Metal Finish: Is a process of adding a layer of substance to metal to improve the appearance and/or durability of the metal. Here are a few examples of common metal finishes:
- Paint
- Powder Coat
- Anodize
- Plating
Surface Finish: Is a process of removing a layer of metal to improve the appearance and/or functionality of the metal by limiting or adding peaks/valleys to create or limit a surface texture. Here are a few examples of common surface finish procedures:
- Grinding
- Polishing
- Abrasive Blasting
- Milling
As a result, it is important to keep in mind that the cost of manufacturing a surface increases as the surface finish improves. This is because there will be additional procedures in place during the manufacturing process to help maintain the surface finish. For instance, there can be additional hand-holding like placing paper in between parts to prevent rubbing, or using premium quality inserts and tooling for a mill to achieve a desired surface finish. There could also be secondary operations to clean up the finish, which all incur costs. Therefore it is important to discuss with your supplier, what their processes are and their cost for achieving the desired surface finish prior to fabrication.
As you can see there is a huge difference between the two types of finishes. In fact, most of the time metal will require a surface finish prior to metal finishing in order to allow the paint, powder coat, etc. to properly adhere. The most important aspect of this article to take away from is to be aware of the difference between metal finishing and surface finish and to also properly document the finish you want with details on the manufacturing drawing. Remember, the drawing is a set of instructions for the manufacturer. If something is missing, the manufacturer will use standard manufacturing procedures.
Here at Vista Industrial Products, Inc., we specialize in metal fabrication and have a great deal of experience in metal finishing and surface finish. When customers come to us to fabricate parts, we always ask numerous questions about the finish, especially if it is not called out on the drawing, to ensure you are getting parts that you expect.
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