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Surface finishing is a broad range of industrial processes that alter
the surface of a manufactured item to achieve a certain
property.
[1]
Finishing processes may be employed to: improve
appearance, adhesion or wettability, solderability, corrosion
resistance, tarnish resistance, chemical resistance, wear
resistance, hardness, modify electrical conductivity, remove burrs
and other surface flaws, and control the surface friction.
[1][2]
In limited
cases some of these techniques can be used to restore original
dimensions to salvage or repair an item. An unfinished surface is
often called mill finish.
Surface finishing processes can be categorized by how they affect
the workpiece:
Removing or reshaping finishing
Adding or altering finishing
Mechanical processes may also be categorized together because
of similarities the final surface finish.
Contents
[hide]
1 Adding and altering
2 Removing and reshaping
3 Mechanical finishing
o 3.1 Metal finish designations
4 See also
5 References
o 5.1 Notes
o 5.2 Bibliography
Adding and altering[edit]
Blanching
Case hardening
Ceramic glaze
Cladding
Corona treatment
Diffusion processes:
Carburizing
Nitriding
Electroplating
Galvanizing
Gilding
Glazing
Knurling
Painting
Passivation/Conversion coating
Anodizing
Bluing
Chromate conversion coating
Phosphate conversion coating
Parkerizing
Plasma electrolytic oxidation
Plasma spraying
Powder coating
Thin-film deposition
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
Electroplating
Electrophoretic deposition (EPD)
Mechanical plating
Sputter deposition
Physical vapor deposition (PVD)
Vacuum plating
Vitreous enamel
Removing and reshaping[edit]
Abrasive blasting
Sandblasting
Burnishing
Chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP)
Electropolishing
Flame polishing
Gas cluster ion beam
Grinding
Industrial etching
Linishing
Mass finishing processes
Tumble finishing
Vibratory finishing
Pickling
Polishing
Buffing
Lapping
Peening
Shot peening
Superfinishing
Magnetic field-assisted finishing
Mechanical finishing[edit]
Mechanical finishing processes include:
[3]

Abrasive blasting
Sandblasting
Burnishing
Grinding
Mass finishing processes
Tumble finishing
Vibratory finishing
Polishing
Buffing
Lapping
The use of abrasives in metal polishing results in what is
considered a "mechanical finish".
[3]

Metal finish designations[edit]
#3 Finish
Also known as grinding, roughing or rough grinding. These finishes
are coarse in nature and usually are a preliminary finish applied
before manufacturing. An example would be grinding gates off of
castings, deburring or removing excess weld material. It is coarse in
appearance and applied by using 36100 grit abrasive.
[4]

When the finish is specified as #3, the material is polished to a
uniform 6080 grit.
#4 Architectural finish
Also known as brushed, directional or satin finish. A #4 architectural
finish is characterized by fine polishing grit lines that are uniform
and directional in appearance. It is produced by polishing the metal
with a 120180 grit belt or wheel finish and then softened with an
80120 grit greaseless compound or a medium non woven abrasive
belt or pad.
#4 Dairy or sanitary finish
This finish is commonly used for the medical and food industry and
almost exclusively used on stainless steel. This finish is much finer
than a #4 architectural finish. This finish enhances the physical
appearance of the metal as well as increases the sanitary
benefits.
[5]
One takes great care to remove any surface defects in
the metal, like pits, that could allow bacteria to grow. A #4 dairy or
sanitary finish is produced by polishing with a 180240 grit belt or
wheel finish softened with 120240 grit greaseless compound or a
fine non woven abrasive belt or pad.
#6 Finish
Also known as a fine satin finish. This finish is produced by
polishing with a 220280 grit belt or wheel softened with a 220230
greaseless compound or very fine non woven abrasive belt or pad.
Polishing lines will be soft and less reflective than a #4 architectural
finish.
#7 Finish
A #7 finish is produced by polishing with a 280320 belt or wheel
and sisal buffing with a cut and color compound. This is a semi-
bright finish that will still have some polishing lines but they will be
very dull. Carbon steel and iron are commonly polished to a #7
finish before chrome plating. A #7 finish can be made bright by
color buffing with coloring compound and a cotton buff. This is
commonly applied to keep polishing costs down when a part needs
to be shiny but not flawless.
#8 Finish
Also known as a mirror finish. This finish is produced by polishing
with at least a 320 grit belt or wheel finish. Care will be taken in
making sure all surface defects are removed. The part is sisal
buffed and then color buffed to achieve a mirror finish. The quality
of this finish is dependent on the quality of the metal being polished.
Some alloys of steel and aluminum cannot be brought to a mirror
finish. Castings that have slag or pits will also be difficult, if not
impossible, to polish to a #8.


