The workhorse of the commercial finishing industry. It is inexpensive, highly decorative, and reasonable in corrosion resistance. Bright and yellow trivalent or hexavalent chromate colors are available. Major industries include automotive, agricultural, hardware, lawn and garden, recreational and others. See: Zinc Specs

Chromate Conversion Coating (Chem Film) is applied over aluminum as a paint base or for some corrosion resistance at a lower cost than anodize. Thin, clear coatings are utilized where electrical conductivity is important; heavier, yellow coatings are specified for greater corrosion resistance. Major markets are electronics and instrumentation. See: Specs for Chromates on Aluminum

Electroless Nickel is a higher cost engineering coating offering good appearance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, excellent hardness and wear resistance. It has the advantage of being uniform in thickness over the entire part. It also shields radio frequencies. Major markets include oil field, electronics, and some agricultural. See: Specs for Electroless Nickel

Electrolytic Nickel is a specialty coating of moderate cost. It can be decorative, is good for high temperature applications and is an excellent finish for brass and copper. It can also be welded or brazed after finishing. Corrosion resistance is good on thicker applications. See: Specs for Electrolytic Nickel

Black Polyurethane E-Coat is applied with an electrical current in an immersion process that results in a very uniform coating, even on complex parts. The thickness (0.2 to 1.0 mil) is lower than liquid paints or powder coat, making it an ideal finish for parts with close tolerances and threaded parts. Corrosion resistance is good, chip resistance is excellent, and the black finish is quite decorative.

Electroless Nickel-Tin is a higher cost finish. It consists of tin applied over nickel for very specific RF/electrical conductivity applications. See: Specs for Electrolytic Nickel-Tin

Tin has a very high electrical conductivity and is easily soldered. It also conducts radio frequency in instruments. It can be decorative or dull depending on the application. Corrosion resistance is good. The cost is moderate. Major industries include automotive, instrumentation, and electrical connectors. See: Specs for Tin

Electrolytic Copper Over Nickel (Barrel Processed) produces a finish with high electrical conductivity, solderability and resistance to corrosion. These characteristics make it an excellent choice for various applications in the automotive and high tech industries.

Magni 560 combines an electroplated zinc and chromate underlayer with an aluminum-rich epoxy topcoat. The zinc layer provides sacrificial protection of the substrate and the topcoat creates a highly corrosion resistant barrier. A friction modifier provides low torque for fastener applications. The cost is about twice that of zinc. Click here for technical information.

Processes before surface finishing may include steel shot blasting, masking areas where finish is undesirable, or special cleaning. Operations after surface finishing include sealing, oiling, hydrogen embrittlement relief, Teflon overcoat, sorting and touch up. In most cases, the thickness of the finish can be varied to meet the needs of the customer.