Zinc Phosphate is a conversion applied to steel and steel alloys, it offers very good corrosion resistance and can be oiled or waxed for even better corrosion resistance. Zinc Phosphate offers very good bonding properties as well. The color of coated parts ranges from a pale gray crystalline coating to a charcoal gray crystalline coating. The color is often alloy dependent, lower carbon steels tend to be lighter in color after zinc phosphating, whereas higher carbon steels tend to be darker.

Black oxide is a conversion coating that imparts a black finish on carbon steel, typically used to enhance corrosion resistance. Unlike paint or plating, the black oxide coating becomes an integral part of the substrate, making it more durable than most paints or plated coatings. The black oxide coating does not change the original surface properties of the substrate including reflectivity, texture, and hardness and the coating is only 0.00001” thick so there is essentially no dimensional change. It cannot chip or peel and can absorb oil or wax, which further improves corrosion resistance. Additionally, black oxide is stable up to 900°F, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Vibratory deburring is the process of mechanically vibrating parts with some form of media and chemical compound to alter the surface of a part. Deburring can be used to remove burrs, machine line lines, mill scale, heat treat scale, rust and many other surface conditions that may be problematic to subsequent processing steps like plating or painting.

Sulfuric Acid Anodizing is a conversion coating process used on aluminum. Anodizing provides a hard aluminum oxide layer on the surface of the aluminum part, enhancing its wear resistance and offering superior corrosion protection compared to bare aluminum. Additionally, anodizing can be dyed in various colors, including clear, which maintains the natural aluminum appearance. Generally known as Type II anodizing, sulfuric acid anodizing typically results in a coating thickness of 0.0004 to 0.0008 inches, with approximately half of the coating penetrating into the substrate and the other half building up on the surface.

Hard coat anodizing also known as Type III anodizing is very similar in many ways to sulfuric acid anodizing, the two main differences being color and thickness. Clear or natural hard coat anodizing is gray in color, and can only be dyed black consistently. The hard coating is also much thicker than sulfuric acid anodizing, generally ranging from 0.001 to 0.003 inches in thickness, depending on the alloy. That thicker coating offers even better corrosion protection, and the surface becomes harder and even more wear-resistant compared to sulfuring acid anodizing.