What is Mechanical Polishing? Mechanical polishing is the mechanical smoothing and removal of contaminants. It involves grinding, polishing and buffing of the surface. This process is used to smooth welds, prepare metal for surface treatments like electropolishing or provide a surface with a specified roughness. What is Electropolishing? Electropolishing is an electrochemical process that smooths….. Read More »

Manufacturing stainless steel parts begins with fabrication or machining. All parts must be made to particular specifications and follow the guidelines of design and application. Once fabrication or machining is complete, parts are likely to have with free iron and other foreign material embedded in the surface. Why it matters: As the final step, passivation….. Read More »

Pickling and passivation are different types of chemical metal finishing that provide corrosion protection on metal surfaces. Both processes remove excess (or exogenous) iron or oxidation from the surface of whatever metal undergoes the process. Pickling (removing an oxide layer) and passivation (applying an oxide layer) are different finishing processes. Why it matters: In order….. Read More »

The statement, “no job is complete without the proper documentation” holds true for many industries, as well as the organization overseeing them. The higher the operational standards, the more critical it is to document that procedures have been performed to meet or exceed those standards. Most bio-pharma, food and beverage, cosmetics, and medical device manufacturers….. Read More »

Most stainless steel service providers offer a variety of services within their core disciplines, but few are able to offer a complete line of services from A to Z. We often hear from our newest customers about the challenges they had in finding one provider that doesn’t simply specialize in one or two services, but….. Read More »

Your pressure rated vessel needs to be repaired to the required standards to ensure safe operation.  But, how can you be sure your vessel meets those standards when the repair is complete?  Ensuring an ASME Code Weld repair is completed in accordance with ASME Division I Section VIII Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels requires….. Read More »

We all want our products to shine over the competition’s.  But, are you having trouble getting the best surface finish on your stainless steel equipment?  There are plenty of factors that can contribute to – or even prevent – finished surfaces from achieving the best possible finish or shine. When parts processed in February, then….. Read More »

Let’s talk about “rouge” (French for ‘red’) and I don’t mean the cosmetic term… Rouging is a symptom of corrosion that occurs on stainless steel due to iron contamination.  Often unpredictable and imperfectly understood, the rouge is composed of corrosion products that include hydrogen and iron oxides in different states of oxidation. Specific colors (or….. Read More »

New brewers, wineries, and distillers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on brand new stainless steel equipment. Many don’t know about caring for and conditioning the new equipment and this could lead to many problems down the road. Your brand new stainless steel isn’t like a new car where you can just jump in and….. Read More »

At Allegheny Surface Technology we meet standards set by the following to better satisfy the needs and expectations of our customers. Electropolishing Specifications: ASTM B912 – Standard Specifications for Passivation of Stainless Steel Using Electropolishing ASME BPE – Bioprocessing Equipment Passivation Specifications: ASTM A967 – Standard Specification for Chemical Passivation Treatments for Stainless Steel Parts….. Read More »

Stainless steel pickling is a metal surface treatment used to remove impurities, such as stains, inorganic contaminants, rust or scale from stainless steel. It is commonly used to remove oxide layers from welding and heat-treating.  A solution containing strong acids, is used to remove the surface impurities. Metal pickling or chemical descaling is but one….. Read More »

Stainless steel passivation is the chemical process that removes free iron from the surface of stainless steel for the purpose of enhancing corrosion resistance. Allegheny Surface Technology (AST) offers either citric or nitric acid passivation based on your specific requirements. Metal passivation is but one of several pretreatment steps available for preparing an article for….. Read More »

Recently Allegheny Surface Technology performed critical services On-Site at two large Biotechnology companies. The services and benefits are as follows: » AST performed de-rouging and passivation on exterior surfaces of the customer supplied stainless steel equipment. The work was performed on a variety of parts including tanks, mezzanines, skids systems, countertops, benches, etc.  These services….. Read More »

Mechanical polishing is the mechanical smoothing and removal of contaminants. It involves grinding, polishing and buffing of the surface. This process is used to smooth out welds, prepare metal surfaces for electropolishing or provide a surface with a specified roughness.  Allegheny Surface Technology (AST) employs experienced and highly skilled craftsmen who have the training and….. Read More »

Passivation of stainless steel is the chemical process that removes free iron from its surface for the purpose of enhancing corrosion resistance. Allegheny Surface Technology (AST) offers either citric or nitric acid passivation based on your specific requirements. Steel Passivation creates a chromium rich surface which can form an invisible inert (passive) oxide layer as….. Read More »

Exceptional standards, customer service, and workmanship make all the difference. Every discipline has its exemplars and its “wannabes”. But how do you tell the difference between them? Here are five useful indicators that can help you distinguish the cream of the crop in electropolishing companies from those for whom polishing stainless steel is not exactly….. Read More »

If you came here looking for a brine or vinegar solution in which foods are preserved, this is not that kind pickling! This article is going to talk about the differences between pickling stainless steel vs electropolishing as a metal surface treatment. Ultimately, both processes are intended to enhance the available chromium material on the….. Read More »