SAVE THE DATE! AAC’s 2014 Anodizing Conference: September 16-18, 2014!

The Annual Anodizing Conference and Exposition is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16 through Thursday, September 18, 2014 at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Plan now to participate in this highly educational conference and expo designed by aluminum anodizing professionals for the anodizing community.

Reservations for rooms at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center are now being accepted. The AAC group rate is $159 (USD) per night/single or double occupancy plus tax.  To receive the special AAC rate, make your room reservation by August 25, 2014.  Please refer to the AAC Conference website (www.aacconf.org) under travel and lodging to book your room.

Information on Conference Registration (fees and online registration) will be available by late- June.  Please check the AAC conference website for more details as they become available.

Exhibit & Sponsorship Opportunities for Annual Anodizing Conference Soon!
Suppliers to the anodizing industry are encouraged to make plans to exhibit at the Anodizing Expo, which will be open during the Welcome Reception on Tuesday evening and all day on Wednesday from breakfast through the Reception in the evening.  The Council currently is preparing the Anodizing Expo Prospectus, which will outline the exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities available.  Complete details will be available in June or visit the conference page of the AAC website at www.aacconf.org for information as it becomes available.

Impact Your Industry - Get Involved

Exciting things are happening in the anodizing industry.  AAC has aggressive and exciting plans for the coming years that will benefit AAC membership as well as the entire anodizing industry.  AAC relies on its committees (Education, Membership & Promotion) to do most of the legwork to accomplish its goals and help carry out these plans.  The standing committees guide and direct the Council’s programs and activities, developing recommendations for the Board of Directors, and implementing approved projects. Each committee is devoted to meeting the needs of Council members.

AAC needs your help.  We need more participation in our committees to help develop and implement these exciting and ambitious plans for the Council.  The value of membership in a trade association like AAC is directly proportional to each member's level of participation . . . we hope you'll truly be an active member, and take full advantage of your membership and all that it offers.  Our committees need help in multiple areas:  Marketing, Management, Manufacturing & Technical Support and Academia.  This is your chance to make an active impact on the future of your industry. You and others from your firm can help make a difference NOW.

I encourage you not to wait until the next official meeting of the committees (September, 2014) to find out how you can help.  Contact AAC at mail@anodizing.org for assistance right away and they can help get you more information about how you can get involved immediately.  We have a great group of members and take pride in all those who are able to take a leading role in influencing industry trends, setting standards and guiding future innovations.   As an active committee member for years, I can assure you it is a worthwhile and rewarding experience.  Your industry and your Council need your help.  Don’t stand on the sidelines and watch. Get involved now!!

This post was written by AAC Board of Directors Member Todd Hamilton of Southern Aluminum Finishing Company.

If your company is not a current member of AAC and you would like to join, please contact the AAC at mail@anodizing.org for more details on becoming a member and joining a committee
 

 

Nickel-Free Seals are the Responsible Choice

According to the World Health Organization, nickel is an essential element for the normal growth of many species of microorganisms and plants as well as several vertebrates. In small quantities nickel is absolutely vital but, when the uptake is too high, it can be a danger to human health.

Fortunately for anodizers, non-nickel sealants have established themselves as a reliable alternative with over 20 years of proven production success.

Because nickel-free seals contain no regulated metal and are relatively pH neutral, waste treatment is simpler, easier and cheaper compared to using a nickel-based seal.

These products can be applied alone or as the final seal in a two-step sealing system. Architectural firms can use nickel-free seals for electrolytic and clear anodized finishes. Many job shops apply them for clear and color work.

For job shop applications, the concentration of the seal can be lowered to allow a more frequent, yet economic, tank replacement while providing a fresh seal solution. This is particularly helpful in bright dip shops where phosphate contamination is the usual reason for seal tank replacement.

Bath life can be extended further by using an organic additive which can also improve the rinsing action of sealed parts, reduce sealing smut and improve sealing efficiency.

Nickel-free concentrates can produce a quality seal under mid-temperature conditions which will provide substantial savings in equipment for heating, exhaust and waste treatment.

Using a non-nickel seal in accordance with recommended practices, coatings will meet or exceed specified requirements using ASTM test methods B136, B117 and B680.

Nickel-free products also:

• Provide excellent salt spray resistance
• Do not cause yellowing of the coating
• Produce a smut-free hydrophobic surface
• Are easy to filter, titrate and control
• Extend bath life

This post was submitted by Mark Jozefowicz, VP – Technical Services for Reliant Aluminum Products.

A Proactive Stance on Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates

 As we monitor the constantly changing regulations that confront our industry, increasingly anodizers are being asked to certify their products meet new environmental requirements. More intermediates are coming under scrutiny and several states are enacting strict regulations and reporting requirements. Many intermediates are simply no longer available.

California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act (Proposition 65) lists more than 800 substances that could pose a danger to humans and aquatic life. Under Proposition 65, Nonylphenol (NP) and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) are on the list of unfavorable chemicals.

