Hard chrome plating can restore a worn component, but getting that part back to print often requires grinding at more than one stage of the job. The condition of the incoming surface affects how much material needs to be removed, while the required chrome buildup...
Planning for masking in metal finishing begins with the engineering drawing. Engineering drawings identify the areas that receive the coating as well as the features that must remain unchanged. The coating type, required deposit thickness, part geometry, and critical dimensions all influence how the part...
Metal finishing takes precision, patience, and careful preparation. The work done before coating or plating has a direct impact on durability, appearance, and long-term performance. In fact, most adhesion failures come down to poor surface preparation. Coatings fail because of issues like contaminated surfaces and oxidation...
Hydrogen embrittlement failures can show up as stress cracking, reduced load capacity, or corrosion. But it rarely happens because of one obvious mistake. In most cases, failure happens because of a series of small issues with surface prep, plating, and post-treatment. Preventing hydrogen embrittlement takes careful...
Coatings are more than just a finishing step. They protect metal components from corrosion, heat, and wear in unforgiving environments. Even a small coating issue can turn into a major problem. Performance drops. Parts wear out sooner than expected. In some cases, safety is compromised....
In aerospace manufacturing, small mistakes mean big problems. A slight variation in a process can cause performance issues, mechanical failure, or expensive rework. That is exactly why standards like NADCAP are treated as a requirement for metal finishing, not a preference. NADCAP standards set clear expectations...
If you choose the wrong nickel plating process, you won’t always know right away. Everything might seem fine at first. But then wear starts to show up sooner than it should, or corrosion takes hold in places it shouldn’t. And by that point, you’ll have...
Oxidation is a chemical reaction triggered by exposure to oxygen in the air. Other types of environmental exposure will also speed up the process. Humidity, salt water, UV rays, extreme temperatures, and pollution can all accelerate oxidation. This reaction destabilizes the surfaces of metal parts,...
Finishing techniques like anodizing and electroplating can improve performance, durability, corrosion resistance, and more. For these reasons, many manufacturers keep using the same finishes they’ve always used. But what if there’s a better option? Every type of finish has its own specific advantages and drawbacks. Here’s...
Some defects show up immediately, but others don’t. A coating can look clean and uniform, yet still have weak points that lead to corrosion, wear, or premature breakdown once the part is actually put to work. And that’s the problem. A quick visual check might say...