Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Surface Finish for Outdoor Aluminium Lighting

2000

Dear friends

We are a Belgian manufacturer of outdoor lighting and are now planning a aluminium range .

We already have a stainless steel outdoor range that is treated to withstand the most hars weather conditions.

We would like to provide our costumers world wide the same guarantee for the aluminium range.

Can some one help us in making the right step using, powder coating , anodizing or micro arc oxidating our fixtures.

We read some articles on microarc treatment and were very impressed.

Best Regards

Decoene Erwin
MoNoGRaM - Belgium

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My best suggestion to you would be to find the desired look and surface finish. Then match up to that as close as possible with the three methods you asked about above. For example, do you want a dull, matted finish, a bright finish? Do you want colors, and so on and so forth.

After I determined that, I would see if all three of them could satisfy my needs. If they could, have a few samples ran through each method, then have them corrosion tested and determine from there what to do. The only downfall I could see by doing this is that maybe option A cannot be salt tested in the same way as option B or C and therefore you have skewed results.

Matthew Stiltner
J & J Plating Company - Toledo, Ohio
2000