What is aluminum anodizing?
A Historical Digest of Aluminum Anodizing
In the 1920s aluminum really began to turn the world of metals upside down, thanks to its key qualities: light weight, strength, fabrication flexibility, and durability.
Since then, aluminum finishing technology has provided a steady stream of protection and coloring improvements.
The first and most important of these was the development of the anodizing process that converts an aluminum surface into an extremely hard, durable, corrosion resistant, long lasting aluminum oxide finish.
For today’s anodizer, the process includes specialized lines for batch, continuous coil, continuous parts, and even baskets for small parts. Specialized processing technology has allowed the industry to remain competitive and at the same time provide excellent quality. Recent breakthroughs in aluminum coloring techniques produce color choices that rival paint, but with the technical advantages and beauty of anodizing.
Anodizing also responds favorably to current governmental regulations because it is one of the most environmentally friendly industrial processes.
Whether you need aluminum coil or batch production, anodizing provides one of the best aluminum finishing options in the industry. See Anodized Aluminum Reference Chart.
Anodized Aluminum Applications
- Protect satellites from the harsh environment of space.
- Used to build the world’s tallest building – the scaffolding of the Sear Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
- Provides attractive, minimum-maintenance, highly durable exteriors, roofs, curtain walls, ceilings, floors, escalators, lobbies and staircases in skyscrapers and commercial buildings throughout the world.
- Have revolutionized the construction of computer hardware, exhibit displays for trade shows, scientific instruments, and a constantly expanding array of home appliances, consumer products, and building materials.
- Is environmentally safe, producing few, if any, harmful effects on land, air, or water.
This information used by permission of the AAC.
