Surface Finishing Services
Anodizing, powder coating, plating, and polishing — added to any part in about 4 working days
Microns Hub's surface finishing service integrates with every other manufacturing process we offer — CNC machined parts, sheet metal fabrications, 3D prints — or can be quoted standalone for customer-supplied parts. Anodizing Type II in clear and color, powder coating in full RAL palette, wet paint, electroless nickel plating, passivation for stainless, mechanical and electro-polishing, bead blasting, and tumbling. All common finishes add about 4 working days to the base part lead time. Detailed thickness, spec, and MIL-standard compliance available on call-out.
Capabilities
- Anodizing Type II (clear and color) — MIL-A-8625 Type II clear and color anodizing for aluminum; 5–25 μm thickness; full color palette including RAL-matched dyes.
- Powder coating — Full RAL palette, textured and smooth finishes, 50–150 μm DFT; weather- and chemical-resistant.
- Wet paint — Wet-spray painting for mixed-substrate assemblies and Pantone-matched colors where powder coat is not available.
- Electroless nickel plating — Uniform thickness on complex geometries, 12.5–50 μm; excellent corrosion resistance and slight increase in hardness.
- Passivation (stainless) — Nitric or citric-acid passivation per ASTM A967 or AMS 2700; removes free iron from stainless surfaces for maximum corrosion resistance.
- Bead and media blasting — Glass-bead, aluminum-oxide, and walnut-shell media; produces matte, satin, or textured finishes; prep for subsequent coating.
- Mechanical polishing — From #4 brushed to #8 mirror finish on stainless and aluminum; common on architectural, medical, and food-contact parts.
- Electropolishing — Removes 10–40 μm of stainless steel surface, leaving a bright, passive, burr-free finish; common in pharmaceutical and food-contact applications.
- Tumbling and deburring — Vibratory and rotary tumbling for edge-breaking and deburring on machined and laser-cut parts.
- Color control to RAL — RAL-matched anodize dyes and powder-coat colors; Pantone matching available for wet paint applications.
- Masking for threaded holes and datums — Threaded holes, sealing surfaces, and datum features masked during finishing — callouts supported on drawings and in CAD models.
- Standalone finishing for customer parts — We accept customer-supplied parts for finishing — contact us with your part, target finish, and quantity for a quote.
Materials
| Material | Grade | Properties | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anodize Type II clear | MIL-A-8625 Type II Class 1 | 5–25 μm thickness, clear finish, mild corrosion resistance | Aluminum electronics enclosures, general industrial aluminum parts |
| Anodize Type II color | MIL-A-8625 Type II Class 2 | 10–25 μm thickness, RAL-matched dyes | Aluminum consumer products, aesthetic parts, color-coded components |
| Powder coat | Interpon, Axalta, Tiger standard palettes | 50–150 μm DFT, full RAL palette, UV-stable | Steel and aluminum enclosures, outdoor equipment, architectural |
| Wet paint | industrial 2K polyurethane | 40–120 μm film thickness, Pantone-matchable, smoothest finish | Premium consumer products, Pantone-match requirements |
| Electroless nickel | mid-phosphorus (7–9% P) | 12.5–50 μm uniform thickness; increases hardness; corrosion-resistant | Steel parts with complex geometry, functional corrosion protection |
| Passivation | ASTM A967 citric / AMS 2700 nitric | Chemical film, not measurable thickness; maximizes passive layer | Stainless steel medical, food, pharma parts |
| Bead blasting | glass bead / Al-oxide / walnut | Matte texture; removes machining marks; uniform visual finish | Aesthetic aluminum, stainless; prep for coating |
| Mechanical polishing | #4 brushed to #8 mirror | Smooth, reflective finish; Ra down to 0.05 μm | Stainless architectural, medical instruments, food equipment |
| Electropolishing | stainless-optimized | Bright, passive, burr-free; removes 10–40 μm | Pharma, food-contact, medical stainless parts |
Tolerances & Specifications
| Spec | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anodize Type II thickness | 5–25 μm | Clear typically 5–15 μm; color 10–25 μm for good dye uptake |
| Powder coat DFT (dry film thickness) | 50–150 μm | Typical spec 60–120 μm for industrial durability |
| Electroless nickel thickness | 12.5–50 μm | 25 μm typical for corrosion-critical parts |
| Wet paint film thickness | 40–120 μm | 2-coat system typical; Pantone-matchable |
| Electropolish material removal | 10–40 μm | Factor this into upstream tolerances — parts shrink |
| Passivation | chemical film, not dimensional | ASTM A967 (citric) or AMS 2700 (nitric) |
| Color matching | RAL-matched dyes and powders; Pantone via wet paint | Custom RAL on anodize available; lead time may extend |
How It Works
- Step 1: Specify finish during quote — Add your required finish to the CAD quote — or upload customer-supplied parts with a finish specification. Include any MIL-standard, RAL code, or Pantone reference.
- Step 2: Substrate check and feasibility review — Not every finish works on every substrate. We confirm feasibility (e.g. Type II anodize is aluminum-only; passivation is stainless-only) and flag any issues at quote stage.
- Step 3: Prep — bead blast, deburr, mask — Pre-finishing steps including bead blasting for uniform base, deburring of laser-cut edges, masking of threaded holes and datum surfaces.
