12-04-2011 WR
Products generally need to be a mixture of attractive and functional features and the coatings used in modern barbecue manufacture address both of these design considerations.
Surface finishes will need to be durable and resist scratching and general knocks in use and whilst being stored. They will need to be hard and corrosion resistant as well as being unaffected by the heat when the barbecue is in use.
It might not be a surprise to you that he requirements of ferrous materials used in making barbecue ‘plate’ ( the flat steel material used from which the shapes) are pressed out ) are very strictly controlled - with some steel products not being used because of their processing during refining The requirements of the steel plate obviously also includes the need for it to be corrosion-resistant, and resistant to high temperatures.
One component of barbecues that can easily be damaged are the grill sections. These are often made of cast iron as the heat retention properties are so good - because of the density of the material. Cast iron cookware and burners are also used to assist in better heat retention and distribution. Overall. As with other parts of the product these can be ceramic coated too.
If you were designing a product that had to be weather resistant overall and which would also be moved around on hard surfaces that were often very uneven - with the possibilities of short drops between surfaces when the barbecue was being moved - as with steps - what materials would you consider for the wheels?