Round bar
- Ø3 – 500 mm (forged to 800 mm on request)
- Hex & square
- Hex 6 – 75 mm A/F · Square 6 – 200 mm
- Flats
- 10 × 3 mm up to 300 × 100 mm
- Wire
- 0.1 – 12 mm, coils and straight lengths
- Tolerance
- h9 / h11 bright, h6 – h9 ground (ISO 286)
Shapes
Sections We Stock
Each drawing shows the cross-section and the dimension used when ordering.
Square Bar
For machine bases, keys, tool holders and fabricated frames. Ordered by side dimension.
6 – 200 mmHex Bar
Ready-made hexagon for nuts, fittings, valve bodies and turned parts. Ordered across flats.
6 – 75 mm A/FFlat Bar / Patti
Flats and strips for brackets, spacers, tool blanks and general fabrication.
10 × 3 – 300 × 100 mmForged Blocks & Rings
Die blocks, mould blocks and forged rings in tool steel and alloy steel, cut to your block sizes.
Made to sizeWire & Wire Rod
Drawn wire in coils or straightened lengths for springs, fasteners, mesh, binding and welding applications.
0.1 – 12 mm
Finish & Condition
Black, Bright, Peeled or Ground
Surface finish sets the tolerance you can hold – and how much stock you must machine off.
Black / Hot Rolled
As rolled, with mill scale and a decarburised surface layer. The most economical option where the part will be fully machined or forged.
- Tolerance wide – as per EN 10060 / IS 1732
- Allow for scale removal and decarb in your machining allowance
Bright / Cold Drawn
Drawn through a die at room temperature for a clean, bright surface, closer size and higher surface strength – ideal for automatic machines.
- Tolerance typically h9 – h11 (ISO 286)
- Best for turned parts, fasteners, shafts, bushes
Peeled & Turned
The scaled and decarburised skin is removed by peeling or turning – used for larger diameters where drawing is impractical.
- Tolerance typically h10 – h11
- Best for large shafts, forging and heat-treated stock
Centreless Ground
Ground to close tolerance with a fine, straight surface, ready to use with minimal machining.
- Tolerance typically h6 – h9
- Best for shafts, pins, hydraulic rods, precision parts
Supply Condition
Tell us the condition you need – it decides both the machinability and the properties you get.
| Condition | What it means | Typical grades |
|---|---|---|
| Annealed | Softened for easy machining; hardened by you afterwards | D2, H13, OHNS, EN31, 52100 |
| Normalised | Refined, uniform structure after hot rolling | EN8, C45, EN3B |
| Hardened & tempered (H&T) | Supplied at a specified strength range, ready to machine and use | EN19, EN24, 4140, 4340 (T / U / V condition) |
| Pre-hardened | Delivered at working hardness – no further heat treatment needed | P20 (28 – 34 HRC), DB6 modified |
| Solution annealed | Stainless and duplex softened and quenched for corrosion resistance | 304, 316, 2205, nickel alloys |
| Case-hardening stock | Supplied soft for carburising after machining | 16MnCr5, 20MnCr5, EN353, 8620, EN36 |
Materials & Grades
Grades We Supply in Bar & Wire
The widest part of our range – tool steels, engineering steels, stainless and exotic alloys, all with mill test certificates.
| Material Family | Grades | Standards | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless Steel | 303, 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 410, 420, 430, 431 | ASTM A276, A479, A582, EN 10088-3 | Shafts, fasteners, food & chemical equipment |
| Duplex & Super Duplex | 2205 (S31803 / S32205), 2507 (S32750) | ASTM A479, A276 | Pump shafts, seawater and chemical service |
| Nickel Alloys | Inconel 600 / 625, Monel 400 / K-500, Hastelloy C-276 | ASTM B166, B446, B164, B574 | Severe corrosion, high temperature, oil-tool parts |
| Tool & Die Steels | D2, D3 (HCHCr), H11, H13, P20, OHNS (O1), DB6, silver steel | ASTM A681, DIN EN ISO 4957, BS 1407 | Press tools, dies, moulds, punches, gauges |
| Through-Hardening Alloy Steel | EN19 / 4140, EN24 / 4340, 4130, EN16, EN18, EN42J, EN47, chrome steel | BS 970, EN 10083, AISI / SAE | Shafts, gears, spindles, high-tensile bolts, springs |
| Case-Hardening Steel | 16MnCr5, 20MnCr5, EN353, 8620, EN36 | EN 10084, BS 970, SAE | Gears, pinions, camshafts, king pins |
| Bearing & Nitriding Steel | EN31 / 52100, EN41B | BS 970, EN 10085 | Bearing races, rollers, gauges, nitrided spindles |
| Carbon & Free-Cutting Steel | EN1A leaded, EN3B, EN8, C45 | BS 970, EN 10083, EN 10277 | High-speed turned parts, bushes, pins, general work |
| Titanium & Non-Ferrous | Ti Grade 2 / 5, zirconium, copper C11000, brass C36000, naval brass, aluminium 6061-T6 / 6082-T6 (HE30) / 7075, lead | ASTM B348, B16, B21, B211 / B221 | Lightweight parts, electrical, marine, machined fittings |
| Bronzes & Bearing Alloys | Aluminium bronze AB2, gunmetal LG2, cupro-nickel 90/10 & 70/30, beryllium copper, nichrome, white metal, bell metal | BS 1400 / EN 1982, ASTM B150, B196, B23 | Bushes, bearings, pump and valve parts, springs, heating elements |
| Engineering Plastics | Nylon (PA6), Teflon (PTFE), PP | Extruded & cast rod | Bushes, rollers, wear pads, insulation parts |
Sizes & Weight
Size Range, Tolerance & Weight
Standard stock sizes, with cut lengths from a single piece.