- Step 4: Finish application — Anodize in dye tanks, powder coat in spray booth and oven, plating in bath, polishing on belt or buff. Process controlled by qualified finishing partners.
- Step 5: QC and EU delivery — Dimensional check post-finish (some processes add or remove material), visual inspection, then shipped with the rest of your order.
Lead Times
| Tier | Quantity | Working Days |
|---|---|---|
| Most finishes added to any part | any quantity | about 4 working days added to base part lead time |
| Anodize and plating | any quantity | 4–7 working days added; longer for custom RAL dye matching |
| Standalone customer-supplied parts | any quantity | 4–7 working days production + 2–4 EU transit |
Applications
- Anodized aluminum enclosures — Clear and color Type II anodizing on electronic enclosures, industrial housings, and consumer product parts. Full RAL palette available.
- Powder-coated steel frames and chassis — Durable weather- and chemical-resistant coating for outdoor equipment, machinery frames, architectural components, and consumer hardware.
- Passivated stainless steel for food and pharma — Citric-acid passivation on 304/316 stainless for hygienic and corrosion-critical applications in food processing and pharmaceutical equipment.
- Bead-blasted aesthetic finishes — Matte finish on aluminum consumer products and architectural parts — often as prep before anodizing for a uniform matte base.
- Nickel-plated steel components — Electroless nickel on steel brackets, housings, and mechanical components where uniform corrosion resistance is required even on complex geometries.
- Polished stainless medical instruments — #8 mirror polish on stainless medical components and food-contact parts. Often paired with passivation.
- Tumbled precision parts — Vibratory tumbling to break sharp edges on laser-cut and CNC-machined parts. Common before secondary operations or coating.
Why Microns Hub
- Finishing integrated with every other process — Order CNC machined, sheet-metal-fabricated, or 3D-printed parts with the finish specified — everything coordinated under one quote, one engineer, one delivery.
- RAL palette on powder and anodize, Pantone on wet paint — Full RAL palette on powder coat and anodize dyes; Pantone matching via wet paint. Most marketplace competitors restrict you to a handful of stock colors.
- Customer-supplied parts accepted — You can route finishing work to us even when the parts themselves were produced elsewhere — useful for consolidating European finishing logistics across multiple suppliers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Type II and Type III anodizing?
Type II is decorative-to-functional anodizing, 5–25 μm thick, suitable for electronics enclosures, consumer products, and general industrial aluminum parts. It accepts dye readily — our full color palette is Type II. Type III (hardcoat) is thicker at 25–75 μm and provides significant wear resistance, used on aerospace, firearms, and heavy-wear industrial parts. We offer Type II; for Type III we can route to a specialist partner — ask at quote stage.
How thick is powder coat?
Typical dry film thickness is 50–150 μm, with 60–120 μm the most common production spec. Thicker powder coat gives better durability and UV resistance but may affect dimensional fit on close-tolerance features. If your part has threads or precision fits, tell us at quote stage and we will mask them before coating. Full RAL palette available; custom colors on larger orders.
Can you match RAL or Pantone colors?
RAL codes are standard for powder coat and anodize dyes — we match directly from our color palette. Pantone matches are best done in wet paint (full color-matching capability with 2K polyurethane). Custom RAL on anodize requires a dye match; extends lead time by 2–3 working days. Tell us your color reference at quote stage.
Can I combine multiple finishes on the same part?
Often yes. Common combinations: bead blast + Type II anodize (matte-finish aluminum enclosures); passivation + electropolish (food and pharma stainless); masked-and-anodized features on otherwise-painted parts. We will advise on finish order and any masking required. Some combinations are incompatible (you can't passivate a powder-coated part) and we will flag these.
What's the lead time for surface finishing?
Most finishes add about 4 working days to the base part's production lead time. Plating (nickel, electroless nickel) and custom-color anodizing can add 4–7 working days. Standalone finishing of customer-supplied parts takes 4–7 working days plus 2–4 working days of pan-European transit. If you have a deadline, specify it at quote stage.
Do you handle masking of threads and critical surfaces?
Yes. Threaded holes, sealing surfaces, datum features, and bearing bores are masked by default on any finish that would interfere — we will not powder-coat inside a threaded hole, for example. Call out critical features on your drawing or in the CAD model and we apply standard masking. For unusual masking (e.g. partial anodize on half a face), tell us at quote stage.
Do you accept customer-supplied parts for finishing only?
Yes. Upload your finished part geometry plus your required finish spec and we will quote standalone finishing. Lead time is typically 4–7 working days plus transit. If your parts are already produced elsewhere, this is a simple way to route European finishing work through a single EU supplier with consolidated logistics.
Related Services
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CNC Machining
Anodize, powder coat, or plate CNC machined parts — one quote, one delivery.
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Sheet Metal
Powder coat, paint, or zinc plate laser-cut and bent parts — integrated with the fabrication quote.
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3D Printing
Dye, paint, and vapor-smooth 3D-printed parts — added to the same order as printing.
MICRONS HUB DV Ε.Ε. · VAT: EL803129638 · GEMI: 190254227000 · Industrial Area, Street B, Number 4, 71601 Heraklion, Crete, Greece