Generally, to be smooth and clean, the surface of stainless steel castings are just shot blasted, which is a low cost surface finishing method. Besides shot blasting, there are some other surface finishing methods after stainless steel casting, including sand blasting, electropolishing, brush finish, mirror polishing, etc. Among them, brush finish is also a common surface finish method required by our customers.
What is Brush Finish?
Brush finish, sometimes also called satin finish, is the surface finish method by polishing cast stainless steel parts with a 120–180 grit belt or wheel then softening with an 80–120 grit greaseless compound or a medium non-woven abrasive belt or pad.
After brushing, the stainless steel castings are washed and dried to remove any residue or oil, and then an operator quickly inspects the surface appearance for any apparent defects. Brush finish gives cast stainless steel parts a distinctive look, as it retains some but not all of its metallic lustre and is given a pattern of very fine lines parallel to the brushing direction.
Brushing the stainless steel castings produces a distinctive look with a muted luster and a pattern of fine parallel lines. It has strong decorative appeal without being too reflective, as too much reflectiveness can be undesirable. For example, overly reflective stainless steel castings accent on a building could be blinding in bright sunlight. The drawbacks to this finish can include reduced corrosion resistance, as the grooves of the finish can be susceptible to rust.
Brush finished stainless steel castings are widely used for restaurant and kitchen equipment, storefronts, and food processing and dairy equipment. Could also be used for automobile applications. Common applications include:
- Home appliances
- Sporting Tools
- Architecture
- Automotive design
- Other decorative parts
Stainless steel is one of the strongest investment casting materials, and is cast in virtually all forms and sizes. Because of its appearance, strength, and high corrosion resistance, stainless steel castings are widely used in architecture, marine, automotive and other applications. Any inquiry on stainless steel casting project, pls feel free to contact us!