Your Position: Home - Cargo & Storage Equipment - Powder-Coated vs Stainless Steel Cages - Which is Better?

Powder-Coated vs Stainless Steel Cages - Which is Better?

Jul. 08, 2024

Powder-Coated vs Stainless Steel Cages - Which is Better?

With competitive price and timely delivery, EVERGREAT sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

The two most popular types of material used in modern bird cage construction are stainless and powder-coated steel. Each material can make for a great enclosure, but how do you know which one is right for you and your bird?

It is time to weigh the pros and cons of each before investing in a home for your feathered friend!

Which Steel is the Real Deal?

Stainless: Sleek and Sturdy

The look of a stainless steel bird cage alone is the biggest reason many bird owners opt for one. The sleek look of a shiny enclosure will immediately draw attention to your bird the instant someone enters the room, making it a great way to showcase your prized pet!

The material used in all stainless parrot cages on our store is 304 Medical Grade - the same type used in almost every industry due to its amazing corrosion-resistance, versatility, and durability. Not all types are created equal which is why we only carry the highest-quality 304 Grade steel.

Stainless steel enclosures are completely non-toxic, rust-free, and a cinch to clean. These characteristics are very important because stain-free homes last a lifetime, so you might as well get one that is easy to maintain! Although there is a more limited selection of these rustless options on the market, you are sure to find the Play Top or Dome Top style you are after.

You must be wondering: If a stainless cage looks good, is extremely durable and easy to clean, why wouldn't I get one? Well, unfortunately, those lucrative characteristics come with a price: they can cost double that of their powder-coated counterparts, making it a tough trade-off to consider when purchasing a new cage.

Our recommendation is to go for a stainless cage if your budget allows for it. You are sure going to love it as much as your parrot, so don't hesitate to pick one up if the price is right!

Powder-Coated: Textured and Tough

While all rust-free steel options will provide the same metallic look, the finish on powder-coated cages come in a variety of colors. Whether Platinum, Pearl White, or Ruby Red, it is easy to add a custom, professional look to your home with a new powder-coated cage. One of the rooms in our house is painted light yellow, which contrasted greatly with the Ruby Red cage we purchased for our first budgie.

The textured powder coating used on modern cages is durable but not completely non-toxic. Although the current technology used in bird cage manufacturing makes the coating very chip-resistant, a resilient bird might be able to eventually chip off and ingest a piece. This is very rare though, so please don't get worried if you already own a powder-coated cage!

While not quite as effortless to wipe clean as their sleek counterparts, powder-coated cages are not much of a hassle to clean up. Either way, you are going to have to get your hands a little dirty to clean up your bird's mess.

The biggest benefit of powder-coated cages is how economical they are! Great cages can be found for under $500, making it very easy for new bird owners to get started.

Powder-coated cages are certainly the affordable way to go when you want to expand your flock!

Which Type is Right for You?

Now that you are familiar with what each material has to offer as well as its pitfalls, it is time to make your selection. As with most choices as an avid pet owner, the decision comes down to personal preference.

Both types of materials provide their own benefits as discussed above, and the decision on which one to purchase usually comes down to look and price.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to figure out which type of cage you should order:

What color cage would look best in my home? Is there a particular powder-coated finish that you love, or do you prefer the clean stain-free look?
What is my budget? A budget under $1,000 will generally dictate that you opt for a powder-coated cage
How many birds do I have or am I looking to get? Would I rather have more birds or a nicer cage? Related to the budget point above, if you have multiple birds it might make more sense to get all powder-coated cages. However, if you only want one bird then stainless steel makes for a great investment.

To shop for the best stainless steel cages on the market, click here. To shop by your favorite look in a new bird cage, click here to see your available options.

There you have it, the two best cage materials have been deciphered! You should now be able to make an informed decision when looking for your next cage. Let us know if you have any questions!

which cage to use - Bearing design, manufacture and ...

INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!

Talk With Other Members
Be Notified Of Responses
To Your Posts
Keyword Search
One-Click Access To Your
Favorite Forums
Automated Signatures
On Your Posts
Best Of All, It's Free!

Join Us!

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving . By joining you are opting in to receive .

Posting Guidelines

Students Click Here

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Eng-Tips Posting Policies

Contact US

which cage to use

thread821- Forum Search FAQs Links MVPs

Forum
Search
FAQs
Links

Want more information on Steel Cage Manufacturers? Feel free to contact us.
MVPs

which cage to use

DUISENM69

(Mechanical)

(OP)

19 Apr 06 00:54

I have a choice to buy bearing for electrical motor RPM with brass cage or polyamid cage.

