Flat-head screws hexalobe ISO 14583-stainless A4 M4x20 mm

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.

TORX (from the English word ‘torque’) is the registered word mark for a screw drive profile, the standard designation for which is ‘internal six-lobe’ (English: ‘six lobe, internal socket’). With the six-lobe internal socket, the screw and tool are subjected to less radial stress than with the traditional internal hexagon, and consequently suffer less damage. Torque is transmitted more directly via the radial parts of the tooth flanks rather than via the faces of the hexagon.

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 A4 is classified as acid-resistant due to its molybdenum content of 2 per cent to 3 per cent. A4 cannot be heat-treated and achieves its various strength classes through cold working to different degrees.