4 Quick Chromate Tips for the Winter

As we head into the fall and winter months, no doubt the service phone will start ringing about chromate rub off on zinc plated parts due to ambient going from temperatures in the 80s and 90s to temperatures in the 60s (and in some plants saving on heating bills, chromates may be trying to work as low as temperatures in the 50s).  But as we see a rise in the trivalent chemistries and less of the "ambient" running hexavalent chromates, the simple fix of raising the temperature may not be the solution to the rub-off headache during these cold days of winter.  Here are a few other quick tips to … [Read more...]

Inside Zinc and Zinc-Nickel Post-Plating Protective Finishes

As published in Products Finishing Magazine, August 2020 Issue. When I began my career in metal finishing in the mid-1980s, the industry took an introspective view of where it came from and in what direction it was going. It is interesting to look back at that time and remember all of the changes that began occurring as we entered the 1990s. Environmental concerns dominated the industry. I can specifically remember the market being flooded with new technology and equipment to deal with environmental concerns about the plating process. This was followed by developments in plating … [Read more...]