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South West Metal Finishing Ltd
About us
Industry Leaders in Surface Treatment & Metal Finishing.
With over 90 years of surface coating experience, SWMF’s knowledge and expertise is unrivalled in our sector. Our engineers, quality teams and laboratory technicians keeping everything in balance, are amongst the most experienced in the country.
South West Metal Finishing have worked with companies from a wide range of sectors and have obtained many company approvals and accreditations.
Our Mission:
-Provide industry-leading surface engineering services
-Continually grow through operational excellence and progressive innovation
-Safeguard the environment and ensure a rewarding future for our employees
Products
Almbrite™
Additive layer manufacturing (ALM) uses various techniques to construct a three-dimensional object including extrusion and laser sintering based processes. Fine metal powders are deposited on top of a build platform and the energy beam is used to melt the shape of the desired component, the process then proceeds with a new layer of powder which is subsequently melted, such that the component is built up in a layer-by-layer fashion. Now abbreviated to just AM, there has been increasing demand for a post manufacturing process that smooths the surface in a practical, easy and cost-effective way. Mechanically smoothing the surface by blasting, rumbling or polishing are ways of doing this. However, they require line of sight or direct access to the parts surface. Almbrite™ is a chemical immersion process, designed to modify and enhance the surface of additive manufactured parts, by removing foreign object debris (FOD), as well as smoothing and brightening the surface. The process can be used on parts of any geometry. A very significant and key advantage is that it is also perfect for internal configurations where high-quality surface finishes are achieved. Mechanical, chemical and environmental advantages include: • Can be used to treat both laser and electron beam powder bed additive components. • Fatigue strength increases in the region of 75%. • Does not promote hydrogen embrittlement. • Achieves a roughness of below 3.2Ra • Produces an even Ra regardless of geometry and complexity. • Enhances detail definition. • Complies with environmental regulations, including REACh • A cost-effective process in comparison to a mechanical option. • Does not use Hydrofluoric Acid (A very nasty acid!). • A very controlled and repeatable process. • Effective removal of contamination, surface powder and foreign object debris (FOD). • Enables NDT methods to be used. • Improves surface related functionality – e.g. for post machining op’s. • Improves aesthetics.
Electroless Nickel Plating
Electroless nickel plating is an auto-catalytic reaction, unlike electroplating, it is not necessary to pass an electric current through the solution to form a deposit. Full Coverage Free from the need of the current to reach the area to be plated, nickel can be coated everywhere the solution touches the part. This means that it can plate the inside of tubes or holes which has design advantages over other electroplating processes. Since it isn’t effected by high or low current density areas it plates an entirely even deposit over the whole part. Wear Resistant The electroless nickel coating is a nickel-phosphorous alloy, which is extremely hard – over 800 HV with post heat treatment, and therefore used for wear resistance. Depending on the requirements, there are different phosphorous contents available.
Non Destructive Testing
Non destructive testing (NDT) is the process of inspecting and testing components for discontinuities, or defects without altering or affecting the part in any way, with this when the inspection or test is completed the part can still be used. Magnetic Particle Inspection: Magnetic Particle Inspection uses a magnetic field to locate surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials. When very fine ferromagnetic particles are applied to the surface of the part and the magnetic field encounters a discontinuity the particles will be drawn into the discontinuity, producing a visible indication on the surface of the part. Florescent Penetrant Inspection: Florescent Penetrant Inspection uses a very low viscosity fluorescent liquid which is applied to the surface of a part, it penetrates into defects on the surface. Once the excess penetrant is removed, the penetrant trapped in those defects will flow back out, creating an indication which can be seen under black light. Penetrant testing can be performed on magnetic and non-magnetic materials, but does not work well on porous materials. Nital Etch Inspection: Nital Etch Inspection is a test to determine if heat has been induced to a hardened steel component by machining, grinding, or other means, which will adversely affect the properties of the component. Under certain circumstances machining and grinding can introduce sufficient heat into a component to “burn” its surface. This is generally caused by local overheating and can produce undesirable changes in the metal’s properties. If an area is overheated, it will appear darker than the surrounding after etching.
Zinc Nickel Plating
Zinc Nickel Plating The Zinc Nickel process offers a coating that is used in the protection of steel, copper, and brass alloys. Zinc Nickel is widely recognized as an environmentally safe alternative to cadmium and in certain applications, demonstrates equivalent, or better, corrosion properties compared to cadmium. Zinc-Nickel functions as a “sacrificial coating”, corroding before the base material, and can also replace cadmium in a galvanic interaction where the coating is intended to minimize corrosion caused by dissimilar metals. South West Metal Finishing offers RoHS compliant trivalent Clear and Hexavalent colour post plate treatments for enhanced corrosion protection, and also specific torque-tension applications.
Cadmium Plating
Cadmium is robust and versatile. Cadmium has a silvery white metallic appearance with excellent corrosion resistance, which functions as a “sacrificial coating,” corroding before the substrate material. Finishes Dull – Giving the Cadmium’s natural state, being a matt deposit. Chromate – Applying a golden yellow film with a high degree of protection against atmospheric corrosion.
Anodising
Aluminium Anodising creates an aluminium oxide film on the surface of an aluminium substrate. The resulting film is electrically non-conductive, protects against corrosion and is resistant to wear. Aluminium anodising is used widely in aerospace, automotive, defence, and medical applications. -Chromic Acid Anodising -Sulphuric Acid Anodising -Tartaric Acid Anodising (TSA) -Hard Anodising -AnoTef-HATM
Hard Chrome Plating
The extreme hardness of Hard Chrome Plating (over 1000 HV) is produced by the structure of the deposit. Furthermore the deposit has a very low coefficient of friction. These two properties together with the ability to apply very high thicknesses make Chrome Plating the perfect coating for wear resistance. (A general thickness of 0.13mm (0.005”) is ample for most plating applications, but higher thicknesses of over 1mm is also possible) It can be applied to stainless steels, cast irons, copper alloys, bronzes and nickel alloys. An excellent adhesion can be achieved on a variety of surfaces whether ground, finely turned or high polished. Hard Chrome Plating is widely used in the aerospace industry as well as hydraulic industry, machine construction. Chrome plating applied for a technical purpose with a very low thickness is called FLASH CHROME PLATING
Paint
Throughout the group we can offer wet paint coatings, pre- treatment, dry film lube and varnish. Paint has now received approval to proceed with Airbus on structural paint Each site has fully qualified operators with many years of experience in all types of painting and related processes who can handle small intricate components as well as larger parts. At SWMF we have a Junair spray booth and paint mixing room. Currently the company has 4 separate wet paint areas carrying out a number of paint processes from the aerospace industry to commercial and domestic requirements.
Silver Electroplating
Silver is a, white, lustrous metal capable of taking a high polish. Due to its extraordinary technical properties it is used in a wide range of applications. Silver is the metal with the highest electrical conductivity of all metals and is therefore essential for light- and heavy current engineering. In addition, silver is the most malleable metal after gold. Its outstanding anti-fretting properties makes it the perfect coating for high stress application such as slide bearings in the aerospace industry. South West Metal Finishing offers two types of Silver Plating which are specialised on the different properties of silver. Both types can be plated on various materials such as steel, stainless steel, copper brass and even aluminium.