Oval-head drill screws inner square DIN 7504M-stainless A2 4.8x38mm

Stainless steel refers to alloyed or unalloyed steels that contain at least 10.5% chromium and less than 1.2% carbon. Colloquially, stainless steel is also referred to as stainless steel (NiRo), although not all stainless steel is the same as "stainless".

The term plain indicates a completely untreated, merely oiled, smooth surface for all DIN and ISO screws such as wood screws, hexagon head screws, threaded rods, nuts and many types of washers.

The internal square enables a good frictional connection and the screwdriver slips out of the screw head less easily than is the case with screws with a slot. The system was therefore more suitable for industrial use. A common application in Europe is self-drilling sheet metal screws for installing ventilation ducts.

Stainless steels are defined in DIN EN 10088-1 as iron alloys containing at least 10.5 per cent chromium and no more than 1.2 per cent carbon. The multi-part DIN EN ISO 3506 series of standards applies to mechanical fasteners made from stainless steels. Grade A2 is classified as non-acid-resistant. Austenitic stainless steels cannot be heat-treated and achieve their different strength classes through cold working to varying degrees.