Boost Corrosion Resistance with Custom Stainless Steel Fabrication

When your application demands chemical resistance, high-temperature performance, and code-compliant fabrication, custom stainless steel fabrication is the right call. At Boardman, we’ve been delivering stainless steel fabrication services to refineries, chemical plants, and gas processors since 1910. We build every project to spec, document it, and back it with our ASME-certified shop.

A stainless steel fabrication project.

Does Your Project Call for
Stainless Steel Fabrication?

Stainless steel is the material of choice when corrosive media, high heat, and structural integrity can’t be compromised. It holds up against chlorides, sulfuric acid, ammonia, naphthenic acid, polythionic acid, hydrogen chloride, phenols, and more where other metals fail. Austenitic grades cover most corrosive and high-temperature applications, and duplex is the right call when you can’t trade off strength for corrosion resistance. 

What Are Stainless Fabrication Risks, and How Do You Control Them?

Stainless steel introduces risks that carbon steel work doesn’t. Here’s what matters and how we address each one:

  • Intergranular corrosion. Controlled through low-carbon “L” grades and ASME Section IX-qualified weld procedure qualification.
  • Chloride stress corrosion cracking. Addressed through proper grade selection, typically 316L or higher molybdenum alloys.
  • Cross-contamination from carbon steel. Boardman maintains dedicated tooling and work areas for stainless fabrication.
  • Distortion. Managed through engineered weld sequencing that accounts for stainless thermal expansion.
  • Documentation gaps. Every ASME pressure vessel fabrication job ships with a complete data book: material certs, weld records, NDE reports, and hydrostatic test documentation.
  • Schedule and communication risk. You get one point of contact and proactive project updates from order through delivery.

Examples of Stainless Steel Projects We Fabricate

Our Oklahoma City facility has fabricated industrial stainless steel equipment across a wide range of types, sizes, and service conditions. Here’s a sample of what we regularly build:

  • Flare Knockout Drums
  • Flash Drums
  • Condensate Pots
  • Bubble Column Reactors
  • Reactors
  • Dryer Drums
  • Distillation Columns
  • Fractionation Columns

We invite you to view a few of our past projects for yourself, some of which have been fabricated with stainless steel. You’ll find that our services include heavy plate fabrication, custom fabrication, trayed towers and columns, and ASME pressure vessels. Then give us a call to see how we can help you.

When Choosing a Fabricator, Materials Matter

When your fabricator handles the full range of industrial metals, you don’t have to restart the vendor search every time specs change. At Boardman, we also work with:

Does Your Fabricator Have These Stainless Steel Fabrication Capabilities?

Our stainless steel fabrication services cover critical applications in cryogenic, gas processing, chemical, and petrochemical service. We work with grades 304, 316, 310, 317, 321, 347, and 410. All weld procedures are qualified to ASME Section IX and ASME Section VIII. Welding processes include SAW, FCAW, SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, and ESW for Corrosion Resistant Overlay (CRO).

Which Stainless Steel Grade Is Right for Your Project?

Stainless steel grade selection drives corrosion performance, temperature limits, and long-term cost. Use this table as a starting point, then talk to our team about your specific service conditions.

GradeKey PropertiesBest For
304/304LGood corrosion resistance, dual-cert capableGeneral industrial, moderate chemical service
316/316LAdded molybdenum, chloride resistance, low carbonChemical processing, stainless steel tank fabrication, chloride environments
317/317LHigher Mo, Ni, Cr than 316Highly corrosive chemical environments
321Titanium-stabilized, resists polythionic acid SCCRefinery and chemical service at 1000°F to 1600°F
347Columbium-stabilized, intergranular corrosion resistanceOxidizing, aqueous, low-temperature service
304HHigher carbon, elevated-temp strength to 1500°FHigh-temperature mechanical service
309Heat and oxidation resistance to 1900°FSulfur-bearing, high-temperature environments
310Superior oxidation resistance at very high temperaturesExtreme heat service
410/410SFerritic, ductile, weld-friendlyFormability and weld integrity applications
A stainless steel tank on a truck.

