Surface Finishing
Surface finishing and coating references covering anodizing, plating and finish callouts — how to specify the right finish for appearance, corrosion resistance and wear life.
Anodizing Color Match: Why Batches Never Look Identical
Anodized color drifts batch-to-batch and alloy-to-alloy because it's a dye job, not paint. Why it happens, which colors and alloys are worst, and how to spec a job so the variation stays invisible.
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Passivation & Electropolishing of Stainless Steel: Corrosion-Proofing Machined Parts
Why machined stainless needs treatment - passivation removes free iron to restore the passive layer, electropolishing removes a thin layer for a smoother, brighter, easy-clean surface. How they differ and when to use each.
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Bead Blasting & Media Blasting: Choosing the Right Surface Texture
A guide to media blasting metal parts - glass bead, aluminium oxide, walnut and steel shot - what each finish looks like, blasting before anodizing, and how to specify a repeatable blasted surface.
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Powder Coating vs Anodizing vs Plating: Choosing a Metal Finish
Compare powder coating, anodizing and plating on corrosion resistance, wear, appearance, conductivity, dimensional effect and cost - and learn which finish fits which part.
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Surface Roughness Explained: Ra, Rz & How to Specify Finish
What surface roughness means and how to specify it - Ra vs Rz, the finish each process delivers, and how to call out the right value without paying for needless grinding.
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A Practical Guide to Surface Finishes for CNC & Metal Parts
Compare anodizing, plating, passivation, powder coating and more to choose the right surface finish for your custom metal and CNC parts.
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The Complete Guide to Aluminum Anodizing
Learn how aluminum anodizing works, compare Type I, II, and III, and get design tips on dyeing, sealing, masking, and dimensional effects.
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