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Considering installing a bright dipping system

My company is looking into starting to do Bright dipping instead of sending to a outside source. Is there anywhere on the internet that I can find the laws and regulations for bright dipping for WI or does anyone what the cost of starting it up and laws and regulations or would we be better to just keep farming it out.

Thanks

Craig Winchester
buyer - Beloit, WI
August 22, 2009

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Hi, Craig. It isn't clear if you are an accomplished anodizing shop considering adding a bright dipping section to your line or whether you are a machine shop doing no chemical processing, and unaware that other steps like anodizing must also be installed. You probably will find no laws that address bright dipping because it's a specialized term, but bright dipping generates copious clouds of NOx and you will certainly need an excellent exhaust system with fume scrubber. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 24, 2009

We are a machine shop and we currently do not do any kind of plating or any outside process just have one part that will be easy to bright dip so was thinking we could do it in our our shop and not have to pay someone to do it but sounds like it might be better to let someone else do the process.

Craig Winchester
- Beloit, WI
August 26, 2009

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Hi, Craig. Unfortunately, bright dipping is an optional step in an anodizing process. To do bright dipping you must also do a cleaning sequence before the bright dip, and an anodizing and sealing process after it. You can't do just the bright dip step.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 26, 2009

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First of two simultaneous responses --

Bright dip on aluminum is a high temp noxious process that is rather fussy. It is not just a simple "dip it" process.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
August 28, 2009

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

There is another way to Bright-dip aluminum without fumes and hazardous disposals - in one finishing shop we have installed universal eco-friendly electrolyte for polishing different metals. Aluminum polishing goes in two steps - first step takes two minutes and low voltage. During this step aluminum profiles become bright and clean as if they went trough the bright-dip stage. All contamination and oxides are removed from the surface.

The second step on slightly higher voltage actually electropolish aluminum.

Since this method is easy to operate, and is less hazardous than conventional bright-dip procedures, we recommend it for small shops where there are needs for simply cleaning and brightening aluminum cast, profiles, etc.

Anna Berkovich
Russamer Lab

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

August 30, 2009