What Is Metal Finishing and Why It Matters
Metal finishing is what we do here at RMF, and has been our specialty for years. But what exactly does metal finishing encompass–and why is it so important? That’s what we’re going to explore today.
What is Metal Finishing?
Metal Finishing refers to any process that cleans, coats, polishes, or otherwise improves the surface of a metallic part or component. That means it can be anything from a simple cleaning or polishing to a more complex electrochemical bath, or even just painting or powder coating a metal. At RMF, we provide the more complicated types of metal finishing services–things like anodizing, plating, conversion coating, and passivation, but metal finishing encompasses a very wide range of processes–and a wide range of benefits too.
Why is Metal Finishing Important?
All types of metal have their strengths and weaknesses, and the goal of metal finishing is to improve those strengths while minimizing or even eliminating the weaknesses. Simple cleaning removes contaminants and improves the appearance of the surface and its adherence to further coats like paints and primers. More complex treatments like plating and anodizing increase the durability and resistance of the parts to things like corrosion, chemical contamination, abrasion, wear and tear, and other types of damage.
At RMF we perform metal finishing services for a variety of reasons–preparing a surface for the adherence of another coating, improving the durability and corrosion resistance of the surface, increasing or decreasing conductivity, or simply just cleaning, polishing, and improving the appearance of the part.
The Common Types of Metal Finishing Treatments
RMF offers a variety of different surface treatments to finish our clients’ metal components, like anodizing, electroplating, and chemical conversion coatings. Like any type of metal finishing process, these treatments come in various types and have different applications and benefits, but all are especially common types of metal finishing.
Anodizing
Aluminum anodizing involves converting the surface of an aluminum part into a thin, durable layer of aluminum oxide that resists corrosion and impact damage without compromising the metal underneath. Chromic, sulfuric, and hardcoat anodizing are the different types of anodization that we offer at RMF.
Plating
Electroplating refers to any process where a metal surface is subjected to an electrochemical treatment in order to add a very thin layer of another metal alloy for better protection against the elements. Zinc-Nickel plating for instance adds a layer of mixed zinc and nickel to the surface in order to improve corrosion resistance and add an excellent aesthetic appearance.
Plating doesn’t have to be electrochemical though–electroless nickel plating offers the same process of immersing a part into a chemical bath and achieving similar results without the need for an electric current. Passivation, a similar process to plating it treats stainless steel components as a way to remove contaminants and improve the steel’s already excellent corrosion resistance.
Chemical Conversion Coatings
Chemical conversions are a more unique type of metal finishing treatment, where the surface of a metal part itself becomes the protective layer–rather than adding more material to it, as in other types of treatments. At RMF, we offer fluoride phosphate conversion coatings, a type of surface treatment developed for titanium alloys that offers improved durability while preserving the electrical conductivity of the parts.
About Reid Metal Finishing (RMF)
RMF is a metal finishing company with a long history in the industry going all the way back to the 70s, focused on providing our customers with high quality and high performing metal surface treatments. Over the years, we’ve worked in just about every industry from medical to military, and we continue to operate on the same values that founded our company–integrity, safety, and quality. If you’re looking for a supplier of metal finishing services, head over to our website to learn more about what we have to offer.
