Anodising, like that used by Poeton is an electrolytic process widely used in industries to enhance the thickness of the internal layer of metal. Although the term may overlap with buffing, anodising differs from buffing in that in the former, the part is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the part and then is subjected to anodised airflow which causes the part to be roughened by the electric field. The part then returns to its non-anodised state, after the part is cooled down. In comparison, buffing involves passing of a flow of electric current across a piece of metal and then cooling it down prior to buffing, thereby removing any appreciable amount of heat before finishing the part.
As mentioned above, anodising is utilised on metals to increase their thickness. However, unlike the other methods of thinning the material, this process does not include any chemical processes like carbonising or applying a protective coating onto the base material, as in the case of carbon-based thinners. Instead, it relies on a simple oxidation process that involves passing of an electric current through the part, thus reducing the amount of impurities present on the top layer of the metal. When the current is conducted through the metal, the part’s surface layer will be oxidised, giving the bottom layer a reddish colour, which is known as the anodise layer. Once this layer becomes thin enough, the part will then be finished in accordance with the industry-specific requirements.
Currently, there are a number of industries that utilise anodised layer in order to improve the hardness of their end-products. Some examples include aerospace companies that use the anodised layer to increase the hardness of their metallic components, as well as the automotive and jewellery industries, which make use of anodising in order to give their products a Matt, rough surface, which improves the function of the component. The two most popular types of industries that make use of this process are the aerospace and the dental industries, with each of them being found to utilise hard anodised alloy at least in some form. Another advantage that these materials have in common is the fact that they are economical, as a lot of energy can be saved during the production of these materials. Moreover, due to the oxide layer present on the top of the alloy, these substances also do not need to contain any toxic substances for the production, as they can be easily extracted from the metal without having any adverse effect on the environment.
