Most of the furniture used in hospital is of metal. The finishing applied to metal furniture is very important. There are variety of finishes which can be applied to metal to make it durable and rust free. Especially, for hospital furniture, it is very important that the furniture pieces are strong, durable, easily movable and should not rust quickly as it is not possible to change the furniture of a hospital within short span of time.

The most common finishes used on metal frames used in making hospital beds and tables and other pieces of furniture are as follow:

• Anodize
• Brass Plating
• Chrome Plating
• Plastic Coating
• Paints
• Powder Coating

Electroplating Finish
Anodize
Since most metal oxidizes like aluminum, anodized finishes are used on it. The anodized finish is an electroplating finish which is a hard finish that is difficult to scratch but because it is thin, it will wear through. Anodized finishes come in color or cleared.

Brass Plating
This is also an electroplated finish applied in a bath. This is extremely durable yet a thin finish can wear through. Both the solid and brass-plated furniture should be coated with a clear plastic finish, so that furniture does not oxidize.

Chrome Plating
This is also an electroplating finish. This type of finish is durable with a high resistance corrosion but thin.

Plastic Coating
Plastic-coated finishes prevent the metal furniture from rusting or changing color caused by air exposure. These finishes are synthetic finishes which are as durable as paints, but not as durable as the electroplated finishes. Plastic coating is also used over other finishes for extra protection.

Paints
Paints are used to finish metal furniture. They are durable synthetic finishes but painted metal furniture scratches easily, and it oxidizes or rusts once the metal is exposed to the environment.

Powder Coating
Powder coating is the most popular surface finishing techniques. It is the technique of applying dry paint. In powder coating, the powdered paint is applied in two techniques:

• The metal is dipped into a fluidized bed of the powder which may or may not be electro-statically charged.
• The powdered paint is electro-statically charged and sprayed onto the metal.