Surface finishing categories
There are different approaches to surface treatment depending on your objectives. They fall into three groups: mechanical, chemical and coatings.
Mechanical finishing
- Grinding and polishing
- Sandblasting
- Tumbling
- Brushing
Chemical finishing
- Anodizing
- Electroplating
- Passivation
- Chemical etching
Coating and painting
- Powder coating
- Wet painting
- PVD coating
- Thermal spraying
Material-specific treatments
Not every finish suits every material. These are the usual options for the most common materials.
Aluminum
- Anodizing type II/III
- Bead blasting
- Chromate conversion
Steel
- Galvanizing
- Powder coating
- Blackening
Plastic
- Vapor smoothing
- Painting
- Texture application
Selection criteria
Which finish you choose depends on what the part has to do and how it should look.
Functional requirements
- Corrosion resistance
- Wear resistance
- Conductivity
- Hardness improvement
Aesthetic requirements
- Surface roughness
- Gloss level
- Color consistency
- Texture uniformity