About Boardman

Boardman has been a trusted corrosion-resistant fabrication partner since 1910. From our 140,000 ft² facility in Oklahoma City, we build custom pressure vessels, towers, columns, and heavy plate assemblies for refining, chemical, petrochemical, gas processing, and cryogenic industries. You set the level of involvement. We adjust to how you work.

Boardman fabricates stainless steel equipment for customers nationwide. Field service teams most frequently serve Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. Outside that footprint? No problem! We’ll still come to you. Contact us to discuss your project.

Trusted by Industry Leaders and Backed by Proven Certifications

Companies across the chemical, energy, and manufacturing sectors trust Boardman Inc. for their most complex stainless steel fabrication needs. Our commitment to quality, precision, and compliance has earned us long-standing partnerships with industry leaders—and the certifications to prove it.

Certifications Include:

  • ASME Section VIII Div. I – Pressure vessel code compliance for standard pressure systems
  • ASME Section VIII Div. II – For alternative rules and higher design efficiency
  • National Board “R” Stamp – Certified for repairs and alterations of pressure-retaining items
  • National Board “U” Stamp – Certified fabrication of pressure vessels
  • AISC – American Institute of Steel Construction certification for structural steel fabrication
  • API – Compliant with American Petroleum Institute standards
  • AWS – Certified by the American Welding Society for high-quality welding practices
bp logo
exxon logo
phillips 66 logo
valero logo

Join the many companies that rely on our certified custom stainless steel fabrication services to ensure safety, compliance, and performance.

Ready to Make Your Next Project the Easiest One Yet?

Your project deserves more than a shop that takes the order and goes quiet. When you work with Boardman, you get stewardship: a team that stays engaged from quote through delivery and field services, communicates proactively, and adjusts to your level of involvement. You bring the spec. We bring the accountability. That’s been our standard since 1910. Contact us today to get a quote.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stainless Steel Fabrication

These are the questions engineers and procurement teams ask us most about stainless steel fabrication. Don’t see yours? Contact us, and we’ll answer it directly.

It’s the process of cutting, forming, welding, and assembling stainless steel into finished industrial components, built to ASME Section VIII and Section IX qualified procedures at Boardman.

316L is the most common starting point. For more aggressive service, 317L or 321 may be the better fit depending on your temperature and chemistry.

316L contains molybdenum for better resistance to chloride pitting. When chlorides are in your process stream, 316L is the right call.

Yes. Boardman uses GTAW, SMAW, GMAW, SAW, and FCAW, all qualified to ASME Section IX.

Boardman uses dedicated tooling and work areas for stainless fabrication to prevent cross-contamination with carbon steel. Passivation may also be specified.

VT, PT, RT, and UT, depending on code and joint classification. All NDE records are included in your ASME data book.

Look for ASME certification, in-house weld procedure qualification, and a track record in your industry. Boardman builds all work in-house.

Design code, pressure and temperature, material spec, dimensions, nozzle schedule, NDE requirements, and delivery date. Contact us, and we’ll walk through it.

Get free access to our webinars and other downloads to stay on top of industry news and information.

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Definitely a great team effort between HFS and Boardman to get this knocked out quickly with no mistakes.  Appreciate you and your teams help getting this across the finish line!

Reliability & Inspection

HF Sinclair

The BFS team is very responsive, conduct quality work, and produce detailed reports.  They have excellent level of support, responsiveness and quality work!

Construction Manager

Vestas

“I am glad you guys do the newsletters. Educate AND do the work. Most don’t do this. It is similar to what Dave Ramsay says about looking for a Financial Advisor… look for one with a heart of a teacher.”

Equipment Engineer

Fluor

“I would like to go out of my way to say this is the quickest I have seen a vessel come together. Your ability to manage this on such short notice does not go unnoticed and definitely will earn you some more business. Your professional approach and ability to keep this moving was amazing! I was hoping to see this thing through to the end and see about getting some Guiness world record trophy on our walls.”

Mechanical Engineer

Chevron

“Just wanted to send a quick thank you for sending these newsletters. I really enjoy them and share them with others at the office.”

Project Management

Kestrel Engineering

“Thank you for all your help on this order. Please let your team know that everything Boardman has done for this order has been top notch!”

