Method for improving the stainless steel surface finish on a composite metal laminate

摘要

The stainless steel surface of a strip of composite, roll-bonded, stainless steel-aluminum laminate material is characterized by a matte finish and by considerable surface roughness but is shown to be provided with a high quality surface finish in an economical manner by advancing the metal laminate over spaced supporting rolls under substantial tension, by providing a series of buffing rolls formed of fabrics of moderate abrading properties and by rotating these buffing rolls in the direction of advance of the laminate on roll axes disposed normal to said direction of advance while oscillating the buffing rolls to a controlled limited extent along the roll axes and while pressing the buffing rolls against the stainless steel surface between the support rolls with substantial force for obtaining a selected degree of wrap of the laminate against surfaces of the buffing rolls to provide a substantial area of buffing engagement between the strip surface and the rolls, and by intermittently projecting abrasive particles of moderate abrading properties free of a gaseous carrier medium at a force in excess of 600 psi, substantially radially onto surfaces of the buffing rolls for penetrating the buffing rolls with the abrasive particles to a significant extent so that the abrasive particles are carried by the buffing rolls over the entire area of buffing engagement between the strip surface and the rolls, thereby to obtain an extensive degree of a moderate type of surface abrasion for achieving the desired high quality surface finish while using only limited quantities of expendable buffing and abrasive materials.