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Stainless Steel #7 commercial finish alternatives
I work for a company that manufactures stainless steel brackets that require a #7 commercial finish. With the skyrocketing price of nickel and subsequently stainless steel, I have been looking for other finishing alternatives that provide a similar mirror/shiny finish that is less costly. Are there finishes that can be applied to aluminum or carbon steel that are comparable to a #7 commercial finish on stainless steel but is a more cost effective alternative?
Matthew Shopemanufacturer - Columbus, Ohio
2004
Hi Mr Shope,
You are not the first person to look out for substituting SS and probably won't be the last! A suitable grade of Mild steel can be beautifully plated with Zinc Cobalt alloy plating to give an acceptable finish and life span to your parts.
Khozem Vahaanwala
Saify Ind
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
2004
Will a zinc cobalt alloy finish on mild steel be able to produce a similar aesthetic look as a 304 SS with a #7 commercial finish or a 430 SS with a best bright finish?
Matthew Shopemanufacturer - Columbus, Ohio
2004
I am not familiar with finish No 7, but the plated finish actually looks better than SS.
Khozem Vahaanwala
Saify Ind
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
2004
You might try a ferritic stainless steel. Some of these have no nickel. Type 409 stainless steel is one of these.
Mark CookHigh purity piping - Springfield, Missouri, USA
2004
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