If it’s been printed or published on line, chances are Scott Dunigan has read it. A leading expert in the metal finishing industry, Scott knows how to keep up and overcome obstacles.
“While most of our industry experience here at A Brite comes from being in the ‘trenches’ and learning mostly from the line,” Scott said. “Because we have to be certified to be credible, we have to read a lot of material,” he said.
Scott is A Brite’s president. A Brite Company is the leader in the metal finishing industry for process chemistry, equipment and laboratory services, A Brite is based in Garland, Texas.
With a BS degree from the University of Texas in Micropaleontology, Scott is more than well read, he’s a life-long student. The minor in Chemistry doesn’t do any harm, either.
“I’ve had the good fortune of having worked as a line supervisor, in the lab doing quality control (QC) and analysis and having been a field troubleshooter for many years,” Scott said. “These experiences have prepared me well for being the source of information I am today.”
Scott is one of A Brite’s finishing experts. And he is a firm believer that most problems can be found in the pretreatment areas of any line.
“Ninety-five percent of problems on any line can be traced back to the pre-treatment areas,” Scott said. “You have to be a good detective to get there, but experience tells us to start there.”
Scott is also a part of The Finishing Experts, a sister company providing on-demand expertise and consultancy services to the metal finishing industry.
To reach Scott or any of the experts at A Brite Company, call 1-888-822-7483 or reach them through the A Brite or Finishing Experts websites.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
SUR/FIN 2012: Elvis is Still in the Building
"Frank as Elvis was one of the best things we ever at SUR/FIN," Dan Dunigan said. "He really connects with our customers and prospects and makes the whole thing a lot of fun."
Dan is in charge of technical sales and marketing at A Brite Company, a 30-year-old supplier and partner to the surface finishing industry. Frank is Frank Dunigan, the CEO of A Brite.
This year's Surface Finishing Expo (SUR/FIN) was yet another success for A Brite. And it was also a way to update the industry on what is happening with the company and the coming out party for a new partner.
"Every year everybody tries to get us to reveal our theme before the show," Dan said. "But every year, we refuse to tell what we will be doing in the booth."
"This year we had extra reasons to not only be at the show, but to be there in a big way," Dan continued. "With A Brite's recent merger with Enthone, it was important for us to tell our clients and partners that A Brite is still alive and kicking."
Earlier this year, Enthone acquired elements of A Brite. A Brite also rolled out it's relationship with The Finishing Experts.
"The Finishing Experts is a comprehensive online customer service portal for the surface-finishing industry," Dan said. "Our customers are able to draw upon exceptional expertise through the use of on-line and real-time interactive video consultations with some of the leading experts in the finishing industry."
With traffic up at the A Brite booth and a higher than anticipated number of visitors at The Finishing Expert's booth, the show was a great success for both groups.
"We definitely will be back to SUR/FIN for years to come," Dan said.
You can reach Dan and the rest of the A Brite family by calling 1-888-822-7483 or visiting their website.
Monday, June 11, 2012
A Brite at the SUR/FIN 2012 Show
"We will be having a great time talking to people about A Brite Company and our new venture with Enthone Inc.," Frank Dunigan said. "The industry always waits to see and hear what we are up to at SUR/FIN. We are alive and well, ready to help people with in our industry, as usual," he continued.
Frank is the CEO of A Brite Company, a 30-year-old supplier and partner to the surface finishing industry.
A pinball tournament and special giveaways highlight the booth at the South Point Hotel and Casino. Frank, as Elvis, is also giving out autographs.
"This is a way for us to get out the word and assure our partners and friends we are still doing business," Dan Dunigan said. Dan is in charge of technical sales and marketing at A Brite.
Also on the agenda is the rollout of The Finishing Experts, an allied company that will provide support services to A Brite.
"The Finishing Experts is a comprehensive online customer service portal for the surface-finishing industry," Dan said. "Our customers are able to draw upon exceptional expertise through the use of on-line and real-time interactive video consultations with some of the leading experts in the finishing industry."
If you are in Las Vegas this week, be sure and stop by Booth 920 to see A Brite and booth 122 for The Finishing Experts.
"Let it Ride!" Frank said.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Wastewater Chemistry
Having a solid partner to help with these issues is critical to the success of your company.
"A Brite Company's expertise in the area of wastewater treatment has few peers," Dan Dunigan said. "Between our line of EnviroBrite products and our alliance with Kontek Ecology Systems, we offer more in the area of wastewater expertise and solutions than few others in the industry.," he said.
Dan is in charge of technical sales and marketing at A Brite Company, a 30-year-old supplier and partner to the surface finishing industry.
"Wastewater treatment and compliance is a critical need and expertise for the surface finisher ," Dan continued. "Make sure you have the right partner and the right systems in place before you go too far."
Kontek specializes in providing technologically superior wastewater recovery and treatment systems tailoered to your facilities unique requirements. They have been an A Brite partner for a number of years.
A Brite's WTC line of products range from highly concentrated liquids, solutions and polymers that do a range of things from allowing coagulation to breaking down chelates and emulsions to aiding precipitation.
"Having the right tools makes all the difference in the world," Dan added. "And having the right expertise guiding you can't be overlooked, either. If the object is keeping your line running and running well, you have to have to be prepared"
You can reach Dan and the rest of the A Brite family by calling 1-888-822-7483 or visiting their website.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Analytical and Laboratory Services
Having a solid laboratory partner to help with these analyses is critical to the success of your company.