Mechanical Engineer

Worley

“It was a real pleasure working with you and your team. I wish all vendors would have the same high quality team!”

Expeditor

Worley

“Your engineering team has gone above and beyond for our current projects. We have thrown quite a few changes at them and they have dug into code details that are not normally required to satisfy the requests of some of our SME folks. They are always available, even when they’re off or on weekends to help answer any urgent questions. I tried to find something we can do to help recognize the extra efforts, but could not come up with anything. Thank you for the efforts and willingness to work with us so closely on these urgent jobs.”

Mechanical Engineer

Chevron

“It was great pleasure and it was sure a huge effort pulled by Boardman organization. Promoting such events are very helpful to the engineering community in general but very few places realize the same. Boardman being exceptional and very hospitable place to be for this event. I want to say Thank You Boardman!”

Mechanical Engineer

Chevron

“The class was an excellent use of time and has increased my industry knowledge. Good mix of both end user and design engineer attendance which drove discussions into new directions. I will highly recommend to my firm for attendance next year.”

Mechanical Engineer

S&B Engineering

“Thank you and everyone at Boardman for an excellent 2 days of training and exceptional hospitality. While it gave me the opportunity to get out of the office for 2 days, it was also a great training/refreshing opportunity for me and on top of it, I got to visit your facility, which I think is quite impressive. Hope to have some more work in your shop soon. There are several folks here who were amazed when I told them that you guys had welding stations set up and each of us got to weld and try out as many as 4 welding processes. Please keep me posted on the next training session.”

Vessel Engineer

Burns & McDonnell

“I just wanted to say thank you very much to you and your team for all of the work that you put in to make this seminar possible. I was very impressed with the quality of the seminar. It is the best technical seminars I have been to. The classroom intermixed with shop time made the experience a one of a kind. The instructor is a wealth of knowledge. I was also very impressed with the care and concern that you had for those attending. You guys have superb customer service. I really appreciate the opportunity and it means a lot.”

Mechanical Engineer

MKEC Engineering

“Thank you guys very much for putting together the Pressure Vessel Fabrication presentation. I’ve heard great things from about the vessels currently in your shop. We look forward to building a long lasting relationship.”

Corrosion/Materials Engineer

Phillips 66

“The Boardman team’s expertise, experience and processes made our project easy. The communication between their team and mine ensured our project ran smoothly. I knew I could count on the work they sent. I look forward to working with a company that communicates well and takes pride in their work.”

Mechanical Engineer

Worley

“I just wanted to share some photos of the Deisobutonizer being lifted into place yesterday. None of this would have been possible without your efforts in both the manufacturing and transport of the tower. This is the largest structure on the project and you all deserve a lot of credit for this milestone. It was not only a pleasure to work with you all on this fabrication and hauling to site of the monstrosity but it was a privilege to have such a team behind us to make this happen with no incident and what on the surface seemed child’s play. You all should be very proud of yourselves and your collective teams and firms, without you none of this was even conceivable.”

Materials & Logistics

Cenovus Superior Refinery

“I worked with Boardman on a project involving multiple vessels. The team’s impressive knowledge of ASME Section VIII Div 1 was critical to the success of the project. I enjoyed seeing the vessels in person during an engineering design course at the Boardman facility. The team always kept me in the loop and ensured quality work from fabrication through shipment.”

Mechanical Engineer

Black & Veatch

“Boardman was great to work with from the initial bidding phase through procurement. It is clear that they value relationships and are very professional. I have worked with Boardman in the past, and they continue to meet the requirements of our projects and owners. I value our relationship and hope to continue to work with them in the future.”

Sr. Procurement Manager

Black & Veatch

“Thank you for the high level of communication on this project and the effort put into making things work. So far this project has gone smoothly and our efforts have not gone unnoticed. Specifically the time invested in making sure the anchor bolt pattern matched their existing foundation. Not sure if it is my place to say but you are highly regarded at this refinery.”

Mechanical Engineer

Merrick Engineering

“I am continually impressed with the level of quality and professionalism on this project from the beginning.”

Inspector

HF Sinclair

“Boardman was very professional throughout the engineering and design of this vessel. They did a really good job on fabrication.”

Project Manager

Chevron Phillips Chemical