Automotive:

Much of our work is destined for the automotive industry. Metal Colours is able to fulfil high volume orders at short notice with a quick turn round. These items have been pressed and brazed and then Metal Colours has applied a zinc coat as a foundation to a colour finish. The discolouration indicates brazing flux, which has differing electrical properties to the ferrous pressing.

Coatings favoured for use in the automotive industry include zinc, zinc-nickel and electrophoretic black. Automotive parts include components subject to mechanical wear such as cam rods and rotor arms, components exposed to high temperatures such as those near the engine block and exhaust system and components subject to corrosion from acids, road salts, temperature extremes and localised impact damage.

Engineering:

These formed bars have a layer of zinc-nickel, which offers both an enhanced aesthetic appearance as well as providing a hardened surface. The zinc-nickel finish also offers a good level of heat protection.

A good proportion of our business caters for the needs of the sub-contract and contract engineering sector. As with many other market sectors, the sub-contract engineering market requires that the finish will be as specified on the drawing, to the correct thickness and tolerances. Because finishing is always the last part of a sub-contractors schedule and therefore quite often the most urgent time wise we provide a flexible and rapid service.

Batch work can be supplied to us at short notice and is usually processed by the next day. Our fully automated, large capacity, facilities are geared to providing a fast service for standard surface coatings at high volumes which means that no matter how urgent your work, we can help you finish and deliver it on time.

Brackets:

Simple punch pressed items such as this constitute a large amount of our work. These items are commonly used within electrical or electronic enclosures for mounting circuit boards and wired switching systems. A zinc finish will prevent corrosion, especially for fixtures exposed to the full rigors of the elements. Zinc also improves the earthing properties of the item.

Post-Treatments:

Current market trends favour products, in particular cars, with the longest warranties. Designers therefore seek ways to ensure a longer product life by improving corrosion protection. These machined parts with threads have been zinc-nickel coated and passivated with an oil seal. This will make the item easier to unbolt and reduce the likelihood of the thread seizing in future years.
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High Volumes:

A considerable amount of our work consists of small mechanical pressings such as those pictured to the right. We are capable of turning out high volumes of small components quickly and have a maximum order turn-round time of five working days. This type of work is often measured by weight rather than volume.

Because we operate such large capacity tanks, both rack and barrel, we are able to turn round high volume batches of large components including enclosures, sheet metal chassis’s, wire baskets, screens and pressed components. We operate a fleet of articulated lorries for collection and delivery, subject to commercial agreement.

As one of the largest electroplating companies in the South of England, and the largest in the Thames Valley, we are ideally suited to high volume work for the automotive, manufacturing and engineering sectors for which we offer competitive rates for large volume repeat work.

Washers & Fixtures:

An additional benefit of applying a zinc finish to an item is the scope for long-term storage. Screws, bolts, nuts and washers are often left as stock for years. We regularly fulfil orders for small, high volume items, but can also turn-round low volume quantities quickly.
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Electronics:

Zinc plating is the finish of choice in the electronics and computing industry. The finish is both appealing to the eye, wear and corrosion resistant, as well as offering an improved electrical conductance.
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Pipes & Tubes:

High zinc-nickel finishes are commonly used for pipes, tubes and fittings where internal and external corrosion and heat resistance are important such as automotive engines, chemical and gas processing facilities and steam systems where aggressive chemicals, solvents and acids are handled across a spectrum of fluctuating temperatures.

As well as an increased component life span the appropriate coating can make future removal and replacement of pipe work a simple matter in comparison to work that is seized and corroded. A protective coating will also add extra shelf life to a product, desirable within the after sales and service markets.

Metal Colours has the experience and facilities to undertake pipe and tube work of any size, from a 3mm component for the electronics industry, to large gas handling items such as those pictured to the right.

Examples of pipe and tube work handled include:

• Gas and liquid handling
• Structural tube work including bike frames and special purpose vehicles
• Hydraulics including cylinders and actuators
• Architectural including fence posts, lighting, structural and decorative
• Cylinders, tanks and vessels.

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Brackets & Mounts:

Simple punch pressed items such as this constitute a large amount of our work. These items are commonly used within electrical or electronic enclosures for mounting circuit boards and wired switching systems. A zinc finish will prevent corrosion, especially for fixtures subject to the full rigors of the elements. Zinc also improves the earthing properties of the item.
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Plates:

Ferrous steel plates used in mechanical assemblies often require additional wax emulsions containing corrosion inhibitors, in particular where the part is expected to last the life span of the final assembly. Applications include mechanical machines, tills, ticket machines, parking meters and public telephones. Items such as these are exposed to wide thermal and atmospheric conditions for many years without maintenance. A suitable finish can extend product lifespan.
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Wire Products:

These wire grills used in air conditioning plants are coated with zinc in order to protect them from corrosion across a wide range of challenging environmental conditions. A zinc finish will inhibit red rust for an extended period and maintain a bright aesthetic appearance.

We handle a range of wire products from small springs, wire forms, bars and tubes up to large items such as shopping trolleys, baskets, and mesh fabrications. For many years we have been provided a trolley refurbishment service for major UK supermarkets, a process that involves burning off the old coating, cleaning, plating and finishing, prior to offsite refurbishment by a third party.

Wire products are ideally electroplated as the large surface area and intricate structure can often make regular painting techniques such as spray painting or powder coating ineffectual. Whether wire products are rack or barrel processed, the process ensures a consistent coating across the entire surface with minimal variance across corners and welds.

Whether it’s a decorative or a functional coating you require, call us and find out how to make our more than seventy five years of experience work for you.
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Radiators:

Pipes for radiators need corrosion protection both externally and internally, and where a pipe has many turns, the option for utilising other finishing techniques such as spray is minimal. The electroplating process involves mounting these items onto racks and dipping them into a dosed fluid. Because the pipe is submerged in the fluid, the coating has an equal thickness on the internal surface as it does on the external surface.
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Refurbishments:

Refurbishment of shopping trolleys and retail equipment is a significant activity. The requirement is for a low cost protective and decorative finish to meet the demands of this highly competitive business sector.
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Fittings:

These threaded fittings have had a clear corrosion resistant topcoat to improve the appearance of the finished product as well as increasing the wear protection.
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Electrophoretic Paint:

A cost effective method of applying a uniform finish to intricate surface areas can be achieved with the application of electrophoretic paint. Electrophoretic paint offers considerable corrosion protection with salt spray tests resulting in over 1000 hours.
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Structural Components:

Chassis components require protection from the elements to maintain integrity and to satisfy warranty requirements.
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Gloss Finish:

Electrophoretic paint can be used to achieve a gloss finish free from sags, beads and runs. The chemical process means that the colour will be uniform across the whole item.
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Pre-Treatment:

Pre-treat of components before applying an Electrophoretic paint finish. A range of pre-treatment options includes zinc phosphate, electroplated zinc, zinc nickel plus passivates, electroplated zinc or zinc nickel.
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Rubber, Seals & Plastic:

One of the principal benefits of Electrophoretic paint is that the coating will only be applied to the metal surface. This item has a rubber seal pre-pressed into the facing surface. The rubber is unaffected by the plating process and the paint coat is complete.
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