Rodger Talbert shares how to identify dirt showing up on powder-coated film and where it comes from.
Over more than 30 years of annual compensation reviews, I have compiled a list of Dos and Don’ts that we follow at compensation review time and throughout the year. Bus Duct In Electrical
Every year, improper chemical handling in industrial environments leads to injury and significant financial loss. Read about how to stay safe.
In the first part, a summary is presented on recently established nanotechnology initiatives in various countries around the world. Program funding levels and core activities will be compared to provide a basis for assessing business opportunities for various industries. The second part of the paper looks at specific examples of nanostructures made by electrochemical methods currently at various stages in their development, or already in use.
Users should be aware of differences in application performance, cure response and coating performance before making the change from a traditional TGIC polyester powder coating to a TGIC-free alternative.
With advantages over dry blasting such as cleaner parts, more consistent finishes, a cleaner work environment, a higher level of process control and the ability to automate, wet blasting has virtually no limitations when used for coatings preparation.
Products Finishing rounds up some of its recent travels — from international trade shows to facility tours to legislative meetings regarding environmental regulations affecting the finishing community.
With customer service experience in his background, this powder coater started his shop on a whim and has grown the business by keeping clients’ needs at the forefront.
Columnist Rodger Talbert explains the difference between a five-stage washer and a three-stage washer, and how one provides better corrosion protection over the other.
After slowing contraction for each of four months straight, Finishing activity leveled off in April. The scenario is similar across manufacturing segments, perhaps reflecting increased conservatism as interest rates and inflation fail to come down.
In this high-level overview of wastewater system maintenance and upgrades, Robin Deal and Brian Greene will review the critical components required for a fully-functional system and discuss their expected life span. Learn to navigate factors such as material degradation and technological advancements, examine the effects, and address issues of chemical usage on the equipment. This webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge needed to ensure your wastewater system remains in optimal condition, highlighting the importance of understanding both the hardware requirements and the chemical interactions that can influence system longevity and performance. By implementing proactive maintenance strategies and informed chemical management practices, you can enhance the reliability and efficiency of your wastewater infrastructure, ultimately contributing to environmental sustainability and public health protection. Agenda: Essential equipment for wastewater systems Life span considerations for wastewater systems Impact of chemical usage on wastewater equipment
But is chemical removal or biological removal better for your operation? Or maybe it is a combination of the two for the knockout punch? Chemical removal has a long track record of proven success and is readily available, cost-effective and affords ease of operation. Biological removal is used as a final polish to achieve permit limits and reduce disposal costs. These microorganisms work under aerobic and anaerobic conditions with no caustics or acids as to not cause harm to pipes or wastewater equipment. During this webinar, you will learn about how to implement a total wastewater system that will ultimately have you using less chemistry. Agenda: When would you use chemical vs biologics for wastewater treatment — or can you use both? Who should consider using biologics for wastewater treatment? What do you need to know about maintaining a biologic system?
