Urgent Job? For Critical Jobs, Count on AOTCO! Contact Us

Exotic Substrates for Surface Finishing

There are a range of “common” substrates and metals such as tin, copper, nickel and zinc, that any surface finishing company is most likely able to plate or anodize. These metals are considered common substrates for a reason, they are used in a majority of manufacturing applications across a multitude of industries. However, as research persists and new problems arise, the incorporation of less common, or exotic, substrates into manufacturing has become more and more frequent. These exotic substrates often possess unique physical or chemical properties that make them desirable for a specific form of application. However, with these unique properties can come an array of challenges during the plating process, chemical, physical, and financial.

Throughout our nearly 50 years in business, AOTCO Metal Finishing has perfected an abundance of finishing techniques on exotic substrates from precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum to super alloys such as Inconel, Monel, and Kovar. On top of these super alloys, we are one of a very small group of companies that can effectively plate other metals onto tungsten and other refractory metals.

Finally, our in-house R&D team, AOTCO | LABS, is comprised of veteran plating scientists and a group of chemical and mechanical engineers dedicated to finding the most optimum solutions for your plating needs. This team, along with our entire plating staff, has turned AOTCO into one of the premier specialty plating companies in the nation.

NQA_ISO13485 NQA_AS9100_CMYK_UK NQA_ISO9001_CMYK ANAB Itar Compliant Logo (blue, circular) Nadcap
AlBeMet

ALBeMet™

ALBeMet™

Developed by Materion Corporation, AlBeMet is an aluminum-beryllium metal composite. It is 62% commercially pure beryllium and 38% pure aluminum.
Invar and Alloy42

Alloy 42

Alloy 42

Alloy 42 is like Invar with a slightly different Nickle to Iron ratio. It is 42% Nickel and 58% Iron. Alloy 42 is now increasingly common for its use in metal finishing, electrical components,...
Beryllium-1

Beryllium

Beryllium

Beryllium is a silver-grey element that is a member of the alkaline earth metals family. Beryllium is very strong and possesses a high melting point of 1287 C, making it a very durable and eLective...
BerylliumCopper-1

Beryllium Copper

Beryllium Copper

Also known as Spring Copper, Beryllium Copper is a copper alloy that is mixed with Beryllium, giving it a mix of the contrasting qualities of Copper and Beryllium. While copper is typically one of...
BerylliumE

Beryllium E-Material

Beryllium E-Material

Beryllium E-Material, also called E Material, is a metal matrix composite consisting of beryllium matrix with beryllium oxide particles. It has high thermal conductivity, and its thermal expansion...
Inconel

Inconel

Inconel

Inconel alloys combine Nickel and Chrome alloys to create an even stronger, corrosion resistant material that has been utilized across several manufacturing industries. While it is mainly considered...
Invar

Invar

Invar

Invar is a nickel-iron alloy that is known for its low coefficient of thermal expansion. This remarkable discovery is 36% Nickel and 64% Iron. Charles Guillaume developed the compound in 1896 and...
Kovar

Kovar

Kovar

Kovar is a nickel cobalt alloy that has a very similar thermal coefficient to many types of hard glass and ceramics. This makes Kovar go to pairing when manufacturing devices with glass, such as...
Copper Moly_FlipCard

Molybdenum

Molybdenum

Molybdenum, or “Moly”, is a silver-grey refractory metal, that is periodically used as both a substrate and surface deposit in the metal finishing industry. Being a refractory metal, Molybdenum is...
Monel-1

Monel

Monel

Monel is a nickel based superalloy developed in 1905. Comprised of a blend of nickel, copper, titanium, aluminum, and iron, Monel is best known for its ability to maintain its great strength at...
Niobium-1

Niobium

Niobium

Niobium differs slightly from the rest of its refractory metal peers. It is the softest of the refractory family, making it more flexible. With increased flexibility combined with the extremely high...
Tellurium Copper

Tellurium Copper

Tellurium Copper

Tellurium Copper, also known as TeCu, is one of the most common copper alloy substrates in the machining industry. TeCu maintains all the well-documented benefits of copper (conductivity,...
Thermkon

Thermkon (Copper / Tungsten)

Thermkon (Copper / Tungsten)

Tellurium Copper, also known as TeCu, is one of the most common copper alloy substrates in the machining industry. TeCu maintains all the well documented benefits of copper (conductivity,...
Titanium

Titanium

Titanium

Titanium is non-toxic and highly resistance to corrosion without applying any surface finishes. What makes titanium unique is its incredible strength. Titanium is just as strong as any steel alloy,...
Tungsten-1

Tungsten

Tungsten

Tungsten is the most used refractory metal in manufacturing. A silvery-white metal, its name derives from the Swedish words “Tung” and “Sten”, which translates to “Hard Stone.” Tungsten is incredibly...
yellow envelope icon

Ready to Request a Quote?

1-888-275-0880

Benefits of Metal Finishing

Although metal finishing is a simple idea, it is one that can accomplish many goals, including >>

 

From its humble beginnings with our ancestors to the advanced techniques we employ today, metal finishing is part of our unending collective effort to improve the performance of the tools we build and the beauty of the things we create.

  • Preventing Corrosion
  • changing conductibility
  • altering emissivity
  • enhancing or reducing conductivity
  • modifying lubricity
  • improving wear
  • increasing hardness
  • improving heat response & resistance
  • enhancing aesthetic appearance
  • Preventing Corrosion
Looking

Looking for Specs?

Learn more about the specifications AOTCO offers, including NADCAP-accredited and RoHS-compliant ones.
envelope icon

Have Questions?
We're Happy to Help.

1-888-275-0880