Surface treatments are a necessity in many industries: transportation, vehicle manufacturing and aircraft construction.
There are actually various ways to protect metalwork, improve performance and aesthetics. Let’s look at the pros and cons of three of the different surface treatment options.
Anodising
Anodising is an electrolytic process that forms a thin, protective layer on metal using an acidic solution combined with a direct current. Once applied, the part in question is sealed to improve corrosion resistance.
The resulting finish is highly corrosion resistant, thin, and well suited to precision components. That said, impact protection may be less because of the thin coating. It can also be a costly and complex process. Indeed, hard anodising can be performed by experts such as https://www.poeton.co.uk/surface-treatments/anodising/hard-anodising/.
Hydrodipping
Hydrodipping, sometimes called immersion printing, is a finishing process that applies detailed patterns to parts rather than single colours. A printed film is floated on temperature-controlled water, activated, and then transferred onto a submerged part before being washed, dried, and sealed with automotive clear coat .
This process is great for materials such as metal, wood, plastic, and glass, and allows detailed designs on 3D shapes. However, the process can be time consuming and labour intensive.
Powdercoating
Powdercoating uses a dry powder, spread onto metal surfaces with an electrostatic charge and compressed air, then baked to harden.
Powdercoating is popular in the automotive industry thanks to being protective and durable, but it doesn’t provide a mirror finish like some other coatings.