Size Range
- Round bar
- Ø3 – 500 mm (forged up to 800 mm on request)
- Hex bar
- 6 – 75 mm across flats
- Square bar
- 6 – 200 mm
- Flat bar
- 10 × 3 mm to 300 × 100 mm
- Wire
- 0.1 – 12 mm in coil or straight length
Tolerance & Length
- Bright drawn
- h9 / h11 (ISO 286)
- Peeled / turned
- h10 / h11
- Centreless ground
- h6 – h9
- Hot rolled
- EN 10060 / IS 1732 mill tolerances
- Length
- 3 – 6 m standard, or cut to size
Straightness, chamfering and end-facing can be specified with your order.
Round Bar Weight kg per metre
| Dia | Carbon / Alloy Steel | Stainless 304 | Dia | Carbon / Alloy Steel | Stainless 304 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 mm | 0.222 | 0.224 | 40 mm | 9.87 | 9.97 |
| 8 mm | 0.395 | 0.399 | 50 mm | 15.41 | 15.57 |
| 10 mm | 0.617 | 0.623 | 60 mm | 22.20 | 22.42 |
| 12 mm | 0.888 | 0.897 | 75 mm | 34.68 | 35.03 |
| 16 mm | 1.58 | 1.59 | 100 mm | 61.65 | 62.28 |
| 20 mm | 2.47 | 2.49 | 125 mm | 96.33 | 97.32 |
| 25 mm | 3.85 | 3.89 | 150 mm | 138.72 | 140.13 |
| 30 mm | 5.55 | 5.61 | 200 mm | 246.62 | 249.11 |
kg/m = 0.7854 × D² × density ÷ 1000. For hex, square, flat and other materials use the weight calculator.
Standards
Specifications We Supply To
Material specification, dimensional standard and tolerance class – all stated on the order.
Manufacturing
From Billet to Bright Bar
Each stage decides the surface, the tolerance and the properties you receive.
-
01
Melting & Casting
Steel is melted and refined – with ESR or VAR remelting for premium tool and die steels – then cast into billets. Each melt carries a heat number.
-
02
Hot Rolling or Forging
Billets are rolled into round, square, hex and flat sections, or forged for large diameters and blocks – giving a worked structure with continuous grain flow.
-
03
Heat Treatment
Annealing, normalising, hardening and tempering, or solution annealing – developing the hardness, strength and machinability the grade and condition require.
-
04
Drawing, Peeling & Grinding
Bars are cold drawn, peeled or centreless ground to remove the scaled and decarburised skin and to hold the ordered tolerance class.
-
05
Straightening & Inspection
Straightening, then dimensional, hardness and surface inspection – with ultrasonic testing on forged bars where specified.
-
06
Cutting, Marking & Packing
Bars are cut to your lengths, marked or tagged with grade and heat number, and bundled or crated for dispatch.
Testing & Inspection
Verified Before Dispatch
Tests on the mill certificate, plus additional testing arranged on request.
Chemical Analysis
Full composition of the heat by spectrometry, reported on the mill test certificate.
- ASTM E415
- ASTM E1086
Hardness
Brinell, Rockwell or Vickers – essential for tool steels, pre-hardened stock and heat-treated bar.
- ASTM E10
- ASTM E18
Mechanical Testing
Tensile, yield, elongation and reduction of area – confirming the hardened and tempered condition.
- ASTM A370
- ASTM E8
Ultrasonic Testing
Internal soundness of forged and large-diameter bars, to the acceptance class your specification sets.
