Metal finishing barrel operations are used most often for “bulk” finishing of large quantities of parts. They are the most efficient method for finishing bulk parts and any pieces that do not require individual handling. A hoist system is generally used to transfer the loaded metal finishing barrel assemblies from one process station to the next. 16 December 2009
Increasing demand for water and stringent new legislation to limit the discharge of effluent is taking place in many areas worldwide. Equipment innovations that reduce water usage and minimize the quantity of chemicals discharged into the environment as treated effluent and sludge have been installed in several state-of-the-art modern electroplating barrel machines that incorporate centrifuge post-treatment systems. The innovations will also supply attractive cost benefits by reducing drag-out. 09 December 2009
Investing in the business—and its people—pays big dividends for C.R. Hudgins Plating, a 60-year-old operation based in Lynchburg, Va. 19 August 2009
As the performance criteria for plated components have become more demanding, directives to meet strict environmental considerations have forced sweeping changes to surface finishes. The resulting field performance has been as varied as the alternatives. This article will compare zinc–nickel alloy plating and dip-spin coating technology with regard to various critical performance characteristics for automotive component applications. Corrosion resistance, total friction co-efficient, and contact with dissimilar metals, among other key properties, will be discussed. 17 August 2009
Atotech's Björn Dingwerth discusses the benefits of an environmentally friendly trivalent chromium-based post-dip. This post-dip helps reinforce trivalent chromium-based conversion coatings while also preserving decorative appearance and corrosion protection properties. 17 August 2009
For more than 80 years, the plating industry has been dependent on the use of various zincate and/or stannate solutions to assist in the plating of metals such as titanium, aluminum, and magnesium. It is becoming ever more difficult to use these solutions due to restrictive regulations—plus, they are difficult to work with. This article presents an environmentally acceptable and easy-to-work-with alternative process that does not require the metalizing of the metals to be plated or extensive cleaning and deoxidization procedures. 11 August 2009
In the highly competitive and technologically advanced world of Formula One auto racing, engine component cleanliness is taken very seriously. So, when specifying a new cleaning system for a range of aluminum and titanium F1 engine racing components, Honda Racing Developments chose a Kerry Microsolve co-solvent ultrasoinic cleaning unit to meet their very exacting requirements. 07 July 2008
Professional Plating could dazzle you dizzy with its deep range of finishing services—rack zinc plating, barrel zinc plating, acrylic e-coating, epoxy e-coating, custom powder coating, and specialty ceramic coatings, to name a few. But it’s not just about diversity for diversity’s sake. The real hook, company principals note, is doing all of these things on a level of quality that’s repeatable and consistent—every time. 15 October 2007
Don’t let the name fool you. At Cadillac Plating, it’s all about the zinc: zinc iron hexavalent black, zinc iron trivalent black, zinc trivalent clear, zinc trivalent yellow, zinc hexavalent yellow, and zinc olive drab. It’s a specialty focus that, according to the company, provides a lucrative market niche at a time when many other finishing firms are moving toward diversification. And for Nick Salvati, Jr., plant manager of the Warren, Mich.-based company, that suits him just fine. 15 August 2007
Alan Ensign, vice president and general manager of Wyandotte, Mich.–based Cadon Plating & Coatings, is no stranger to trying times. When the company abandoned the commodity-driven rack plating business years ago, revenues took a 30% hit. Then in in 1994, government regs forced its exodus from the cadmium plating market and, much later, the olive-drab business. As a result of that move, 25% of sales vaporized—just like that. If those setbacks weren’t enough, the company lost once-steady business when the U-bolt suppliers for several major auto suppliers installed their own paint lines, essentially cutting out Cadon completely. 15 May 2007
A few weeks ago I headed off to the state of Michigan—reporter’s pad and camera in tow—with the goal of sizing up a handful of plating and finishing operations for possible inclusion in the new “Profile” section of the magazine. I got much more than I bargained for via a healthy dose of harsh reality. 09 May 2007
The UV world is getting bigger every day—and that includes the size of the parts being coated and cured. New developments in UV curing have enabled faster and cost-effective coating of large and complex parts. From boats and cars to bathtubs and snowmobiles, the once miniature world of applications that focused quite literally on optical fibers and CD-ROMs has grown up. And the parts have changed from flat sheets of paper to the beautiful curves of guitars and bumper facias. 11 April 2006
With compliance deadlines for new environmental regulations fast approaching or already in effect, surface finishers are challenged to manage the transition to alternative coating materials and away from hexavalent chromium. 03 April 2006
Environmentalists, community leaders, labor representatives, local and national politicians—everyone, it seems, points the finger of blame at hexavalent chromium, accusing the substance of causing everything from groundwater contamination, soil and crop pollution, to human cancer and loss of business to overseas job shops. 08 March 2005
Paint solvents and other airborne chemicals classified as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are undesirable air pollutants because they have unpleasant odors and contribute to the formation of smog. Federal, state, and local regulations limit the amount of these chemicals emitted from manufacturing facilities; so many industries must abate these VOCs. 18 October 2004
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