metal treatments

Alocroming also known as alodining and chromating, is a process that will not only provide a corrosion-resistant protective coating, but will also serve as an excellent primer for painting.

Although pure aluminium oxidises with the air to produce its own protective coating, untreated alloys of aluminium offer little protection against corrosion, requiring a protective coating provided by processes such as alochroming or anodising.

Anodising is a technique used to modify the surface of the metal. It will provide a corrosion resistance, create a different surface topography and change the crystal structure close to the metal surface.

The process derives its name from the fact that the part to be treated forms the anode portion of an electrical circuit in this electrolytic process. The film produced can be a range of thickness from 1-25 microns.

This process provides a durable, deep black finish on stainless steel.

This is achieved through the use of oxidizing type blacking compounds.

The process produces a black coat on stainless steel and alloy steels through a conversion process. Blacking of stainless steel not only enhances the finish on the surface material but adds to its corrosion resistance.

Bright Dipping is a chemical or electro-brightening treatment which produces an extremely high luster on aluminum.

The bright dip process is performed on raw aluminum. The harder tempered the alloy is, the brighter the end product will be. The way that bright dip aluminum achieves this high luster is by smoothening the surface of the aluminum at the microscopic level. Bright dipping aluminum does not remove scratches or lines on the alloy.

The bright dip aluminum procedure is often used as a pretreatment for anodizing to enhance the aesthetic qualities of a part.

Referred to bright dip anodizing, the bright dipped aluminum goes through the anodizing process to prevent corrosion, scratching or fading on the alloy.

The anodizing steps are where you can have your aluminum alloy dyed in different colors.

This is a robust process for grinding, finishing and polishing tubes, bars, shafts and pins. The process will remove any imperfections in the surface material

This is an easy way to improve the appearance and protection of steel and iron products.

This process works by creating a metal oxide surface without any dimensional change in the surface area.

Chemical blacking is used to give steel components a uniformed jet black oxide film finish. The finish is scratch resistant, can withstand high temperatures and offers good levels of corrosion resistance.

Hard anodising is mainly applied to components for the production of hard wearing resistant surfaces on aluminium for the aerospace, MOD and precision engineers.

The coating has exceptional wear resistance and excellent mechanical strength.

The greater the deposit the doctor the component will become.

The usual thickness of hard anodising applied in a commercial basis is 25 microns with the relevant BS, MOD or Aerospace Spec.

The Nickel plating process deposits a uniform thickness of Nickel onto products by chemical reduction, this allows complex shaped product to be plated with no edge build-up.

Other advantages of Nickel plating include superior chemical and corrosion resistance, a hard, highly protective, bright and reflective coating that yields excellent wear.

Nickel’s low friction and superb conductivity characteristics, make it appropriate Electronic, Tooling and Commercial industries.

This process is to remove steel residue that remains after any cutting or abrasion on stainless steel. Passivation is the removal of exogenous iron or iron compounds from the surface of stainless steel, through a chemical dissolution, removing all impurities.

This leaves an oxide film on the surface, this surface is then better protected and more corrosion resistant, so preventing rust formation.

Manganese phosphate is a hard wearing phosphate treatment.

It has a high corrosion resistance against rust

Metal polishing takes the base metals through a process that removes any imperfections.

It applies a brushed or bright finish to the surface.

We advise that high quality products are to be highly polished prior to any plating treatments. Collins offers a number of finishes so please do enquire.

Powder coating is the electrostatic application of organic powder to metal parts requiring protective or decorative coating. The powder is cured by heating or baking, resulting in a hard, continuous coating.

The powder coat process includes pre-treatment, powder application and high-temperature powder curing. The process begins with pre-treatment/surface preparation of the substrate. Each part is cleaned, removing grease, dirt and anything else that might interfere with the painting process.

Stove enamelling is a traditional baked-on paint finishing process.

It offers a hard protective engineering coating in a wide range of textures and colours, including smooth, hammer and spatter finish

Shot Blasting is a surface cleaner of a wide variety of components and is used to clean and prepare articles prior to painting or coating.

The process involves a steel grit which will quickly remove many types of surface containments from various metal types.

Bead blasting is the process of removing surface deposits by applying fine glass beads. It is a chemically inert, iron free product and can be used for a wide range of cleaning, finishing, pre-treatment and peeling operations.

This finish is most commonly used on stainless steel, aluminium, brass and steel. It can also be used for glass and Perspex frosting.

Glass bead gives a uniform sheen finish which is smooth.

Electroless Nickel plating is a method where parts are plated by a chemical reaction.

Very popular process for the plating valves, electronic components plus parts for the marine and aerospace industries.