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Dull polishing on Stainless Steel Surgical Instruments

I am a manufacturer of surgical instruments. Kindly tell me how to geta dull, non reflective greyish finish - smooth one on stainless steel instruments. Would dull finish increase the chances of rusting?

Rekha Ramna
Apex Medical & Surgical Equipments - Chennai, India

Our company fills a similar need to the dental industry. The parts are required to be non reflective and smooth. We apply TiAlN PVD coating on the parts. There might be another method, if you do not need the smoothness, vapor blasting the part will dull any stainless to gray.

Blair Woodring
- East Petersburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Surgical instruments should first be highly polished first, this increases the stainless ability to form a cohesive passive layer. Then bead blasted with very very very fine beads, lightly. Using no more than 60 PSI pressure dry air. The beads, if applied in this way will not abrade the passive oxide layer but simply indent it. Remember that you only need to scatter the light. Using this process should result in a nice lustre.

Raphael Perez
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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