INDIANAPOLIS, March 19, 2018 – Roger Sowinski, Asterion's CTO and Vice President, will be presenting, "Chemical Oxygen Demand in Acid Zinc Electroplating Solutions: Impact on NSS Corrosion Results," on Wednesday, June 6th, 9:00 a.m. Co-authored by Alex Beck, Asterion Technical Services, the presentation will detail how COD analysis of acid chloride zinc electroplating solutions can be employed as a valuable tool in predicting NSS corrosion performance of trivalent passivates. Specifically, Asterion's comprehensive study examines how COD levels of mixed … [Read more...]
February 18, 2018 By
Asterion to Host Certified Electroplater-Finisher Training
INDIANAPOLIS, February 19, 2018 – Asterion is pleased to once again host a Certified Electroplater-Finisher (CEF) training course to be presented by the AESF Foundation at the Drury Plaza Hotel, Indianapolis, April 30th - May 4th, 2018. This initial training course consists of 40 hours of classroom instruction in the basics of electroplating and surface finishing technology. The course runs the gamut from electro-chemistry to anodizing, copper plating, nickel plating, zinc plating, corrosion protection, rinsing and cleaning. Upon course completion, the student has the option of … [Read more...]
February 5, 2018 By
Blair Vandivier Inducted into Finishing Hall of Fame
INDIANAPOLIS, February 5, 2018 – Mr. Blair Vandivier, President and CEO of Asterion, LLC has been selected for the Finishing Hall of Fame, a program developed by Products Finishing magazine. The program recognizes, "those individuals whose contributions to the finishing industry have been significant and impactful." Vandivier said, “I am truly honored and humbled to be named to the Hall amongst this year's group of finishing pioneers which I have admired and respected throughout my entire career. I am also grateful and share this award with the Asterion team that helped make this … [Read more...]
December 26, 2017 By
Asterion Publishes Equipment Capabilities Guide
INDIANAPOLIS, December 27, 2017 — To support the surface finishing industry’s continued and growing investments in new equipment, the Asterion® Equipment Capabilities Guide has been published. Entering what is forecast by leading economists to be a strong 2018 for U.S. manufacturing, the guide summarizes the following criteria to ensure equipment purchases meet surface finishers’ increasing application and productivity requirements. Equipment Selection Construction and Design Process Line Productivity Impact Total Cost of Ownership Health & Safety Ease of … [Read more...]
November 1, 2017 By
Oil Skimmers Achieve Desired Level of Water Purity
The content of this blog post has been provided courtesy of Abanaki Oil Skimmers. Have you ever heard the old saying, “Oil and Water Don’t Mix?” This is also holds true in metal finishing. The relationship between oil and water in a mixture is well-known and governed by two physical properties: Specific Gravity: Most hydrocarbons have a lower specific gravity than water. Without agitation, oil separates from the water and floats to the surface. These oils are known as LNAPL’s – Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid. Oils (and other compounds) that sink in water have a higher specific … [Read more...]
October 19, 2017 By
Perfecting your Phosphate Line
Spotty parts. These two words pretty much sum it up when issues arise with your phosphate cleaning line. Incomplete coverage ---or ---no coverage at all is another sign that your phosphate line is negatively impacting your shop’s efficiency and your company’s profitability. There is a cure. Incomplete Coverage - Substrate: Incomplete surface coverage typically indicates adjustments to the pretreatment process may be necessary or that there are variations in substrate manufacturing that need to be addressed. Substrate issues should be reviewed with the supplier to confirm consistent … [Read more...]
September 13, 2017 By
Uncovering the Evidence of Poor Air Quality
Poor indoor air quality is more than frustrating. It’s a serious problem that can cause issues ranging from mild eye irritation, to an itchy nose and sore throat, to persistent headaches and fatigue. The prolonged effects of poor air quality and other pollutants are widely documented to cause more severe health concerns impacting respiratory and cardiovascular systems, as well as cancer. Whether sitting at your desk or processing parts on the plating line, ventilation systems abound throughout the ceilings, walls and floors of the workplace. When maintained and audited on a regular basis, … [Read more...]
August 1, 2017 By
Asterion Welcomes Back Doug Trageser, Southeastern US Regional Manager
INDIANAPOLIS, August 2, 2017 – Doug Trageser recently rejoined Asterion, LLC as the company’s Southeastern US Regional Manager. Acknowledged as a trusted and relied upon industry expert, Mr. Trageser is responsible for the sales and technical service of the company’s high performance chemistries, equipment and powder coatings in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina. Mr. Trageser was president of Southeastern Chemical, Inc. prior to the company’s acquisition by Asterion in August 2014. A metal finishing veteran for over decades, Mr. Trageser’s hands-on … [Read more...]
July 27, 2017 By
Equipment Purchasing Shouldn’t Be So Perplexing
Are you frustrated with having to spend valuable time researching and sourcing metal finishing equipment? And, when you finally get a vendor to provide a quote, do you get an uneasy feeling of being overcharged? Your vendor should make you feel confident about every equipment purchase you make. Instead of doing most of the talking, they should be listening to your needs while reviewing the following considerations: Equipment Selection: Based on your budgetary and performance criteria, a focus on equipment options that meet your specific applications and productivity objectives should … [Read more...]
July 12, 2017 By
Jake Fisher a “40 Under 40” Products Finishing Honoree
We are proud to announce that our very own Jake Fisher, Technical Sales Representative, has been named a "40 under 40 Future Leader of Surface Finishing" by Products Finishing Magazine. In 2013, Jake graduated from Wabash College with a chemistry degree and shortly thereafter joined Asterion. In just over three years he has risen from a technician to field service to his current technical sales territory management responsibility. Working closely with customers, Jake employs his knowledge of chemistry and skill as a certified electroplater finisher (CEF) to provide … [Read more...]