Summary for bright aluminum plate Discussion
Bright aluminum plate is the question here: Scott Moorman says his company makes hydraulic reservoirs from 5052-H32 mill-finish aluminum, but a customer wants a brighter look than standard mill finish without going to a mirror polish. He asks what surface-luster options exist and whether the material can be bought that way, or if the finish is usually applied after fabrication to the welded reservoir. He also wants to avoid labor-intensive hand polishing on every part. The thread excerpt provided contains only the question, so no answerer guidance or consensus is shown. The practical issue is whether a brighter appearance can be sourced in sheet stock or must be achieved by a separate finishing step on the completed weldment.
Q. We manufacture hydraulic reservoirs from 5052-H32 mill finish aluminum. Our customer wants a “brighter” finish than the standard mill finish. Not mirrored – but their existing reservoirs from another vendor are “brighter”.
What are the options for aluminum surface luster, and can we buy sheet stock with this finish — or is it typically done to the finished weldment? I don’t want guys spending 30 minutes polishing every reservoir.
Scott Moorman
Designer – Mentor, Ohio USA
September 12, 2018