Polished Stainless Steel: The White Glove Service

As manufacturers strive for flawless finishes, imperfection-free materials, and a manufacturing process streamlined for excellence, polished stainless steel solutions marry precision with production. However, not all polished stainless steel solutions are created equal. It could be time to give your stainless steel finishes the white glove treatment. 

Stainless Steel Polish Reworks Recalls

Let’s take the case of a manufacturer in the food and dairy industry. These companies use large stainless steel vats and containers to mix ingredients. But even a minor pit in the surface of the steel can create a home for unwanted contaminants.

Contaminants can cause expensive product rejects or recalls, leading to even bigger challenges for manufacturers. This leads to corrective polishing to satisfy regulatory inspections.

According to Food Safety News, the FDA has consistently issued recalls in the past three years. In 2020, there were 418 recalls, followed by 414 in 2021 and 423 in 2022. It said that undeclared allergens were the leading cause of food recalls under the FDA's jurisdiction, accounting for 43.5% of all food recalls.

Roger Young is the general manager of Guy Metals, which is part of the Ryerson Family of Companies. This company has served quality stainless steel finishes to manufacturers across food, dairy and pharmaceutical, among others, for over 30 years.

"I believe manufacturers are increasingly recognizing the need for enhanced systems to combat bacterial growth resulting from imperfections such as pits and voids in the material," notes Young. "Achieving this demands a flawless and uniform finish that cannot be achieved from a standard mill finish."

This is where the importance of PFD (pit-free dairy) finish comes into focus. PFD is a different option to 2B, ensuring consistency and removing flaws in your products. According to Young, this intense polishing method removes all imperfections to create a true, smooth, pit-free surface.

The Cost of Polish Stainless Consistency

Polished stainless steel solutions such as PFD typically come at a higher price than standard finishes. The challenge lies in quantifying the difficult-to-measure costs associated with imperfections, rework, and manual labor.

The money saved from fixing errors and the assurance of a superior outcome makes it a valuable investment for many manufacturers.

“Certain industry finishes allow imperfections, scratches, and pits, leading to post-manufacturing corrections, which can be both time-consuming and costly,” says Young. “The goal is to meet stringent industry standards, which means more often than not, manufacturers don’t mind paying more upfront for a finish that can save a lot of time and money for them over the long run.”

A crucial aspect of polished stainless solutions is the commitment to consistent quality. According to Young, Guy Metals’ process involves individual sheet polishing, ensuring each piece undergoes rigorous inspection and verification. This labor-intensive approach can help ensure a consistent, top-tier finish.

Choosing the correct polished stainless steel partner is crucial in industries that prioritize cleanliness, perfect finishes, and strict adherence.

Beyond mere cost-saving measures, it becomes a strategic imperative to enhance manufacturing efficiency and uphold steadfast adherence to industry regulations.

It all starts with good stainless steel.