THOMASNET.com Schuhe Reshore with Rodon’s = URIe nen Ress Ret Cheaper than China™Pricing Meese Anodizing Verses Ceramic Coating Ces 1ypet (Gomi) andy ic) anvtiing process areus protective cotngson a aleminom or aluminum alloys. These processes produce surfaces which are hard, resistant to corrosion and aesthetically pleasing. Type III hard coat anodizing takes this finish one step further, producing a coat that ean ‘surpass heat-treated ste! in its hardness. Type IIT anodized finish is composed of erystalized aluminum. + Sheet Rod Tube ‘oxide, and is hard enough to be classified asa ceramie, Ceramic coating, however, refers to different + Protile Fabrication processes, These other methods leave a surface that is much harder than standard ard coat and is nearly ‘Machining + Welding ‘non-porous. One of the main processes used in the ceramic coating of aluminum is known as micro-are oxidation (MAO), also known as plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) Od Anodizing Processes In Type I hard coating, a bath of sulfuric acid with added powdered aluminum is chilled down to approximately go degrees F and used as the electrolyte. In this 7 process, DC currents of low voltages (under 100) pick up oxygen from the electrolyte and chemically combine as aluminum oxide on the exterior parts Due to ow voltages and amperages, coating time i slow and can take many hhouts. Alloys that are high in eopper or silicon are not receptive to this process, ruling out many ofthe aluminum casting alloys. Serving the industry Since 1983. In MAO finishing, an alkaline bath with a pH range of eight to 12 is sed instead of acids. AC currents that are hhigh enough in voltage to exceed the dielectric field of the part attach to an electrode suspended in the clectrolyte. During the process, vsibiy glowing miero plasma surround the part. The oxygen produced in the plasma combines with the aluminum surface as an oxide layer that actually grows into the finish, not just outside of it. Although different aluminum alloys can be coated to different hardness levels, they all can be successfully finished with MAO processes. Fi Coatings produced by the MAO process are harder and smoother than type IH coatings. MAO hardness ean ‘obtain up to 2,500 HV on the Vickers Hardness Seale, compared to around 600 for standard hard coating. A tating of 2,500 HV equals three times the hardness of heat-treated steel and over two times the hardness of a hard chrome coating. When MAO parts come out ofthe electrolyte the surface finish consists ofa two-tiered coat. The outside has a softer, more porous layer that remains fr lubricant or additional coating retention oF ‘an be removed. Underneath this layer i the actual ceramie coating, Surface roughness of this layer is approximately 10 percent of the coating thickness meaning that some very smoath finishes are available ‘This coating is much less porous than in anodizing, a the anodized finish consists of hexagonal crystals with a hexagonal hole inthe center ofeach crystal (the pore). There are some pores present in the ceramic layer of [MAO coats, but the diameter ofthese pores ranges from 10 to 100 nanometers. Not only are these pores benign, they are almost immeasurable. ‘The ceramic MA EN fished surfaces have dielectric properties that anodized surfaces donot, which makes them usefal a electrical insulators, They also offer excelent heat resistance, The MAO coating adheres better than ordinary hard coat with betler wear resistance and possess very low friction coefficients. Another auvantageof MAO is tha it oats the interior of long lindrcal shapes. This is ut posible with anodizing, as the inside ofthe tube remains uncoated as the finish builds upon te ouside and ends. [MAO finishes work with new applications which have failed with anodized surfaces inthe past due to their diversity. Further coated with PTFE, these ceramic coatings on aluminum can be used in injection molds to replace steel ones. Costs Equipment costs in an MAO ceramic line are less than in hard coat anodizing. In MAO eeramie coating there are no sulfur acid fumes generated as in anodizing, These acidic fumes require venting and serubbing ‘equipment, as wel as filters to purchase and dispose of. In hard coat anodizing, electrolyte baths must be temperature controlled at around 32 degrees F., requiring chillers. Ceramic coating electrolytes are not as temperature sensitive and require no such apparatuses. Energy requirements will vary depending upon proprietary processes used in the baths. Hard coat anodizing uses low DC voltages for extended periods, while [MAO ceramic coats use high AC voltages for shorter durations.Environmental Concerns Although both ofthese operations have few effets to the environment when compared to many other coating systems, the EPA none-the-less classifies the resulting sludge as hazardous waste (Section 261.32 of US Code Title 4o, Industry and EPA Hazardous Waste No, Fot9). Unless a producer is categorized as a small producer ‘with a production ofess than 100 kilograms monthly, he must follow all hazardous waste regulations in the collection, storage, transportation and disposal ofthe sludge that is removed from the electrolyte baths ‘The acid baths used in Type II hard evating produce fomes that require ventilation and serubbing prior to release, MAO ceramic coating processes do not require this. Accounting for pre-treatment solvents as well as the post-treatment dyes and sealants used in both processes is another issue. The spent electrolyte baths, once removed of all shudge, have tobe neutralized toa pH of hetween six and eight before disposal. Other Custom Manufacturing & Fabricating Guldes © Bape Hydrforming © Inte commun otal Freon