Capabilities

General Engineering (Treatments) are able to carry out several treatments through a highly skilled and capable work team.

The treatments we do are:

-Chromic Acid Anodising: An electrochemical process for producing a corrosion-resistant oxide film on the surface of aluminium and aluminium alloys.

-Tartaric Sulphuric Anodising: An ultimate replacement of Chromic Acid Anodising, providing superb corrosion protection and paint bonding properties for a wide range of alloys.

-Alocrom(Conversion Coating): A Chromate conversion coating chemically applied to aluminium, which provides corrosion protection.

-DFL (Dry Film Lubricant): Materials which are able to reduce friction between two surfaces sliding against eachother without the need for a liquid oil medium.

-CAD Plating: A electrolytic plating process in which cadmium is plated on metallic objects, usually steel or copper, to increase their corrosion resistance.

-Zinc Plating: An electrolytic process by which zinc is electroplated on iron and steel.

-De embrittlement: A heat treatment process which is carried out after electroplating where hydrogen embrittlement is likely to take place.

-Zinc Spraying:

-Passivation: The formation of thin continuous protective films on the surfaces of metals.

-Ident (Part Marking): A process to perminently mark parts with product information including item identification and a unique ID.

-Painting: To prevent corrosion on the material under consideration.

-Pressure Testing: To ensure the integrity of the pressure shell on new pressure equipment, or on previously installed pressure and piping equipment that has undergone repair or alteration to its boundarys.

We also carry out a range of different Non Destructive Testing operations:

-PFD (Penetrant Flaw Detection): To ensure that there are no cracks or holes within the material under consideration.

-MFD (Magnetic Flaw Detection):

We also carry out a range of different Material Evaluation operations:

-HT (Hardness Testing):To determine whether the hardness of the material under consideration is within the acceptable range, and to assure batch uniformity.

-CT (Conductivity Testing): To determine whether the conductivity of the material under consideration is within the acceptable range, and to assure batch uniformity. Conductivity testing can also be utilised to evaluate machine abuse.

-AEI (Acid Etch Inspection): To identify any transformation in the microstructure of the material caused by faulty machining.

-AFD (Anodic Flaw Detection): An inspection that utilses the adjustment in contrast that occurs during the Anodise process to identify laps, narrow cracks, corrosion or machine damage.

Anodising

The formation of inorganic oxide coatings on certain metals, chiefly aluminium, by connecting the metals as anodes in suitable electrolytes. Excellent protection is given to aluminium, but such coatings on magnesium and zinc are less protective.

PFD

Penetrant Flaw Detection is the treating of aircraft parts. First of all, the parts go for a precleaning to prevent the penetrent from entering it. It then goes through a process of etching, where it gets covered in androx, which is a chemical, however can not be applied on it more than once on the same surface, and the strength of the chemical determines the time that is needed for the etching process. The part is then rinsed and dryed in an oven at 70 degrees celsuis. It then goes back in the pentetrant for a maximum of 60 minutes, then 20 minutes to dwell. After, it drys in an oven at 65 degrees celsuis for a maximum of 20 minutes and then put into a powder tank to enchance the indication of any cracks or holes. Finally there is an eye adaption for 5 minutes which is where the light is turned off and visually inspected for any faults. The times of each process may very as each customer specification is different and is needed to go by, however these times can work with any specification.

Painting

Painting is done simply to prevent corrosion. After being anodised dry lube is applied to the part, then either a high solid, which includes gloss, mattes, eggshells, etc., or a water based paint is applied; with the high solid being stronger. It is then masked, primed, and gets a top coating applied if included within the specification. Some parts after priming require a second prime, for example; a desoprime and defiprime topcoat (ABP4-2127) before topcoating. Some of the type of paints used are: polyurethanes, glosses and mattes, empoxy and low VOC expoxy, PU primers (ABP4-41123 or BAEP), abrasion resistants (ABP4-2124) and acrilic stoving. The water based paints include covers (ABP4-1123) and topcoats (ABP4-2130).