Articles
Finishing Activity: Overall Finishing Activity Contracted a Bit Faster in May, Closing at 46.5
Finishing activity, which slowed contraction each month of 2024 until leveling off in April, contracted faster in May for the first time since November 2023. Some degree of softening is seen across manufacturing segments, perhaps due to lingering concerns about interest rates and inflation.
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NASF/AESF Foundation Research Project #122: Electrochemical Approaches to Treatment of PFAS in Plating Wastewater - 12th Quarterly Report
This NASF-AESF Foundation research project report covers the 12th quarter of project work (October – December 2023) at the University of Georgia. In our previous report, we described our work on performance and effect of surface fluorinated Ti4O7 anodes on PFAS degradation in reactive electrochemical membrane (REM) mode. This quarter, our experiments involved utilizing porous Ti4O7 plates serving both as anodes and membranes. Tests compared pristine and F-18.6 Ti4O7 anodes at current densities of 10 mA/cm2 and 40 mA/cm2. This 12th quarterly report discusses the mechanisms of the effects on EO performance by anode surface fluorination.
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Soak In the Benefits of Wet Blasting for Coatings Prep
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.
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Women in Finishing Forum Tours Regal Boats
This month’s Photo Finish features a finishing process on a Regal boat.
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Top Shop Tops Turnaround Times
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.
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3-Stage Versus 5-Stage Washers
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.
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Successful South African Plater Beating the Odds
Remaining focused on quality and reliability, Team Plating Works stays profitable in a volatile and challenging economy.
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The Dos and Don’ts of Employee Compensation
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.
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Products Finishing Reveals 2024 Qualifying Top Shops
PF reveals the qualifying shops in its annual Top Shops Benchmarking Survey — a program designed to offer shops insights into their overall performance in the industry.
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Finishing Activity Closing at 47.7 for the Second Month in a Row
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.
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Dirt in the Powder Coated Film
Rodger Talbert shares how to identify dirt showing up on powder-coated film and where it comes from.
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With Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing (ECAM), Cooling Technology Is Advancing by Degrees
San Diego-based Fabric8Labs is applying electroplating chemistries and DLP-style machines to 3D print cold plates for the semiconductor industry in pure copper. These complex geometries combined with the rise of liquid cooling systems promise significant improvements for thermal management.
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