1057 – Cellular phone antenna needing high corrosion resistance. Dimensions were critical to maintain frequency specifications.
#1057 Brite Passivating and Sizing
Industry:
Electronics/Communication - Manufacturers of antennas and antenna equipment
Mfg/Method:
Wire Forming
Alloy:
302 Stainless Steel
Problem:
This wire form is an antenna wire used in a cellular application. The customer needed a clean part that could withstand the weather and road salts. Being a visible part, the surface needed to be uniform and bright with a chrome-like appearance. Material removal was critical in this application. If too much material were removed, the frequency range of the antenna would be adversely affected.
Solution:
Electropolishing was specified so that the material removal would be controlled within parameters not to affect the aforementioned frequency range. With surface metal and imbedded impurities removed, the bright finish met or exceeded all corrosion standards. Since the process leaves the native stainless alloy, there were no coatings to chip or peel.
Note to engineer: When properly applied, electropolishing provides excellent tolerance control. While stock removals can be set to as high as .002” or more, tolerance ranges are often +-.0001”. We can provide valuable assistance in design to meet your critical specifications.
