Masking

What is metal part masking?

No metal finishing process is complete without first ensuring that the different features of the part that aren’t meant to be treated are protected. That’s where masking comes in.

Masking is a critical part of the metal finishing process. It protects the areas of the part that do not require anodization or plating, but could be altered by the coating layer. As a result, all areas of the component that are not meant to be coated must be masked to prevent damage or the modification of its dimensions. After all, certain components must retain their exact dimensions and tolerances to function, and masking does just that while allowing coating of the rest of the component.

Masking is done for a number of reasons. If you have parts that require electrical contacts, then those contact points will need to be protected during treatments, such as anodization, or their performance will be affected. Some parts require multiple coatings but on separate features, or different layers of treatments. In this case, masking those features at the right times is vital. Another important application of masking is to protect and preserve threading. Electroplating can alter the thickness of threading, so the threads should be masked during treatment. Whatever the reason, specifying ahead of time what parts of the component should and should not be masked is important.

At Reid, we apply masking according to our customers’ drawings and specifications. All of our masking materials are temporary and are removed after the parts have been through chemical processing. This way, we can ensure that your components retain their dimensions during chemical processing, and still have an excellent, protective coating at the end.