Alkaline non-cyanide zinc (ANCZ) plating has been prevalent in the plating industry for about 50 years. It has become a preferred process for finishers who require a fairly bright zinc-plated finish on parts that have challenging geometrical shapes. ANCZ is typically the chosen zinc process for complicated geometrical shapes due to its ability to plate zinc at a preferred low ratio of zinc thickness from the high current density areas to the low current density areas. Thickness ratios can range anywhere from 1:1 to 2:1 from the high current density area to the low current density area. Bath … [Read more...]
March 13, 2020 By
Asterion Business Response to COVID-19
A quick note to all of the friends of Asterion, LLC regarding the Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 I am sure that your inbox is being filled with emails from both customers and suppliers regarding the Novel Coronavirus, COVID 19. Without adding to the litter, please be aware that our management team and all of our Team Members are working to protect ourselves and our customers from the impact of this public health issue. We have taken the following steps: Publicize and encourage commonsense hygienic practices to minimize infection risk. Restrict access to our facility to … [Read more...]
January 6, 2020 By
Asterion Celebrates Customers and the Holidays with Donation to Habitat Indy
INDIANAPOLIS, January 7, 2020 – For the third consecutive year, Asterion celebrated our valued customers and the holiday season by donating to Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity. This year, a company match was offered to all employees that participated. Over $1300 was raised. Blair Vandivier, President and CEO of Asterion stated, “We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Indy Habitat, as well as take pride in the generosity demonstrated by fellow Asterion team members as part of our company match. Giving back to and actively participating in our local communities is one of our … [Read more...]
July 19, 2019 By
Is there a better way to provide a high corrosion resistant finish that is not an expensive alloy process?
If a high corrosion resistant finish provided 400+ hours to first white corrosion product and 700+ hours to red corrosion, until now, the answer was NO. Alloy finishes with passivate and seals that were complex and difficult to control were the only choice to achieve 400+ hours to first white corrosion product and 700+ hours to red corrosion. Traditional zinc plating just could not meet these requirements. As a result, finishers and their customers could only look to zinc alloy systems to provide high corrosion resistant attributes. The challenges associated with these processes were just a … [Read more...]
July 15, 2019 By
What Would We Do Without SUR/FIN?
As long as I can remember, there have been musings about SUR/FIN® and its value. While I agree, there are ways SUR/FIN can be improved, without SUR/FIN where would we as an industry be? There would be no opportunity for surface finishers from various disciplines and backgrounds to meet and discuss issues formally and informally. The latest information on regulatory developments would have be discerned via webinars or articles. While these forums are truly valuable for some things, the opportunity to ask questions in person, or meet with a speaker “offline” do not occur in the … [Read more...]
June 18, 2019 By
Asterion Introduces Incredibly Corrosion Resistant Zinc Plating Systems
INDIANAPOLIS, June 17, 2019 – Asterion is excited to introduce the industry’s next generation of alkaline and chloride zinc plating systems. Possessing incredible white corrosion and red rust resistance, extended NSS performance is consistently achieved when choosing any one of the company’s new, multi-level Asterion® systems: Ultra, UltraPlus™, or UltraMax™. Engineered for both rack and barrel operations, Ultra, UltraPlus, and UltraMax™ zinc plating systems offer ease of operation and waste treatment. Based on production-proven processes approved by Harley-Davidson, the RoHS-compliant … [Read more...]
May 15, 2019 By
Billie Dzunda a “40 Under 40” Products Finishing Honoree
We are proud to announce that Billie Dzunda, Asterion’s Director of Environmental Health and Safety, has been named a “40 Under 40 Future Leader of Surface Finishing” by Products Finishing Magazine. Safety is not only mentioned prominently in Asterion’s mission statement, but it is one of our core values. Since joining Asterion in 2015, Billie has provided exceptional leadership to ensure a safe workplace. In addition to providing EHS leadership, she is also part of our ISO 9001 team and works tirelessly to not only maintain compliance but strive for improvement. Billie graduated from … [Read more...]
April 1, 2019 By
Increasing Bath Life and Quality of Trivalent Passivates on Zinc Plate
As published in Products Finishing Magazine, April 2019 issue. Q: What is the best way to increase the bath life and quality of trivalent passivates on zinc plate? A: One of the more significant developments of the last 20 years in the metal finishing industry is the commercial development and application of trivalent passivates on zinc electroplate. These developments have allowed applicators to eliminate the use of toxic hexavalent-chromate conversion coatings, thereby safeguarding the health of all involved in the handling and processing of zinc-plated parts. Further, these trivalent … [Read more...]
March 21, 2019 By
Asterion “Safety First” Training
As part of the company’s core values to provide safety tools and training to employees, Asterion is committed to conducting American Heart Association (AHA) safety training on a regular basis. The OSHA-compliant training provides critical skills required to respond to and manage an emergency until emergency medical services arrives. Skills covered include first aid, choking relief, and what to do for sudden cardiac arrest. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive course, all participants are certified for two years. As part of the training and our emergency action plan, … [Read more...]
March 4, 2019 By
Cleaning Cycle Optimization
Should we be content with letting cleaning baths get contaminated with oils and soils? We can just dump and make up a fresh bath, right? You could go that route, but beware; without proper cleaning blisters, poor adhesion, pitting, peeling, and flaking may start to rear their ugly heads before a fresh bath can be made. There is a better answer. What would happen if agitation and filtration systems were added to a cleaner? The filters remove bulk soils and particulates as they are being introduced to the bath. An agitation system mechanically sweeps particulate matter away from the … [Read more...]