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FAQs: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is anodizing?
Anodizing is used to provide aluminum with a stable, wear and chemical resistant finish that will never corrode or flake. The coating is harder than aluminum and provides an attractive finish. In most applications, the aluminum part is given a light to moderate etch prior to anodizing. The etch process is an integral part of the anodizing finish.
While paint simply adheres to the aluminum component, anodizing becomes a part of the component a t the molecular level. The anodic coating actually penetrates the part. Approximately 50% of the coating thickness is penetration and 50% of the thickness is buildup, meaning that a typical .0004 thick coating is composed of .0002 thickness added to the surface while the other .0002 is below the original aluminum surface.
How thick is anodizing?
Typical thickness of clear and color anodizing is .0002 to .0005. Black anodizing ranges from .0005 to .0010. The standard thickness for hardcoat anodizing is .002
All the above are guidelines, and the thicknesses are controllable and variable within a reasonable range.
What color will my aluminum part be after it is anodized?
While clear anodized aluminum is an attractive, silver gray finish, a wide range of colors are available to change the finish appearance. Color is imparted in the anodic coating using organic dyes. DRAGON ANODIZING currently offers anodizing in:
CLEAR, BLACK, BLUE, BRONZE/COPPER, GOLD, GREEN, PURPLE, RED, YELLOW
Note: Custom colors available upon request!
Should we seal the anodized aluminum part?
Since the anodic coating is a porous finish, usually sealed to lock in the coloring agent and reduce wear and staining. Hard anodizing is sometimes left unsealed for various reasons.
What size parts can you handle?
DRAGON ANODIZING has anodized parts as small as 1/8 and as large as 142 in length, 36 in width, and 42 in depth.
Our tanks are twelve (12) feet long and four (4) feet wide and deep.
How do you protect areas of the part we dont want anodized?
DRAGON ANODIZING uses precision masking for the areas you dont want anodized.
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