The three terms – surfacing, finishing, and plating – are often used interchangeably to refer to the process of finishing off any consumer or intermediary goods. The lines differentiating them are thin and blurred. Let us, therefore, define these terms and see how they apply to the metal finishing industry.

Finishing

Finishing is a comprehensive term that applies to the end-stage manufacturing process of any product – be it textiles, garments, art, or metal – ergo the phrase “applying the finishing touches.” When it comes to industrial goods, finishing denotes molding, shaping, or modifying the surface of various materials that can then be used for the manufacture of consumer goods.

Surface Finishing

Surface finishing, as we clarified in our August month’s blog, What are the various metal plating technologies? is a broad range of industrial processes that alter the surface of a manufactured item to achieve a certain property.

Surface finishing is, therefore, a process that modifies the surface of a product for a specific purpose. Surface finishing is used in a variety of materials like fabric, wood or metal – and the processes are named after the method or technology applied the finished product, or material to be finished. They may also be classified as such – for example, wood finishing, metal finishing, coating or plating.

Metal Finishing

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines metal finishing as “the process of changing the surface of an object, for the purpose of improving its appearance and/or durability. Metal finishing is related to electroplating, which is the production of a thin surface coating of the metal upon another by electrodeposition.”

While EPA relates metal finishing to electroplating, coating a metal with paint or powder also falls within the realm of metal finishing. The difference lies only in the material or method being used to coat the metal.

Objectives of Metal Finishing

Metal finishing is primarily undertaken to improve the life of metal parts. The specific purpose of finishing specific components include –

• Resistance to corrosion and wear
• Enhancing – or decreasing – the electrical conductivity of a metal
• Enhancing the tolerance of force applied
• Improving bonding capability – solderability
• Improving resistance to tarnish, chemicals, and other compounds
• Enhancing capability of bonding with rubber – vulcanizing
• Increasing or decreasing the hardness of the metal
• Increasing or decreasing the reflectivity of the metal
• Resizing the part to fit into a manufactured product such as an automobile.

The finished metal may then be used to manufacture consumer goods such as mobile handsets, kitchen appliances, or automotive parts.

Dynamics of the metal finishing industry

Coating and plating are the two basic types of metal finishes. Within these two classifications there exist a large spectrum of finishes classified according to the process or technology involved, as explained in our August month’s blog, What are the various metal plating technologies?. IDEALS classifies finishing units based on their size and customer base –

Job Shops – These are usually MSMEs performing bespoke finishing according to customer demand. They have a large customer base and may perform a single process – such as plating – or a variety of finishing processes.

Captive Shops – These are metal finishing businesses that cater to a single customer. Large conglomerates outsource the finishing of components to a single supplier who becomes an integral part of the manufacturing process. The processing unit is independent of the customer but works only for that single customer.

While job shops and captive shops do not usually compete, a captive shop may sub-contract to a job shop. Also, job shops may restrict themselves to a single industry – such as metal finishing for automotive parts – or cater to a variety of industries.

Metal finishing in India

India is poised for growth – and the metal finishing industry plays a big role in this growth.

According to an India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) report, there are several factors that are favorable to the growth of the metal finishing industry in India –

• India has a rich reserve of minerals and metals
• There exists a large workforce ready to take on the challenge
• India has lower wages which makes plating cost-effective
• Indian players like TISCO, Hindalco, and Ispat Industries are funding projects to promote their own growth.
• The government has taken positive steps to encourage investment in this sector – such as reducing custom duty on primary and secondary metals.
• India has a well-developed mining sector
• India has a number of institutes that offer education and training in this area

All these factors are conducive to the growth of the metals industry in India.

Budding entrepreneurs desirous of entering the industry call MFAI for details about the Certificate Course in electroplating, job placement, or help with setting up your own unit.