Electroplating

1 Nov 2012

Back from the Brink of Finishing Death

Alpha Metal Finishing is celebrating its 36th anniversary and, after battling the ups and downs of sales, coupled with tumultuous management practices and the untimely illness of company founder Bob Wood that almost forced the its extinction, the company is recording unprecedented growth.

1 Nov 2012

Plating Bath Parameters Affecting the Performance of Zinc-Nickel Alloys for Post-Plate Fabrication

In recent years, the demand for increased corrosion protection of ferrous substrates has significantly increased. Zinc-nickel alloy plating systems are being chosen to meet this need. Often these component parts are subjected to post-plate forming and fabrication processes. Ductility, hardness, and stress were thought to be important physical properties to maintain the integrity of the zinc-nickel deposit during these forming processes. To achieve these goals, the following operating parameters were found to be important: the donor type and denticity of the chelate, the chelate-to-total metal mole ratio and the secondary brightener concentration.

1 Nov 2012

A Conversation With ... Steve Smith

The SUR/FIN shows in Chicago and Las Vegas the past two years have received good reviews from attendees and exhibitors. The man who led the NASF committee organizing SUR/FIN was Steve Smith, the vice president of sales and marketing for Process Technology, which designs and manufactures process heating and cooling equipment for the plating industry.

1 Nov 2012

Acquisitions Abound in the Finishing Industry

End-markets are growing, raw material costs are declining, and more than the usual number of mergers and acquisitions took place, possibly signaling a resurgence of the U.S. coating industry. The Carlyle Group won a bidding war to take over DuPont Performance Coatings; Innotek Powder Coatings was purchased by Protech/Oxyplast; United Capital Funding Corp. purchased Architectural Finish Systems; and Pioneer Metal Finishing of Green Bay, Wis., bought Superior Metal Finishing of Portland, Ore., to go along with plants in Wisconsin, Oregon, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina and Indiana.

30 Oct 2012