Stainless steel finishes are an important factor for both the use and appearance of the fabricated product. There are many finishes to choose from, and designers, engineers, and architects have many different considerations when choosing what finish to use. Textures, patterns, painting, embossing, and blasting are all possibilities. These finishes are among the best when deciding on what works for your project.
This type of finish is achieved by “cold rolling” the metal after the production process has concluded. As suggested by the name, it has a matte finish that is dull, but has more brightness than an untreated finish. It is often used in applications where durability is the most important consideration and the shiny aesthetic is of less importance, such as on industrial equipment. It is often used for vessels, tanks, food processing, pharmaceuticals, refrigeration, or equipment used in water or sewer plants. 2B finish is not shiny at all, but 2D finish does use an additional cold rolling step that produces a finish that has some more sheen and gives the impression of a cloudy mirror.
These finishes are very similar, and both hot-rolled finishes are “brushed” with specialized belts to create a fine pattern of parallel lines. These are quite a bit more reflective than a matte finish. However, although they are more reflective than a simple matte finish, they are not reflective because of the presence of the brushed lines. They are very useful in applications where an overly shiny finish would be undesirable, such as in the construction of skyscrapers and other buildings. Number 3 and 4 finishes are both produced through extended brushing, but #4 finishes use finer abrasives for the brushing process. This is a very popular finish for elevators, escalators, food and beverage equipment, and healthcare industries for a standard, sanitary finish.
Mirrored finish can be created by using a series of abrasive materials to polish the material to a mirrored shine. In other applications, special hot rolling will simulate the mirrored appearance. After the mirroring treatment, the surface will then be buffed for up to 10 minutes to remove any scratches and abrasions and create the highly reflective mirror-like finish. This type of stainless steel finishing is often used for mirrors, ornamental trim, reflectors, or other applications where high reflectivity is crucial. High end, highly visible projects often choose to use a mirror finish to highlight the ornamental fabrications. These are rarely used in outdoor projects.
The most popular finishes are widely used because they have many benefits and work well with a wide range of different applications. The designer, engineer, architect, and fabricator can all work together to consider the aesthetics, functions, climate, and budget when deciding on the right finish for your next stainless steel project.
Your metal fabrication partner is the best resource for guiding you through the finish selection for the best aesthetic, function, and durability of your component based on a variety of factors. Swanton Welding’s metal finishing department has the expertise, state of the art equipment, and deep understanding of the various finishing options to help you select the perfect finishing touch for your next metal fabrication project. Contact us today for a quote.
By any count, there are over 150 grades of stainless steel available. Appliance stainless steel handle manufacturers typically use just four of these many options: 304, 439, 441, and 201 grade stainless.
Below we outline the defining characteristics of each grade and discuss why and when stainless steel handle manufacturers choose one over the other.
Grades of stainless steel are typically selected on the basis of three main characteristics:
Exhibiting the highest quality and best overall formability, 304 stainless is the most expensive of the typical grades used by appliance stainless steel handle manufacturers. It has less than 0.08% carbon content, making it extremely resistant to intergranular corrosion and often eliminating the need for any annealing, except as a stress reliever.
304 stainless steel also has high nickel content — in the range of 8–12 percent — which is one of the main reasons it is relatively expensive. This high ratio of nickel also gives 304 stainless its characteristic blue color and enhances its formability, especially in cases involving multi-draw processes or complex shapes such as hydroforming.
Type 201 stainless steel was originally developed to produce a stainless steel that wasn’t so reliant on nickel. With an average of 5.5 percent nickel content, it is significantly less expensive than 304 stainless steel but has formability characteristics that are close to those of metals in the 300 series.
With a tensile strength of 101,000 psi (vs. the 75,000 psi of 304 stainless), 201 stainless steel requires a lot of force to shape and can exhibit greater springback. With increased power and hold-down pressure, though, 201 can be made to perform much like 304 in many cases and has similar levels of corrosion resistance.
Stainless steel in the 400 series costs significantly less than any in the 200 or 300 series thanks to its 0.5% maximum nickel content, and 439 stainless steel is no exception. Appliance stainless steel handle manufacturers are often asked to use 439 to match kitchen appliance doors, which are often skinned with a 400-grade stainless.
Used widely in the auto industry for tubular parts such as exhaust systems or other components that require added aqueous corrosion resistance, 439 stainless is very pliable with a tensile strength of anywhere between 66,000–70,000 psi. Its low nickel content gives it a yellowish hue.
A variation on 439 stainless steel, 441 is sometimes used by stainless steel handle manufacturers for products that require higher temperature resistances, such as oven door handles.
Appliance stainless steel handles manufacturers are often faced with situations in which they have to balance aesthetic considerations, such as shape and color, with functional requirements such as corrosion and temperature resistance. And then, of course, there is always the question of cost.
These competing requirements can lead to situations where compromises need to be made in order to arrive at a solution that meets all criteria. Fortunately, a talented finishing department can provide a manufacturer with more options than might otherwise be available.
For example, consider a situation in which 201 stainless steel is selected for an appliance handle in order to reduce costs but the handle needs to look like 304 stainless in order to reinforce the high-quality nature of the appliance. Or, maybe 304 stainless’ added formability is needed to realize a unique hydroformed handle but that part also needs to exhibit the same color and brush pattern as the appliance’s 439 door skins. A good finishing department can solve either scenario.
Only a few stainless steel handles manufacturers in the world can offer this sort of guidance when it comes to selecting the right grade of metal and optimizing production to realize desired characteristics in a cost-effective manner. At Mills Products, we pride ourselves on being one of those elite suppliers and are not afraid to innovate in order to help our customers solve difficult manufacturing challenges.
Call us at 423-745-9090 or contact us today to find out how we can help you get a grip on your next handle stainless steel handle manufacturing project.