"A Brite Company's labs and processes are here for the convenience of our customers," Dan Dunigan said. "We have the ability to not only create new chemistry for our clients' changing needs and that of the industry, we also provide the service of monitoring the baths and lines those chemicals are being used in," he said.
Dan is in charge of technical sales and marketing at A Brite Company, a 30-year-old supplier and partner to the surface finishing industry.
"When looking for a lab, be looking for a partner that understands you," Dan continued. "Make sure you are looking beyond price and a list of services. Be sure and meet the people."
Process monitoring is a big part of why A Brite can produce the appropriate chemicals that they do for the industry. Hundreds of samples from key customers find their way into the A Brite labs each month. From the analyses done on these samples, not only are the existing lines monitored and kept productive, new chemicals and processes are devised and applied.
"It is the best kind of new business development you can," Dan added. "Not just for us but for our clients as well.
You can reach Dan and the rest of the A Brite family by calling 1-888-822-7483 or visiting their website.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
An Introduction to Electroplating
This process produces a thin, metallic coating on the surface of the metal object. The main purposes of electroplating are to improve the appearance of the material and provide protection against corrosion.
Since metal is being taken from the solution it must be replenished. This is done by hanging pieces of the metal to be replenished in the solution. The chunks of metal are called anodes and the positive electrical lead is attached to these chunks of metal. They dissolve in the solution as metal is taken away by plating. At this point we have metal being removed from the anode and deposited on the cathode. Cathodes are the parts being plated.
The anode and cathode in the electroplating cell are both connected to an external supply of direct current — a battery or, more commonly, a rectifier. The anode is connected to the positive terminal of the supply, and the cathode (article to be plated) is connected to the negative terminal. When the external power supply is switched on, the metal at the anode is oxidized from the zero valence state to form cations with a positive charge. These cations associate with the anions in the solution. The cations are reduced at the cathode to deposit in the metallic, zero valence state. For example, in an acid solution, copper is oxidized at the anode to Cu2+ by losing two electrons. The Cu2+ associates with the anion SO42- in the solution to form copper sulfate. At the cathode, the Cu2+ is reduced to metallic copper by gaining two electrons. The result is the effective transfer of copper from the anode source to a plate covering the cathode
History
It is widely held but unconfirmed that the Parthian battery may have been the first system used for electroplating.
Modern electrochemistry was invented by Italian chemist Luigi V. Brugnatelli in 1805. Brugnatelli used the voltaic pile, his colleague Alessandro Volta's invention of five years earlier, to facilitate the first electrodeposition. Brugnatelli's inventions were suppressed by the French Academy of Sciences and did not become used in general industry for the following thirty years.
By 1839, scientists in Britain and Russia had independently devised metal deposition processes similar to Brugnatelli's for the copper electroplating of printing press plates.
Boris Jacobi in Russia not only rediscovered galvanoplastics, but developed electrotyping and galvanoplastic sculpture. Galvanoplactics quickly came into fashion in Russia, with such people as inventor Peter Bagration, scientist Heinrich Lenz and science fiction author Vladimir Odoyevsky all contributing to further development of the technology. Among the most notorious cases of electroplating usage in mid-19th century Russia were gigantic galvanoplastic sculptures of St. Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg and gold-electroplated dome of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, the tallest Orthodox church in the world.
Soon after, John Wright of Birmingham, England discovered that potassium cyanide was a suitable electrolyte for gold and silver electroplating. Wright's associates, George Elkington and Henry Elkington were awarded the first patents for electroplating in 1840. These two then founded the electroplating industry in Birmingham from where it spread around the world.
The Norddeutsche Affinerie in Hamburg was the first modern electroplating plant starting its production in 1876.
As the science of electrochemistry grew, its relationship to the electroplating process became understood and other types of non-decorative metal electroplating processes were developed. Commercial electroplating of nickel, brass, tin, and zinc were developed by the 1850s. Electroplating baths and equipment based on the patents of the Elkingtons were scaled up to accommodate the plating of numerous large scale objects and for specific manufacturing and engineering applications.
The plating industry received a big boost from the advent of the development of electric generators in the late 19th century. With the higher currents, available metal machine components, hardware, and automotive parts requiring corrosion protection and enhanced wear properties, along with better appearance, could be processed in bulk.
The two World Wars and the growing aviation industry gave impetus to further developments and refinements including such processes as hard chromium plating, bronze alloy plating, sulfamate nickel plating, along with numerous other plating processes. Plating equipment evolved from manually operated tar-lined wooden tanks to automated equipment, capable of processing thousands of kilograms per hour of parts.
One of the American physicist Richard Feynman's first projects was to develop technology for electroplating metal onto plastic. Feynman developed the original idea of his friend into a successful invention, allowing his employer (and friend) to keep commercial promises he had made but could not have fulfilled otherwise.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Where do you find experts to consult?
It is not always easy to find collaborators or experts in your field. We all need advice or at least a sounding board from time to time.
So, where do you look for advice and help in the surface finishing industry?
We're throwing the question out there in hopes of hearing what you all use in this area. It isn't easy finding sources and, while we can suggest some, we think you all have sources we haven't thought of. Our short list includes:
Drop us a line in the comments section below or on our website at www.abrite.com.
The Finishing Expert
So, where do you look for advice and help in the surface finishing industry?
We're throwing the question out there in hopes of hearing what you all use in this area. It isn't easy finding sources and, while we can suggest some, we think you all have sources we haven't thought of. Our short list includes:
- NASF membership and their website.
- Finishing.com.
- Surfacefinishing.com.
- Surfacecoating.info.
Drop us a line in the comments section below or on our website at www.abrite.com.
The Finishing Expert
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