SHEET

No. 1 Finish is produced by rolling stainless steel that has been
heated prior to rolling (hot-rolling). This is followed by a heat
treatment that produces a uniform microstructure (annealing) and
ensures that the stainless steel will meet mechanical property
requirements. After these processing steps, the surface has a dark
non-uniform appearance called scale. Surface chromium has been
lost during the previous processing steps, and, without removal of
the scale, the stainless steel would not provide the expected level of
corrosion resistance. Chemical removal of this scale is called
pickling or descaling, and it is the final processing step. A No. 1
finish has rough, dull, and non-uniform appearance. There may be
shiny spots were surface imperfections were removed by grinding. It
is generally used in industrial applications, such as equipment for
elevated temperature service.
Applications
Air heaters, Annealing boxes, Boiler baffles, Carburizing boxes,
Crystallizing pans, Firebox sheets, Furnace arch supports, Furnace
conveyors, Furnace dampers, Furnace linings, Furnace stacks, Gas
turbine parts, Heat exchanger baffles, Heat exchanger tubing
supports, Incinerators, Industrial oven liners, Kiln liners, Oil burner
parts, Recuperators, Refineries, Tube hangers


No. 2B Finish is a bright cold rolled finish commonly produced in
the same manner as No. 2D, except that the final light cold rolling
pass is done using polished rolls. This produces a more reflective
finish that resembles a cloudy mirror. Finish reflectivity can vary from
manufacturer-to-manufacturer and coil-to-coil with some coils
looking quite mirror-like and others being fairly dull. No. 2B is a
general purpose cold rolled finish commonly used for all but
exceptionally difficult deep drawing applications. It is more readily
polished to high luster than a No. 1 or No. 2D finish.
Applications
Bakeware, Chemical plant equipment, Dye house equipment,
Flatware, Laundry and dry cleaning, Paper mill equipment,
Pharmaceutical equipment
Plumbing fixtures, Refrigeration, Sewage treatment, Sheet metal
products, Small tanks, Solar collector panels, Vacuum drum dryers,
Waste fuel pool liners, Wheel covers


No. 2D Finish is a uniform, dull silver gray finish that is applied to
thinner coils whose thickness has been reduced by cold rolling. After
rolling, the coil is heat treated to produce a uniform microstructure
(annealing) and to meet mechanical property requirements. Pickling
or descaling is necessary after heat treatment to remove the
chromium depleted dark surface layer and restore corrosion
resistance. Pickling can be the final step in production of this finish,
but, when finish uniformity and/or flatness are important, there is a
subsequent final light cold rolling pass (skin pass) through dull rolls.
A No. 2D finish is preferred for deep drawing components because it
retains lubricants well. It is used as a substrate when a painted finish
is desired because it provides excellent paint adherence.
Applications
Automotive exhaust systems, Builders hardware, Chemical
equipment, Chemical trays and pans, Electric range parts, Furnace
parts, Petrochemical equipment, Rail car parts, Roof drainage
systems, Roofing, Stone anchors


Bright Annealed (BA or 2BA) is produced by heat-treating
(annealing) in a controlled atmosphere furnace. It has a mirror like
appearance but may have some cloudiness and other imperfections.
A finish that is designated BA has only been bright annealed. A
finish that is designated 2BA has been bright annealed and then
passed between highly polished rolls. A minimal amount of roll
pressure (skin pass) is applied. The process improves flatness and
finish uniformity but does not significantly decrease thickness. Bright
annealed stainless is sometimes buffed to attain a more mirror-like
finish. It is often specified for applications where a highly reflective
surface is desired.
Applications
Appliance trim, Appliances, Architectural components, Auto trim,
Builders hardware, Chute liners, Commercial refrigerators,
Cookware, Fishing equipment, Flatware, Food processing
equipment, General hardware, Highway truck trailers, Mass transit
cars, Radiant heaters, Range hoods, Scientific apparatus, Surgical
instruments, Textile finishing equipment


