Industrial & Manufacturing Blog
Finishing is essential for stainless steel products because it brings out the aesthetic appeal that is synonymous with this material. Furthermore, finishing makes steel products easy to clean, especially in the food sector where cleanliness and safety are top priorities. Unlike in non-sanitary applications, finishing stainless steel for handling food is an elaborate affair. Metal fabricators should adhere to sanitary standards every step of the way. Here are some essential finishing ideas for newbie stainless steel fabricators.
Polished Finishes -- It is critical for new fabricators to note that processes such as sanding, finishing and grinding of stainless steel for food handling must form smooth surfaces to prevent the growth of bacteria. Therefore, ensure that the surfaces do not have pits, grooves or lines that can harbour microorganisms. Moreover, some foods require chemicals for sanitising the containers, so the stainless steel surface must be resistant to corrosion.
Use Appropriate Tools -- Fabrication produces products that come in different shapes and sizes. Therefore, hand tools are your go-to equipment when quality finishing is desirable. Finger belt sanders are used for making finishes around tight spaces and corners/angles because of their slender abrasives. Conventional belt sanders are ideal for large flat areas. For cylindrical pieces, use wraparound tube sanders for internal and external finishing. For large flat surfaces, most fabricators prefer linear finishers for deburring, graining and polishing. The system produces clean finishes devoid of blemishes such as streaks, shadows and transitions.
Abrasives for Achieving a Polished Finish -- Each fabrication project calls for different abrasives with varying grits. Several abrasives such as zirconium, aluminium oxide and ceramic are used to achieve different finishes. The abrasives all work to debur, clean, and produce the desired finish on stainless steel. Notably, nonwoven abrasives are ideal when a fabricator does not want the material to chatter on the stainless steel surface. A fabricator needs to evaluate the benefits of each abrasive versus the cost implication for the project before settling on a particular abrasive.
Prevention of Corrosion -- Corrosion might occur when stainless steel is exposed to various elements, like acids. Therefore, choose stainless steel grades that are formulated to resist most types of corrosion. Also, proper fabrication processes that adhere to international standards can help prevent long-term corrosion. For example, consider using the right cleaning temperatures and cleaning chemicals that do not compromise the integrity of the stainless steel surface.
For additional information, contact a stainless manufacturing company.
Share16 April 2018
Welcome to my piece of the internet. My name is John, and I imagine you found this blog while looking for information about industrial or manufacturing concepts. I recently decided to start this blog because I needed somewhere that I could share my research. I recently moved to a small town, and I'm trying to attract factory owners to set up shop there. As a result, I have done an immense amount of research into these fields. I figure the more I know the easier it will be to pitch our town to business owners. Anyway, this blog is a separate project to that. It's just a space where I want to share tips and ideas related to manufacturing. I love writing, and I hope that you enjoy reading my posts. More importantly, I hope they help you make your business more productive. Thanks for reading!