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...]
February 27, 2019 By
Will 2019 Be Smooth Sailing?
Part of my job is to anticipate the future and like the captain of the ship, steer a course that avoids turbulence as much as possible. Unfortunately, in business there are few adages such as “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; Red sky at morning, sailor take warning”. As a result, organizational leaders must keep a watchful eye to spot those trends which affect their industry. One of the benefits of travel, whether by air or car, is the isolation which allows the mind to freely flow. Occasionally, these episodes provide an opportunity for reflection. On a recent journey, I noticed six … [Read more...]
February 10, 2019 By
Asterion Employees Receive First Aid, CPR and AED Training
INDIANAPOLIS, February 11, 2019 – As part of the company’s core values to provide safety tools, training and knowledge to employees, Asterion, LLC corporate-based team members recently completed the American Heart Association Heartsaver® First Aid CPR AED course held at the company’s Indianapolis headquarters. Asterion Health & Safety Manager, Ms. Billie Dzunda, organized the training which included both hands-on coaching and classroom teaching conducted by an American Heart Association certified instructor. Meeting OSHA regulatory requirements, the course prepared all Asterion … [Read more...]
February 2, 2019 By
Nickel Stripper Issues and Answers
A customer alerted us to an issue with their acid-based anodic nickel stripper. The issue had been ongoing for at least a couple of months and they had tried many different things to solve the issue. One of the issues was the automatic backwash filtration system had been down for an extended period. It was thought that was the main culprit, based on the appearance of the strip solution showing a great deal of floating solids that would settle to the bottom when there was no circulation. Filtration Fixed, but… The filtration system was fixed, and the customer decided to dump and make … [Read more...]
January 7, 2019 By
Asterion TECHNIBRITE™ Alkaline and Acid Zinc Systems Approved by Harley-Davidson
INDIANAPOLIS, January 8, 2019 – Asterion, LLC is pleased to announce that Harley-Davidson has approved TECHNIBRITE™ alkaline and acid zinc plating systems for providing optimum corrosion protection on the company’s legendary motorcycles. Specifically, the TECHNIBRITE systems have met the stringent specifications of Harley-Davidson’s “Zinc Plate and Seal per ESPEC 805-050,” and “Zinc Plate per ESPEC 805-051” for use on powertrain components. The approved zinc plating systems include the use of TECHNIBRITE AZ 130 alkaline, non-cyanide zinc or TECHNIBRITE ZN 200 chloride acid zinc, followed by … [Read more...]
September 18, 2018 By
Asterion Receives ISO 9001:2015 Certification
INDIANAPOLIS, September 19, 2018 – Asterion, LLC is pleased to announce that it has received certification to the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS). Verisys Registrars conducted the independent, third party certification and issued Certificate Number A101013. ISO 9001:2015 certification denotes that Asterion is compliant to the International Standards Organization (ISO) quality management system and has demonstrated its ability to consistently provide products and services focused on enhancing customer satisfaction. It is the only standard in the ISO 9000 family against which … [Read more...]
April 22, 2018 By
How to Keep a Plating Bath from Slowing Down
As published in Products Finishing Magazine, April 2018 issue. Alkaline plating baths form carbonates over time, and these carbonates cause the baths to become less efficient, resulting in slower plating speed. Asterion’s Roger Sowinski outlines three options for removing carbonates. Q. Why is the plating time in my alkaline plating baths increasing? How do I fix this problem? A. When it comes to plating, time is money, and nothing is more frustrating than your plating bath slowing to a crawl. The good news is that you can return the plating speed to its original levels; the … [Read more...]
March 19, 2018 By
Asterion to Present at SUR/FIN 2018 Technical Conference
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...]