Liquid Coating
Coating Steel Fasteners
I am a manufacturing engineer responsible for product development for a supplier of fasteners and fastener tools. The big issue right now is finding a coating that can hold up to 1,000 hr of salt spray. We’ve had the greatest amount of success with zinc nickel plating (400 hr in salt spray). At this point, we are interested in any coating technology, including plating technologies, organic technologies, or even a plating/organic hybrid technology.
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Standardization and Simulation
Pre-engineered work cell brings robots to more applications
Read Morecold Zinc Phosphate
I am a finishing engineer in a sheet metal fabricating factory. At a recent staff meeting, our boss asked us to look into reducing every energy-using operation. We have lowered the temperature of our iron phosphate pretreatment system. Can we do the same with the zinc phosphate pretreatment?
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New Finishing Technologies Taking Off
Trends in coating and finishing for aerospace and defense
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Paint Adhesion to Plated Plastic
am the senior engineering manager in charge of product development execution. The problem comes about after a translucent paint is applied over a chrome-plated polycarbonate/ABS plastic substrate. I’m assuming that the chrome plating must be prepared (cleaned or etched) before paint application, but I need some recommendations to forward to the factory.
Read MorePainting and Finishing
I am in the business of reconditioning, repairing and customizing guitars. I am painting some of them and I require some advice on finishing the job. I have read that now I need a clear coat finish to complete the job, especially on metallic-type paints. Here are my current questions and concerns: 1) Can I use a spray style of clear coat? 2) Is sanding required before application of clear coat? 3) How critical is cure time for the clear coat? 4) Do I wet sand clear coat to obtain a high gloss finish, or is this obtained another way with polishing/rubbing compounds?
Read MoreTechnical Help
Recently we bought a shipment of white louvers for residential electric heaters from an off-shore supplier. Unfortunately, the paint used on the louvers by the off-shore plant is not up to that standard, so the louvers turn from white to brown where the heat comes out in the electric heater unit. How do we correct the problem? How many choices do we have? What is the easiest and least costly way, relatively speaking?
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Flexible Thickness Measurement
Instrument handles variety of coatings, thicknesses and substrates
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