NP and NPEs are highly toxic to aquatic organisms and moderately bioaccumulative in mollusks. They are persistent in the aquatic environment and can accumulate in soils and sediments. Nonylphenol Ethoxylates can degrade into more toxic chemicals, including NP.

In August 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency released its NP/NPE Action Plan to address concerns over potential ecological and health effects. Through its Design for the Environment (DfE) program, the EPA released an assessment in May 2012 identifying many safer alternatives. Many of these alternatives are less persistent and break down to chemicals which are less toxic than NP and considered safer substitutes by the EPA.

Fortunately for anodizers, new cleaners and safer surfactants are readily available and provide an excellent opportunity to proactively address the mounting concerns over NP and NPEs. These new products are an excellent alternative for anodizers concerned about compliance with environmental regulations.

This post was submitted by Mark Jozefowicz, VP – Technical Services for Reliant Aluminum Products.

Meeting the Challenge of Anodized Medical Devices

Color anodized aluminum is widely used in the medical device industry. Whether it is used for a tool handle or a tray, repeat-use devices must undergo regular cleaning and sterilization treatments and it’s important that the original finish be preserved.

Several types of sterilization methods are in use today, but those which incorporate hydrogen peroxide injection are particularly challenging for a color anodized finish to endure. Fading or significant discoloration typically occurs after only a few sterilization cycles. STERRAD systems use low-temperature, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma technology to sterilize instruments and medical devices safely and effectively.

However recent studies have demonstrated that, using the correct sealing technology, inorganic dyed coatings can be produced to withstand 100 such cycles with no noticeable effect.

With the proper selection of dyes and sealants, anodizers now have the capability to meet the demands of the expanding medical device industry.

This post was submitted by Mark Jozefowicz, VP – Technical Services for Reliant Aluminum Products.





  



 

Racking Materials & Design (Part 2 of 2)

It’s probable that your customer has never given any thought to the material or the design of the tool that their part will be racked on, and for many of them, that’s fine. However, since a well-designed rack/tool can cut your lead time, lower your cost and provide for consistent quality, it is something that should be considered.

When is it appropriate, you ask? The answers are more complex than the simple answers here but if you process the same parts over and over, are concerned with cost, or your customer wants specific and well placed racking, you may want to consider specialized tools. High volume is NOT the only reason to consider specialized racks/tools. I have worked with many customers to design tools that specifically address concerns they have about their parts regardless of volume. In addition, many customers are willing to pay for this to insure good quality and the lowest pricing, not to mention that it is likely to reduce their turn time at the anodizer.

Usually, specialized racks mean, titanium racks. Titanium racks have long life because they are not consumed by the chemistry and they do not need stripping after anodize. They offer repeatable quality, lower part cost and/or faster turn times but these racks/tools can be expensive.

Aluminum racks/tools must be stripped after each anodize cycle and this, as well as the anodizing itself, consumes them and therefore the part price must be reflected in this. They are also seldom a perfect fit for the part but rather adjusted or adapted to the piece. While aluminum is less expensive, it is not cheap, and usually must be discarded after several cycles. In addition, since they are not specialized enough to maximize production quantities, turn times can be longer if there is even moderate volumes.

There are thousands of specialized tools/racks designed for a variety of products and your part may be a candidate for such treatment. Cost and productivity are at stake. 

This post was submitted by AAC Member Jack Tetrault, President of the Sanford Process Corporation.

 

Racking: Function and Location (Part 1 of 2)

Can you anodize a part without leaving a rack mark?

The simple answer is no, BUT, you can help reduce the potential of having rack marks become a problem by helping the anodizer understand the product or by providing a location where the mark will not be objectionable.

Racking serves two functions. 1) It provides a way to hold the part during the process and 2) It is the means by which the current (electricity) enters the part. It is the latter of the two that is often overlooked by designers and engineers and it’s the most important function because supplying the correct current is crucial to obtaining successful anodizing quality. Anodic coatings are applied as a direct relation to the surface area of the part. The contact area (rack mark) must be able to accept 10- 50 amps per square foot (ASF) depending on whether the anodic coating applied is type II and type III (hard coat). This means that the size of the mark cannot always be a pinpoint. For either case it is imperative that the contact (rack) be very tight.

 There are many, many racking methods and here are a few common practices:

1)    Squeezing the part between two or more contacts that wish to remain closed.

2)    Squeezing the contacts that wish to remain open and inserting in a hole or opening in the part.

3)    Threading a bolt into an existing threaded hole or using a nut and bolt combination in a hole and tighten to make contact.

4)    Clamping with a C-clamp device against an aluminum or titanium bar 

Often, anodizers are forced to take an educated guess as to where an acceptable rack location would be because we have not been provided any information. Providing a good place for a solid rack contact is tantamount to a successful anodic coating.

This post was submitted by AAC Member Jack Tetrault, President of the Sanford Process Corporation.  (Part two will be posted on 2-19-14.  Please return to check it out.)