The Problem A customer sends a part to be metal finished. They require a thickness of .0003-.0005. However, the customer does not inform the finishing company that there is a critical dimension on one section of the part that is different than the other sections. When the finishing company properly applies .0003-.0005 to the entire part, the critical dimension area does not have sufficient finish. Electroplating does not deposit on all surfaces evenly. The Solution It is essential that customers inform the finishing company of: The areas of critical dimension on the part. Areas that need to be measured with a micrometer. This will enable the finishing company to treat…

Customers can contribute to the achievement of quality plating by communicating critical information in their purchase orders. Please review the sample below for the components of a “complete” purchase order that provides all the information a plating company needs to deliver outstanding services. The billing address for correspondence related to payment. The shipping address to assure your parts are sent to the correct location. Contact information, including name, telephone number, and email address, of the person the plating company can contact to address any questions or concerns. The purchase order number is critical to all documentation associated with a job. The purchase date helps a plating company schedule jobs. The…

Let’s say that you want your aluminum parts to have red anodizing. It was a simple process. Why do your parts not have a uniform look? After an investigation, it is determined that your batch of aluminum parts consisted of two different alloys, 6061 and 7075. The plater processed the parts according to the ramp up time requirements for 6061. However, 7075 alloy parts have a significantly different ramp up time requirements. Therefore, the 7075 parts were over anodized resulting in a darker color than the 6061 parts. You can reduce rework by properly segmenting parts by alloy. Submit your 6061 alloyed parts in one order and properly identify the…

Our receiving and shipping department often receives packages and boxes from customers without labeling or with incomplete information on the labels. This slows down the speed of processing customer orders as we need to take the steps to make sure each package and box is matched to the right purchase order and is properly processed. Please provide proper labeling on each item you ship to us so that we can complete in a timely manner the orders you entrust with us.

At F. M. Callahan, our top priority is to guarantee that your parts deliver peak performance after electroplating. One issue we often encounter during the plating process is racking damage, which can compromise both the function and appearance of your parts. It can also affect production costs and delay delivery times. Here’s why racking damage happens While your engineers design parts for peak performance, instructions for racking these parts during surface treatment are often missing. Without clear guidance, our technicians must make educated guesses about how to rack the parts, which can lead to damage. To help avoid damage, we recommend two proactive solutions: Solution 1: Highlight Optimal Racking Locations…