A. L. Hansen Mfg. Co. is continuously researching finishes for its products that will provide the best in corrosion protection and appearance. New processes and material are being evaluated at a rapid pace. This finish guide has been created to show some of the finishes available to you. The first section of the guide is a bar graph that shows the relative corrosion resistance that each finish can be expected to deliver. The second section is a list of common finishes with an explanation of what they are and what properties they possess. The third section is a chart showing products grouped by family and what finishes are typically used on them. Use the finish guide to make an informed decision for your specific application.
Corrosion resistance of a finish can be denoted in terms of number of hours exposed to salt spray (FOG) testing per ASTM 117-90 test method. The results indicated the number of hours before white corrosion (the first stage of reaction) begins. The above chart reflects the differences in corrosion resistance abilities of some of the finishes offered. For detailed information regarding available finishes, contact your A. L. Hansen Mfg. Co. sales or customer service representative.
Zinc Plating: A. L. Hansen Mfg. Co. offers a commercial zinc finish on its steel and iron products. This finish is a zinc electroplating process with a clear chromate otherwise known as bright blue. The clear chromate supplements are added to the zinc surface for improves corrosion resistance and appearance. Commercial zinc plating can be used as a primer coat or as a base coat for a number of top coat finishes.
Properties: Appearance-Moderate, Abrasion Resistance-Excellent, Paint Adhesion-Excellent.
Zinc/Colored Chromate: This finish is zinc plating with a layer of colored chromate. The colored chromate provides a higher corrosion resistance properties than commercial zinc and is commonly used as a primer
Properties: Appearance-Moderate, Abrasion Resistance-Excellent, Paint Adhesion-Excellent.
Chrome Plating: A. L. Hansen Mfg. Co. offers the highest quality of chrome plating on a number of its product lines. Chrome plating is an electroplating process which applies three layers of metal; copper, nickel and chromium. Depending on the surface preparation (polishing) and the final chrome thickness, the finish can range from satin to high luster/mirror-like surface.
Properties: Appearance-Superior, Abrasion Resistance-Good, Paint Adhesion-Not Applicable.
Powder Coating: A. L. Hansen Mfg. Co. offers a polyester powder coat finish for most of its products. The polyester construction is ideally suited for exterior applications. Powder coating is an electrostatic paint process followed by a thermal curing of the finish. This provides a uniform coverage. The powder coat process is quickly replacing liquid paint because of environmental concerns over paint VOC's. Available in a variety of colors, powder coat is used primarily as a top coat finish.
Properties: Appearance-excellent, Abrasion Resistance-Good, Paint Adhesion-Not Applicable.
E-Coat: A. L. Hansen Mfg. Co. offers an acrylic E-coat which is ideally suited for exterior applications. the E-coating is applied through an electroplating process followed by a thermal curing of the finish. Full curing normally takes 24 hours. Commonly used as a final top coat, it is available in a variety of colors. A clear E-coat is also available and used in conjunction with other finishes such as commercial zinc. It offers excellent appearance with high corrosion resistance.
Properties: Appearance-Excellent, Abrasion Resistance-Excellent, Paint Adhesion-Excellent.
Electro-Polishing: Electro-polishing is considered the highest form of passivation and can make a part up to 30 times more passive than passivation. Passivation is the removal of free iron contamination from the surface of stainless steel that could be left behind from fabrication processes. Passivation not only cleans the part, it also forms a thin transparent oxide film that protects the stainless from selective oxidation.
Properties: Appearance-Superior, Abrasion Resistance-Excellent, Paint Adhesion-Not Applicable.
Anodizing: Anodizing is used exclusively on aluminum products. Anodizing is an electrolytic process where the thin oxide film on the aluminum surface is converted to an anodic coating. This anodic coating can provide a hard, wear and scratch surface. Dyes are used to provide specific decorative appearance and colors.
