Roughness values or Ra values are important for some stainless steel products, especially when pieces need to be hygienic (for food industry or pharmaceutical industry). But, did you know that maximum Ra values of stainless steel sheets with 2b finish are related to their thickness?

Yes, indeed. Thin plates always have a low Ra Value (maximum roughness between 0.25 and 0.4 µm for sheets with a maximum thickness of 4 mm, but it exceeds the frequently used 0.8 µm limit from thicknesses of 6 and 8 mm (8 mm is even difficult to find in 2b finish). See document in annex for the maximum roughness values of 2b finish stainless steel sheets

27 April 2012