Why Treat Surfaces?
Surface treatments are applied to improve durability, corrosion resistance, and visual appearance of machined parts. They help achieve consistent color, texture, and surface quality, while protecting components from wear and environmental exposure for reliable long-term performance.
As machined
Surface roughness:
Ra 3.2μm
Visual appearance:
Machining marks are visible, light surface scratches are visible
Best for:
Tight tolerance, fast turnaround, and cost efficiency
Smooth machining
Surface roughness:
Ra 1.6μm
Visual appearance:
Machining marks are slightly visible, slightly reflective surface
Best for:
Tight tolerance, clean appearance, reduced friction
Polishing
Surface roughness:
Ra 0.2 to 0.8 μm (depending on customer requirements)
Visual appearance:
Machining marks are not visible, reflective surface
Best for:
Clean appearance, sealing surface, reduced friction
Notes:
Polishing process may affect dimensional tolerances.
Polished surfaces are generally not suitable for plating due to reduced coating adhesion.
Beadblasting
Visual appearance:
Uniform matte finish with machining marks reduced.
Best for:
Clean cosmetic look, glare reduction, improved scratch resistance, coating preparation.
Brushing
Visual appearance:
Linear satin finish with visible, uniform brush lines.
Best for:
Decorative surfaces, directional texture, masking minor scratches.
Notes:
Availability depends on material and part geometry; please contact us to confirm manufacturability.
Anodizing
Visual appearance:
Uniform matte to satin finish; color optional depending on anodizing type.
Best for:
Corrosion resistance, wear resistance, electrical insulation, and durable cosmetic finishes.
Availabilities:
Type I - chromic acid (subject to regulatory constraints)
Type II - sulfuric acid anodize
Type III - hard anodize
Notes:
Applies to aluminum and aluminum alloys; titanium and tianium alloys.
Passivation
Visual appearance:
No visible change to surface appearance.
Best for:
Improved corrosion resistance and scratch resistence, cleaner surface chemistry, enhanced durability.
Notes:
Applies primarily to stainless steels, sometimes also used for carbon steels and titanium alloys.
Plating
Visual appearance:
Finish varies by plating type; can range from matte to bright metallic.
Best for:
Improved corrosion resistance, wear resistance, electrical conductivity, and enhanced surface durability.
Notes:
Adds a metallic coating that may slightly affect dimensions.
Common plating options include zinc, nickel, chrome, and copper.
Applicable to carbon steels, stainless steels, and selected alloys.