Creating Intricate Steel Parts for Pasteurization Equipment
Find out what it took to create intricate parts out of 304 stainless steel for pasteurization equipment.
- Services
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MachiningMetal Finishing
- Industry
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AgriculturalDairy / Food
- Materials
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304 Stainless SteelLaser Cutting
About
the Project
A customer came to us needing to create 4,500 parts (orifice plates) for equipment that would be used to pasteurize dairy products. Specifically, the customer's print called for a circle measuring 16.5 inches in diameter to be cut from 18-gauge 304 stainless steel and then perforated with 0.9-millimeter holes.
The Problem
Because these orifice plates would come into contact with dairy products, it was critical for them to be completely free of burrs or scratches. If any dairy products were to catch or stick on the plates, bacteria could easily form.
Manufacturing a
Full-Service Solution
We started by laser cutting the circular plates out of the stainless steel sheets. After the plates were cut, we sent them to our in-house CNC machine shop for the next step. Here, we drilled tiny holes (measuring 0.9 mm in diameter) into all 4,500 plates.
The Outcome
After the orifice plates were perfected, we sent them to one of our approved suppliers for electropolishing. This gave them the ultimate shine and scratch-free finish. With the 4,500 burr-free plates in hand, our customer was able to keep their project on schedule.
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