Zirconium conversion coatings provide advanced bonding and anti-corrosion treatment for all metals. They are formulated to replace conventional iron or zinc phosphate products in pretreatment applications with environmental, energy and wastewater treatment advantages. During this lively debate, our experts will help you decide which process will pack the bigger pretreatment punch for you – or will it be a combination of both? Agenda: Advantages and disadvantages of each application type Optimizing your process for reducing chemical consumption and cost Regulatory issues to be aware of
Wastewaters from metal finishing, production and cleaning processes may contain a number of contaminants that require removal to either compliantly discharge the wastewater or reuse it within your facility. Treatment for recovery and reuse sounds good — but is it appropriate for your wastewater and your process? If recovery is suitable, how do you accomplish it and what are the benefits? In this webinar, Evoqua Water Technologies will discuss applications, treatment and smart technology solutions for wastewater recovery, including a real-life example that resulted in improved operational efficiency. Agenda: Typical metal processing wastewater contaminants and conditions Points to consider when deciding if wastewater recovery makes sense Technologies — such as ion exchange and reverse osmosis — for wastewater recovery Digitally-enhanced ion exchange wastewater recovery How digitally-enhanced wastewater recovery can benefit your process and facility
A key component to attaining the most reliable and accurate measurements is the proper use and application of the correct calibration standards, tailored to the measurement task. Achieving accurate and reliable measurements increases quality, improves manufacturing efficiency and saves valuable resources. Taking all of this into account is the goal of coating thickness measurement. Please join Rob Weber and Melissa Agneta in this webinar as they discuss the calibration standard options and best practices for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and dry film thickness (DFT) measurement instruments. Agenda: Instrument verification vs. calibration Different types of standards available for XRF and DFT guages Benefits of ISO 17025 traceable standards Recertification of standards for ISO compliance
After years of speculation and discussion, several factors have recently aligned to jumpstart a rapid industry movement in the switch from decorative hexavalent to trivalent plating. Across the industry, process and color standards are being adapted, RFQs are circulating and OEMs need shops who are equipped and ready. Applicators facing the decision-making process need to be prepared. There are a variety of conversations taking place globally and throughout the automotive industry on the use of sulfate vs. chloride and this webinar will address that discussion head-on, reviewing the pros and cons of each. Columbia Chemical will delve into the extensive field study tests outlining performance, color stability and corrosion results, and will provide an evaluation of new heat treatment data comparing the systems. Finally, it will provide an operational overview and cost comparison to aid in the decision making. Applicators, OEMs and Tier suppliers, design and materials engineers, and quality control will all benefit from this presentation. Agenda: Review of the pros and cons of chloride vs. sulfate Extensive field testing overview Evaluation of new heat treatment data Line adjustments: installation, operational overview and cost comparison
The Chicago Surface Finishing Foundation (CSFF) is proud to present this free training session to our members. Rectifiers need constant monitoring & maintenance for optimal performance. When an issue does arise, having a fundamental understanding of Preventative Maintenance and Troubleshooting of a rectifier will help minimize any down time. Our Presenter: Enrique "Ricky" Valentin, Project Manager for American Plating Power This Presentation will cover: Preventative Maintenance Activities The Benefits of a Preventative Maintenance Program When does Preventative Maintenance make Sense? Rectifier Preventative Maintenance Do's and Don’ts of Cleaning a Rectifier Visual Inspection Electrical Test & Troubleshooting of SCR and Switch Mode Rectifiers Registration for this event will come from the CSFF's Constant Contact REGISTER HERE
Debuting in 2010, the Parts Cleaning Conference is the leading and most trusted manufacturing and industrial parts cleaning forum focused solely on delivering quality technical information in the specialized field of machined parts cleansing. Providing guidance and training to understand the recognized sets of standards for industrial cleaning, every year the Conference showcases industry experts who present educational sessions on the latest and most pressing topics affecting manufacturing facilities today. Discover all that the 2022 Parts Cleaning Conference has to offer!
The Forum includes presentations and briefings from national and global experts on pertinent policy, technical, regulatory, and management issues impacting the surface finishing industry, including environmental regulatory issues, labor and workplace trends, tax policy, economic outlooks, supply chain challenges, globally regulatory developments, and political and election outlooks. Recent speakers at the Forum have included Jake Sherman- Founder, Punchbowl News, Jeff Weiss- Partner, Steptoe & Johnson, LLP, Marc Freedman- Vice President of Employment Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Michael Chipley- Cyber Security & Information Systems Information Analysis Center. In addition, Washington Forum Participants also have the option during the event to meet with their own congressional representatives and staff to educate them about the importance and impact of the surface finishing industry, the challenges facing companies, and specific policy priorities of concern. For Washington Forum Questions or NASF Membership Inquiries, contact NASF at info@nasf.org.
