1K / 2K Finish on Stainless Steel sheet and Plate

why is it so important?
Firstly its important to look at the BS EN 10088-2 specification with relation to a 1K or 2K surface finish.
The 1K refers to a finish applied onto Hot Rolled stainless steel plate, and the 2K refers to a finish produced
on either cold rolled plate or sheet and the sheet can be either 2B or from a 2R (bright annealed) substrate.
The specification and advice from the British Stainless Steel Association reads;Satin Polish. Similar to 1J /
2J but with maximum specified Ra value of 0.5 microns. Usually achieved with SiC polishing belts.
Alumina belts are strongly discouraged for this finish as this will have detrimental effect on corrosion
resistance. Recommended for external architectural and coastal environments where bright polish (2P) is not
acceptable.
Having an Ra of less than 0.5 microns (often written as 0.5m) means that the surface roughness is very fine.
The finer the surface finish the less areas there are for contaminates to become trapped and potentially
discolour. SiC, or silicon carbide polishing media gives a clean cut to the surface finish thus preventing
any nooks and crannies for debris to sit in. Whilst an alumina (or aluminium oxide) abrasives belts can
achieve a surface roughness of less than 0.5m, they do not give the same clean cut finish.
A 1K / 2K finish can be applied to sheet, plate, laser cut profiles and blanks and also long products such as
square tube and flat bar.However there will be some visual differences between the finishes produced on
different product as, for example, hot rolled material will require a pre-grind to remove surface scale and
defects and long products will of course go through a different product line than, for example, a cold rolled
sheet at 3000 x 1500 x 2.5mmBy polishing to a 1K / 2K finish not only is the grain itself fine and smooth but
there is a natural lustre to the finish. Not only a technically superior polish but also one with exceptional
aesthetic appeal.
When measuring and certifying the less than 0.5m finish it is often termed Ra. An Ra finish is the
universally recognized and most used parameter of surface roughness. It is the arithmetic mean of the
departure of the profile from a mean or centreline and is displayed in microns (m). The finish should be
measured and certified to ensure it meets the measurement required of the 1K / 2K specification.

16/10/13 Professional Polishing Services - Kirsty Davies-Chinnock <kirsty@professionalpolishing.co.uk>