No. 3 Finish is characterized by short, relatively coarse, parallel
polishing lines, which extend uniformly along the length of the coil. It
is obtained by either mechanically polishing with gradually finer
abrasives or by passing the coil through special rolls, which press a
pattern into the surface that simulates the appearance of mechanical
abrasion. It is a moderately reflective finish. When mechanically
polishing, 50 or 80 grit abrasives are typically used initially and the
final finish is typically achieved with 100 or 120 grit abrasives. The
surface roughness is typically Ra 40 micro-inches or less. If a
fabricator needs to blend in welds or do other refinishing, the
resulting polishing lines are usually longer than on product polished
by a producer or toll-polishing house.
Applications
Brewery equipment, Food processing equipment, Kitchen
equipment, Scientific apparatus


No. 4 Finish is characterized by short, parallel polishing lines,
which extend uniformly along the length of the coil. It is obtained by
mechanically polishing a No. 3 finish with gradually finer abrasives.
Depending on the requirements of the application, the final finish can
be anywhere between 120 and 320 grit. Higher grit numbers
produce finer polishing lines and more reflective finishes. The
surface roughness is typically Ra 25 micro-inches or less. This
general-purpose finish is widely used for restaurant and kitchen
equipment, storefronts and food processing and dairy equipment. If
a fabricator needs to blend in welds or do other refinishing, the
resulting polishing lines are usually longer than on product polished
by a producer or toll-polishing house.
Applications
Appliances, Architectural wall panels, Beverage equipment, Boat
fittings, Bus shelters, Clean rooms, Column covers, Dairy
equipment, Elevator doors and interiors, Escalator trim, Food
processing equipment, Furniture
Highway tank trailers, Hospital surfaces and equipment, Instrument
or control panels, Kitchen equipment, Luggage handling equipment,
Mass transit equipment, Restaurant equipment, Sinks, Sterilizers,
Storefronts, Water fountains

(no picture
available)
No. 6 Finish is a dull, silver white finish with relatively short linear
polishing lines. It has a lower reflectivity than No. 4 finish. It is
produced by Tampico brushing a No. 4 finish sheet in an oil and
abrasive medium. This finish is sometimes seen on stainless steel
architectural applications that were installed between about 1930
until the 1980s, including the exterior columnar panels adjoining the
windows of the Empire State Building. It is no longer produced by
the toll polishing houses, but custom fabricators occasionally apply it
to small projects. Other finishes, which do not resemble it in
appearance, are sometimes sold as a No. 6. Because this finish has
essentially ceased to exist, no photo is shown.


No. 7 Finish has a high degree of reflectivity and a mirror-like
appearance. A No. 4 finish that has been polished to 320-grit is
buffed for up to 10 minutes but existing grit lines are not removed.
The remnants of fine polishing lines can generally seen by an
observer standing several feet from a panel.
Applications
Column covers, Ornamental trim, Wall panels


No. 8 Finish is the most reflective polished finish that is covered
by the ASTM standards. It is produced in the same manner as the
No. 7 finish except that the buffing is continued for an additional five
to ten minutes. In comparison to a No. 7 finish, the grit lines are
much less visible, but they can be seen if the finish is examined
closely. The resulting finish is mirror-like but not a perfect mirror.
Applications
Clean rooms, Column covers, Mirrors, Ornamental trim, Press
plates, Reflectors, Signage, Wall panels

(no picture
available)
TR (Temper Rolled) Finish is specified when higher than
normal mechanical properties are desired. Different temper levels
are available (1/16 Hard, 1/8 Hard, 1/4 Hard, 1/2 Hard, 3/4 hard, Full
Hard). These levels are defined by the yield and tensile strengths
and elongation. Temper rolling is typically done on polished rolls and
it produces a fairly smooth reflective finish.