When it comes to finished metal surfaces, manufacturers need parts that not only look a certain way but also perform to necessary specifications – this could include stripping paint, removing corrosion, providing a non-reflective (matte) finish, increasing adhesion, or smoothing out burrs. There are two common, effective finishing types that many businesses look to for… Read more »
How Metal Passivation Plays a Role in the Medical Industry
In an industry where cleanliness and sterilization are non-negotiable, it’s essential to have medical implants, tools, and instruments that are as smooth, clean, and rust-resistant as possible. Medical device passivation helps to ensure that stainless steel tools are not only free of impurities but that they will stand the test of time while maintaining a… Read more »
Deburring for Metal Fabrication Projects
Machined metal parts will often end up with excess material, called “burrs.” These burrs can be created by grinding, molding, laser cutting, punching, sawing, routing, drilling or shearing – really any type of machining. While high-quality equipment can help reduce the amount of burrs you end up with, no matter how sharp or precise your… Read more »
Advantages of Abrasive Blasting Before Surface Coating
Abrasive blasting is a finishing method that strips contaminants, rust and other imperfections from the surface of parts. Blasting is a faster surface preparation solution, especially when compared to more laborious blasting techniques such as sanding or wire brushing, but that is only one of the numerous benefits of abrasive blasting before surface coating.
Importance of Metal Finishing for Medical Equipment Companies
Medical device finishing in the medical industry is critical to produce safe, sanitary applications that provide optimal performance. Reliability is critical in this industry, which can face challenges due to strict regulations and rigorous biocompatibility testing. For medical equipment companies, instruments and components ranging from orthodontics and dental to hospital and surgical need to be… Read more »
What the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Means for DoD Contractors
As we move into 2020, it’s important to remain up-to-date on cybersecurity standards, especially for companies that are contractors or subcontractors for the U.S. Department of Defense. In order to properly secure this defense and ensure contractors are following protocol, there is a new practice being put into play: the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. Below,… Read more »
What is Superfinishing?
Several factors should be considered when choosing the appropriate metal finishing process for your application. Details such as turnaround time, cost, and industry all play a role in deciding which finishing is best for your part. Two of the most common types of metal finishing processes are superfinishing and metal tumbling, the differences of which… Read more »
7 Most Common Aluminum Finishes
With the current technology available, there are seemingly endless types of aluminum finishes to choose from. At RP Abrasives, our mechanical finishes and pretreatments are some of our most popular services, and for good reason. These services fall into two broad categories: finishes that make the part ready for use and finishes that make the… Read more »
Selecting the Best Media for Abrasive Blasting
Abrasive blasting, sometimes referred to as bead blasting, has been used to clean, strip, shape and restore surfaces for over a century, and for good reason – this process of projecting various media across a surface is a thorough and efficient finishing method for many materials. Abrasive blasting can not only benefit but even improve… Read more »
Citric Acid Passivation vs. Nitric Acid Passivation
Passivation of stainless steel is the treatment of metal’s surface with an acid solution to make the surface corrosion resistant. Citric acid passivation and nitric acid passivation are the two methods used to treat the metal. The acid solution acts to remove any free iron from the metal’s surface before that iron can react to… Read more »