Aluminium is widely regarded as one of the world’s most important materials – with

uses in almost all sectors of the world. As with most metals, the finishing you
choose for your aluminium is important; and often depends on what the metal is
being used for.
When you apply a finish to aluminium, it often serves a purpose to either promote a
new surface or to preserve an existing one. The finishing may make the aluminium
more visually and functionally desirable.

Aluminium finishing’s can be broadly split into four different categories:

Mechanical finishes
Chemical finishes
Anodising
Applied coatings (such as powder coating)

Mechanical Finishes
With aluminium being a metal, the finishing process is often similar to other
metals. However, with aluminium having certain unique characteristics, such in the
case of aluminium alloys, special equipment is often used as a way to allow for a
higher quality finish.
Mechanical finishes rely on a process which removes metal by abrasion (such as
polishing, buffing, blasting or grinding). It is also possible to apply a texture
by way of force (such as shot peening and embossing). Because aluminium is a much
softer metal compared to Steel, for example, it is of paramount importance that
lubrication is used to ensure that damage doesn’t result.

Chemical Finishes
Aluminium can be treated with a chemical finish, and these are usually categorised
into five different classifications – cleaning, brightening, Conversion coatings,
Etching and Immersion plating. Each of these has their own uses, advantages and
disadvantages.

Cleaning
Cleaning treatments are primarily done to remove oxides inhibitive to final
finishes, as well as soils.

Etching
Etching is done to achieve different levels of surface mattness.

Brightening
Brightening treatment is used to create a high surface lustre.

Conversion Coatings
Conversion Coatings are mostly done for visual purposes to achieve the desired
surface film.

Immersion Plating
Immersion Plating is the process of depositing metallic surface coatings.

Anodising
Anodising is a method whereby the natural layer of oxide on the aluminium is
artificially increased. It is an electro chemical process which means that a
current is passed through the aluminium. If required a dye can be added to provide
a range of anodising colours, gold, nickel and black. The most common colour being
silver (self-colour), gold, black and bronze.

Powder coating
Powder coating is the method whereby we mix and combine substances such as
pigments, levelling agents and curatives to achieve the desired coating. These
ingredients go through a process of melt mixing, followed by a cooling process and
finally a grounding process.
The coating is applied to the aluminium via a spray gun, which allows for a
pristine finish. After the coating, the aluminium enters a curing oven to finish
off the coating.
This treatment option is one of the most popular aluminium treatment options. You
can choose from a very large range of colours, and gloss levels matt to a high
gloss as well as offering a derivable protection which makes it great for uses
where the aluminium has to be aesthetically pleasing.