Anodizing Questions, Answered Straight

Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the outer surface of aluminum into aluminum oxide, a hard ceramic layer that is part of the metal, not a coating applied to it. It resists corrosion, gives paint something to grip, and takes dye readily, which is where clear, black, and color finishes all come from.

Not here. We anodize machined aluminum parts, and only machined aluminum parts. We do not anodize steel and we do not anodize titanium. Keeping the shop to one metal is a large part of why the finish quality and the turnaround both hold, and it is worth saying plainly so nobody ships parts we cannot run.

Standard turnaround is 3 to 5 days from the day parts reach our dock, depending on size, quantity, and how many colors are involved. The date goes on the quote rather than being worked out afterward.

Sometimes, yes. Expedited service typically runs in 24 to 48 hours, and as fast as same day when the schedule allows. Call or text the shop with what you need and when, and you will get a straight answer about whether the date is possible, never a maybe.

Yes, within a 100 mile radius of Paoli, which covers Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus, Louisville, Evansville, and Terre Haute. Parts move on our trucks in both directions, so there is no crating and no freight terminal.

Red, green, blue, orange, brown, and gold, with custom color matching on request. Send a sample part or a color target and we will match it. See the Color Anodizing page for how matching is quoted.

Yes, in everyday use they are the same thing. Chemical conversion coating, run to MIL-DTL-5541, protects aluminum from corrosion while leaving it electrically conductive. Alodine is a brand name that became the common word for it, and chromate describes the chemistry. It is also the standard base under a paint system.

Yes. MIL-A-8625 for Anodizing in Type II and Type III, MIL-DTL-5541 for Chem Film, plus AMS 2482 and the NASA/JSC PRC specifications. Our CAGE code is 9CSF4. We do not run Type I Chromic Acid Anodizing, and we say so before quoting instead of substituting.

Yes, to your print. Threads, precision bores, sealing faces, and electrical contact surfaces all stay bare where the drawing says they should. A marked-up PDF is all we need. Masking and plugging carry an additional charge, quoted with the job, because the work depends on which features are involved and how many of them there are.

Minimums depend on which services a job requires, so we quote each job from the print and the count instead of publishing a rate card. It is a slower answer than a price list, but it is an accurate one.

Slightly, and it is worth planning for. The oxide grows partly into the surface and partly out of it. Type II adds very little; Hard Coat adds meaningfully more. Put the coating allowance on the print and we finish to it, and if the drawing is silent where the tolerance looks tight, we will flag it before running.

We do not run painting, powder coating, black oxide, electroless nickel plating, or hard chrome plating, and we do not anodize steel or titanium. If your part needs one of those, we will tell you up front and hand it back on schedule so your next vendor is not waiting on us.