Find aluminum anodizing including anodized aluminum, aluminum anodizers, hard anodizing and more. From black anodizing and color anodizing to titanium anodizing, you will find the aluminum anodizing you need. Use the time-saving Request for Quote tool to submit your inquiry to all the aluminum anodizing services and companies you select.
Fort Wayne Anodizing offers a variety of anodizing services, including aluminum anodizing, hard coat anodizing, conventional anodizing and impregnating services. All laboratory testing, research and development is produced in-house to ensure a high level of quality control.
Sun Glo Plating is continually expanding our services and production output. Our large anodizing facility specializes in sulfuric anodizing (Type II), where we perform black and clear anodizing services. We look forward to providing you with quality work, competitive pricing and quick turn-around.
Along with manufacturing high quality anodized aluminum nameplates & panels, Macfarlane also provides clear & color anodizing for many different types of parts and various sizes of clear & color anodized sheet. With over 50 years of specializing in anodizing, we make products designed to last.
Our vast array of metal finishing services includes anodizing & hard coat anodizing, dyed & non-dyed / colored & clear anodizing, chromic acid titanium anodizing, sulfuric acid anodizing, satin & decorative anodizing and much more. Serving a broad customer base locally & nationwide for over 60 years.
For over 50 years, K&L Anodizing has provided metal finishing services for manufacturers, machine shops, tool & die, aerospace, medical, government & commercial industries. We provide multicolor anodizing; anodizing per Mil-8625—types I, II, III—dyed & non-dyed; & a variety of related services.
MIC provides many metal treatment services including metal finishing and surface treatment services. We pre-treat, anodize and coat parts from 1 in. to 40 ft. long in our sulfuric and chromic acid anodizing treatments; and can handle up to 9ft. by 4 ft in our phosphoric acid anodizing treatments.
Aluminum anodizing is a unique electrochemical process
that increases the thickness of a passive, naturally occurring, protective
aluminum oxide film. The resulting finish, depending on the process,
is the second hardest substance known on earth next to a diamond, and
is often comparable to sapphire. Metal anodizing expands on the natural
oxidation process by adding electricity and chemicals to create a hard,
transparent surface to the aluminum. Without this process, regular aluminum
will corrode and become weak, but anodizing provides protection from
these defects. After anodizing, the metal becomes hard and weather-resistant.
Other metals, such as titanium,
can be anodized to produce similar results.
Before starting the anodizing process, the metal must be clean to prevent
surface problems. Next, the metal is pre-treated with a bath to produce
various degrees of shininess. Several of these methods are bright dip
anodizing, satin anodizing and matte anodizing. Now the product is ready
to be anodized, and in this step it is coated using a variety of methods,
including hard coat, standard sulfuric and color
anodizing. After this,
the product is covered with color dye or a sealant..
Anodizing is a relatively
short process that only takes a few hours to complete.
Anodized aluminum is known for its excellent corrosion resistance. Color
variation is also possible. The anodized finish is porous enough to accept
penetration by color dyes. After dyeing, the color is fixed by sealing in a
hot nickel acetate or equivalent solution. Since anodized aluminum is inorganic,
it is therefore unaffected by ultraviolet rays. Another benefit of aluminum
anodizing is the possibility of future repair or re-coloring by stripping the
anodized layer from the aluminum. Additionally, the anodized surface does not
flake and is both insulative and static-resistant.
Several different methods of aluminum anodizing are available. One of
these is hard coat anodizing,
which is useful because it is non-conductive to electricity and also
has better wear resistance than other methods. Standard anodizing is another
method that provides a great base for bonding to other metals and organic coatings.
Many products are made with anodized aluminum, including refrigerators, dryers,
mailboxes, duct covers, grills, pots, pans, bicycle frames, wheel covers and
electronic products like clocks. The architectural industry is very dependent
on the production of quality anodized aluminum, as it is often used for framing
of buildings. Other industries that benefit from the use of anodizing are the
automotive, military, aerospace, medical and industrial industries.
Aluminum Anodizing
and Anodized Aluminum Images Provided by Fort
Wayne Anodizing
Types of Aluminum Anodizing Services
Anodizing is a technique used to coat the exterior of a metal with a protective film.
Black anodizing is
a process through which the surface of an anodized coated with a protective
black dye.
Bright dip anodizing
refers to the pretreatment step before anodizing, which takes place
in a bath of acids and creates a bright, shiny
finish.
Chromate conversions
is a process that provides corrosion resistance and makes the aluminum
surface electrically conductive. It also provides a superior surface
condition for the application of paints, powder coats and adhesives.
Clear anodizing
preoxidizes the aluminum surface for a clear, uniform finish.
Color anodizing is
when a colored coat is applied to the exterior of a metal.
Conventional/Sulfuric
anodizing provides a thin coating of aluminum oxide that is tightly
bonded to the surface of the aluminum. This method offers corrosion
resistance and aesthetic appeal, as well as makes the aluminum surface
electrically non-conductive.
Hard coat anodizing
is a variant of anodizing. It produces similar results to standard
anodized surfaces, but the thicker and denser hard anodic film limits
the coloring results to dark tones.
Impregnation
is the filling of internal cracks, voids and corroded pockets, which
would otherwise cause castings, forgings and powdered metal parts to
leak.
Titanium anodizing
is used most often in the jewelry segment of the industry, as it has
less occurrence of skin allergy than any other metals.
Aluminum Anodizing Terms
Abrasion –
The process of using friction to grind and wear away at a surface.
Activation – Changing a metal
surface into a chemically-active state.
Alloy – A substance with metallic
properties composed of two or more chemical elements. At least one element
must be metal.
Alumina – An intermediate step
in the production of aluminum from bauxite.
Anodizing Sheet – A sheet that
has suitable metallurgical characteristics and surface quality for the
development of protective and decorative films by anodic oxidation processes.
Bath – The chemical environment
in which the anodizing takes place.
Brazing – Joining metals together
by flowing a layer of molten filler metal between them.
Chemical Film – The application
of chromate conversion coating on aluminum.
Corrosion – The gradual chemical
or electrochemical wearing of a surface. Also, this is the deterioration
due to environmental forces.
Cryolite – A white mineral used
in making aluminum
Deburring – The removal of burrs,
sharp edges and fins by mechanical, chemical or electrochemical means.
Edging – Dressing metal edges
by rolling, filling and drawing.
Hardener – An alloy of aluminum
and at least one other metal that is used to make additions to molten
aluminum.
Impurities – Undesirable elements
in aluminum compounds.
Inhibitor – A substance used
to reduce the rate of a chemical or electrochemical reaction, commonly
corrosion or pickling.
Melting Point – The minimum
temperature at which a metal will melt.
Passivation – Changing a chemically
active metal into a passive state.
Plating – The process of laying
a thin coat of metal on another.
Pores – Microscopic openings
in an anodized surface, leading to a microscopic tube. Although porous,
the anodized surface is very dense and hard.
Rack – The electrically-conductive
device used to hold the parts to be anodized as they are lowered into
the bath. Racks are made in different sizes, types and shapes to hold
the large variety of parts and products encountered in anodizing.
Refined Aluminum – Aluminum
that is in a very pure state.
Smelt – Fusing or melting ore
in order to extract or refine the metal it contains.
Striation – Longitudinal lines
that are not uniform, caused by uneven coating.
Ultimate Strength – The maximum
stress a material can withstand.
