How To Choose The Right Finish For Your Steel Product

Whether they're used throughout residential, commercial or industrial settings, steel products need to be properly finished to ensure performance and reliability. Finishing involves a surface treatment process that changes the properties of steel to afford it additional protection. With a range of finishing options to choose from, it's not always easy to know which is best for your steel products. We've put together this blog to help you choose the best solution.

Benefits of steel finishing

With the right finish, your steel product will enjoy numerous benefits, including:

• Durability
• Corrosion, tarnish and chemical resistance
• Improved electrical conductivity
• Improved aesthetic appeal
• Better torque tolerance
• Easy soldering
• Hardening and vulcanisation

Choosing the right finish is key to getting the most out of your steel product. You'll need to make sure you understand the various finishing processes, their benefits, limitations and uses, and the costs involved.

Specify the finish

In some instances, you will need to specify which finish has been used on your steel product. This is the case if the particular finish carries aesthetic or functional importance. Even if you don't believe the finish holds importance, it's still important you specify what's been used in order to avoid an "unspecified" and unsuitable finish being used. It's crucial you seek advice from an expert steel fabrication company on what option to go for.

Mill finish

Mill finishes are used on flat steel products and occur within the mill itself. Mill finishes feature as not rolled, heat treated and picked, and leave a rough, non-reflective surface which generally doesn't serve a decorative function.

Special finish

Special finishes are applied during later processing. They might include:
 

• Cold rolled finishes: These create a dull, slightly reflective grey finish which can be left as is or polished.
• Hot dip galvanising: A cost-effective procedure, this finish is used extensively across industrial applications and involves immersing iron or steel in liquid zinc in order to prevent corrosion.
• Powder coating: A decorative finish with similarities to paint, powder coating offers improved durability and can help to remove surface defects. During the process, dry plastic powder or paint granules melt onto the metal, resulting in a textured, glossy or matte finish.
• Spray painting: Steelwork can be sprayed with one or several layers of liquid paint to offer protection against corrosion and flexible design.
• Blast cleaning: A crucial element of surface preparation, blast cleaning helps to remove contaminants and create the perfect base for durable protective coatings.

Contact us today

If you're interested in learning more about finishing for your steel products, talk to the team at On the Spot Steel Fabrication. With extensive experience in the industry, we proudly service the Sunshine Coast and surrounding areas with steel and aluminium fabrication, CNC drilling, and structural steel applications. Our Caloundra workshop has all the tools and equipment needed to manufacture high-quality products, and our customer service, work ethic and affordable rates are second to none. Contact us today on (07) 5437 0817 for a free quote.