- ASTM A388
- SEP 1921
Microstructure
Grain size, inclusion rating, decarburisation depth and annealed structure for tool and bearing steels.
- ASTM E112
- ASTM E45
Hardenability
Jominy end-quench test for case-hardening and through-hardening grades where the "H" band is specified.
- ASTM A255
Corrosion Testing
Intergranular corrosion for stainless bar; ferrite and intermetallic checks for duplex.
- ASTM A262
- ASTM A923
PMI & Certification
Positive material identification and mill test certificates as per EN 10204 3.1 (3.2 on request).
- XRF / OES
- EN 10204
Cutting & Processing
Supplied Ready to Machine
Buy the length you need, not the full bar – less offcut, less handling, less machine time.
Bandsaw Cutting
Square-cut pieces to your length list, from single pieces upwards
Peeling & Turning
Scale and decarb removed for a clean, sized surface
Centreless Grinding
Close-tolerance ground bar, ready to use
Heat Treatment
Annealing, hardening & tempering arranged to your requirement
Straightening
Bars straightened for automatic machine feeding
Chamfer & Facing
End chamfering and facing on request
Block Cutting
Die and mould blocks sawn to your L × W × T sizes
Testing & PMI
Hardness checks and material verification before dispatch
Processing is carried out in-house or through our processing partners, depending on size and volume. Send your cutting list for a quotation.
Applications
Where These Bars Are Used
From gear shops and tool rooms to fastener plants and oil-tool machining.
Gears & Transmission
20MnCr5, EN353, 8620 and EN24 for gears, pinions and shafts
Tool Rooms & Die Shops
D2, H13, P20 and OHNS for press tools, dies and moulds
Fasteners & Turned Parts
EN1A leaded, 303 and brass for high-speed machining
Bearings & Rollers
EN31 / 52100 for races, rollers and gauges
Oil & Gas Tooling
4140, 4340, duplex and nickel alloys for downhole and valve parts
Food, Dairy & Pharma
304 and 316L shafts, spindles and hygienic machine parts
General Engineering
EN8, C45 and mild steel for shafts, pins, keys and brackets
Wear & Insulation Parts
Nylon, PTFE and PP rod for bushes, rollers and insulators
How to Order
What to Specify in Your Enquiry
Send these details and we can quote accurately – usually the same working day.
- 1Gradee.g. EN24, D2, SS 316L, 20MnCr5
- 2Shape & sizeRound Ø, hex A/F, square side, or flat width × thickness
- 3FinishBlack, bright drawn, peeled or centreless ground
- 4ConditionAnnealed, normalised, H&T (state strength), pre-hardened
- 5Toleranceh9, h11 or ground class, if critical
- 6Length & quantityCut lengths and pieces, or total weight
- 7CertificationEN 10204 3.1 / 3.2, hardness report, UT, PMI
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between black bar and bright bar?
Black bar is as hot rolled – it has mill scale, a decarburised surface layer and wide dimensional tolerances, so it is cheaper but needs machining all over. Bright bar is cold drawn, peeled or ground after rolling: clean surface, closer tolerance (typically h9–h11) and straighter, so less material and machine time is wasted.
What does "h9" or "h11" mean?
They are ISO 286 tolerance classes. The "h" means the tolerance is all minus – the bar is never above nominal size. A smaller number is a tighter band: an h9 25 mm bar varies within about 0.052 mm, h11 within about 0.130 mm. Ground bar is held even closer, typically h6–h9.
Can you supply bar in the hardened and tempered condition?
Yes. EN19, EN24, 4140 and 4340 are commonly supplied hardened and tempered to a specified strength or hardness range (for example the T or U condition of BS 970). Tell us the condition or the tensile range you need and we will confirm availability.
Which grade should I use for gears?
For case-hardened gears the usual choices are 20MnCr5, 16MnCr5, EN353 or 8620 – machined soft, then carburised and hardened for a hard surface over a tough core. For through-hardened gears and shafts, EN19 / 4140 or EN24 / 4340 in the hardened and tempered condition are typical.
Do you cut bars to length?
Yes – bars are bandsaw cut to your length list, from a single piece upwards. Peeling, grinding, straightening, chamfering and block cutting can also be arranged.
How do I work out the weight of a bar?
For round bar, kg/m = 0.7854 × D² × density ÷ 1000, with D in mm. A 50 mm carbon steel bar is 0.7854 × 2500 × 7.85 ÷ 1000 = 15.41 kg/m. Our weight calculator covers round, hex, square and flat sections in any material.
Bar & Wire Enquiry
Send Us Your Cutting List
Grade, shape, size, finish, condition and lengths – we'll confirm availability, cutting, price and delivery.