Bead Blasting Service is specified for a reason: corrosion resistance, wear, appearance, cleanliness or electrical behaviour, and the wrong choice costs more than leaving the part as machined. The Bead Blasting Service described here is built in aluminium with hard anodising to 50 µm and developed for medical device components. surface treatment applied after final machining with documented thickness control is applied with tool life and the maintenance interval agreed before building starts.
The parts that matter most are the interfaces: bores, sealing faces, threads and mounting patterns. Those are held to coating thickness ±5 µm, verified against the drawing, and recorded before anything is packed.
Specification
| Process | Surface treatment applied after final machining with documented thickness control |
|---|---|
| Material / configuration | aluminium with hard anodising to 50 µm |
| Size / capacity | anodising thickness of 5 to 25 µm |
| Tolerance | coating thickness ±5 µm |
| Surface finish | anodised, plated, passivated or coated |
| Application | bead blasting service for medical device components |
| Inspection | Dimensional report, material certificate, first article report on request |
| Lead time | 7–15 working days for samples, 3–4 weeks for production |
| Minimum order | 1 piece for prototypes, from 50 pieces for production pricing |
Manufacturing process
The operation sequence is decided before the first chip is cut: roughing to leave even stock, semi-finishing, then surface treatment applied after final machining with documented thickness control as the final operation. That order is what keeps coating thickness ±5 µm stable as the batch runs and the machine warms up.
Material is purchased against a certificate and checked on receipt, so the composition is known before any cutting starts. Work in progress is identified by part number and operation, and the finished parts are deburred, cleaned and protected before they leave the machine area.
Typical applications
Most of the work supplied in this category falls into the following examples.
- Wear surfaces on moving parts.
- Corrosion protection for outdoor use.
- Hygienic finishes for food contact.
- Colour coding of assemblies.
- Electrical insulation of housings.
Quality control and documentation
Every batch is measured against the drawing with calibrated equipment, and results are recorded against the part number rather than kept on a scrap of paper.
Material certificates to EN 10204 3.1, dimensional reports and first article inspection reports are issued with the shipment where the application requires them. Calibration dates and measurement uncertainty are recorded alongside every result.
Ordering, lead time and packaging
Quotations are returned within one working day of a complete drawing package. Lead time is quoted from drawing approval, not from the date of enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
Does finishing change part dimensions?
Yes, and the direction depends on the process. Anodising and plating add material, so threads and bores are masked or machined undersize, while electropolishing removes a small amount.
When is passivation enough instead of plating?
For stainless steel in most environments, passivation is sufficient and cheaper. Plating is needed when wear resistance or electrical properties are the actual requirement.
Do you keep tooling and programmes for repeat orders?
Fixtures, tool lists and verified CAM programmes are retained for the life of the part number, so a repeat release runs on the same setup as the first batch without a new proving run.
To discuss bead blasting service requirements, send the model and the drawing with the quantities required. Feedback on manufacturability is given free of charge before any order is placed.
