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 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...]
November 11, 2015 By
Spray Rinsing
In the industry of metal finishing all of the process steps and control parameters are critical. Naturally most of all of the process steps are scrutinized, tracked, and analyzed, however often times those process steps that may not seem as critical should be not be taken lightly. One of these often over looked areas is rinsing and what constitutes good and efficient rinsing. The critical nature of rinsing can be measured in many ways such as component quality, process solution contamination or overall line process quality. The metrics may vary from application to application. Naturally … [Read more...]
October 2, 2015 By
Winning the War on Filth Part 1
Frustrated yet? I know I am. Over the last few years I have seen an increased number of parts showing up on my clients plating lines with more soils than ever before. This list includes stamping and machining oils as well as lubricants, rp's, and coolants. The part that frustrates me is that the soils I am seeing day after day are typically not new synthetics or reformulated petroleum based products. Instead, these are the same products that have been used for years, but now are used in quantities far greater than needed. Since it appears nobody can protect our process lines from the … [Read more...]
September 8, 2015 By
The Power of My Checklist
35 years ago I was a little taller and skinnier with no gray hair and zero experience in the metal finishing world. Like so many other people, I was a little overwhelmed the first days on the job. I learned quickly that I did not know everything; in fact, I was a “plating dummy”. Time after time, I walked into plating shops, discovered a problem and had to call a technician for support. Slowly, after a few hundred incidents I knew what to check and in what order to troubleshoot my client’s problems. I had developed a checklist. Finally, I reached a point where I could honestly say I knew what … [Read more...]
September 3, 2015 By
Troubleshooting a Nickel Bath: Zinc Contamination
So it’s happened; someone accidentally added zinc anodes to the nickel bath. What can you do? Well, the easiest and most expensive option is to just dump the bath and make it up fresh. While this is a great way to ensure your sales representative remembers you come Christmas time, it won’t put you on your boss’ good side. Instead, you can opt to either dummy plate or complex the zinc metal out of solution. Dummy Plating Let’s take a look at dummy plating, and I’m not referring to when you have the new guy try to plate some parts. Dummy plating is a process by which we can remove unwanted … [Read more...]
August 5, 2015 By
What is a Procedure-Based Maintenance Organization?
When I was 19 years old I joined the Navy. I was assigned to work on submarines and spent much of my time in the service under water. Floating under the water in a hopefully airtight vessel will focus your mind on the importance of maintaining equipment. I was assigned to the Attack Submarine USS Snook (SSN-592). During my time onboard I was forced to become familiar with the “Submarine Safety” (SUBSAFE) program. In fact , the Navy taught me a few things. First, I learned the importance of check lists. Second, I was introduced to the need for standard operating procedures. Finally, I was … [Read more...]