The Metal Finishers of California Fall Outing and annual meeting this year will be held from Friday, October 4, 2024, to Sunday, October 6, 2024. Register ASAP, and ensure your spot! Boutique Hotel on the Beach, within Carlsbad Village. The Village has many great attractions in walking distance from the Hotel. Price: Resort Guest Room: $1,350 per couple or $1,050 per single; 2 nights (Fri. – Sat.) Price Includes: 2 Nights Lodging at Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort MFASC/MFANC Annual Meeting on Friday (everyone welcome) Friday Evening cocktail reception and networking event Saturday Night cocktail and dinner event Optional Saturday afternoon activities will be announced soon For more info or to register: https://mfaca.org/product/mfasc-fall-outing-2024/
FABTECH 2024 will be held October 15-17, 2024, in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center. FABTECH provides a convenient ‘one-stop shop’ venue where you can meet with world-class suppliers, discover innovative solutions, and find the tools to improve productivity and increase profits. There is no better opportunity to network, share knowledge and explore the latest technology, all here in one place. Future U.S. Show Dates and Locations 2025 – September 8-11 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL 2026 – October 21-23 at Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV 2027 – September 13-16 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL
The Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) will hold an Industrial Heating Decarbonization SUMMIT October 28-30 at the Conrad Indianapolis. “Forging a Sustainable Path for the Industrial Heating Industry,” the SUMMIT will provide a platform for everyone needing to explore all facets of decarbonization as they relate to the industrial process heating industry. For more information visit www.ihea.org
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Features stories and news on the adaptations of top shops, good habits, beneficial practices and successes that make a finishing shop a "Top Shop."
Young professionals are a vital asset to the finishing industry, and it is important to acknowledge those who are making great strides in shaping the industry's future.
Products Finishing is proud to announce a new awards program that recognizes individuals in the industry that are making important contributions to forward the surface finishing industry.
In these uncertain times, it is refreshing to hear from and learn about young talent in the surface finishing industry who are striving to make a difference within their organizations and the industry as a whole.
By replacing its immersion parts washer with a vacuum degreasing system, this machine shop is much more efficient, saving the company money, man hours and the health of the operators.
Finding a more accurate paint proportioner for its application enabled this auto parts manufacturer to save significant costs and labor while increasing capacity.
The grit wheels and discs are designed to stay sharper longer.
The EcoGun Ace features a rapid change system for color changes, making color changes faster and simpler.
Reduced ion electroless nickel technology operates at lower metal concentrations than conventional EN and has an important role in the future of sustainable EN processes.
10 Point Checklist to Improve Your Parts Cleaning Processes
A collection of four PF features that delve into the technologies, processes and people working to provide protection for the automobiles of today.
Survey and analysis, with Hubbard-Hall, of Products Finishing Top Shops benchmarking attitudes and practices concerning parts cleaning.
Brett Larick of Columbia Chemical discusses the increasing demand for conductive finishes driven by the increasing electrification of vehicles.
The growing EV market is driving a need for conductive finishes. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Q. We currently have the capacity to add another process in a mid-volume barrel line and we are starting to hear requests for tin and tin-zinc plating. It seems this may connect to automotive work, and we know not many local platers offer either of these finishes. Can you provide an overview on each and comment on what may be driving the interest?
A. There is indeed growing interest in tin and tin-zinc plating processes, and this growth is relative to the electric vehicle (EV) market. Both processes offer benefits that meet specific needs in the overall design of battery electric vehicles, with tin plating being used heavily for copper busbars and tin-zinc being ideally suited to the numerous fasteners required on EVs. As you point out, it is not uncommon to see a gap in your marketplace for these plating services, especially tin-zinc, which has a rather limited number of applicators, both in the U.S. and globally. As demand grows to meet the burgeoning EV market, you can anticipate this gap will shift, so exploring this opportunity while you have additional capacity may be well-timed.
