Anodizing – application in industry and the economy.

The global market for aluminum products is valued at 20 million tons per year and is growing every year by about 5%. Polish steel mills and enterprises are leaders in this sector.

Aluminum as a relatively light and soft metal is irreplaceable in many areas of the economy. In contact with air, an alumina layer forms on its surface, which protects it from further oxidation. However, this is not a solid and durable coating. Its thickness is about one micrometer. It quickly dulls and gets damaged.

A truly corrosion resistant and mechanically resistant alumina layer is obtained in the anodizing process. The obtained coating not only has a protective function, but also improves the aesthetic value of aluminum details and gives them dielelectric resistance.

Anodized (anodized, oxidized) aluminum works well in many industries. This process is used, among others in aviation, defense, the automotive, electronics, food, shipbuilding and furniture industries. Anodized aluminum elements do not require special maintenance, and the resulting surface is pleasant to the touch, durable and has the desired look.

At every step we meet anodized aluminum products. Many devices and everyday objects consist of such elements, e.g. furniture parts, such as handles, legs, as well as various decorative elements, e.g. lamp fittings or decorative strips. The anodizing process is great for the visual elements of modern buildings. Anodized elements are used as fragments of facades, as well as constructions of terraces, winter gardens or sports facilities. They are also used for the production of window frames or doors.

The decorative elements inside our cars are also often components after the oxidation process. They work great, providing beautiful appearance and durability of vehicles. Anodizing is also used in the production of motorcycles. Many elements such as e.g. brake calipers, door handles or nuts undergo this process, mainly to increase their mechanical resistance and improve their appearance.
Electronics manufacturers also use anodizing services because the anode coating does not conduct electricity. This process is also used in the production of parts for ships and aircraft, which is associated with high resistance of the alumina layer. Anodizing is increasingly used by jewelry manufacturers and components used in the food industry (pots, countertops, refrigerated counters).

In Poland, there are many enterprises offering anodizing of aluminum details. These companies operate on the basis of different technologies, specialize in a variety of assortments, have other technical capabilities to anodize elements of specific dimensions, offer a different color palette of colored details.
Maintaining repeatability is key to providing the highest level of anodizing services. The resulting coating should have a certain thickness and mechanical resistance. Control of technological parameters is required at every stage.

Selective anodizing is a more complex process, during which some parts of the detail are not given anodizing. This is used, for example, in engine pistons. Then only on the exposed surface a protective layer is produced that does not change the tolerance of the holes.

The factory’s key parameters are checked for process parameters based on ISO 9001 and environmental standards. Specialists control the quality of the manufactured surface, assessing its appearance, thickness and durability.
The high quality of anodizing services provided by Polish companies is known all over the world.
Every year, millions of pieces of various aluminum components undergo anodizing.
Among Polish anodizing plants, Voster from Zduńska Wola can boast of an automatic hanger line for anodizing various aluminum alloys with maximum dimensions: 2200 mm x 350 mm x 1100 mm. Vorster offers soft decorative anodizing in natural color, characterized by anodic layer thickness in the range of 5-25 µm.