p class="lm-text">Plating and coating fixture service providers create productive and cost effective tooling for plating or coating processes. These fixtures or containers are custom designed to support the product being coated. They maintain minimal contact with the product to ensure that coating buildup is minimized between the product and the fixture.

Fixtures

Fixtures or containers that are used for plating or coating include durable finishes. Examples of some fixtures are baskets, racks, bins, trays, and other holding devices for use in painting and coating operations. Fixtures are a very important part of the coating equipment. The correct fixtures will present the product most efficiently so that the coating is uniform and void-free.

Applications

Typical applications include anodizing, plating, painting, cleaning, etching, powder coating, and racks for printed circuit boards.

• Anodizing is the electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish. Nonferrous metals such as aluminum, magnesium, and titanium can be anodized.
• Plating is a surface covering in which a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. This technique is used for corrosion resistance, decoration, strength, alteration of conductivity, and for a variety of other purposes.
• Painting, also known as liquid coating, is the process of applying paint, pigment, color, or other medium to a surface. Paint adds decoration to the finished product and provides resistance to the product's environment.
• Cleaning ensures that the plating or coating adheres to the finished product to improve both the appearance and quality. As seen in the image below, cleaning removes shop dirt and other soils from the surface prior to the plating or coating technique. There are many factors to consider for a successfully cleaned part, including the time, temperature, physical process, and chemical composition used during the cleaning.
• Etching is used to make a cavity in a material. This technique is able to chemically remove layers from the surface of a product to create an image or increase functionality.
• Powder coating is a dry finishing process that uses finely ground particles of pigment and resin. The particles are electrostatically charged and sprayed onto electrically grounded parts. The charged particles adhere to the part and are held there until melted and fused into a uniform coating in a curing oven. This type of coating is resistant to scratches, corrosion, and chemicals. Powder coating is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly coating option.
• Racks are created for printed circuit boards as they travel through the finishing process. This including holding and storing the boards as they are coated and dried.

Fixture services' ability to custom fabricate tooling for nearly any substrate in a variety of dimensions sets them apart from finishing and surface treatment services. Many times these companies also have prefabricated racks and shelves for common applications.

Resources

Fundamentals of Powder Coating

Image credit:

COR Wheels / CC BY 2.0