Lapping plays an essential role in material finishing, particularly when preparing substrates for various coatings like cadmium plating, chroming, or PTFE coatings. This precision process ensures a smooth, uniform surface, which enhances coating adhesion and improves overall component performance. By removing surface irregularities, lapping creates a flat and even surface, necessary for achieving optimal results in subsequent coating stages.
Cadmium Plating: Enhancing Adhesion and Corrosion Resistance
For coatings such as cadmium plating, a well-lapped surface is critical. It allows the cadmium to adhere uniformly, minimising risks like flaking and enhancing corrosion resistance. The aerospace industry, for example, relies heavily on cadmium plating for parts exposed to harsh environments. Maintaining a smooth substrate ensures better bonding and longevity of the coating, which is particularly vital for components like landing gear, fasteners, and hydraulic systems. These parts require both structural integrity and reliable performance under extreme conditions.
PTFE Coatings: Precision for Optimal Performance
Lapping is equally important before applying PTFE coatings, which are valued for their non-stick and low-friction properties. A perfectly flat surface enhances the coating’s performance, reducing the risk of delamination and ensuring a consistent application. Kemet International, a leader in precision lapping, highlights how their machines and diamond compounds can create these smooth surfaces, essential for ensuring coatings perform as intended—especially in high-precision applications like aerospace components and injection moulding tools.
Preparing Aluminium for Anodising
Lapping also plays a vital role in preparing aluminium for anodising, a process that significantly enhances the material’s durability, corrosion resistance, and aesthetic appeal. Aluminium, with its non-magnetic properties, is ideal for lapping as it allows for precise work holding and surface preparation without relying on magnetic forces. This flexibility makes aluminium a preferred choice in industries requiring high surface quality, such as aerospace, automotive, and electronics.
The anodising process transforms the surface of the into an oxide layer through electrochemical reactions. The success of this process heavily depends on the quality of the pre-treatment phase, where lapping is integral. It ensures that the aluminium surface is smooth, free from imperfections, and uniform—crucial for achieving a consistent anodised layer. Without a properly prepared surface, issues like uneven coating thickness or poor adhesion can arise, impacting the performance of the anodised layer.
Achieving Superior Results with Decorative and Hard Anodising
For decorative anodising, lapping enables better dye absorption and a uniform appearance by creating a consistent surface that enhances the anodised layer’s clarity and colour vibrancy. Hard anodising, which produces thicker and more robust oxide layers for use in demanding environments like marine or aerospace applications, also benefits from precise lapping. By eliminating irregularities, lapping ensures that the thicker oxide layer forms evenly, maximising protection against corrosion and wear.
Conclusion
By integrating lapping as a preparatory step, manufacturers can significantly enhance the efficiency and performance of their coatings, ensuring components meet the stringent requirements of sectors like aerospace, defence, and precision engineering. Lapping Services expertise, built over decades, supports these industries by offering bespoke solutions tailored to the specific needs, whether for high-volume production or specialised components.