There are a few things that will affect the life of your cleaner baths. The first is the condition of parts that you are putting into the bath. If they are covered in and dripping with oil/grime, your cleaner isn’t going to last very long as it will have a lot to clean up. This is easily fixed by lowering the amount of oil used to ship or manufacture the parts. Note that this may not be possible if you aren’t in charge of manufacturing the parts. It’s recommended that you discuss this with those who send you the parts to be plated. Additionally, depending on the type of cleaner you are using, … [Read more...]
February 2, 2016 By
It’s All About Plating
Plating is one of our specialties at Asterion. It's a big deal for our manufacturing clients and is often the most important part of their production process. Are you aware of all the different ways metal can be plated onto different media? There are also many different plating solutions for each unique and custom parts manufacturing job. Here are a few of our favorite posts on various plating methods and outcomes: Hard Chrome Plating The process of hard chrome plating has been used since the early part of the 20th century. It is a process that is used in nearly every aspect of manufacturing … [Read more...]
January 27, 2016 By
I Need A Cleaner, What Have You Got?
For such a simple question, why is the answer so complex? It starts with the understanding of what a cleaner is made of. Since we rarely deal with solvent cleaning these days, let’s limit this discussion to aqueous cleaners. There is an extensive list of products that are incorporated into cleaners, and they all serve a function in one capacity or another. Here is a list of common additives and the functions they perform in a cleaning system. Builders A builder is the basic component of an aqueous cleaner and the workhorse of all components. Common builders are sodium hydroxide, … [Read more...]
January 12, 2016 By
Increase Productivity to Maximize Profitability
It is easy to become complacent as we run our businesses. As many say, “We get stuck inside our comfort zone." To stay competitive, metal finishing operations must continually search for ways to improve their productivity to maximize profits. Acid Zinc Chloride Plating Solutions Many finishing companies operate acid zinc chloride (often called chloride zinc) plating solutions due to the faster plating speed achieved and the ability to plate directly on hardened steel. Yes, alkaline zinc offers you distinct advantages like excellent plate distribution as seen in the old, high cyanide bearing … [Read more...]
January 5, 2016 By
The Electroless Nickel Phenomenon
By Doug Trageser In my 30 years of selling in the metal finishing industry, I have seen many changes and improvements to processes that have benefited the companies that sell and apply those processes to finished goods. The process that I believe has improved the most in that time is the electroless nickel (EN) plating process. Early in my career in the mid 1980’s, a handful of plating shops were applying electroless nickel, but they were few and far between. The technology was not as well understood then, as there was not nearly as much published literature on the subject as there is … [Read more...]
December 22, 2015 By
Rust Preventative Basics
There are three general types of rust preventative products most commonly used in the marketplace today. Each have their advantages and disadvantages for use. This rundown of rust preventative basics provides some descriptions of each products and why one may be better for you to use than another. When choosing a rust preventative, keep in mind the corrosion protection required, equipment available for applying the product, drying capabilities, long term use of product, post processes, and the R.P. film characteristics. Traditional Petroleum-Based Rust Preventative These types contain a … [Read more...]
December 16, 2015 By
I Want a “Cheap” Cleaner
I hear a lot of prospects and customers looking for a "cheap" cleaner. To most people, "cheap" means a low price per unit. Consider these questions and statements when asking for or using a "cheap" cleaner: How effective is it? Perhaps a higher priced cleaner could clean at lower temperatures, shorter times, provide a better surface for coating adhesion, appearance, and corrosion protection. How much are you using? Perhaps a higher priced cleaner would reduce overall maintenance additions and rebuilding costs or perform at a lower, safer concentration. How much sludge is … [Read more...]
November 26, 2015 By
The Basics of Alkaline Cleaning in the Electroplating Industries
The most important phase of metal working, fabricating and finishing is cleaning. Alkaline cleaning is the mainstay of industrial cleaning and may employ both physical and chemical actions. Cleaners are many in number and vary in type and formulation. Alkaline cleaners are specifically formulated (proprietary) chemical blends which consist of alkaline builder salts, surfactants, sequestering agents, emulsifiers and chelators . Wetting agents, soaps and synthetic detergents, allow oil to be removed by displacing the oil from the surface of the part being cleaned by creating an emulsion win … [Read more...]