How should the material of a slicer pressure plate be selected?

Choose the pressure plate by whether it touches the meat. For contact faces, 316L stainless or anodized food-grade aluminium works well: the former resists brine corrosion, the latter is light and won't mar delicate products. Non-contact frames can use 304 to save cost. A brushed or PTFE finish cuts down smearing, and rounded edges leave no crevice for fines. With soft sausages or frozen rolls, check whether the product collapses under pressure and confirm the adjustable force range. A reliable approach: press your usual raw material at the target slice thickness, run half an hour, then strip the plate to inspect cling and cleaning effort, and log both results on the machine's shipping acceptance sheet.