1046 – Automotive fasteners needing removal of copper coating
#1046 Brite Passivating/ Decorative
Industry:
Other - Manufacturers of fasteners including automotive fasteners
Mfg/Method:
Machining
Alloy:
18-8 Stainless Steel
Problem:
Customer needed a bright decorative finish that would stand up to harsh environment. In addition, there was a need to remove the copper coating which is used for lubrication during machining.
Solution:
Able’s electropolishing proprietary technique stripped the copper coating, brightened the finish to near-chrome quality and gave the part an anti-corrosive finish.
Note to engineer: Able has refined its processing capabilities on large quantity fastener applications. Specialized equipment has been developed by our own design team that minimizes labor and speeds production rates. This processing technique allows us to process small, high volume fasteners for unit costs a fraction of that available previously
Copper coating is commonly used on a variety of machined and cold headed products. Most machining and heading operations would imbed copper within the metal surface, creating a contamination and corrosion problem for critical applications. Normal passivation will not remove all the imbedded impurities, and certainly would not brighten the surface. If you have a critical end application that requires a clean, bright surface, send us some samples for evaluation.
