Feature Articles

Air Forces of Nature: Corrosion control office helps prolong life of aircraft
The Air Force Corrosion Prevention and Control Office at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia employs only 17 people, but its small staff plays a big role in keeping aircraft and ground equipment operating throughout the Air Force.   The specialists in the office, which is a unit of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, serve as the corrosion control experts for the entire Air Force.

A Shiny New Day for Univertical
Following $5.5 million in clean-up costs shared by Univertical (Angola, IN) and state and local governments, Chuck Walker’s company is ready to expand operations in supplying anodes and chemicals for the worldwide plating industry.

Touching Up: Selective Brush Plating in the Field
Selective brush plating is much more than just a touch-up repair process. Hundreds of applications are using the selective brush plating process to provide surface enhancement coatings to aircraft OEM applications.

F-35 Gets New Paint System
Robots now control all the moves.

EPA may require “financial assurances” in plating industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently mulling what industries to invoke new clean-up rules as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Recovery and Liability Act.

Tumbling to the Finish
The Flow-Clad system of coating smaller parts at higher production rates uses a tumbling method not usually found in many custom coaters. “I just don’t think too many people even know that this process exists,” says president Bob Zimmerli. “It will definitely save them money. It’s just getting the customer to understand what we can do for them.”

Tech Notes

Putting a Lid on Tanks
KCH Engineered Systems says tank covers reduce overall exhaust requirements, fugitive emissions, heat loss and evaporation rates, energy consumption and calculated surface area for exhaust rates.