Diamond Brite Metals Offers Basic Guide For Understanding RA Finishes

A Roughness Average (RA) finish is a mechanically measured surface finish imparted on stainless steel. It is measured by taking the average deviation of a surface’s microscopic peaks and valleys from an imaginary centerline. A higher RA correlates to more pronounced peaks and valleys (i.e. a higher deviation from the centerline), designating a rougher surface. A a lower RA correlates to more compact peaks and valleys (i.e. a lower deviation from the centerline), designating a smoother surface.

Roughness Averages are popular with customers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs” in a range of commercial industries, including the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, dairy, process systems, nuclear, and oil and gas sectors. The measurability of RA finishes ameliorates ambiguity as to surface finish thereby ensuring quality control from vendor to customer.

A new white paper by MSCI member Diamond Brite Metals aims to marry the scientific nuances of RA finishes with the commercial practices of service centers, metal fabricators, and OEMs involved with stainless steel. The ultimate goal of the paper is to create a basic guide for understanding RA finishes and to set an accepted standard for industries.

A scientific, but commercially tailored, standard for RA finishes will allow service centers and end-users to communicate effectively and efficiently about RA finishes while eliminating the potential for waste and disconnect.

Read the white paper here.

If you are an MSCI member and have a paper to share, please contact Briana Dee at bdee@msci.org.