Articles
7 Changes to Reduce Spray Costs Immediately
Jon Barber of Spraying Systems Co. in Wheaton, IL, says that the sluggish economy often causes manufacturers to convert their “cost management” programs into “cost reduction” programs.But Barber warns that cutting costs can have a negative impact on products and process quality, and can actually lead to higher scrap rates, costlier product recalls and unhappy customers.
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The Challenge of Electroplating Cast Iron Components
Manufacturing from cast materials is a cost-effective method to form complex shaped components.
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Electroless Nickel Solution Adds Chemical Marker
The day may have arrived when finishers can now grab a small electronic device and test to see if the rejects coming back to them were actually finished in their shop, and not, say, in the customer’s second-source finisher.
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Seeing Inside Nooks and Crannies for Auto Corrosion Protection
Fischer Technologies (Windsor, CT), a manufacturer of coating thickness, material testing and material analysis instrumentation, has introduced a new, non-destructive flexible probe which they say can get inside normally inaccessible cavities to get measurements.
Read MoreThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly
OK, here’s the good news …Chrysler announced it plans to pump another $843 million into three factories to build a new front-wheel-drive transmission. Then comes the bad …The U.S. economic recovery will remain slow deep into next year.
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Validation of New Generation Tooling Concept for Electroplating of Copper on Printed Circuit Boards
A dynamically software controlled electroplating tooling concept has been developed to compensate the pattern dependence of the deposited layer thickness on different substrates. In this paper a validation of this new tooling concept on industry relevant printed circuit boards is presented. Simulations are compared with experimental results as obtained in a prototype electroplating cell. A quantitative improvement of the plating thickness uniformity between a standard electroplating cell and the advanced tooling approach is given. The influence of the conductivity of the electrolyte on the deposit distribution is studied and indicates a way to obtain a significant improvement in uniformity.
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Tanks and Liners: Is Conventional Wisdom or Reliance on Internet-Based Answers Putting your Company at Risk?
Finishing companies face an array of unprecedented challenges. Decision-making is affected by these pressures. Conventional wisdom and/or the reliance on internet-based answers can lead to procurements that create unnecessary downtime, safety risks and loss. Factors compounding the pain of inadequate options and poor choices are aging plants and equipment, a shrinking manufacturing workforce and legal/policy/regulatory costs. Topics covered in this article include: (1) an overview of tanks and liners, (2) the true costs of downtime, (3) results from a recent tank and liner market survey, (4) the plastic paradox (including fires), (5) spark testing and leak monitoring technologies, (6) drop-ins, (7) what to look for from a supplier and (8) new advancements.
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Electroplating: An Alternative for Producing Low Magnetic Loss Amorphous Alloys
In recent years, Hydro-Québec’s Research Institute has developed, through technological innovation, a program to improve energy efficiency in the generation, transmission and distribution of energy.
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Functional Trivalent Chromium Electroplating
This paper will discuss recent research work on the development of a functional trivalent chromium plating process from a single, simple-to-control trivalent-based electrolyte to replace hexavalent chromium plating. Hexavalent chromium plating has been used for many years to provide hard, durable coatings with excellent wear and corrosion resistance properties. However, hexavalent chromium baths have come under increasing scrutiny due to the toxic nature of the bath, effects on the environment and worker health. In this work, we are updating accomplishments to achieve properties comparable to existing hexavalent chromium plating for functional applications. Work on achieving desirable thickness, uniformity, adhesion, porosity and corrosion resistance, as well as other material properties, will be discussed.
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New Uses For Anodized Aluminum Oxide
Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) has attracted significant interest among the nano-science and engineering research community in recent years. AAO consists of highly aligned nanopores “self-assembled” in a hexagonally close-packed pattern.
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Becoming an Approved Aerospace Anodize Supplier
Fabrication of aerospace structure requires rigorous standards due to the high cost of rework and the severe consequences of in-flight failure. To become a supplier for aerospace anodize, an approval process which is not readily understood must be followed.
Read MoreBecoming an Aerospace Anodizing Supplier
Fabrication of aerospace structure requires rigorous standards due to the high cost of rework and the severe consequences of in-flight failure. To become a supplier for aerospace anodize, an approval process which is not readily understood must be followed.
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