Tin plating provides a finish that offers a superior level of solderability, great corrosion resistance, strong electrical conductivity and good ductility. Offered in a matte and bright finish, tin plating can be used for both decorative and functional applications. It is RoHS-compliant, non-toxic, and FDA-approved for safe use in the food industry, with its most widespread use being for tin cans. Its ductility allows parts plated with tin to be bent, stamped, or formed without sacrificing corrosion protection. Due to its excellent conductivity, tin is used for the transfer of electrical power in various manners throughout the transportation, construction, manufacturing and energy industries. As mentioned previously, in the automotive industry, tin plating on copper bus bars is the most common application as it delivers reliable transfer of current. Copper busbars and associated automotive components play a critical role in electric vehicles and this reality is driving OEM design and materials engineers to submit research and cost requests out into the industry as they plan to address this growing need.
Pure tin can offer challenges due to whisker growth which can cause a short in electronics. This is a case where alloys such as tin-zinc come into the picture. A key performance element of tin-zinc is that it will not form whiskers, making it ideal for electrical applications. Small fasteners coated in tin-zinc are often used for circuit boards. From a galvanic reaction standpoint, we know tin is more noble than steel (cathodic) and therefore will not be sacrificial. Zinc is more active (anodic) to steel and will protect the underlying substrate. An industry standard alloy composition of approximately 70/30% tin-zinc will offer the proper balance to galvanically protect the substrate and provide the needed corrosion protection. As a result, tin-zinc provides great benefits in this respect, delivering approximately 48 hours to first white rust and 1,000 hours to red. As with tin, the ductility available with the tin-zinc process allows for post-plate bending or crimping to occur while still maintaining corrosion resistance.
Tin-zinc and tin alloys are used frequently in the military for electronic applications. Because of its beneficial non-whiskering properties, tin-zinc is the right fit for EVs. As a result, OEMs have established that tin-zinc usage will increase on fasteners for this market application. Approximately 80% of the fasteners utilizing tin-zinc plating are smaller (M8 and below) which would work well in your scenario with a mid-volume barrel line. From a cost perspective, it is worth noting that tin-zinc tends to run closer to zinc-nickel because of the 70/30 alloy content favoring the higher-cost tin over zinc. With the increase in fasteners that will require tin-zinc going forward, there is also a demand for torque tension modifiers specially designed to work with this coating, so it is important to consult with a knowledgeable chemistry supplier to ensure you can meet this need for any tin-zinc fastener work.
An additional finish to consider that is seeing extreme growth in the automotive market and will continue to be propelled forward by the electric vehicle market is zinc-nickel. There is a tremendous amount of resources and information available on the growth and demand of this finish, so it may also be worth exploring as you consider your options to meet future demands for your automotive customers.
To review, as the automotive industry continues to evolve, usage for battery/electric technology and its components will continue to increase, which will drive additional interest and demand for conductive metal plating processes such as tin and tin-zinc. Demand exists for both processes relative to the growing EV segment of the automotive market. It would be best to consider the specifics of your available line capacity and further explore the customer requests you are receiving within your direct market to aid in your overall decision process.
Brett Larick is President/CEO at Columbia Chemical. Visit columbiachemical.com
Finding a more accurate paint proportioner for its application enabled this auto parts manufacturer to save significant costs and labor while increasing capacity.
Who would have imagined that more than 100 years after his famous statement about any color as long as it’s black would still have relevance of a sort?
Expanding its focus from exclusively serving the RV industry, one of this company’s stand-alone coatings plant has successfully extended its services to additional markets.
Job shop style approach for a captive ecoat line encourages ownership, innovation.
Although Chevrolet has announced the end of the Camaro and Dodge is offering “Last Call” editions of the Charger and Challenger, the Ford Mustang is launching to its seventh generation.
Hubbard-Hall wastewater treatment specialist Robin Deal discusses the latest trends in wastewater management.
New tools reduce cost and waste, lower manufacturing footprint of powder coating operations.
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