1) BECBM Angular Contact ball bearing single row "Brass Cage".
2) BECBP Angular Contact ball bearing Single row "Polyamide Cage".

What is the criteria I need to consider? I appreciate your advice.

RE: which cage to use

TPL

(Mechanical)

19 Apr 06 03:04

We banned the use of polymide cages in our plant (as do most of the major oil and gas multinationals) simply because cage failures are almost completely undetectable using a walk around vibration monitoring program. Polymide is relatively soft and acts as a 'cushion' and impacts between rolling elements and bits of breaking up cage do not transmit to the bearing casing.

Once initiated, polymide cage failure accelerates quite quickly - when the rolling elements come in to contact the bearing failure is extremely quick, with a good deal of heat being generated, giving a potential fire hazard.

Polymide cages cannot be used at temperatures above 120 degC

We replaced all bearings with polymide cages with ones fitted with brass cages - failures are more gentle and easily picked up with a routine vibration monitoring programs. When a brass cage fails, it often releases huges number of tiny brass particles which discolour the lube oil - another indication of failure that is easily picked up. Brass is OK up to 300 degC but should not be used in an environment wher eit may come into contact with ammonia.

RE: which cage to use

JJPellin

(Mechanical)

19 Apr 06 07:48

I work in a major oil refinery. We have also stopped using the non metalic cages. Our standard for angular contact thrust bearings is a machined brass cage. Several studies have shown that the brass cages have a considerable advantage over stamped steel and definately over the non-metalics. We do still use the polymide cage bearings in one application. The lower intermediate shaft bearing in certain models of Sundyne gearboxes uses this cage material. Sundyne insists that no other option can handle the speed. We are currently working to find an alternative so we can repalce this bearing, as well. For any bearing substition, it is a good idea to verify speed, temperature and load capability of the new bearing as compared to the service it is being placed in.

RE: which cage to use

diskullman

(Industrial)

19 Apr 06 08:54

The benefits of the polyamide cage: quiter, lighter, has some self lubricity, cleaner waste product (old grease) and much easier to make for the bearing manufacturer. It should not be a problem in an electric motor. That being said, and after a scan of the FAG manual for any benefits they can offer (none), considering the amount of failures & re-design of bearings back to steel & other metallic cages, I would definately buy the brass cage bearing.

Russell Giuliano

RE: which cage to use

JeanMicheling

(Mechanical)

28 Apr 06 11:07

Japan used to put polyamide cage bearings in their machine tool spindles. They use it because they work better with vibration and in high speed conditions. I use polyamide cage once and I noticed that running temp was lower than phenolic cages. Actually, it's true for a certain speed but as you increase the speed over about rpm phenolic cage runs cooler (according to NSK). Brass cage will give you high rigidity, high strength and high temp resistance. So to answer you questions, the criteria you should consider are :

-Speed, load, vibration, temp, noise, chemical environnement, lubrication and of course price.

NSK precision book gives a good general description of the different advantages of cages.

RE: which cage to use

Skogsgurra

(Electrical)

28 Apr 06 15:52

Brass is usually chosen for such applications. I would chose brass. There are reports (rumours?) that polyamide fails catastrophically without much warning in the vibration spectrum.

is for a rather large motor. 700 - 900 kW, I think. I would not look at the price in such a case. Speed is not high. Sound level is probably not an issue. Preventive maintenance and the possibility to get an early warning before total bearing failure will probably be important.Brass is usually chosen for such applications. I would chose brass. There are reports (rumours?) that polyamide fails catastrophically without much warning in the vibration spectrum.

Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org

RE: which cage to use

Mendit

(Mechanical)

4 May 06 14:50

This is a vertical motor no doubt? We have been rebuilding motors for over 30 years and the polyamide cages have been a cause of many failures, some catastrophic. In all probability your bearing is oil bath lubrication, or it should be ? The upper bearings are the thrust and the lower bearing is a guide. Depending on your load if 2 bearings are used at the top there is a frequency generated between the 2 bearings which can cause the cages to break up. Brass is better at transfering heat away.

RE: which cage to use

Petri

(Electrical)

26 Sep 06 23:32

I have had some bad experiences with Polyamide Cage bearings in the past as well. I have read that Polyamide cages are effected by EP additives ( Sulphur ) in lubricating oils ( Hypoid ), with combination of elevated temperatures greater that 150 deg C, leading to material softening and could lead to ultimate failure.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.