Surface finishing – for optimised functionality and design
Surface finishing – for optimised functionality and design
Surface finishing of various materials. The perfect finish for your product.
The purpose of surface finishing is to functionally improve the surface of a manufactured workpiece or to visually enhance it in order to meet the customer’s needs. The GPE Group has many years of experience with a wide variety of processes. Whether galvanic coating, polishing, painting or printing – we offer a wide range of surface finishing services for the plastic, silicone or metal items we produce. Our range of services extends from cleaning processes for metal and plastic parts, various polishing, grinding and blasting processes, the most common main electroplating processes to conservation, painting, printing and laser marking. The objective of surface finishing is always to realise the ideal functional and visual solution for a surface in the best interests of our customers – and in outstanding quality.
Metal surface finishing – for protection and shine
GPE offers coatings from the most common main electroplating processes to various chemical pickling processes, firing, blasting, grinding and polishing, right through to finishing according to specific customer wishes and requirements. We use a wide variety of coating processes, film coatings and printing techniques for this purpose, all of which must meet industry-specific requirements in everyday use and, in certain cases, must be resistant to disinfectants. When it comes to plastic components, finishing techniques are already employed during the injection moulding process to ensure that decorative visible parts meet exacting customer requirements with respect to wear resistance and surface quality. Together, we will always find the right coating for your products – and always in outstanding quality.
Surface coating for a specific application: printing
GPE offers all the conventional printing processes on the market, such as pad printing, laser marking and inkjet printing. Customer- and component-specific labelling of final products and modules is also possible via direct printing or label printing. In addition, we possess a wealth of experience in customised printing processes for a wide variety of workpieces.
Electropolishing
This process is carried out using electrolytes that are specially adapted to the metal being processed. Depending on the metal alloy, the surface roughness is reduced in a specially prepared electrolyte bath through the application of an external current. The uniform cutting of surface roughness peaks leads to an improvement in micro-roughness, and this process is particularly utilised for the surfaces of modules and final products in the medical technology sector, since electropolishing reduces the ability of microorganisms to adhere to the surface. This process can be used to clean, deburr and make metal parts shine.
Coatings
Depending on the component requirements, we can realise a wide range of industrial coatings using both wet and powder paints.
Whether solvent-based or water-dilutable smooth coatings, textured coatings or powder coatings – when working with a metallic workpiece, a conversion coating must be applied prior to coating the part with paint to ensure optimum paint adhesion and corrosion protection. Passivation eliminates the need for the painter to apply a primer.
Uncompromising quality is a must, particularly in the field of medical technology. In this sector, coating processes must meet defined properties and are thus subject to the following requirements, for example:
Whether solvent-based or water-dilutable smooth coatings, textured coatings or powder coatings – when working with a metallic workpiece, a conversion coating must be applied prior to coating the part with paint to ensure optimum paint adhesion and corrosion protection. Passivation eliminates the need for the painter to apply a primer.
Uncompromising quality is a must, particularly in the field of medical technology. In this sector, coating processes must meet defined properties and are thus subject to the following requirements, for example:
- UV-resistance, lightfastness
- Chemical resistance according to DIN ISO 9022-12 contamination types 86, 87, 88, 89/severity level 03 (applicable to all)/assessment class 1
- Compliance with RoHS requirements in accordance with the current version of Directive 2011/65/EU
- CE conformity must be guaranteed according to Directive 93/42/EEC
Polishing, grinding, blasting
We can offer comprehensive expertise and a broad technology portfolio in a wide range of polishing, grinding and blasting processes to realise the desired surface finish.
When polishing metal workpieces, the surfaces are precision-ground in the nanometre and micrometre range. The metal surface is also liquefied in the nanometre range, which is necessary for further processing steps such as painting or the later fitting of the metal item, on the one hand due to the low friction of the part required by the customer when used in a later electromechanical module, and on the other hand for surfaces that are as smooth as possible to reduce the adhesion of microorganisms.
When polishing metal workpieces, the surfaces are precision-ground in the nanometre and micrometre range. The metal surface is also liquefied in the nanometre range, which is necessary for further processing steps such as painting or the later fitting of the metal item, on the one hand due to the low friction of the part required by the customer when used in a later electromechanical module, and on the other hand for surfaces that are as smooth as possible to reduce the adhesion of microorganisms.
Chromate conversion coating
We can realise the complete portfolio of galvanic surface finishing of base metals in a customised and reliable process. In this context, we rely on and utilise our strategic supplier connections.
- Chromium(VI)-free chromate conversion coating for all RoHS-compliant coatings
- Chromate conversion coating types such as transparent, blue, yellow and black, which fully seal and harden the pores on the surface of the metal workpieces