Electrochemicals Blog – EPI – Electrochemical Products Inc.

May 14th, 2008

By Eric Olander

 Interesting result with  two black oxide processes,  Ultra Blak 400hot black oxide and  Insta Blak 333room temperature blackening, they provide an excellent anti-galling surface on steel parts. What is anti-galling? Anti-galling is necessary to break in mating parts, the anti-galling surface sacrifices the lubricating layer of black during the initial contact and abrasion while a work hardened surface is formed. An example of this is drill bits and also concrete nailing hammers. A  blackened drill bit when it first touches the steel being drilled into serves as a lubricant to the steel that is being drilled into. After that drilling operation the drill bit is surfaced hardened ready to take on other drilling operations. Another application by one of EPI's customer was concrete  nailing guns. The Insta Blak 333  process actually provided better anti-galling  results than the hot black oxide processes. The Insta Blak process resulted in the appropriate torque values for that anti-galling situation  in concrete nailing guns that the hot black oxide process could not, it was too hard.

Posted in Black Oxide | No Comments »

May 7th, 2008

By Eric Olander

EPi is starting to pack for Sur/Fin 2008 in Indianapolis,IN June 16th-18th, 2008. We are excited to see everyone again and also to talk about our products. Eric Olander will be session chair Track II Automotive Symposium Conversion Coatingsand a speaker on June 17th,2008 2-5 PM. The session I will be chairing is the about the latest developments on trivalent chromates for aluminum and zinc surfaces. My paper will discuss the latest developments on trivalent yellow chromates since our paper on E-Chrome Ultra Yellow last year in Cleveland,OH .  Some customers have been concerned about the color being to green. We will be announcing a new yellow-red version that is not as green as the  E-Chrome Ultra Yellow. Another subject that I will discuss is the diphenyl carbazide challenge brought up by Tom Rochester in Plating Surface Finishing October 2007 issue.

 Bring your I-pods for copper plating! Late last year Popular Science did an experiment using our E-Brite Ultra CUalkaline non cyanide copper process on plating the back of I-pods with this process. At Sur/Fin we will be  free offering copper plating to the back of your I-pod.  Sid Arthur  EPI's Senior Technical Service Engineer will be offering this service during the show. We also will be giving two I-pod's away during the show. One on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday. See you at Sur/Fin!

Posted in Eric Olander Happenings | No Comments »

May 6th, 2008

By Eric Olander

EPI's E-Brite 757 nickel plating process is know for its excellent coverage in rack and barrel applications. What we have found with this nickel plating process is that it plates more nickel in the low current density area, approximately 20-33% more nickel than other nickel processes. On long tube parts we have found that you will achieve the minimum thickness faster, which means for the nickel plater less nickel usage per part saving the plater money.

In barrel applications you will achieve excellent ductility and brightness with the E-Brite 757 . Masterlock uses the E-Brite 757 on its shackles that you see on their combination and laminated locks.

Another fact is this process gives excellent chrome coverage. I remember one customer who is used the E-Brite 757 process on a bed spring display that was 2 feet by 3 feet by 6 inches deep. The chrome covered the entire bedspring area including the deep recesses. The other processes left nickel showing.

Posted in Electroplating, Nickel Plating | No Comments »