Switch to in-house 'Blackfast LP' electrocoat lacquer achieves major cost savings and quality benefits
08 April 2008
The introduction of 'Blackfast LP' - a new electrocoat lacquering process from Blackfast Chemicals.
The introduction of 'Blackfast LP' - a new electrocoat lacquering process from Blackfast Chemicals - is reported to have achieved major cost and quality benefits at the Beeston, Nottingham, plant of Sandiacre Rose Forgrove, part of the multinational Molins Packaging Machniery (MPM) group.
The process has been adopted in-house specifically to replace the previously sub-contracted black anodising of selected aluminium components used in the company's range of advanced packaging systems for food and other consumer products.
The change in to in-house finishing was driven by the company's on going policy of seeking new processes that can significantly reduce costs and streamline production and at the same time enhance quality.
It is estimated that using the blackfast LP electrocoat process in house to produce the required durable black surface, will slash the finishing costs of the parts involved by at least 75% compared with anodising by a subcontract finisher.
Added to this, says Mark Wardle, production manager at Sandiacre Rose Forgrove: "As well as durability of finish, cosmetic appearance is also very important, as many of the components are visible on our machines. By bringing this particular finishing process in house, we expect to achieve a more uniform and consistent surface finish across the many variants of black components we use. These can come from different sources - gears wheels and machine parts for example- and by processing them in our own self-contained Blackfast LP systems, we can closely control quality and surface appearance."
There are also important time savings, as there will be no need to transport parts to and from the subcontractor, so the associated risk of transit damage is eliminated.
The 'Blackfat LP' process
Blackfast LP "black" is a cathodic electrophoretic process for depositing a tough, black pigmented coating onto any substrate that can normally be electroplated - including aluminium, brass, stainless steel and zinc diecastings. The process can also be used to produce other colours and a clear coating by changing the 'LP' concentrate.
The process is extremely easy to operate and control and requires only six tanks which can be sized to suit the parts being finished. The basic process sequence is: degreasing; water rinse; deionised water rinse; Blackfast LP immersion; water rinse and deionised water rinse. This is follwed by curing in an oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 160c. The parts need to be effectively abrasive blast cleaned with an aluminium oxide media (for aluminium parts) prior to the first degreasing stage. The processing cycle, including the curing stage, is around 45 minutes.
Coverage for a 5um dry film thickness is 40m2 per kg of LP black concentrateand deposition voltage varies between 25V and 60V for 60 seconds immersion, depending on the dry film thickness specified.
The cured Blackfast LP black coating has a pencil hardness of 5H to 6H (ASTM D3363-74) is resistant to solvents and has good dry adhesion, scratch, UV and corrosion resistance (comprehesive technical details are available on request)
Comments Barry Clements of Blackfast Chemicals: "The Blackfast LP electrocoat process is available in many other colours - the blackfast 'Dye' range - in addition to the black version used at Sandiacre Rose Forgrove. We view the process as a really viable, cost and time saving, alternative to anodising or plating for a huge variety of products and components. It produces a durable, aesthetically pleasing finish and it is inherently safer and much easier to install, operate and control than an electoplating or anodising line."
Blackfast Chemicals, well known for its established 'Blackfast' chemical blacking process, has recently set up a small demonstration/sample processing facility of Blackfast LP at Barwell, near Hinckly.
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