Plate Technology

Surface Finishes

The approved finish vocabulary for each material family and how finish behaves over time.

Page reviewed August 2026

Responsible officeMaterials & Manufacturing
Content reviewAnnual and as finish sets change
ScopeGeneral finish description across the institutional portfolio
01

The approved sets

Steel is finished satin, brushed, high polish, bead-blasted or black DLC. Silver is polished, satin or soft antiqued. Gold is offered in lustre, satin or linear brushed. Platinum is available in quiet polish, satin or micro-brushed. Availability depends on the system and the individual plan.

02

Black DLC

Diamond-like carbon is a thin, extremely hard coating deposited onto finished steel, giving a deep neutral black that is harder than the metal beneath it. It is offered on steel systems only. It resists scratching better than any bare finish in the range and, unlike the others, it cannot be refinished: a DLC surface that is damaged is replaced rather than restored. Design Specialists raise that trade-off before it is selected.

03

Finish changes with wear

Every finish develops over years of ordinary contact: high polish softens, brushed surfaces even out, antiqued silver shifts with handling. AREOLA describes this as expected behaviour rather than damage, and finish performance is a continuing subject of institutional study.

04

Choosing with the long view

Design Specialists generally ask how a patient wants the surface to look in five years rather than on the first day. Patients who handle an interchangeable system frequently, swim regularly or work with their hands often prefer a finish that ages evenly.

05

Refinishing

Some surfaces can be restored during a planned review; others cannot be restored without altering the piece. What is possible depends on material, finish and construction, and your Design Specialist will say which applies to your system before you select it.

Reviewed by Materials & Manufacturing

Content is reviewed with the relevant clinical, nursing, materials or administrative department before publication.

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