A product is not necessarily finished when a casting has set and is taken out of the mould. Generally speaking, all castings must be deburred and any excess material must be removed. Achieving the desired end product may require several processing and/or surface finishing steps.
We have in-house CNC machines at our aluminium foundries. CNC finishing offers several major benefits compared to conventional finishing processes. The key benefits of CNC finishing are its accuracy and repeatability, which minimise product rejection and offer a guaranteed level of quality.
Contact usIt is possible to treat the surface of aluminium castings. This treatment consists of a coating or a process during which a top layer is added to or in the casting. At Perla AluCast, we can perform the three most common surface treatments: technical anodising, wet painting and powder coating.
Anodising refers to the process of using an electrolytic treatment to form a protective layer of oxide on the aluminium casting. Note that this does not add another layer to the casting, as the protective layer is formed out of the aluminium itself. The strong molecular bond results in a fully integrated oxide layer. Anodising protects the casting. This surface treatment improves the material's corrosion resistance.
Powder coating is an electrostatic process. Negatively charged powder is applied to the positively charged aluminium castings. The electrostatic effect ensures the powder momentarily sticks to the surface of the castings. The castings are then heated in an oven, causing the coating to melt and then harden. The end result is a strong bond between the casting and the coating. As powder coating requires no solvents, it is better for the environment than wet painting. On the other hand, a powder coat has a coarser finish because the texture of the powder is still visible.
Compared to powder coating, wet painting offers a much smoother finish. This surface treatment is therefore often used when the appearance of the aluminium casting is important. For this treatment process, one or more coats of paint are applied to the casting. These coats of paint contain a solvent. After application, the solvent dissolves and the layers of paint harden. Besides giving them a smooth and even finish, this coating also protects the castings.
Once the aluminium casting has been cast and any finishing treatments have been applied, there are often one or more subassembly steps to perform. Other castings are fitted or components made of e.g. plastic or steel are mounted onto the aluminium casting. We can take care of these steps for you. We can also perform the assembly of mounting materials. We can even produce assembly tools in house to guarantee a fast and repeatable assembly process.
Would you like to know more about what we can do for you? Contact us without any further obligation. Call us at +31(0)15 203 3100, send an email to expert@perla-alucast.nl or fill out our contact form. We are happy to help!
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