Regardless of your role in the manufacturing process, considering how your components and products will be finished is crucial. Whether you manage finishing in-house or rely on outsourcing, early consideration of the final finish will help ensure quality. “Aesthetics play a huge role and the old adage of the first impression is the lasting impression is very true. But there is more to it than that when engineering components are involved,” explained Jaco Schriks, one of two partners in a coating business that has focussed on zinc electroplating and phosphating.
“The traditional approach of merely machining parts and sending them to a metal plater is outdated and should be left in the past. To achieve the highest quality, it’s essential to collaborate closely with every partner in your process chain, including surface finishing experts like ourselves,” continued Schriks.
“Companies are becoming more demanding due to economic pressures, rapid tech shifts (AI, data), the need for higher productivity/skills and adapting to new worker expectations. Higher costs and global competition push for greater efficiency, faster innovation, and immediate market dominance, requiring higher output. The coatings industry has not escaped all these influencing factors.”
Cubed Coatings, based in Wadeville, Gauteng was established in 2017. The company has concentrated on zinc phosphating and electroplating
“But at the same time, new opportunities arise amongst the chaos. The advent of electric vehicles (EVs) seems to have finally arrived. With a growing number of automotive OEMs investing in new capabilities to grow their EV and hybrid offerings, finishes will be needed for a range of components from electrical motor components to batteries.”
“Plating on plastics (POP) isn’t new. Electroplating on plastic typically involves the process of depositing a thin layer of metal onto a plastic substrate using an electrochemical process after first preparing the plastic for the metal to adhere to. Advances in plating on plastics, as well as the introduction of new materials aimed at producing lightweight parts are creating opportunities beyond traditional POP applications, which are often decorative in nature. Today, POP is being explored for use in diverse industries, including aerospace, automotive and electronics. The ability to electroplate on high-performance resins, lightweight composites and additively manufactured parts opens new avenues for innovation, making plating on plastic an option for enhancing functionality of parts in addition to providing aesthetics.”
Business partners Jaco Schriks and Charl Gyzen
“Contrary to some perceptions, environmental concerns are a priority in the finishing industry. As one of the most heavily regulated sectors in manufacturing, compliance is essential for the industry’s sustainability. For years, metal finishers have been engaged in negotiations with environmental groups to address issues related to air quality and wastewater treatment. The industry has been proactive in seeking alternatives to potentially harmful hexavalent chromium finishing technologies, exploring safer options like trivalent chromium-based processes. The evolving regulatory landscape will continue to influence the available finishing technologies and their application methods.”
Cubed Coatings, based in Wadeville, Gauteng was established in 2017 when Timken, a well-known manufacturer of a range of engineered bearings, power transmission products and maintenance tools decided to close its manufacturing plants in South Africa and rather concentrate on assembly and distribution of its products.
“The current location where we operate from was the site that Timken did their zinc phosphating of their components and products. Myself and business partner Charl Gyzen were offered the possibility to take over the equipment and site and it did not take us long to make a decision.”
“Charl and I have known each other since primary school and through family connections we have remained close friends. I worked in the engineering industry for a long time while I was at Laser Sprint, one of the first laser cutting service centres to be established in South Africa. My Dad was a partner in the business and when the company was sold to General Profiling, I looked for new opportunities.”
Cubed Coatings now has 8 different lines and the most recent one was commissioned at the end of 2023
The most recent line commissioned is different in that it is a barrel line
“Charl is a professional chef and our first venture into business together was to purchase two takeaway franchises. Unfortunately, in the franchising industry you are just a pawn, generally speaking, and the only person that makes money is the franchiser because they control everything. In our case we proved that having to buy everything through the franchiser put a lot of pressure on the bottom line so we gave up.”
Charl takes up the story: “What we purchased was a very run-down operation. Even the equipment had been dismantled and was about to be shipped to the scrap yard. Fortunately, we had photos while the plant was assembled and we could assemble it again. Of course, we did improvements to the line.”
Phosphating
“Phosphating is the process of converting a steel surface to iron phosphate. This is mostly used as a pre-treatment method in conjunction with another method of corrosion protection. A layer of phosphate coating typically includes iron, zinc or manganese crystals.”
Zinc phosphate coatings
“Our line catered for phosphate coatings. Phosphate coatings are ‘conversion coatings’. Unlike plating processes, in which a layer of metal is deposited on the surface of the substrate, during the phosphating process the substrate participates in the reaction and becomes a component of the coating.”
Zinc electroplating improves the corrosion resistance of ferrous metal parts and increases their life. This makes zinc-plated components ideal for both indoor and mild outdoor uses, as the coating protects against the elements
Barrel plating consists of a barrel, a tank, the components to be plated, a solution of electrolytic salts (plating bath), electrodes, and a power source to supply the electric current that delivers the coating
“The surface of the metal is chemically changed to a new structure that provides a porous, yet corrosion resistant surface to which the rust inhibitors, oils, paints, or other lubricants can penetrate and attach. The attachment site and absorption area are far superior to the base metal.”
