Lo dice il nome, lo racconta la storia dell’azienda: Super Inox nasce da una premessa importante: l’uso esclusivo dell’acciaio per la produzione della rubinetteria. Una scelta coraggiosa, perché per anni il mondo del design ha guardato alla rubinetteria per il bagno e per la cucina considerando unicamente quella prodotta in ottone, un materiale di sicuro più facile da lavorare.

In recent years, the trend has been changing. Firstly, because technological advances in mechanical processing have made it possible to achieve extremely high levels of design even when using materials other than brass. Secondly, because customers’ attention to health and environmental issues has grown exponentially.

Super Inox has always believed that stainless steel, especially AISI 316L, is the best possible material for taps and fittings and for contact with the water we use for washing and cooking. But it also believes that it is the best possible material for creating objects with an elegant design and clean, precise lines that blend in with both modern and classic ambiences.

Stainless steel taps: why choose them over brass ones

If we were to ask any user who is about to choose their new bathroom mixer tap whether they prefer steel or brass, the answer would be the most logical one: the important thing is that it looks good, works well and is durable. Since taps evolved from simple valves to more sophisticated devices, introducing mixer cartridges and surface treatments with galvanic processes (i.e. chrome plating), the image of the chrome tap, shiny and sparkling in its reflections, has become established in the collective imagination. However, as we have learned over time, chrome plating has negative health implications. It is obtained through hexavalent chromium electrolysis, a substance that has caused significant damage to the environment and humans and is in fact declared dangerous by several agencies, such as the European Chemicals Agency. For this reason, today we try to process chromium through trivalent electrolysis, a method that is much less toxic than the former but less durable over time, and in any case also subject to restrictions by the European Commission.

Lead and chromium: stainless steel for taps is a healthier choice for us and the environment

There is another negative aspect linked to the use of brass, which is the lead contained in the alloy. Brass is an alloy formed from copper and zinc which, in the absence of lead, tends to form very long and rigid shavings during the mechanical processes required to create holes and threads, which are difficult to recover.

With the addition of lead, on the other hand, the material becomes more workable, producing short chips or even powder. This not only facilitates machining, but also reduces tool wear and heating, which also increases machining speed and extends the life of machines and tools.

For this reason, in some cases, the brass used in taps may contain a percentage of lead which, when in contact with water, can release substances that are hazardous to health. On the contrary, stainless steel, in addition to guaranteeing the absence of lead, is not chrome-plated but treated, polished or satin-finished on the surface, making it a more noble metal, suitable for bathrooms, kitchens and water in general for human consumption.

Super Inox: stainless steel taps for design, quality and durability

The advantages offered by steel are not limited to health and environmental issues, but go beyond them. First of all, there is its durability: chrome-plated brass tends to scratch and lose its shine over time. Steel, having no coating, lasts over time without losing its initial splendour.

Stainless steel taps are sturdy, solid, do not deteriorate over time and are, in simple terms, practically eternal. What’s more, they represent a guarantee for our loved ones: today, stainless steel is simply the best material for making taps. This is why it has become the primary choice of Super Inox, which believes in it so much that it has even incorporated this metal into its name. It is a choice of character, just as the entire production is characterised by character: strong, decisive lines; robust and durable mixers. Made and designed by people who love their work and their product. So much so that they have chosen the best: AISI316L STAINLESS STEEL.