In-House System Vs.

Sending Parts Out for Finishing

FINISH QUALITY

HIGH - Uniform black finishes easily achieved on all non-stainless steels, iron, even powdered metal. Attractive, protective, non-dimensional.

VARIABLE - Red/Brown discoloration and white salt leaching are common problems. Porous materials are usually not treatable. Parts are often lost or damaged.

CONVENIENCE

HIGH - Easy to install in any area of the plant, or in a manufacturing cell. (No water, drain or venting needed.) Ideal for large or small volume work

LOW - Parts must be handled many times to protect, pack, ship, then finish, re-pack, re-ship, etc. Small lots, short runs very inefficient.

TIMETABLE

SHORT - Parts can be processed in 15 minutes, ready for assembly or packaging. Perfect for Just-In-Time programs, prototype parts, and short runs.

LONG- Delays are common. At times, the outside plating shop waits until a full day's run is on-hand before processing.

CONTROL

HIGH - You control overall quality, scheduling and costs with a safe, zero discharge, in-house finishing capability. Makes ISO 9000 compliance easy to document.

LOW - You are at the mercy of an outside shop who may not handle your parts appropriately and promptly.

COST

LOW - Modest capital cost. Low operating cost on full production scale or occasional basis.

HIGH - Buyer must often high rates or minimum charges, shipping/handling costs, paper work costs.