While passivation is useful for removing free iron and contaminants from stainless steel, electropolishing offers a wider range of benefits:
Below are results from an independent lab’s testing of eight stainless steel allows after 24 and 888 hours of ASTM B-117 salt spray testing – no rust formed on any electropolished alloy compared but did form on each passivated alloy:
A set of parts was submitted to ASTM B-117 salt spray testing at an independent testing facility. The test parts included a wire weldment fabricated from 304 stainless steel. The testing was performed for 144 hours on each part in the raw, passivated and electropolished state.
After 72 hours of exposure to the salt spray, the raw and passivated wire weldments developed red corrosion in the resistance welded areas. The electropolished part showed no visible corrosion after 144 hours of testing. Electropolishing is effective in treating the carbide precipitation condition that occurs in the heat-affected zone during welding. It also improves the chrome to iron ratio on the surface which greatly improves the corrosion resistance.
From implantable devices to surgical instruments, electropolishing is a single-process treatment that results in biocompatible, safe and ultra clean parts.
We offer aerospace vendors and original equipment manufacturers our signature metal finishing services to increase fatigue-resistance for their metal parts, rendering them capable of withstanding the stress and corrosion that comes with long-term use.
Our strict adherence to industry standards ensures that pharmaceutical components are electropolished in accordance with ASTM B912 and ASME BPE specifications. These products are clean and smooth, corrosion resistant and contaminant free.
Corrosion resistance and microfinish improvement are essential for critical automotive parts, making electropolishing an increasingly beneficial option for automakers.
Our metal finishing services help increase corrosion resistance for these parts, and by removing the outermost layer of metal withelectropolishing the durability and longevity of these appliance components is increased.
Electropolishing materials for this industry eliminates the buildup of bacterial biofilms, as well as keeping the equipment free of contaminants like Salmonella. Electropolishing delivers the level of sanitation required by a number of regulatory agencies.
From robotics to mobile equipment, the uses of electropolishing in the hydraulics and pneumatics industry are many. By helping prevent premature part failure, electropolishing reduces downtime and increases the life cycle of these components.
Improving conductivity and performance is just one benefit electropolishing offers for electronics parts. The surface finish is improved by as much as 50%, removing imperfections from the material without material removal.
Carbon steel is widely favored in manufacturing for its affordability, hardness and ability to undergo heat-treatment to increase durability. Used in gears, springs, and other critical metal parts, it’s known for versatility and reliability.
Precision and reliability are non-negotiable standards in the aerospace industry, where every component must meet strict requirements for performance, durability, and safety.
With the addition of a fourth-generation tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Able’s state-of-the-art suite of analytic tools continues to grow to meet the requirements of high quality finishing for increasingly sophisticated metal parts.
Stainless steel alloys are prized by manufacturers across industries for their durability and corrosion resistance. Unfortunately, when free iron isn’t removed from the surface of stainless steel parts after machining or stamping, the inherent benefits of stainless alloys diminish: contaminated…
