For a metal finishing operation in its 80th year, Cincinnati-based Varland Plating has spent decades doing something most shops avoid: continuously reinventing itself.
I recently experienced a bad attitude from a young mechanic at my local auto repair shop.
Chromium-free zinc flake coatings (zinc-rich paint) are used for automotive parts and construction parts, etc. that require a high degree of corrosion protection.
For decades, the finishing industry has sought something many believed would be nearly impossible to achieve: a practical, cost-effective replacement for hard chromium plating that meets the performance requirements of demanding industrial applications.
Large quantities of hazardous waste, most in aqueous solution or as sludges, are being produced at numerous metal plating and processing facilities in the U.S. Regulatory pressures, future liability, and limited landfill space have driven the cost of metal waste disposal to levels that are becoming nonviable.
A shop owner wrote me the following note about barrel plating back in 2005, but it still holds today.
For more than three decades, Great Lakes Metal Finishing’s management team has always expected the best and braced for the worst when it comes to keeping their high-volume zinc and zinc-nickel plating operations in production.
Editor's Note: Few individuals have influenced the exchange of technical knowledge within the metal finishing industry as profoundly as Ted Mooney, P.E. Engineer, consultant, educator, author, and co-founder of Finishing.com, Mooney has spent nearly six decades helping platers and surface finishers solve problems and advance the industry. In this first-person reflection, he shares highlights from a remarkable career that began in 1967 and continues to inspire finishing professionals worldwide.
Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) has emerged as a leading surface engineering technology for improving the tribological and corrosion performance of lightweight structural alloys, including aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and zirconium.
The Korea Institute of Materials Science says it has developed a technology that makes silver-plated layers on repeatedly contacting electrical components harder and more wear-resistant.
How quickly will AI be able to help those in the finishing and coating industry?
Every Sunday, the arrival of the Los Angeles Times was more than a routine; it became my anchor during a time of deep uncertainty and transition in a new country.
Solstice Advanced Materials will acquire MacDermid Enthone’s parent, Element Solutions, for approximately $14.5 billion, including the assumption of net debt.
This is the follow-up to the article I wrote in November 2025, titled “AI – Amplified Intelligence or Alienating Intelligence?”
A finishing operation includes an electroforming step that uses a sulfamate nickel plating solution about which they know very little.
For more than six decades, Electro-Spec has quietly built a reputation as one of the most technically advanced and innovative high-reliability plating companies in North America.
The Minnesota Association of Metal Finishers will host its annual golf tournament on Friday, August 7, at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake, Minnesota.
Brass components are widely used in heat dissipation and thermal emission devices due to their high thermal conductivity and ease of processing.
When representatives from Boeing arrived at 3P Processing in Wichita, Kansas, several years ago, they delivered a message that left Terry Karst both surprised and humbled.
Thinking about succession can be overwhelming for many owners, and the pressure to get it right can make it easier to put off than to face.
For many finishers, electrical consumption is one of the largest expenses in a facility, and older rectifier systems can consume significantly more power while also taking up valuable production space.
