News Release

Significant quality improvements for new environmental Electroless Nickel coating process

April 2002

 
Poeton Industries Limited, a world leader in surface coating technology, is claiming significant quality improvements for its electroless nickel coatings following the installation of a special environmental dialysis system designed to reduce waste from the manufacturing process.

Poeton's technical director Colin John explains that there are significant customer benefits in the new process, resulting from the continuous and very precise control of the electroless nickel solution's chemical composition and operating parameters.

"Consistent nickel to phosphorous ratios means we achieve much more consistent plating rates and that means we are able to coat to much finer tolerances than before," he says, adding that tests have confirmed that corrosion and wear resistance levels have also improved. Dialysis guarantees we deliver 'right first time' high quality consistent nickel phosphorous alloy coatings.

Poeton claims it is the first UK surface treatment specialist to install the EDEN environmental system, which has virtually eliminated heavy metal waste produced by the company's two electroless nickel processing lines.

EDEN - Electro Dialysis for Electroless Nickel - works by continuously cleaning the process solution in both electroless nickel lines. It has reduced Poeton's monthly volume of spent process solutions by 1500 litres and virtually eliminated the generation of any hazardous heavy metal waste.
Commenting on the waste disposal implications for the company Colin John goes on to say that, prior to installing the system at a cost of £90,000, the solution in both lines had to be replaced at the end of its working life - usually every month. This meant disposing of the solution using a specialist waste contractor at a cost of several thousands of pound per annum.

Now, waste from the lines, which amounts to less than 25 litres of lower level waste per day, is clean enough to be disposed of through the company's own plant effluent system.

Colin John says EDEN is so effective that, with proper controls and housekeeping, it is conceivable that the solution need never be replaced and the tanks may never need emptying.

To discuss electroless nickel treatment, sample part processing or technical advice call Poeton Industries now on 01452 300500.

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