Electrochemicals Blog – EPI – Electrochemical Products Inc.

July 14th, 2010

From the Left John Cheng, Eric Olander, Char Heinke, Mark Kulas, Tom Axon, and Paul Kozdron

By Eric Olander

Sorry for the delay in not writing a blog, but my father Stan has been had some health challenges. Sur/Fin 2010 was a great success as we  visited potential new customers and existing ones on new processes. It seems that alkaline non cyanide copper was one of them more popular topics. The  discussion included heat treat stop off applications which the E-Brite 30/30 leads the way as it is Boeing  approved BAC 5722 for commercial and defense applications. Another application was replacing cyanide copper being used in a strip application plus a barrel application on steel. To learn more about the alkaline copper CLICK HERE.

Mark Kulas, EPi Chemist from our lab demonstrated our latest Insta Blak 333 GEL for steel and iron and B/ox 311 GEL for copper and copper alloys. We shooing a video and we  will shortly be posting it once I create it. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Insta Blak 333 had some considerable interest as well as people were looking at  bringing parts in house that they were sending out for hot black oxide.

I won the Munning Award from the NASF on my work as the Sur/Fin committee chair person. I will be serving as Past Chair for the next two years.  The Munning Award is given to a supplier has demonstrated leadership and volunteerism for the NASF. I am working on a picture for you to see.

Posted in Black Oxide, Copper Plating, Metal Antiquing | No Comments »

December 14th, 2009

EPi is excited to annouce a new product for achieving verdi green finish on copper and copper alloys B/ox 316 GEL. This latest new product B/ox 316 GEL is easy to use and produces a thick verdi green  that accepts thick clear  lacquers and thick clear powder coats. Previous verdi green products will disappear with a thick coating of lacquer or powder. The problem is now solved with B/ox 316 GEL because itself results in a thicker verdi green finish. Want to save money and time applying your verdi green?  The B/ox 316 GEL applies directly to the brass and copper substrates. Save money by not having to apply a brown-black antique onto to the copper or brass prior to applying the verdi green.  In the past the only way you can achieve the verdi green finish is through applying the brown-black antique first. This will save you 20-40% in chemical cost, plus labor costs and time.LEARN MORE

Posted in Metal Antiquing | No Comments »

June 26th, 2009

ByEric Olander

We are back from Sur/Fin and the show reflects the state of the manufacturing economy on the US today. The numbers are down from last year, but the Keynote speaker Dr Ken Mayland. ClearView Economics, LLC discussed past  recessions and "What will be the sign of the Coming Recovery" and it indicates that we are bottoming out and we should be seeing signs of life late this year. For the metal finishing industry we may lag behind in the initial phases of the recovery as typically we  are the last to go into a recession and the last to go out of a recession.

 The attached picture is Rebbecca Bennett Director, Chemical & Environmental Compliance of Precision Plating in Chicago,IL Becky is holding her Award of Merit from the NASF www.nasf.org for all of her hard work and volunteerism she has done for the NASF. Congratulations Becky!

This year at Sur/Fin EPi displayed our new Insta Rust 340 process. This new architectural finish contains no acid and produces a rainbow of rust colors.

Posted in Eric Olander Happenings, Metal Antiquing | No Comments »

December 19th, 2008

By Eric Olander

 Today Ms. Du from China completed here training at EPi. EPi looks forward to having my Ms. Du represent EPi is China. Ms. Du trained on EPi's  latest developments in blackening  magnesium and electroplating magnesium  . Ms. Du's customers are looking for a blackening process for magnesium. EPi hopes to launch it some time first quarter in 2009.

Additional training was completed on EPi's B/Ox  product line including a discussion on the many variables in antiquing processes; substrates, antiquing process, relieving process, and the top-coating process. Another  interesting application was black oxiding polished stainless steel cell phone cover with Ultra blak 407  as a replacement for black nickel. We look forward to growing our business in China with Ms. Du .

Posted in Copper Plating, Eric Olander Happenings, Metal Antiquing | No Comments »

September 11th, 2008

By Eric Olander

EPi is excited about working with Metal Finishing magazine in participating in its first pod-cast/webinar. Reginald Tucker Editor of  Metal Finishing magazine interviewed me regarding the latest innovations at  EPi. To gain access to this pod-cast/audio program go to http://www.metalfinishing.com/webinars/epi0908.html  . Log in and sit back and listen to what is new in trivalent chormates, black oxide and antiquing at EPi.

Posted in Black Oxide, Eric Olander Happenings, Metal Antiquing, Trivalent Chromates | No Comments »

July 24th, 2008

By Eric Olander

Eric Olander conducted an interview by Reg Tucker Editor of Metal Finishing magazine at Sur/Fin 2008 in Indianapolis to discuss EPI's new products which included a discussion about a fish. Check out the lates with EPI's newest trivalent yellow chromate, and BOX 311 metal antiquing process.  To see this video go to this link Sur/Fin 2008 Interview with EPI's president Eric Olander  .  Next years Sur/Fin show is in Louisville,KY to learn more about the show go to www.nasf.org .

Posted in Copper Plating, Electroplating, Eric Olander Happenings, Metal Antiquing, Metal Finishing | No Comments »

June 24th, 2008

By Eric Olander

EPi exhibited at the NASF's Sur/Fin  in Indianapolis last week. Bob Campbell, Sid Arthur, Paul Kozdron, and Eric Olander (pictured to the left) worked at the booth. New and old friends visited us to learn about the latest  EPi processes such as trivalent chromate blue and yellow, alkaline non cyanide copper, antiquing/oxidizing, and other EPi processes were displayed.

Eric Olander gave a paper on the diphenyl carbazide controversy and Trivalent Yellow. Our latest development E-Ultra Yellow 600 provides 600-700 hours salt spray to 5% white rust and  700-800 hours to red rust. We have found it offers  little white creeping corrosion.  You  cut an X into the film  and salt spray the part.  The results were 200 hours of corrosion protection  to the first signs of white creeping corrosion were the X was cut. The other trivalent yellow chromates resulted in about 24-48 hours. What does this mean for the zinc plater? It means it will offer scratch resistance in a zinc barrel plating operation. Metal finishers, suppliers, and even some EPA representatives were at this talk

Last Tuesday night we enjoyed a wonderful evening at the Indianapolis Speedway. We went to the museum and the hospitality tent for some beverage, food, and networking. The highlight of the night was getting a lap around the track . No, we  did not go in an Indy car or a Nascar, but a high speed van that might have hit 50 mph. We did get to stop at the start finish line where therer are some of the original bricks of the speedway. We had a picture taken (picture on the right) at the finish line of myself and our distributor of Russia Bulat Bayzuldin.

Sur/Fin 2008 was left many memories.

Next year the show will be in Louiville, KY June 16-18th.

Posted in Eric Olander Happenings, Metal Antiquing, Trivalent Chromates | No Comments »