Product category:
Coatings and coating systems
News Release from: Blackfast Chemicals | Subject: 'Blackfast LP' electrocoat lacquering process
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 24 July 2007
Electrocoat lacquer achieves major cost
savings
Normally a packaging machine builder subcontracted out the black anodising of aluminium parts, but an electrocoat laquering process allowed the company to bring aluminium finishing 'in-house'.
The Beeston, Packaging Machinery facility has introduced 'Blackfast LP' electrocoat lacquering process from Blackfast Chemicals and claimed to have achieved major cost and quality benefits Beeston is using the process 'in-house' to replace subcontracted black anodising of selected aluminium components
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Jul 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Beeston has a company policy of seeking manufacturing processes that can significantly reduce costs and streamline production and, simultaneously, raise quality levels.
Blackfast Chemicals said that using the Blackfast LP electrocoat process will dramatically cut the finishing costs of the aluminium parts by at least 75% when compared with subcontract anodising.
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The 'Blackfast LP' electrocoat lacquering process produces the required durable black surface.
Beeston believed that by bringing this finishing process in-house, it expected to achieve a more uniform and consistent surface finish across the many variants of black components in use.
These can cinclude gears, wheels and machined parts.
By processing them in their own self-contained Blackfast LP system, Beeston can closely control quality and surface appearance.
There are also important time savings realised, as parts need no longer be sent to the subcontractor and associated risk of transit damage is also eliminated.
* About the 'Blackfast LP' process - Blackfast LP "black" is a cathodic electrophoretic process for depositing a tough, black pigmented coating onto any substrate that can normally be electroplated.
Metals include aluminium, brass, stainless steel, and zinc die castings.
By changing the 'LP' concentrate, the process can also produce other colours and a clear coating, .
Blackfast Chemicals said that the process is extremely easy to operate and control, and requires only six tanks, which can be sized to suit the parts being finished.
The basic process sequence is: degreasing; water rinse; deionised water rinse; Blackfast LP immersion; water rinse and deionised water rinse.
The components are then oven-cured for 2O-3Omin at 6O deg C.
Process details are as follows.
* The parts need to be effectively abrasive blast cleaned with an aluminium oxide media (for aluminium parts) prior to the first degreasing stage.
* The processing cycle, including the curing stage, is around 45 min.
* Coverage for a 5pm dry film thickness is 40m2/kg of LP black concentrate, and deposition voltage varies between 25V and 60V for 60s immersion, depending on the dry film thickness specified.
* The cured Blackfast LP black coating has a pencil hardness of 5H to 6H (ASTM D3363-74), is resistant to solvents and has good dry adhesion, scratch, UV and corrosion resistance (comprehensive technical details are available on request).
Commented Barry Clements of Blackfast Chemicals: "The Blackfast LP electrocoat process is available in many other colours - the Blackfast 'Dye' range - in addition to the black version used at Beeston.
We view the process as a really viable, cost- and time-saving, alternative to anodising or plating for a huge variety of products and components.
It produces a durable, aesthetically pleasing finish, and it is inherently safer and much easier to install, operate and control than an electroplating or anodising line." Blackfast Chemicals, well known for its established 'Blackfast' chemical blacking process, has recently set up a small demonstration/sample processing facility for Blackfast LP at Barwell, near Hinckley, UK.
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