“Phosphate coatings are formed from an interaction with the surface of the metal. Therefore, the thickness of the coating is dependent upon the porosity of the coating it forms. Once the phosphate coating foams and the surface of the substrate is completely sealed off from the phosphating solution, the chemical reaction ends. The resulting surface is a non-metallic crystalline coating containing iron, zinc, and/or manganese. Our phosphate coating is applied by an immersion process.”
“We service a broad range of industries for phosphating services. A typical example is the rail transport industry where the brake components that we coat eventually end back at Gibella.”
Zinc electroplating
“Zinc phosphate coating is a specialised process and also limited to whom requires it. We realised this very soon and knew that we had to broaden our scope of offerings. We chose to remain in the zinc arena and began investing in zinc electroplating processing services.”
“Zinc electroplating improves the corrosion resistance of ferrous metal parts and increases their life. This makes zinc-plated components ideal for both indoor and mild outdoor uses, as the coating protects against the elements. For harsher conditions, or when longer protection is required, a zinc-nickel alloy is used instead. Zinc and zinc-nickel-alloy plating is also used as an undercoat on components that are then given a paint or powder finish.”
“We offer both processes but unlike many other plating companies we have limited ourselves to zinc and have specialised this area.”
“We now have 8 different lines and the most recent one was commissioned at the end of 2023. The line is different in that it is a barrel line as compared to the other lines which are jig and rack lines.”
On the rack side Cubed Coatings can accommodate up to their tank size of about 7m or 8m
For components too large, complex, or fragile for barrel plating, rack plating functions in much the same way as barrel plating, except the barrel is replaced by a rack
“When Cobra Watertech closed their manufacturing plant, we purchased one of their zinc plating lines and converted it into a barrel line. We specifically did this to accommodate the increase in demand for smaller and large amounts of components such as fasteners, nuts and bolts with many of them making their way into the automotive industry.”
Barrel plating versus rack plating
“Two of the more common plating methods of coating are bulk/barrel plating and rack plating and are really self-explanatory. Barrel plating consists of a barrel, a tank, the components to be plated, a solution of electrolytic salts (plating bath), electrodes, and a power source to supply the electric current that delivers the coating. First the barrel is lowered into the plating bath. Then a positive charge is run through the barrel and the components within, while a negative charge is applied to the plating material in the solution.”
“The positive current causes the plating material’s atoms to ionize and migrate through the solution to the negatively charged surface of the components, forming the desired coating. The barrel rotates on a spindle, tumbling the components so that the coating is applied evenly. The process can be cost-effective for large batches of small components, fasteners, and small stampings.”
The majority of the lines at Cubed Coatings are jig and rack lines
Plating is a critical part of fabrication across a range of industries
“For components too large, complex, or fragile for barrel plating, rack plating functions in much the same way as barrel plating, except the barrel is replaced by a rack. Components are secured on the rack by hooks, spring contacts, or other means. The rack is lowered into the tank, and the plating material and components are charged negatively while the counter-electrode is charged positively. Just as in barrel plating, the difference in charges causes the plating metal ions to migrate and bond with the component surfaces. As the components are suspended on the rack, the coating remains fairly evenly distributed.”
Component size
“To give you an idea of the barrel capacity that we have. Running at full capacity we can process 60kgs to 75kgs of component every 7 to 8 minutes. This translates into about 5 tons a day.”
“On the rack side we can accommodate up to our tank size of about 7m or 8m but more common is components 3m in length and 900mm in depth. We have done up to 6m though.”
“Overall, we average about 120 to 150 tons per month.”
“It’s all about the recipes,” said the former professional chef with a smile on his face.”
Components processed by the company are in the bracket of more common components that are 3m in length and 900mm in depth
Rack coating allows the company to process many different sizes and shapes of components
“On the quality side we have been ISO 9001:2015 certified and to become IATF certified we would have to have a radical increase in the size of the company. However, we have put in place the industry recognised CQI-11 plating system assessment.”
“We deal mainly with manufacturers and assemblers but still regard ourselves as a job shop because we will not turn away one-off requests. Unlike other platers we have consolidated our processes to basically two and the recipes are constant.”
Finishing today and tomorrow
“The finishing industry is integral to the broader manufacturing landscape. Consumer needs and buying trends shape not only what we produce but also the methods we use. To ensure the highest quality for your components, engage with your surface finishing partners early in the production process. Leverage their expertise to achieve the best possible surface finish, aligning with industry standards and consumer expectations,” expanded Schriks.
“Plating is a critical part of fabrication across a range of industries. Regardless of the type of plating or the reason for it, be sure to keep a few important things in mind when working with a plating provider,” concluded Schriks.
For further details contact Cubed Coatings on 082 900 7229 or visit www.cubedcoatings.co.za
