Types of Stainless Steel Finishes

No. 1 Finish – Has a dull, rough, uneven appearance. Surface imperfections are sometimes erased stainless steel finishby grinding, which can leave behind shiny spots. This finish is mainly used for industrial applications such as furnace arch supports, furnace conveyors, furnace linings, air heaters, boiler baffles, incinerators, kiln liners and industrial oven liners, among many others.

No. 2B Finish – Similar to 2D (see below) but has a comparatively shinier finish, often compared to a cloudy mirror. 2B can be more easily polished to a high luster than a No. 1 or No. 2 finish. It’s often used for everything from flatware, bakeware, and pharmaceutical equipment to plumbing fixtures, sheet metal products and solar collector panels.

No. 2D Finish – A dull silver or gray uniform finish which is applied to thinner coils. It’s preferred for deep drawing components since it retains lubricants well. Often used as a substrate since it holds paint well. Applications include roofing, petrochemical equipment and electric range parts.

Bright Annealed (BA or 2BA) – Produced by annealing (heat-treating), it is shiny and mirror-like but contains smudges or cloudy imperfections. Often used when a very reflective surface is needed. Applications include surgical instruments, fishing equipment, cookware, automobile trim, chute liners and textile finishing equipment.

No. 3 Finish – Moderately reflective, this finish features short, somewhat coarse parallel polishing lines that uniformly extend over the length of the coil. It’s often used in kitchen equipment, brewery equipment, scientific apparatus and food processing machinery.

TR (Temper Rolled) Finish – This finish is called for when strong mechanical properties are needed. Temper rolling is usually performed on polished rolls and the end result is an even, selective finish.



CREDIT: CE Metal Fabrication
ORIGINAL FROM: https://cemetalfabrication.com/10-types-of-stainless-steel-surface-finishes